Beyond the Pale: A Rhetorical Analysis of Disgust and Albinism in 'Positive Exposure'

• In Event: Disability and Media

Abstract

In 1998, LIFE Magazine ran an article featuring pictures of people with Albinism. The beautiful photographs encouraged the viewer to stare, but with appreciation rather than the aversion typically directed toward people with Albinism. This article provides a unique opportunity for a detailed examination of disgust. In this paper we explore the question of whether disgust responses can be changed and examine this attempt to re-orient the disgust response associated with genetic conditions like Albinism.

Authors

• Erin Witte, University of Georgia

• Blake Abbott, University of Georgia