Roger Ebert is a Heroic Badass
April 26, 2007 by Liz Lewis
Filed under Beauty, Cancer, Media, Philosophy, disability
Roger Ebert has taken to quoting a certain piece of Raging Bull dialog, and for good reason. When he says, “I ain’t a pretty boy no more” he means it, but only the first 5 words. He’s just undergone a round of surgeries for cancer in a salivary gland that had spread to his jaw. This resulted in the removal of a segment of his mandible. Roger is also on the receiving end of a fresh tracheotomy, and is unable to speak. So, will he be in attendance at his 9th Annual Overlooked Films Festival this week? You betcha.
He’s taken a “damn the Paparazzi” stance that is all but unheard off in the rarefied circles through which he walks. (Self-admittedly, he was never “a pretty boy”, but it’s the principle of the thing, right?) He’ll be at the festival, as usual, and he’s released photos of himself flashing a thumbs up to the camera to let his fans know he’s alright, and to beat the Paparazzi to the punch.
I was told photos of me in this condition would attract the gossip papers. So what?
I have been very sick, am getting better and this is how it looks. I still have my brain and my typing fingers.
Although months in bed after the bleeding episodes caused a lack of strength and coordination, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago restored my ability to walk on my own, climb stairs, etc.
I no longer use a walker much and the wheelchair is more for occasional speed and comfort than need. Just today we went for a long stroll in Lincoln Park.
We spend too much time hiding illness. There is an assumption that I must always look the same. I hope to look better than I look now. But I’m not going to miss my festival.
This kind of attitude is awesome, in my humble opinion. People get sick, and that’s real life. They also get better. I think it’s important for people to see media stereotypes go through this sort of thing. Not for voyeuristic entertainment value, but to balance out the claims of reality made by shows like The Next Pussycat Doll. (Full disclosure: I watched the season finale of this show last night with my wife. But at no time was under the illusion that it wasn’t a slick production with a purposefully crafted balance of T&A and melodrama so that husbands would watch it with their wives making for an extremely wide marketing demographic.)
He won’t be shouting, “Stella!” anytime soon, but his presence at the festival will be a welcome one, I’m sure. I’m glad he’s there and I’m not even going.
Read More: ‘I ain’t a pretty boy no more’ – Roger Ebert; Chicago Sun Times
Photo Credit: Dom Najolia/Sun-Times
