Seven Individuals: Discuss the Cast

[Meredith Quill]

Your Cast Topic!

[camom]

I love that the different personalities are shown.  People who have Down syndrome are not all alike!

 

John is really articulate and insightful.  

[camom]

These individuals are pretty high functioning.  Just like the rest of us, people who have Down syndrome differ in their abilities.  It is true that some of them are able to have jobs, go to college programs, etc., but that certainly isn't true of all people with DS.  It is better, however, for the generation coming up because they have more opportunities and therapies as children.

[camom]

I hope that the audience is smart enough to realize that not all people with DS are like these young adults.  I think we can watch any of the Real Housewives shows and know that not all people from those places behave that way.  On the positive side, people may watch this show and understand that people with DS (or any disability) are people just like everyone else, with dreams, emotions, and abilities.  Over all, I think it's a good thing.

[Brooklynista]

Such a petty beef (so why type it?) I really wish Rachel's stylist would do something else with her hair. It's 2016, why is she in that Patty Duke flip? It ages her unnecessarily. She's  a hip chick, give her some layers or a blowout. 

[sunsheyen]

I am right there with you, @Brooklynista. Girl, you are with it, got a job, friends, let go of that Gidget hairdo! 

[Brooklynista]

Which Megan do the producers want me to believe is the real Megan? The business mogul who's conducting meeting about her brand? The motivational speaker that delivers powerful speeches that she supposedly penned herself? Or the Megan that can't order ground beef from the butcher w/o hiding behind her mother?

I'm having trouble separating how much of Megan's limitations are because of her disability or because of her mother. Twenty something is not when you decide to teach a child how to make a bed and do laundry. Limited capabilities or not. 

[Cherrio]

I am going to guess and say that I get the impression that D.S. can be extremely varied from person to person. For instance, Meghan's brain has a big problem with math, but she can read and write.   Rachel seems to be able to do a lot of things, but has a problem with loud noise, being too aggressive with men and too sensitive at times. Sean seems to be capable of very little compared to the others. Steven seems much less affected (Mosaic) but then they kind of opened the curtain back and showed us he shuts down, cannot handle certain things and seemed despondent. Elena, while highly sensitive and emotional has a lot of insight, is funny, creative and capable of group living.

With Rachel and her hair-do, the first thing I thought of was that it would be too difficult for her to change the style, somewhat like Elena and her parents new home?

It would be really interesting to find out a lot more , like what ''The Nista" said about is it D.S. or being coddled?

[Zanne]

2 hours ago, Brooklynista said:

I'm having trouble separating how much of Megan's limitations are because of her disability or because of her mother.

 

24 minutes ago, Cherrio said:

It would be really interesting to find out a lot more , like what ''The Nista" said about is it D.S. or being coddled?

You would be surprised at how much of their limitations is the result of parents enabling their disability, albeit with good intentions. I work with students with special needs and see it a lot. For example, I have a student who has extremely long hair. She can't wash it, brush, it, or take care of it on her own, but her mother has no problem with that. The girl is fourteen. There is no religious reason for the long hair, but the mere idea of cutting her daughter's hair even a little so she can care for it on her own and make her just a bit more independent sends the parent into fits. The result is that the girl looks far younger than she is, which leads to General Education students coddling her because they make assumptions about her abilities due to her appearance. It is a vicious circle because I'm doing my best to make her independent as she can be, but then she steps outside the classroom door and people hold her hand, carry her backpack, and she doesn't have to do a thing for herself. Mom has taught her nothing but dependence on others, more specifically dependence on Mom, and it drives me crazy.  This is only one of many things with this particular parent, and my frustration is epic.

[camom]

Quote

I am going to guess and say that I get the impression that D.S. can be extremely varied from person to person. 

Absolutely.  Just like everyone else, individuals have their strengths and weaknesses.  One of the interesting things was pointed out by Christina's dad -- the age level varies from skill to skill.  Some can read very well but not do math.  Some are a whiz with a computer but can't tie their own shoes.  Someone may be near a typical person their age in some skills and be more like a small child in others, including social skills.  Hard to parent at times!

[Cherrio]

Thanks for the reply camom. :)

[auntjess]

I really hope that Steven isn't doesn't get saddled with Sean, but from the previews it looks as though he does.
While Sean is usually smiling and happy, he seems to have an iron will underneath, and seems to have no regard for rules, or for other people.

I hope Elena does get a medical reevaluation.  I think she may have mosaic DS, or something different, but she is different, and maybe that's why she hates the Down Syndrome label.
I'd buy into Hiromi's pity seeking more, if she'd had more compassion for her daughter.

[Mamatoone]

Sean is my least favorite. He's bossy and rude. His parents did him a great disservice.  Elena suffers from low self esteem after being rejected most of her life.  Megan is bratty and spoiled. I love Rachel and Cristina.  Steven is a kind and gentle young man. 

[sunsheyen]

I think that with or without DS, Sean would've been a douchebro type. His parents are assholes and seem to give only the tiniest bit of lip service to making him "compromise" or not be misogynistic. I really don't care for that family. I think Elena needs mental health help, but otherwise seems to function on one of the highest intellectual levels of any of the cast. She would be fine living "alone" again, that is, not a group home, if she had a roommate or gained the emotional stability to keep herself regulated. Rachel and Cristina seem to have been given the best independent living skills. John seems relatively ok in that respect but it's time to give up the rapper dream. I feel like Steven's move out is being hampered more by mom's unwillingness to cut the apron strings than his own limitations (if any).

[auntjess]

I think John's mom means it when she says that if the rap doesn't pay by the time he's 30, one more year, he has to get a paying job.
She and Rachel's moms are my favorite mothers.

[GamerMom]

Sean creeps me out. Nothing to do with his Down syndrome. He just seems creepy, his eyebrow thing drives me nuts, the constant I'm a ladies man, I'm a ladies man, I'm going to get a babe...

he treats Steven horribly! Not just Steven, I guess. I haven't seen Sean once comprising with anyone. His parents seem to delicately address what to me are very serious issues!

Rachel is adorable! She has such a good heart & appears to genuinely care for everyone. Love her mom & brother!

christina is extremely controlling and seems to have double standards. Her poor fiance has to ask her permission before he thinks for himself yet, she sits there with him talking about how hot her dance partner is & how he has hot abs.

megan irritates me & I don't think she ever takes her mom into consideration.

elena is a brat but I think in part it has to do with her mom not knowing how to handle her at all. 

[Kareny]

Fun article on Megan and Kris. Though, warning - there may be a spoiler about

Spoiler

Megan's current relationship status

in there. 

Edited September 21, 2016 by Kareny

[crazycatlady58]

Ameliagit,  you ask why I thought your post  was sad. It seems some of the words chosen were very harsh ,. Sean was called   perverted. While I will agree he can be inappropriate  and his parents  should  have done  better in this area, perverted  is a very strong  word which brings up thoughts  of child  molesters. This is just one example . The reason  I thought your  post was sad is other words  could have been used to describe  these young  people   ( and I agree  that whether  they have D.S. should  not  matter) that were not so harsh and still have made your point. To use such harsh words about  someone  you do not know seems sad. If this comes across  as attacking  you I do want to apologize . 

[auntjess]

I really hope for a lot less Megan, unless we see her actually learing life skills, not giving speeches and going on about becoming a producer.
Less of her mother too, please.

Sean is another one, that if could see him learing things like boundaries and behavior, that would be fine, but he really needs to learn what behavior is NOT acceptable in the real world, and his parents do him no favor by allowing it.
I'd especially like to see more of Elena.  I think she has more potential than some of the others.

[sunsheyen]

God knows I'd love to see no Sean and none of his terrible parents.

[camom]

I think Steven and Rachel would be a cute couple.  

[Brooklynista]

15 minutes ago, camom said:

I think Steven and Rachel would be a cute couple.  

Steven seems a touch superficial in his tastes. Rachel probably isn't close enough to typical for him.  And if I can be a bit vain myself, I cannot stand that Gidget flip. As much as I love her I feel that outdated hair adds years on her that none of us need.

[Chalby]

Love, love love, Elena and her family.

At the beginning of this show, I disliked (extremely) Elena’s loud, self-centred personality, John’s negative ‘rap’ persona, and Sean’s creep eyebrows / talking about girls, obsession. I also thought Meghan and Christina were the only ones I could appreciate. AND I thought Elena’s mom was so cruel and distant. How silly I was…

And then today, (plus the last few shows) I have found that I love these characters, and now I feel the complete opposite. I think Elena and John were so supportive of each other, AND hilarious,. Elena’s mom is so laid back and wonderful. Sean’s still scary in that stalker sense, but I see him also as being so naïve (and so stuck in whatever inappropriate knowledge he learned, at an early age about girls). I do worry that if Sean had a girlfriend, he could become too physical and demanding, if he is angry about the gal not wanting to kiss, or go further.

Christina’s still good, but Meghan… I don’t know? Didn't include everyone only because these characters are the ones I needed to address after watching Homecoming.

The best part of this show? The producers can manipulate them into a lot of scenarios, but I have a feeling their personalities, are theirs, period. If they don't want to do something - they won't. If someone buys them product to use, they won't pretend they chose it on their own (unless they did.) They’re not going to put on a fake persona (let alone remember to keep the same fake persona) so I enjoy the interactions of the characters, when they’re alone, for its sincerity.

[Eureka]

11 hours ago, Chalby said:

Love, love love, Elena and her family.

At the beginning of this show, I disliked (extremely) Elena’s loud, self-centred personality, John’s negative ‘rap’ persona, and Sean’s creep eyebrows / talking about girls, obsession. I also thought Meghan and Christina were the only ones I could appreciate. AND I thought Elena’s mom was so cruel and distant. How silly I was…

And then today, (plus the last few shows) I have found that I love these characters, and now I feel the complete opposite. I think Elena and John were so supportive of each other, AND hilarious,. Elena’s mom is so laid back and wonderful. Sean’s still scary in that stalker sense, but I see him also as being so naïve (and so stuck in whatever inappropriate knowledge he learned, at an early age about girls). I do worry that if Sean had a girlfriend, he could become too physical and demanding, if he is angry about the gal not wanting to kiss, or go further.

Christina’s still good, but Meghan… I don’t know? Didn't include everyone only because these characters are the ones I needed to address after watching Homecoming.

The best part of this show? The producers can manipulate them into a lot of scenarios, but I have a feeling their personalities, are theirs, period. If they don't want to do something - they won't. If someone buys them product to use, they won't pretend they chose it on their own (unless they did.) They’re not going to put on a fake persona (let alone remember to keep the same fake persona) so I enjoy the interactions of the characters, when they’re alone, for its sincerity.

I felt the same about them as you did and am pleased that I no longer feel the same about Elena and her family. I wonder how much of it is a true change (seems like a lot) versus editing?

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, Eureka said:

I felt the same about them as you did and am pleased that I no longer feel the same about Elena and her family. I wonder how much of it is a true change (seems like a lot) versus editing?

I believe my evolved impression of John is simply a function of us getting to see more and more aspects of his personality as the show went on -- he hasn't changed, I've just been able to see so much more of him than the delusional rapper aspect they focused on at first, so there is much I like about him in addition to that part of his personality that bugs me.  But, with Elena, I think she has changed a lot.  She needed medication for issues that had nothing to do with DS, and by getting that help, she's a different person.  The timing coincided with the tail end of a long process of change Hiromi has been undergoing, and the two of them were able to make dramatic progress in their relationship.

[Eureka]

This article made me think of Megan with the cheerleading and college etc. I live not too far (generally speaking) from George Mason and have heard of the LIFE program because they were one of, if not the first to do this. But I especially like what the mom said about not setting expectations that weren't going to come true. (Kind of like telling lies about gluten and certain anatomical features?? LOL).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4776174/Indiana-cheerleader-syndrome-accepted-college.html

[Eureka]

Saw this profile of Rachel today.

http://blog.familytheater.org/born-this-way-star-rachel-osterbach-talks-independence-for-those-with-down-syndrome/?linkId=40996663

[auntjess]

A few answers sound like her mother.

[camom]

Yes, I doubt she answered those questions completely independently.  But I don't have a problem with that.

[Eureka]

1 hour ago, camom said:

Yes, I doubt she answered those questions completely independently.  But I don't have a problem with that.

I was thinking the same thing but I like how she did mention her overcoming her loud sounds fear.

[auntjess]

1 hour ago, camom said:

Yes, I doubt she answered those questions completely independently.  But I don't have a problem with that

I only question it in the context of being independent.

[crazycatlady58]

It may be she knew what she wanted to say but someone helped her find the best words.

[PaTatertots]

Hmmm, let's see!

Elena: I love her! She's come such a long way since the first season, especially with her mother. I was so proud when shegave that speech.  

 

John: Seems very sweet and he cracks me up. He just seems so honest to me amd his family is awesome. I almost cried when his dad showed up at the studio.

Christina: Holy crap, that girl is an amazing dancer! She and Angel are such a cute couple. Her parents and brothers are so sweet.

Stephen: I feel so bad for him because of the whole "love triangle" thing they're trying to push. He's a smart guy and didn't want to hurt Megan's feelings, but look how things turned out. I like his parents. 

 

Sean: That boy's parents need to have a talk about "babes". It was cute the first episode and now it's not funny at all. I understand he wants a girlfriend, but maybe dad or Sean C. can help more in that department. Mom just seems to encourage the babes talk. 

 

Megan: I liked her, felt her anxiety with learning to shop alone, taking care of the baby doll and her happiness when she started dating Stephen. Buuut once that broke up she and her mom pissed me off. Neither one acknowledged that she did the same to Brendan by dumping him over Skype. Her behavior at the ball was ridiculous and I would've gone off on her mom for the way she scolded Stephen and Sean. Mom babies her entirely too much. Her tone with her daughter is soft and sweet and "sweetie" "oh, I know honey!" And with the boys it was "YOU need to stop." Not appropriate. 

[nannie4334]

Megan will never live on her own unless  her mother and her get intense therapy apart.  Kris is super codependent on Megan. They both annoy me so much. I hope they have limited screen time in season 4. Season 3 sucked salty balls. I have nothing against Megan or her mother, but I think success went to both of their heads. Megan will never have the life skills, because Kris will never let her go to get the life skills she needs. Like Megan Kris is unrealistic when it comes to a lot of things and I just think she's keeping Megan from getting independent, because she will be lonely.  I love the show, but season 3 shouldn't of happened. The reason I started watching Born This Way was because the first two seasons were really well done. Season 3 was the lamest one and I really hope the producers go back to what the show is really about. Positive, encouragement, empowerment and etc. Not the soap opera drama crap we had to be subjected too. I was so annoyed that Rachel, Elena and Christina didn't get the screen time they deserved out of all of the ladies. Megan and her mother really need limited air time again like the first two seasons. Those two act like they make the show. Now remember this is only my opinion. I'm sure others will disagree. The show didn't win the same award like last year, because season 3 sucked salty balls. If the show goes back to what the first 2 seasons were about, I bet they might win the award they won last year.

Edited September 11, 2017 by nannie4334

[camom]

Quote

The show didn't win the same award like last year

No, the show didn't win the Emmy for best reality, but it did win two (for cinematography and casting).  The big deal, at least to me, is that John and Rachel were presenters at the Creative Arts Emmys.  That is huge!

[nannie4334]

Yes that is huge and I'm glad Rachel and John were presenters. Personally I think the show would of won the same award like last year if the producers had stuck with what the first two seasons stood for. I'm glad that the show won the two awards. It's great and it's a huge deal. Let's hope that Megan and her mom have limited screen time for season 4 and the others that deserve it, get the screen time they should of had in season 3. I love the show a lot and I just think that the show is watched by millions of people with and without disabilities. That's why it's important for the show to stick with the original messages. 

Edited September 11, 2017 by nannie4334

[Eureka]

Nice interview. I read this blog regularly, the author has a son with CP (and also went to the same college as I did), and she's got a lot of interesting things to say.

http://www.lovethatmax.com/2017/09/born-this-way-stars--and-President-Trump.html

I love Rachel's response about talking to Trump in private. She really is all about respect.

[E.C.]

Hi! I have just seen the last season so I have missed the others seasons! Love this show?

i do have a question if anyone knows- why did Angels grandparents raise him since birth ?? I saw his Mom before the wedding

and I thought someone said his grandparents also raised his brothers?? She looks quite capable of being his mom and raising 

him? Am I missing something?? 

I was just wondering thank you in advance for any answers! 

[Mom2twoNonna2-3]

Ive never heard them say why.  But. She was probably young and it sounds like Angel was a preemie with special needs. Too much for her to handle. We can never know what issues someone has, but, it was nice she was there, and she got s corsage. But,  Tish is his mother in all ways that count.  I even heard him call Tish mom.  My grandparents raised my nephew.  My sister was 17 and couldn't.  She later had 3 kids, 2 she raised.  He called Gram mom. 

[E.C.]

Mom2twoNonna2one

thanks for the reply that makes sense to me! Yes it was wonderful his grandparents were there and they did raise a good man in Angel! I hope Cristina and Angel will be very happy as newlyweds and they have a great support system for sure!! 

Sounds like your nephew was blessed as well in having grandparents there for him too!!?