Stuttering in the Media

Blog by Voon Pang
March 22, 2016

We’re almost a quarter of the way into 2016 and the spotlight on stuttering has shone brightly. Here is a recap of some of the events over the past few months which have got us talking.

1. Woman Detained in Atlanta Airport Because of Stuttering

In January, airport officials detained and questioned Kylah Simmons about her stutter and accused her of lying when she explained that she stuttered (the agents who interviewed her did not understand that people who stutter have varying levels of fluency). Ms Simmons wrote about her the intimidating experience on Huffington Post and she also spoke about the experience on StutterTalk. The Stuttering Foundation responded by co-designing an ID card with Ms Simmons to educate those who are not familiar with stuttering. Bravo to Ms Simmons for speaking out and sharing her story with us, bravo to StutterTalk for covering the story so swiftly, and bravo to the Stuttering Foundation of America for taking action and developing a resource people can elect to use in stressful situations.

2. Stutterer’ Wins Oscar for Best Short Film

If you haven’t seen Benjamin Cleary’s Oscar winning short film ‘Stutterer’, I would highly recommend purchasing it from iTunes and viewing it for its insightful portrayal of how stuttering can affect one’s life. Cleary’s 12-minute film has plenty of subtleties and nuances that make it worth watching at least twice. I have to admit that there was a deeper appreciation with the second viewing of the film. It’s been interesting to discuss the intricacies of ‘Stutterer’ with fellow speech language pathologists as well as friends in the stuttering community. ‘Stutterer’ film was made on a shoestring budget of around 5000 pounds, an amazing achievement for an Oscar winning film. For more insights into Benjamin Cleary’s portrayal of stuttering check out his interview.

3. Waiter Shows 11 Year Old Boy Who Stutters He is Not Alone

This feel good story makes me appreciate the power of social media. At the beginning of the month the Love What Matters Facebook page shared a post which went viral. A waiter at a Stone Werks restaurant reached out to an 11-year-old boy who stutters by writing him a note and offering words of support and encouragement.

The note read:

"Sudden emotion came over me when I heard your son stutter. I myself stutter and developed it around his age. I know how hard it can be in the beginning. I had a lot of questions that I didn't ask because I was too afraid. If you or he has any questions, I would be honored to help make this process easier."

Check out the full Facebook post.

The world is certainly a better place when one person reaches out to another with kindness.

I hope this post shows you that there is an online community which supports each other when things don’t go according to plan, that there are times to celebrate with one another and that random acts of kindness can mean the world to an 11-year-old and his family. Stay well and until next time!

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Darren Sproles

Darren Sproles, a former player for The Philadelphia Eagles, the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers, made history in 2007 when he became the first player in NFL history to return a kickoff and a punt for his first two NFL touchdowns in the same game. In 2021, he was selected to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Byron Pitts

Byron Pitts has brought much attention to stuttering with his memoir, Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges, released in September, 2009. The book not only details his speech difficulties, but also his illiteracy until age 12 and his unstable family life. Pitts overcame the odds to become the chief national correspondent with ABC News.

King George

In November 2010, worldwide movie audiences were presented with a most interesting and unusual movie release with The King’s Speech, starring Colin Firth as King George VI and Helena Bonham Carter as his wife Elizabeth.

Unfortunately, history may have forgotten the courageous and inspiring story of Prince Albert who stuttered badly and never dreamed that he would ever be king when his older brother, King Edward VIII, abruptly abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.

Mel Tillis

Mel Tillis, born Lonnie Melvin Tillis, was an influential figure in country music, both as a songwriter and a performer. His journey to fame was marked by overcoming personal challenges, including a stutter that he turned into a defining part of his public persona.

Bruce Willis

While the world knows Bruce Willis as an A-list actor, few know that he struggled with stuttering throughout his first 20 years.

Walter Bruce Willis was born in 1955 in West Germany to his German mother, Marlene, and his American GI father, David Willis. The family settled in David’s hometown of Penns Grove, New Jersey in 1957, and the couple has three other children.