Sia has been met with backlash after a disturbing scene was leaked from her upcoming movie, in which the autistic lead character is held in a harmful restraint.
The singer’s debut feature ‘Music’ has been stuck in the center of outrage among the autism community since the teaser trailer dropped in November. It became the subject of discourse once again after a TikTok began circulating that depicted a prone restraint — one of the most dangerous forms of restraint that have resulted in over a hundred deaths of children with autism. You may watch it below at your own discretion.
@auteach
‘Music’ tells the story of a young girl on the autism spectrum who comes under the care of her half-sister. Sia first came under fire for casting a neurotypical actor to play the lead role instead of opening up the opportunity for someone with autism. While it’s rare to see the subject represented on screen, it’s even more difficult for actors on the spectrum to be seen on screen.
The artist defended her choice to cast her frequent collaborator, Maddie Ziegler, stating that they had tried to film with an autistic actor but it was too stressful for the talent. This quickly sparked an outcry as people expressed that they should’ve adjusted the set to accommodate the needs of the actor rather than re-casting.
Sia was further criticized for the organization she chose to partner with as a resource for the movie. She cited the group Autism Speaks, which has been condemned by the community for their exploitative practices. According to Twitter users, if Sia really consulted those on the spectrum, they would have told her that Autism Speaks has only been destructive. Many began to question how much effort she actually put into her research.
Given all the controversies surrounding the movie, audiences were only appalled when it was announced that ‘Music’ was nominated for a Golden Globe.
by nominating Sia’s Music in any capacity, the Golden Globes condone using restraint on autistic individuals and casting neurotypical actors in roles not made for them. this is a major act of violence against the autistic community, not a celebration.#GoldenGlobes
— hayley st. james, coldplaywright 🐙🌙☀️ (@hayleystjames) February 3, 2021
To all the autistic people who have been killed or hurt by prone restraint (which sia glorifies in her movie): I see you. You matter. You will not be forgotten.
— Alia Lynn ✨#blm (@ayeitsalia_) February 3, 2021
Following the backlash, Sia announced that she would be including a warning in the movie due to the sensitive nature of the leaked scene. She had also tweeted that she is planning to completely edit it out of the movie. But we have yet to see whether or not she will follow through. The artist deactivated her Twitter account shortly after she spoke up about the matter.
Despite all the issues circulating ‘Music’, it seems like it will still be pushing through with its public release. Members of the autistic community have been actively trying to educate everyone on the movie’s misrepresentation of autism. Ultimately, they are urging people to boycott the movie. Influencers on the spectrum like Chloe Hayden are also pointing out how this has been a problem in the entertainment industry for years. In her video, Hayden emphasizes how important it is that they are given proper representation in media.
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