Last week Saturday Night Live featured a skit about a drill seargent who stuttered, played by guest host Seth McFarlane. Some people who stutter have found it funny, while others disagree, prompting a flurry of debate about among members of the community. There is a very good discussion of the issue on Stuttertalk.
The Stuttering Foundation issued a condemnation of the skit in a press release, calling it "a huge step backwards". Many have called it hurtful and offensive.
Peter Reitzes, who hosts the Stuttertalk discussion, observes that the skit actually shows some real knowledge about stuttering, for instance when the seargent mentions that speech therapy does not offer a cure, only improvement. Some commentators have made the point that the skit is not necessarily demeaning to stutterers, and it does not depict the drill seargent as being stupid or the subject of ridicule, but that may be in the eye of the beholder.
What do you think?