5 Film Albinos (and Everything That's Wrong With Them)
2. Whitey - Me, Myself & Irene (Michael Bowman)
Jim Carrey plays a cop named Charlie with a split personality, who turns into a lunatic called Hank when he is pushed too far. Throughout the film he must protect a woman called Irene on the run from a dangerous ex-boyfriend and his goons, all while both sides of his personality are busy falling in love with Irene. One of his companions is an albino called Whitey (or Q-tip, or Casper), who attempts to help Charlie in his mission despite the fact that his condition places severe limitations on what he is able to achieve. In the end Whitey proves to be the hero of the piece, saving Charlie by throwing a lawn dart in the villains back. Aah, wait a minute... It doesnt seem like too much of a stretch to say that not all people with albinism enjoy having nicknames that draw attention to their condition (also seen in films like Vamp, Flushed Away and Disturbing Behaviour). The character of Whitey also seems to have a wardrobe made nearly exclusively out of white clothes; another common trait of albinos in film (The Matrix Reloaded, Whats the Worst That Can Happen?, Foul Play) that seems starkly out of touch with reality. The legitimately albinistic Michael Bowman has since expressed some regrets about taking the role of Whitey:
"When I first saw it on the screen ... I worried that it was sending the wrong message, that it's all right to make fun of the albino, when it's not. If you're a little kid, you have to deal with being called `Whitey' or `Q-Tip' or a couple of the other phrases that Jim Carrey and the Farrellys came up with.''
Matthew Chard is a writer who has lived and worked across Australia, USA, South Africa, UK, Cambodia and Tanzania. When not writing articles he can be found working on his next novel, traveling, in the surf, or listening to David Bowie while wearing red Spider-man underpants.
