I don't really see a problem with it. Context would be more of a thing that would clue me into whether I took any negative feelings from it. If he was just trying to perform, and be in character, who cares. If he was using the performance as a platform to spring board off of, throwing jibes and just mocking people with disabilities, OK then that would make him an ass hole.

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I just reeeeeeally think this is getting blown out of proportion. I don't like how everyone cries cultural appropriation at the first sign that someone is playing a role a little too well. It seems like people are losing their critical thinking skills.

It wouldn’t bother me.

I’d probably just find it a little cringy and move on.

In my experience people with disabilities are the hardest group to offend. Its probably because we are just happy that someone is acknowledging that we exist.

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haha I like how all the sighted people are offended and all the blind people just shrug it off as a performance. People need to stop looking for reasons to be offended by stuff that isn't politically correct.

Different things bother different people. This situation? No big deal.

I mean, Stevie Wonder is blind. It wouldn’t be a good impersonation if that wasn’t part of the act. Was the line about wishing he could see the audience treated like a joke by the performer? If not, then it’s not an issue as far as I’m concerned. I hear a lot worse every day from the general public. If he was joking, well it’s tasteless but not the worst thing ever.

In almost every case like this I’ve seen come up, it’s sighted people offended n our behalf. I personally find that more offensive than what’s being called out here.

Meh, i twas a performance... it sounds cringy. I wouldn't be offended, I'd just think the guy was bad a this job. :P

I mean if they are impersonators who attempt to portray a certain person, I don't see why not. I guess this argument also compliments the "should x race be allowed to play y character," and my thought is that if they do it well, it's fine.

i random happened to come by this post searching for pics of myself... i am a professional stevie wonder impersonator... i work worldwide with a professional group out of vegas... what you probably watched was a solo promoted "motown" event, not a recurring show...

that being said, those tribute artists tend to try and give "extra" during the performance as it's a paid ticketed event...

however...

lifting up your glasses, and saying "i wish I could see you guys" is trite, generic, and poor choice of comedy...

can you poke fun at stevie without being offensive...? its very hard... harder morseso because stevie himself is loose and loves taking himself down in jest as well...

"stevie humor" has to be refined and appropriate... you were 100% on the money to feel irritated with that artist's gesture...

that being said, one of my go-to audience interaction phrases is...

"can all the single people in the audience make some noise..."

*crowd cheers*

"ok, now all of a sudden i feel a lot of heat coming from this section of the room..." *points to audience*

much more classy, without the capt obvious one-liners...

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"Looking for a black, blind guy who can play the piano and sing Stevie Wonder songs"...

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Yeah... can see why they dropped "blind" for the requirements, lol.

Poor taste doesn't equal offensive. As far as I'm aware, the real deal never needed a guide on stage, so the SWI's just a poor performer, nothing more.

I'm not blind but yikes. I have other disabilities and watching people claim them ("I am so OCD about x lol") hurts. I'd imagine this is much worse.

Humour and laughter is the best medicine.

As a blind person yeah, would probably be offended and think that that was Ableist , even though I am not usually touchy on that sort of thing.

Stevie Wonder is offensive to me.

I think it depends if he performed in a tasteful way. I'd have to be there to get a better idea but based on what you've described, it doesn't sound too problematic.

Like others have said already, it seems more cringey than anything

I mean, Jamey Fox pretended to be blind when playing Ray Charles, and we all know how damn good a job he did at it, so really I don't care lol as long as its convincing. It certainly wouldn't be offensive either since the person, in this case stevie wonder is actually blind so there just trying to be more in character.

My partner is going blind and I find certain things to be crude and tasteless because I see what he’s going through. He’s a better sport about it than I am, but I’m definitely hypersensitive about it. I think that if he’d just thrown on the glasses and played it wouldn’t have been an issue but he obviously thought it would be hilarious. I just don’t think that it’s funny to pretend to have a disability in an overly ostentatious way.