Jamie MacDonald: 10 things about blind people - British Comedy Guide (original) (raw)
2015 Edinburgh Fringe
Jamie MacDonald, otherwise known as That Funny Blind Guy, started losing his sight at the age of 16 when he was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a progressive degenerative retinal disease which will eventually leave him totally blind.
Undeterred with his prognosis, Jamie completed an Ancient History degree at St. Andrew's University and a Law degree at Aberdeen University and became a Corporate Banker for Bank of Scotland in London. Whilst in London Jamie succumbed to the pull of the stage and in 2009 gave his first performance at an open mic night at the Comedy Café Shoreditch. In 2010 Jamie left banking for good and returned to Edinburgh to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian on the Scottish comedy circuit.
Now 35 years-old, he returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with his brand new show - Oblivious.
Here he shares 10 assumptions that sighted people make about blind people (or are totally blind-sided about):
1. Being blind means that you don't make assumptions on the character of a person based on what they look like.
2. Blind people can't be interior decorators, and we don't really see the benefits of hoovering or window cleaning.
3. No, I don't doodle.
4. My signature changes on a daily basis. The one thing it never says is 'Jamie MacDonald'. It's guaranteed to send jobsworth's crazy.
5. The sighted may be able see the bus coming but I guarantee I'll be able to hear it first.
6. Shopping for clothes on the internet is a No-No.
7. Giving a blind person direction is always tricky. Pointing 'Just over there' really isn't helpful.
8. We don't do good Selfies.
9. Sighted people don't need to speak louder or slower, we may be blind but we are not deaf.
10. Blind people are mercifully oblivious to the 'shut up' look on people's faces but don't be mistaken, we can catch "Shade" when thrown.
'Jamie MacDonald: Oblivious' is at 9:05pm at Assembly George Square Studios on 5-17, 19-30 August. Listing
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