The Representation of “The Other” in the Cartoon “My Brother Ozi”

Abstract

It is rare for the characters in cartoons to be chosen among individuals who are considered minorities in society. Disabled characters are also among these minorities. In this context, the cartoon ‘My Brother Ozi’ which shows a characteristic of being the first Tv show for children in Turkey that give part to a disabled character in it, has been considered valuable for scientific research. The purpose of this research is to show how “the other” characters are represented in the cartoon named “My Brother Ozi”. In the research, parts of the cartoon were subjected to document review. Afterward, the sections of the cartoon were scanned by watching it through the content analysis method. At the end of the study, it was concluded that the Ozi character reflects the appearance and speech of children with Down syndrome. Ozi’s inclusive training, constant medical visits, and exercise for development are also unique to children with Down syndrome. In many media outlets, disabled people are depicted in a pitiful situation, while Ozi is portrayed as a strong character in the cartoon and it has been shown that children with Down syndrome can improve when they are given adequate support.