How's Your News?

How's Your News? is an American television show that was initially released in 2009 and broadcasted on MTV. A truly unique and groundbreaking concept, it is a documentary-style series that infuses news reporting with comedy, featuring reporters who have various disabilities. Unshackled from the traditional rules and constraints of mainstream news broadcasting, the series takes on a humorous and invariably heartwarming approach to news presenting, taking viewers on a memorable and endearing journey through their own societies and culture.

The show is based on a concept sparked in a summer camp for adults with disabilities, where the campers were encouraged to make their own news videos as a fun activity. It started as an effort to showcase the abilities of people with disabilities in a cheeky and unapologetic way, to a wider audience. The original creators of the show include Arthur Bradford, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and reporter Sue Harrington, a mother of a child with disabilities who attended the same camp.

How's Your News? places the reporters at the heart of all the action, allowing them to navigate the everyday world in their distinct styles. They travel the length and breadth of the U.S. in a customized, colorful news van interviewing unsuspecting subjects on the streets about celebrities, politics, love, or basically anything under the sun. Their innocent yet disarmingly sincere questions oftentimes open up unexpected dialogues that give the audience an unconventional, fresh perspective on diverse topics.

The reporters are an intriguing blend of personalities with different abilities. There’s Bobby Bird who is blind and often provides comic relief with his sardonically funny attitude; Jeremy Vest who has Williams Syndrome, known for his cheerful demeanor; Sean Costello, who is living with cerebral palsy and loves rock ‘n’ roll; and more. Each reporter owns the platform with an uninhibited candidness that often ridicules the conventional stigmas associated with disabilities.

While the show is designed to make viewers laugh, it also subtly challenges stereotypes about people with disabilities and demonstrates their capacity to engage with the world around them actively and effectively. The diverse news reporters display an infectious joy and enthusiasm that captivates the audience and sheds light on individuals' immense potential when granted opportunities to express themselves.

One of the significant strengths of How's Your News? is its ability to balance comedy with sensitivity. The show never appears to exploit or mock its reporters. Instead, it positions them as fully formed, competent individuals, with goals, aspirations, and senses of humor that are not defined or diminished by their disabilities. Indeed, the show's creators have done a commendable job of highlighting these individuals' humanity, as it is precisely their mix of common human traits and unique qualities that make them so engaging to watch.

How's Your News? is not just a comical venture or a news show with a twist; it serves as an eye-opener for those who have preconceived notions about the abilities of individuals with disabilities. It promotes inclusion and shows us that 'ability' or 'disability' are merely words; what truly matters is determination, courage, and willingness to explore with an open heart and mind.

Overall, the show is a gleeful mix of humor, wit, and charm, wrapped in honesty and transparency. It combines pathos, satire, and authentic human stories to create a delightful watch laced with unintentional hilarity and loaded with plenty of life lessons. Without any hint of artifice or guile, the reporters make the viewers reassess their perceptions of the world and of themselves.

There is a strong thread of humanity that runs through each episode, and it draws viewers in with its undiluted warmth, sincerity, and humor. Through its juxtaposition of humor with vulnerability, surprise with normality, and innocence with wisdom, How's Your News? teaches its audience to look beyond stereotypes and appreciate the complexity and beauty of all human experiences. It is a show full of freshness, offering a mix of joyful serendipity and profound insights – a perfect depiction of the human capability to embrace life with all its uncertainties and contradictions.