by Tiff -

Push Girls Episode 3 review: You Don’t Get It

In the third episode of Push Girls, Mia’s backstory with her mother is highlighted, and Angela throws an epic 10 year anniversary party celebrating her “new life.”

SPOILERS AHEAD ****

As this episode begins, Mia shows what may be possibly the most dangerous type of wheelchair-to-car transfer ever, and that is a busy LA Street. I don’t know how Mia, or any other bad ass paraplegics in any busy city do this type of transfer.

I love that the show is showing the extra dangers people in wheelchairs face in their everyday lives (and how even more important, people need to pay more attention to the road and look out for wheelchair-users when they’re driving).  This episode is really all about Mia, and focuses on her reunion with her mother after not seeing her for three years.  She comes to LA to visit her.

Parents always have a really hard time dealing with spinal cord injuries of their children, and Mia’s mom is no different.  Mia’s mother struggles with alcohol problems, and it’s been a sore spot for Mia since she was a little girl. “When I found out Mia wasn’t going to be able to walk again.  I wish she would’ve just died, because I didn’t know how she would be able to live,” admits her mother.

by Tiff -

Push Girls Episode 2 review: Watch Me

After a great intro on the four girls in Episode 1, the show gets deep and dirty.

SPOILERS AHEAD ****

“Once a dancer, always a dancer,” Auti says in the second episode of the series, after revealing her tragic injury story (on the night of her injury, she sold herself for $500 to a male friend to pay rent).

And Mia shares she might be too strong. “Sometimes I don’t think I have any tears left to cry.”

Gotta love Angela’s meditation sounds. Maybe it helps her deal with her paralysis? And in a scene at Tiphany and Angela’s house (they’re roommates), Tiphany transfers out of her chair onto a bench at the kitchen table to “look normal.” “Sometimes you just need to do that.” Yeah, I can relate to that.

Auti enters a ballroom competition with an able-bodied pro ballroom dancer that she worked with in Musical Chairs. “I want people to see you dance. Not be the girl in the wheelchair. “I want people to think you’re going to dance out of your chair.” After some intense practicing where he really pushes her, she had to figure out how to keep her legs strapped in with her husband’s help and has an understandable freak-out session when her straps don‘t cooperate. Been there. Loved that they showed that.

Her hubby Eric is so great; always calm under pressure (us girls in chairs should always have a guy with that kind of temperament). And at the competition, Auti and her partner end up winning 1st place in the show dance category. They looked insane. Wc-dancing on fire I swear. Also, really loved Auti’s glam competition dress. So glad the country gets to see this chick.

And Mia gets deep about her relationship with her bf of 2 years. They are on completely different pages when it comes to kids (really glad my boyfriend and I are on the same page). They meet at her place to talk, and sad….he breaks up with her. “I am who you want, but not what you want.”

by Tiff -

Push Girls: Reality TV Finally Finds Us

Push Girls - Reality TV Series helps those with spinal cord injuriesI wrote more about what “Push Girls” means to me for Easystand. Check it out:

Push Girls premiered last Monday, the new reality show on the Sundance channel profiling four “hot babes” in wheelchairs. As a babe in a wheelchair myself (hey I’ve been called that), this show is the televised messiah I’ve been waiting for.

The show’s premise – showing the world that you can still be beautiful, have a full life, a great job, have men that want you, and still drive a fabulous car (has been my personal goal since my injury).

You have no idea how frustrating it is for people to be shocked when you can achieve any of these things. A “push girl,” so say the shows producers, keeps on pushing despite anything that comes her way. I kinda like it. Read the rest of this entry…

by Tiff -

“Sympathy for Delicious” stars actual paraplegic, Mark Ruffalo directs

This movie follows a jaded DJ paraplegic who mysteriously wakes up with the gift to heal others, but discovers he still can’t heal himself. “Sympathy for Delicious” also stars Orlando Bloom and Juliette Lewis, and was written by Christopher Thornton, the film’s star.
 
 It has a cool back story too. Thornton and Ruffalo are old acting school buddies from before Thornton’s injury (a rock climbing accident) in 1992. This script was a longtime coming too (an  idea Thornton had while wheeling to the liquor store).

The completed film is premiering at Sundance this week. If anyone out there has seen it yet, let us know what you thought (good or bad). Does it deserve to be picked up?

You can read more of my thoughts on the movie here.