ANALYSIS

Often the simplest ideas, delivered beautifully, make the best and most surprising television.

You Can’t Ask That, screening on the ABC at 9pm on Wednesday, is a case in point.

Imagine inviting your audience to anonymously submit any question they’ve always wanted to ask “marginalised and disadvantaged Australians”.

People who are Muslim, indigenous, short statured, in wheelchairs, chronically overweight, transgender and so on then have a chance to answer often challenging and even intrusive questions.

Episode one sees wheelchair users answer queries that would make many people squirm.

“Why are you in a wheelchair?”

This is the first question, read from cards by those providing the answers.

“Because I love the parking,” quips Karni Liddell from Brisbane.

“I fainted on top of a cliff and fell 25 metres,” says Yvette Smith from Sydney.

“None of your business,” says Dr George Taleporos of Melbourne.

This is the delight of this series. Nobody trying to delicately phrase a question to avoid giving offence.

Anonymous people just shoot from the lip.

Those interviewed are honest and often hilarious in their responses. Photo: ABC

“Can you have sex?”

Karni Liddell again: “I knew this one would be in here.”

The overwhelming answer is a big fat “YES”.

Neil Lillecrap from Adelaide, in a wheelchair after a car accident (he thanks you for asking), goes further in his explanation.

“I can get an erection, but I don’t ejaculate and I don’t have an orgasm.”

The questions are intrusive to say the least. Photo: ABC

“What are the perks of being in a wheelchair?”

“You can buy shoes and they’ll never wear out,” says Jo Berry from Sydney (in a wheelchair because “everything dislocates” in her body, regularly).

“Do you get mad when you see other people with legs being lazy?” 

“Are they saying I don’t have legs?” asks Kelly Vincent MLC, from Adelaide (he has cerebral palsy).

“How do you feel when someone says ‘you’re an inspiration’?”

“This divides people with disabilities,” says Jo Berry.

Neil Lillecrap remembers wheeling away at the end of a conversation with a grandmother and her grandchild.

“I heard the older woman say, ‘poor man’. I don’t consider myself to be a poor man. I consider my life to be a rich one.”

For weeks afterwards, he wondered if that’s what other people thought of him.

Kelly Vincent again: “I don’t mind being called inspiring if I’ve donated my kidneys or rescued someone from the top of Mt Everest. Am I inspiring for getting out of bed in the morning? Nah.”

The Honourable Kelly Vincent MLC doesn’t feel like a hero. Photo: ABC

The delight of this series is how it answers questions people clearly want answered, while showing that some of those questions are downright rude and not something you would normally ask of people if they weren’t in a wheelchair, for example.

I’ve watched several of the episodes (they all run between 16-20 minutes in length) and they are fascinating. Other questions include:

“Is Dwarf throwing appropriate?”

Answer: Yes and No.

“Should I bend down to talk to someone who is short?”

Answer: Yes and No.

“Do you secretly agree with the terrorists?”

This question is asked of Muslims.

The overwhelming answer: “No. The majority of those killed by terrorists are Muslims.”

Some of the answers are informative and educational. Photo: ABC

Often, the answers differ hugely between the six or eight people cast for each episode. It’s a simple idea that is beautifully made and incredibly informative and entertaining.

As an important aside, I do find it sad that Indigenous Australians still make the list of “marginalised and disadvantaged” in 2016.

But that’s a criticism of the country, not a criticism of the series. In its own little way, I suspect it will create better understanding – while entertaining and engaging the audience.