Fighting misperceptions
Logan Lisle’s 10,000 Vine followers see brothers in action.
By Miranda Weippert | Royal Report
Logan Lisle walked through his front door in Martinez, California on a Tuesday night after a long shift at work with his dad. Digging multiple holes in the ground to find water pipes wasn’t the most pleasurable job, but it was a job.
While waiting for his brother Daniel to get home, he sat at the kitchen table enjoying a turkey sandwich his dad just made him. As he took his last bite, he stood up from the chair and heard the squeaking of the bus as it pulled into the end of the driveway. He made sure to greet his brother as he walked through the door before pulling him upstairs to start working on a new video.
Lisle, a Bethel University senior, started filming vines at the end of his freshman year of college. His videos started off starring friend Ryan Kopca until he thought of using his brother, Daniel. Daniel is one his four brothers and was diagnosed with Down Syndrome at birth. While some with Down Syndrome are more capable of living a normal life, Daniel is considered to be low-functioning, which means living a normal life was near impossible.
“Logan and Daniel have a strong relationship –they have so much love for one another and would do anything and everything for each other.” — Ryan Kopca, friend
Lisle describes his relationship with Daniel as inseparable. Out of both parents and six siblings, he says he is the one who understands Daniel the most. He even acts as his translator sometimes.
“Logan started getting more publicity when he started filming vines of Daniel dancing and what not,” friend Ryan Kopca said. “Logan and Daniel have a strong relationship — they have so much love for one another and would do anything and everything for each other.”
Lisle never anticipated the many negative comments he received on his vines. Neither did he expect to gain so many followers. Lisle has more than 10,000 followers on Instagram and Vine. Some of his videos have even looped more than 2 million times. Lisle gained follows by following others and from the 115 videos he’s made with his brother.
“I thought using my brother Daniel would be an asset and add more humor to my videos.” — Logan Lisle, senior
While some viewers comment on his videos saying they appreciate Lisle for showing how much he loves and takes care of his brother, more viewers comment to say how disrespectful or disgusting he is — among many other nasty words.
“I started making vines because I wanted to get more serious about filming,” Lisle said. “I thought using my brother Daniel would be an asset and add more humor to my videos.”
Since Daniel is low-functioning Lisle always tells him what to say and what to do. According to Lisle, Daniel is always willing to film with him and has fun while doing it. Most vines take them about 10 takes. If it takes anymore than 10, Lisle usually ends up having to bribe Daniel, who he starts to get annoyed and impatient.
Lisle realized that responding to every single negative comment wasn’t feasible. So he only addresses comments that are completely wrong or make him upset.
“I wish people understood the relationship Daniel and I have,” Lisle said. “Some viewers watch my videos and have completely wrong perceptions. It is never my intention to make fun of my brother — I would never make fun of him.”
He didn’t start filming vines with his brother with the intentions of portraying down syndrome in a positive way. However, Lisle plans on making a YouTube channel that will portray Daniel and his condition in a more positive way.
Glossary:
- Definition: Down syndrome (DS), also called Trisomy 21, is a condition in which extra genetic material causes delays in the way a child develops, both mentally and physically. The physical features and medical problems associated with Down syndrome can vary widely from child to child. While some kids with DS need a lot of medical attention, others lead healthy lives.
- Causes: Normally, at the time of conception a baby inherits genetic information from its parents in the form of 46 chromosomes: 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. In most cases of Down syndrome, a child gets an extra chromosome 21 — for a total of 47 chromosomes instead of 46. It’s this extra genetic material that causes the physical features and developmental delays associated with DS.
- Diagnosis rate: One in every 691 babies in the United States is born with Down syndrome — about 6,000 each year.
- SOURCE: See more information at National Down Syndrome Society.
Social media tips from Logan:
- Follow, follow, follow
- Get your name out there — promote youself
- Don’t be boring
- Use interesting hashtags
