Kathaleen McDonald
Dr. Sloan
Sign Language II
23 March 2017
Deaf Culture in Mainstream Media
More and more, it seems that Deaf culture is becoming more prominent in mainstream media. There are shows like Switched at Birth that feature Deaf characters and America’s Next Top Model where a Deaf man won the entire competition, movies such as The Hunger Games: Mockingjay parts one and two, a major blockbuster that contains a Deaf character, musicians such as Sean Forbes, who uses both sign language and speech to rap, football players such as Superbowl winner Derrick Coleman, and now, a Deaf superhero that are all highlighting Deaf culture in different and important ways. George Gene Gustines’s article “One of Marvel’s Avengers Turns to Sign Language” shows that even a well-known superhero can become deaf, and how that can’t stop Hawkeye from being a part of the Avengers. Making a superhero like Hawkeye deaf is groundbreaking in the sense that Deaf children have another Deaf role model to look up to, but it also educates hearing readers of the comic books what it is like to be Deaf. It is important to show that Deaf people can amount to anything, and having positive Deaf role models in popular media is beneficial to not only Deaf children, but all children.
Deaf culture is defined as “the set of social beliefs, behaviors, art, literary traditions, history, values, and shared institutions of communities that are influenced by deafness and which use sign languages as the main means of communication” (Padden and Humphries, 1). Elements of Deaf culture include the use of sign language, a rich heritage and history, literature, values, traditions, norms, and perhaps most importantly, identity. The most important thing to understand about Deaf culture is that the Deaf do not see themselves as having any sort of disability. Using “deaf” with a lower case “d” describes the auditory condition of having lost hearing, whereas “Deaf” with a capital “D” describes members of the Deaf community (Ladd, 502). Although Gustines never says that Hawkeye identifies himself as Deaf, he does imply that Hawkeye includes some elements of Deaf culture in his now Deaf life.
Gustines says that once Hawkeye became deaf, he learned sign language. Sign language is the primary form of communication between the Deaf and hard of hearing. Contrary to popular belief, there is no one sign language that is universal. There are over two hundred documented forms of sign language, including American Sign Language, French Sign Language, Japanese Sign Language, and many others. Although not all Deaf people use sign language, especially people who become deaf when they are adults, sign language is still very much a part of Deaf culture and Deaf identity. Gustines says that “when [Hawkeye] can’t hear, the word balloons on the page are blank. The comic also makes extensive use of sign language, but provides no key to interpreting them” (1). This is allows the hearing reader to get a glimpse of what a Deaf person might go through every day. Hawkeye’s writer, Matt Fraction, reiterates this, saying “If nothing else, it’s an opportunity for hearing people to get a taste of what it might be like to be deaf.” (Gustines, 1). Gustines chooses to use the lower case “d” in deaf, either because he is unaware of the deaf/Deaf distinction, or because he is aware that Hawkeye is physically deaf, but may not feel that he is a part of the Deaf community.
Understandably, the artist had a difficult time trying to draw sign language. Sign language is not only a physical language involving a lot of movement, but also a language that relies heavily on facial expressions. Gustines said that the artist, David Aja, had to learn how to convey gestures in a way that made sense without using traditional dialogue (1). Aja also had to “devise ways to depict certain signs that required multiple movements in a clear way” which is difficult for any artist to do, but so beneficial once done correctly. The editor, Sana Amanat, adds “There’s so much subtlety and expression on the page, …You can understand what’s going on even without the balloons.” (1). The fact that the writer and the illustrator both understood the complexity and reliance on facial expression truly makes the character seem more akin to Deaf culture, as well as show that those in the hearing world also respect and are trying to understand Deaf culture. At the end of the article, Fraction admits that he used sign language with his children to alleviate communication frustration. Fraction says that “There was a different grammatical and idiomatic structure…Facial expressions were very important” (2), highlighting the importance of facial expression and that American Sign Language is not Signed English, it is its own language with its own structure, history, and culture.
Unfortunately, Fraction’s and Aja’s hero still struggles with his deafness. The story behind Hawkeye’s deafness is that he inflicted ear damage in order to defeat a villain, but Gustines says in parentheses that “The hero’s reluctance to let on that he relied on a hearing aid once led him to demand interview questions in advance of an appearance on ‘Late Night with David Letterman.’” (1). The fact that at this point in the hero’s storyline he is ashamed of his reliance on hearing aids may be discouraging to Deaf children reading the comic. Although Hawkeye uses sign language, at the same time he doesn’t want others to know that he has to use hearing aids. Deaf children looking for a role model in Hawkeye may find this discouraging, because it shows them that hearing aids are something that may be looked down upon. Hearing aids and cochlear implants are a hot topic in the Deaf community, whether using these devices makes them “less Deaf” or trying to be a part of the hearing community is a source of great distress, especially cochlear implants, the surgical option that tries to “correct deafness.”
According to deafunity.org, a Deaf role model needs to have these qualities: able to inspire, motivate and be passionate – sharing own personal experiences both positive and negative – how [the role model] achieved [his/her] own personal goals, proud to be Deaf, committed to supporting young D/deaf people through a regular programme, encouraging them to achieve their full potential, good communication skills, friendly and approachable, and flexible. Hawkeye seems to accept his deafness, but for the most part it seems like he is not a very positive Deaf role model. This is troublesome, since superheroes are figures children often look up to, and while Fraction may think having a superhero that overcomes an obstacle or disability is something for children to look up to, in the case of d/Deafness, there has to be so much more to consider. Deaf children need to see that they shouldn’t be ashamed of their Deafness, and that hearing aids and sign language shouldn’t be something to hide or embarrassed to use.
Of course, it is hard for young Deaf youths to find a real-life or fictionalized Deaf role model. One Deaf advocate who has recently emerged the past couple of years is Nyle DiMarco, a Deaf man who, on top of having a mathematics degree from Gallaudet University, won both America’s Next Top Model and Dancing With the Stars (note: he won Dancing With the Stars without being able to hear the music like the rest of the contestants and dancers). DiMarco is also a spokesperson for Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids, advocates for bilingual-bicultural education, and founded his nonprofit, the Nyle DiMarco Foundation. All of these accomplishments may seem great to Deaf adults, but what about Deaf kids? Besides overcoming the obstacle of winning Dancing With the Stars without being able to hear the music, Dawena Muth from The Establishment, who is also Deaf, describes DiMarco as having “total dedication to pursuing his dreams and utter commitment to his community. He is living his values, deeply rooted in his identity” (Muth, 2016). This is perfect for being a Deaf role model, since he is dedicated to pursuing his dreams, and is proud of his Deaf identity. Muth goes on to say that:
Nyle believes that people who are Deaf belong to a shared culture. Others believe that Deafness is a medical problem to be fixed. But I stand with Nyle’s perspective — we’re not a medical problem. We are a community, a linguistic minority that shares beliefs, attitudes, history, norms, values, literary traditions, and art. This Deaf culture is at the heart of Deaf communities everywhere in the world” (Muth, 2016).
DiMarco fits all the criteria deafunity.org describes: he inspires through both his positive and negative experiences, explains how he never stopped following his dreams, is definitely proud to be Deaf, is committed to helping the Deaf through multiple programs and organizations, encourages others, has multiple platforms including Twitter and Instagram to share his beliefs and encouragements, is described by many as being friendly and approachable, and is definitely flexible in how he adapts to new situations to accommodate his Deafness. But DiMarco isn’t just a role model for the Deaf, but to all, and has said “I have always aspired to be the type of role model who can bridge the deaf and hearing communities” (DiMarco, n.d.). Although Hawkeye can be seen as a Deaf role model based solely on his existence as a deaf superhero, DiMarco seems to be a better role model for not only Deaf youths, but to Deaf adults as well.
Overall, it seems that the creators and writers of Hawkeye had good intentions to have their hero be deaf, but Hawkeye isn’t necessarily the best role model for Deaf youth. Deaf people need positive role models, such as Nyle DiMarco, who is proud of his Deafness, and is a positive advocate for Deaf youth. Although the creators and writers seem to be stepping in the right direction shedding light on the Deaf community, they still have a long way to go before they can produce a positive Deaf role model.
Work Cited
Nyle DiMarco. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved March 22, 2017, from BrainyQuote.com
Gustines, George Gene (2014). One of Marvel’s Avengers Turns to Sign Lauguage. The New York Times.
Ladd, Paddy (2003). Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood. Multilingual Matters. p. 502.
Padden, Carol A.; Humphries, Tom (Tom L.) (2005). Inside Deaf Culture. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. P.1
No comments:
Post a Comment