You may remember my post a while back about Mocking the Deaf Community where I ranted about the Medeas Movie hiring a hearing person for a deaf role. Well guess what? It happened again!! A new movie called Avenged hired a hearing person for a deaf role.
Some of y'all may think "what's the big deal?" Well it's a Cultural thing.... many of us in the Deaf (capital D) community feel that hearing actors and actresses, no matter how good they are, cannot fathom the emotions and experiences of being deaf. It's much more than "pretending not to hear".
We already know it's "Taboo" for a Caucasian actor to portray in an African-American role. The opposite seems true for LGBT roles, some actors feel that if they take on a gay role that they'll be pigeon-holed into only those types of roles (homophobic B.S. if you ask me).
Another reason for the backlash is that there are countless number of Deaf Actors and Actresses who are very talented and are striving for the limited number of available roles and yet they get passed over. Whether it's because of ignorance and not recognizing that there are Deaf actors and actresses out there; or whether it's selfishness and "it'll be easier to communicate with a hearing actor".
Whatever the reason, I'm telling all the Directors, Producers, Talent Agencies, and Headhunters - A Hearing Actor will never understand the depth of discrimination, barriers, struggles, perseverance and accomplishments of a Deaf person....ever!
So if you're looking to fill a Deaf role, please look up some Deaf Talent (#deaftalent on Twitter).
Tracy,
One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon
Some of y'all may think "what's the big deal?" Well it's a Cultural thing.... many of us in the Deaf (capital D) community feel that hearing actors and actresses, no matter how good they are, cannot fathom the emotions and experiences of being deaf. It's much more than "pretending not to hear".
We already know it's "Taboo" for a Caucasian actor to portray in an African-American role. The opposite seems true for LGBT roles, some actors feel that if they take on a gay role that they'll be pigeon-holed into only those types of roles (homophobic B.S. if you ask me).
Another reason for the backlash is that there are countless number of Deaf Actors and Actresses who are very talented and are striving for the limited number of available roles and yet they get passed over. Whether it's because of ignorance and not recognizing that there are Deaf actors and actresses out there; or whether it's selfishness and "it'll be easier to communicate with a hearing actor".
Whatever the reason, I'm telling all the Directors, Producers, Talent Agencies, and Headhunters - A Hearing Actor will never understand the depth of discrimination, barriers, struggles, perseverance and accomplishments of a Deaf person....ever!
So if you're looking to fill a Deaf role, please look up some Deaf Talent (#deaftalent on Twitter).
Tracy,
One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon
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