Deaf News Briefs: Deaf representation study; CSDR in NFL 360
Here are two Deaf News briefs.
Study on deaf representation in media
Variety published an article about a study on deaf representation in media and entertainment. The study was conducted by the National Research Group (NRG) in collaboration with Deaf West Theatre.
1,000 members of the Deaf community provided answers to survey questions. Hearing audience members were also surveyed. The study is around 25 pages long and it is interesting to look through. Here are some highlights.
45% of respondents believe that deaf representation in TV and film has improved over the past year. 66% of respondents felt that the film “CODA” increased public interest in stories about the Deaf community.
The top three most recognizable deaf actors are Marlee Matlin, Lauren Ridloff, and Millicent Simmonds.
The study found that Deaf people still remain one of the least represented groups in media. There is also a persisting issue of deaf characters being “straight white people'' and not enough representation of Deaf people of color, Deaf LGBTQ+ people, and/or DeafBlind people.
Deaf West Theatre’s Artistic Director DJ Kurs told Variety that he is “a little bit scared” that there will be a pendulum swing of having great deaf representation with the success of “CODA” followed by several years of no deaf representation — because that’s what happened when Matlin won her Oscar for her role in “Children of a Lesser God” in 1986. There was a lot of interest in deaf stories but then it went away.
The study found that 63% of deaf respondents felt that deaf characters they see use negative images of the community and 70% feel that deaf characters are seen as objects of pity. The study concluded that “to create more authentic Deaf content, Deaf people need to be given a seat at the table.”
You can read the report in full at the link in the description or transcript.
———
[Sponsored video from Convo: www.convorelay.com]
———
CSDR football recognized in NFL 360 documentary
The California School for the Deaf, Riverside football team was recognized in a 16-minute NFL 360 documentary that was released on NFL Network on Thursday. The title is “Unfinished Business.” It provides various clips of CSDR’s journey to winning the CIF Southern Section championship this season.
The documentary opens with Kurt Warner, a previous Super Bowl champion quarterback and a Pro Football Hall of Famer, giving a pep talk to the team in August. Warner conducted a sit-down interview with the head coach Keith Adams and details his life story. There are interviews with several players and family members. You can watch the documentary at the link in the description or transcript.
In separate but related news, CSD Riverside hosted a parade to honor the team on Monday. So the excitement and pride continue to surge from that special place in Southern California.
That’s the two Deaf News briefs for today.
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/coda-study-nrg-deaf-representation-movies-tv-1235439108/
NRG / Deaf West Report: https://downloads.ctfassets.net/0o6s67aqvwnu/37nozUDGBNacN23m0W8lrv/761716759c72d8fa8202c1e5d8e30b9f/Spotlight_on_Deaf_Representation_Report.pdf
NFL 360 Video: https://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-360-california-school-for-the-deaf-riverside-unfinished-business
CSDR Parade: https://www.facebook.com/csdrathletics