Deaf U post-show interviews
RENCA DUNN:
Last Friday, “Deaf U” was released on Netflix. Many of us including myself watched all 8 episodes. We reached out to some of the cast members for their reactions.
We asked them how they felt and if they liked how they were framed in Netflix.
ALEXA PAULAY-SIMMONS:
Before I watched the series, I expected it to be a lot worse but I really did enjoy it. I genuinely did enjoy watching the episodes. It’s a good combination of humor and sincerity. It came together perfectly. I feel like this was a really good way to show the mainstream that Deaf people are really just normal. We go through the same things. It's just that we can’t hear. The show doesn’t focus much on audism but rather who you are as a person and how you navigate through life as a person who is Deaf. Does being Deaf make any difference? It’s really up to the viewers to decide that.
DAEQUAN TAYLOR:
I would say yes and no. It’s because some parts of the show I was under the influence or I don’t think I was in the right mindset for my responses at the time. I am a really emotional and moody person. Maybe you don’t like for me to talk about my emotions but I can’t hide my facial expressions or how I express myself, if I make sense. I’m not sure. And, a positive would be that I liked that everyone got a chance to get to know my mom and about my personal life. That was really cool. I opened up a little bit and I needed that.
RENATE ROSE:
I’m still processing a lot of things right now. I feel like I need to re-watch the episodes and fully absorb everything that happened. But I feel good about the series and I feel like it was definitely worth it. In general, I feel happy about it.
RODNEY BURFORD:
My feelings are - I don’t know, I still feel like Rodney, you know? Um, att the same time, I’m pumped that I’m on TV but I know I did lose some important people over it. But I’m still Rodney, you feel me? It’s still a blessing to be on Netflix, you know what I’m talking about? That’s one thing that will remain positive about that experience.
CHEYENNA CLEARBROOK:
Really, I think we’re both still processing our feelings because it premiered so recently. And I do have mixed feelings because of how things were portrayed on the show. Some things were portrayed differently than I expected and some things were portrayed well. So I do have mixed feelings about a lot of things but I’m proud of what we did and what we said. We had some good conversations on the show that led to deeper conversations with people in the community.
CAMERON SYMANSKY:
Basically, our conversations were authentic. They were truly authentic. We were being ourselves. There’s a lot of relief that it came across that way because there were some mixed feelings about it after we filmed, so we were relieved.
DALTON TAYLOR:
No, I didn’t like how I was framed in “Deaf U.” They made it seem like I’m an awkward person. I’m shy, but I’m not awkward. Both are completely different things. I felt they emphasized too much on me being awkward but I’m just shy, that’s the point. There’s nothing I can do about it.
RENCA DUNN:
We asked if there was a scene that they were surprised Netflix decided to show.
ALEXA PAULAY-SIMMONS:
I wish there was more of an introduction of the cast members. More about the cast’s backgrounds and where everyone was from. Without that, the viewers have to make guesses about the person’s background. With my title of “elite,’ it's obvious that I’m from a Deaf family but hearing people won’t really understand what that means. And really the term “elite” is so multilayered. There’s so many different perspectives on the idea of “elite” so it would’ve been nice to have the perspective of the whole cast, rather than just one or two. Everyone’s definition of “elite” is so different, some think it exists and some don’t, so I wish there was a little more focus on that for the hearing audience. That way they could see that this is a common issue in other communities as well.
RODNEY BURFORD:
They portrayed me as an asshole. Like with the “sit on my face” comment. That’s the only scene.
DALTON TAYLOR:
I would say that the whole “Deaf U” series, all 8 episodes, none of it was what I expected. I expected something different. I expected something more… I don’t know what it was. But after watching it, it’s completely different than what I expected. It’s still great.
CHEYENNA CLEARBROOK:
A few times…
CAMERON SYMANSKY:
Like that scene with my hickey! I’m a very private person when it comes to my “life.”
RENATE ROSE:
One thing I wish they would’ve shown more of was my relationship with my dad. It was briefly mentioned on the show about witnessing domestic violence with my dad and that was it. But that was over 20 years ago and I know that my dad has since gone through counseling. He’s made major improvements, like he’s quit drinking and those kinds of things. I did talk about it several times while we were filming but that wasn’t shown on the show. I do have a relationship with my dad now. In fact, he lives in Maryland and actually works at Gallaudet so I see him pretty often so I’m bummed.
DAEQUAN TAYLOR:
Honestly, it was the scene where I gave alcohol to Rodney in the middle of a football game. It’s because Rodney is a student-athlete and it makes him look bad, you know? And then looking at myself, I’m an alumni athlete for the same team and it doesn’t help me, you know?
RENCA DUNN:
We asked if there was a scene that they were happy Netflix included.
RODNEY BURFORD:
The scene of my family with Daequan. I’m very happy that scene made it into the show.
CHEYENNA CLEARBROOK:
There were a few scenes, yeah. I’m glad the period rally made it in because it showed women empowering women. I’m also glad that Renate’s story and my story were shared, too. I’m glad that made it in because it gave us a chance to heal but also give other people courage to share their stories. It helped other people feel like they aren’t the only ones who have gone through something.
CAMERON SYMANSKY:
I’m glad my comments about preserving our culture - not losing our culture and preserving our language made it in the show. That was something that the Deaf community and hearing people needed to see. That’s real. We might be from different backgrounds but we can still hold our culture and our language dear to us. Our morals, too. We can’t lose any of that.
DALTON TAYLOR:
Many scenes, because there are many things that are considered taboo from the past that were shown now. It will create an impact on our community and society. So you know that Deaf culture is not so different from other cultures. We’re all the same. And it’s a nice way to really show the kind of things that are okay today. We can move on with it. It was not okay back then, but now we are showing it in this world which is great.
ALEXA PAULAY-SIMMONS:
I’m glad that the show really did touch on a lot of current hot topics, like abortion, the LGBTQ community, counseling and mental health, all of those things. I’m really glad the show touched on a lot of those topics. Even though it wasn’t in depth, I’m still glad those topics were discussed. Even if we just scratched the surface, it’s still a step in the right direction. It showed that these things are a part of the human experience, period. I’m really glad that was shown on Netflix.
DAEQUAN TAYLOR:
Honestly, my expressions about my mother, I really did need to release it. I don’t know the word for it, it’s still a mystery. I may be traumatized or am still in pain or I don’t know. I needed to release some of that and I felt that when I shared that part of me, the stories of how my mother died and my feelings that I was a part of her death or helped my mother to die really helped me because it’s been on my mind a lot. Even right now, I’m thinking about it, the same topics. Everyday, each night, and it’s really helped me a lot.
RENATE ROSE:
Most people were touched by my counseling journey as well as how open I was about my childhood experiences and how that has affected me. It was important to show that because so many people are affected by the same things, too, but we just don’t talk about it. It’s important to see that someone else shares the same experience, especially someone Deaf because we often feel so alone, and that it’s ok. Hopefully it lessens the stigma of seeing a therapist or a counselor. So I think that was really important to show that.
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RENCA DUNN:
We asked what kind of reactions that they have gotten from the community since the release on Friday.
ALEXA PAULAY-SIMMONS:
I felt like more people have been supportive. The feeling that I got was that more people were truly touched by the show and were thankful that I shared my story because it made them feel less alone, especially when it comes to abortion. The topic of abortions really needs to become less of a taboo. We don’t just keep going after an abortion. We are all affected by it in different ways and we all navigate that journey differently. So a lot of people were thankful I shared my story and they shared their stories with me, too and I really appreciated that. Some people were cheering me on about how I could easily draw the line with men while others were like wow, you were really all over the place! I did get some hate messages, too, so I just have to try and ignore the negative stuff. People only know what they saw on TV so they only know a little about me.
RODNEY BURFORD:
The best part about the show is that I’ve gotten all different kinds of responses from the Deaf community, you know what I’m talking about? The Deaf community is just seeing what everyone has said but at the same time, I still love it so… Most of the messages I got were about me being funny. I got more positive feedback than negative feedback.
RENATE ROSE:
I’m thankful for everyone who watched the show. Some might not have enjoyed it but I’m still thankful that they watched it. This gave us an opportunity to be on Netflix. These types of opportunities don’t happen often so it was nice to have that chance. I hope that everyone who watched was able to see us as humans and hear our stories directly from us without filtering out a lot.
DAEQUAN TAYLOR:
It’s both negative and positive. Most of the negative comments were about my MLK remark. Most of the negativity was about that. A few was about my abortion story with Alexa, but most of it is about MLK. Honestly, I’ve been ignoring it lately, but yesterday on Facebook LIVE I said in public an apology for my statement and my actions. I was under the influence but there is no excuse. But I did apologize. Now, the positives, there were so many positive reactions. People have been sending me DMs, long messages, telling me how much they look up to me, and how I motivate them. It’s just been crazy how many people I was able to connect with who had similar stories and everything. So, it’s been really crazy.
DALTON TAYLOR:
A lot of people took a positive approach with me, which is great. They loved how I was portrayed on Netflix/Deaf U, how I approached things, the things I said and how I acted. Some of them really wanted to meet me, to meet up in person, you know. Other than than, I think it’s been very great and positive. I’ve not really seen any negativity.
CHEYENNA CLEARBROOK:
I got a lot of sweet messages, a lot of positive feedback. I had a lot of people sharing similar stories with their experiences and that means so much to me. Honestly, I thought the reactions would be different but I ended up being wrong. So it was nice to have the positive reactions.
CAMERON SYMANSKY:
It’s a blessing. I have a similar experience, too. I got a lot of positive feedback and people saying I was funny. People could see that I was being true to myself. My friends, and some fans, said that I was being the Cam they know. Whether we were filming or in real life, they were seeing the exact same person. That was a relief that I was able to show that and stand where I stand.
RENCA DUNN:
We did ask what their next plan would be. Most of them said they will go with the flow with whatever life takes them as they finish up school or go back to school. Rodney did mention that he has something coming up with Daequan and told us to keep an eye out for it.
The Daily Moth wants to thank the Deaf U cast for sharing their thoughts with us about their journey with Deaf U. We wish them nothing, but the best in life.