Deaf interest not withstanding, I don’t watch reality shows, such as the Amazing Race. I think they are a waste of programming time, a waste of broadcasting bandwidth, and an act of imperialism when we are subject to the brilliant programming the TV stations can muster. In fact, most programmes on TV are rubbish.

Something us Aussies share with the Yanks and the Yukkers. Brothers In Arms. Suffering the pre-programmed flatulence of television. Sure there are good quality programmes out there, but I would rather watch someone actually shovel shit. Which would be fun. We could make it topical, and show a Deaf person shovelling shit, only stopping to sign a sentence or two. Perhaps uttering an inflammatory comment about deafies.

Then Lisa A Goldstein can vent her spleen, at how a Deaf person shovelling shit, is not representative of a deaf people shovelling shit. She can elaborate on how you don’t need to know how to sign, in order to be able to shovel shit. Then regale us with stories such as how well deaf people can speak while they shovel shit!

Now I haven’t seen this particular episode of the Amazing Race, and I have no inclination to do so. Come on! It’s crap endurance! Deaf person or no Deaf person. But thanks to Mishka Zena, and her article, Oral Deaf Writer Attacks Luke of Amazing Race and Deaf People, I was able to read Lisa Goldstein’s article, First Person: I can so talk! and I wonder if she ran out of lemons to suck when she wrote it?

Lisa’s article is representative of deaf people’s extreme hypersensitivity. Representative of deaf people who spend fearful, sweaty, sleepless nights, thinking about how the hearing world is going to look at them strangely, because they [the hearing people] have been exposed to a Deaf person who signs. Gasp! Yes, I know. I do understand that educating hearing people about deafness, is like teaching a donkey how to neigh. It brays instead. Whatever the Deaf person said, or did not say, there was no reason for the churlishness in Lisa’s writing.

As an intelligent Deafie. One who is well read, and a can articulate a sentence or two, using big words, AND who understands IRONY [most Aussies do - smirk], Lisa’s writing is an embarrassment. I live in morbid fear that Lisa’s article would perpetuate the myth that Deafies can’t think or write. I live in morbid fear that I will be judged as someone who can’t think or write. Then again, most hearing journalism, especially the mainstream media, is nothing to write home about either. So, there is further irony in a deafie, trying to convince hearing people that deaf people are intelligent, etc, etc, etc, et-frigging-cetera., using the same low journalistic standards that hearing writers use.

OK, let’s take Lisa’s complaint at face value, that Mr Adam’s did make some inflammatory comments. What do we then make of Lisa’s retort? An expression of objectivity, sensitivity, and a convincing case for deaf intelligence? Open, shut, open, shut, open, shut and in go the flies. My, my, my, don’t you speak well. You must be independent. I’ve always imagine A G Bell has a stack of press releases ready to be handed out everytime a Deafie signs on television, or has Lisa horded them all.

Look I could tear the article First Person: I can so talk! apart, but what would be the point really? Maybe we can have a fundraiser to purchase tissues for hypersensitive deafies? I know, a sign-a-thon!

As an intelligent Deafie, one who is multilingual, well read, well raised, and intelligent, I can only hope that discerning readers, will recognise the lack of objectivity in Lisa’s article and see it as the textual equivalent of a three year old stamping their feet and whining, because mummy refused them their choccy bikky!

Seriously, Shakespeare himself could not have written a better comedy of manners than some deafies do.

Further Reading:

Oral Deaf Writer Attacks Luke of Amazing Race and Deaf People

Lisa Goldstein Articles