What Hawkeye gets right about Deafness [CC]

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00:00 Introduction
06:23 Hawkeye (The Character)
12:36 Hawkeye (TV Show)
16:12 Episode 3
18:56 Conclusion
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[@SkyBorba]

i also loved how in the deadpool x hawkeye comic book series, they made deadpool always have his mask above his nose instead of covering his full face so that hawkeye could lip read as well as deapool trying to learn a bit of asl to be able to communicate better with hawkeye

[@effypage2284]

Yes!! He's like, "Oh shit, you're deaf. Lemme make this easier for you," and just pulls up his mask like it's no big deal. It's a great way to show representation at the same time as showing how easy it is to make simple accommodations for people because *why wouldn't you*

[@SkyBorba]

@@effypage2284 exactly? this is why is one of the many reasons i love deadpool

[@theythemgae9025]

@@effypage2284 love Deadpool

[@A-bp9hq]

i fucking love deadpool.

[@lunatic5162]

in which one is it?

[@erinhowett3630]

I loved that they showed an Avenger dealing with what would be very realistic outcomes for what they do. He was near so many explosions, of COURSE he'd get damage to his eardrums.

[@gisela_oliveira]

some of the new marvel shows are taking this "realistc" aproach, wich is very intersting, 'cause they created a very full and real universe with all the movies, and after all the crazyness of the infiny saga, we have now the real and expected consequences of everything that happend

[@DieAlteistwiederda]

Seriously though my mom became hard of hearing with way less trauma to her eardrums its just realistic that eventually the most human and unaltered character becomes deaf from all of these loud explosions. My mom worked in a huge printing place back in the day where and when ear protection wasn't really a concern. She has been hard of hearing since her 20s before all of us kids were born and she is 70 now. With all the loud stuff going on around Hawkeye it had to damage his hearing eventually.

[@lizschwab1746]

@@DieAlteistwiederda my uncle flew helicopters in the army for his entire career, retired, and then was a civilian instructor! His hearing has been shot for as long as I've known him!

[@williamzhu9160]

@@lizschwab1746 it's actually hilarious that you say that because i've known/seen people that have experienced both ends of the spectrum in terms of hearing after being in the military. my grandfather was in artillery in korea and has been hard of hearing for a really long time. on the other side of the spectrum, i know a guy that was marine infantry in desert storm and actually did better on hearing tests at the va after getting out than before the war. just goes to show that the human body is weird, different, and responds differently depending on the environment and person.

[@MFLuder-me1vn]

@@williamzhu9160 I did an experiment where I put on a WWII US M1 helmet and fired a pistol. The pistol sounded about twice as loud and the sound seemed to bounce around inside the helmet. I can definitely see how those old WWII and Korean war vets could have terrible hearing loss.

[@solaceandshine]

Watching Hawkeye with my 12 year old son got us talking about hearing loss, hard of hearing and deafness. We researched wether or not the actor that played Maya was in fact deaf (she is) and inspired us to start learning ASL as part of his homeschooling subjects. - this exploration, also lead us to "what not to say to a deaf person" by BBC - which lead us to you! So LOVE who you are, and what are doing, and your beautiful family. And really appreciate the insight into the deaf communities reality so that if/when we come across anyone hard of hearing or deaf, we can include with joy and love, and not get awkward and ashamed at our own lack of awareness and skills. LOVE!

[@aprildawnsunshine4326]

This right here is why inclusion is so important! A perfect illustration of how making popular media more inclusive can lead to a more inclusive world. Someday I hope being deaf and using ASL in America is no different, maybe even better than being an English speaker abroad; no matter where you go you can pretty much expect there'll be someone there who can understand you well enough to get by and in most big cities almost everyone can fairly well.

[@emo6577]

Sounds like your little one is well on the way to be a kind, caring, and informed member of society. Good luck with learning ASL ❤️

[@macaronmoon]

I think it's amazing to encourage learning and follow the interest of children. If you ever need/want additional help with learning ASL I would highly recommend Bill Vicars here on KZbin. He is a very good teacher that teaches ASL from beginning to intermediate to advanced, as well as vocabulary expansion and specific topics. Sometimes it helped me to slow down the videos but mostly to make sure I was comprehending it completly.

[@aprildawnsunshine4326]

@@macaronmoon I swear every time I turn around someone is recommending that guy 😆 for good reason though, I've tried a few of his videos here and there. Unfortunately, like Jessie my hands don't work so good and get worn out from signing very quickly. I swear I'm going to learn before I need a hearing aide though 🤞🏻 I still have a decade or two left

[@solaceandshine]

@@macaronmoon Thanks for the recommendation we will check him out.

[@lindsaymetzger5975]

I think it can have to do with the perception of the Deaf and Hearing community, with regards Clint's self-identity as HoH. I have a 4th generation deaf friend whose entire deaf family was mainstreamed, used hearing aids, and didn't sign, until my friend went to college, and majored in interpretation. She says that she tells Hearing people that she is deaf, because physically, without her aids, she hears no more than Clint in the show. She has found that when you tell Hearing people that you are HoH, they just yell louder, whereas if you identify as deaf, they are more likely to wait for your cue as to how to communicate best. When my friend, who is 'little d' deaf, goes amongst the Deaf, she introduces herself in sign as HoH. In her experience, the Deaf tend to doubt her deafness when they see her taking phone calls through her Bluetooth headphones, and having fully spoken conversations with Hearing people. When she introduces herself to the Deaf as HoH, they fully accept that, and her small mistakes in her expressive signing, because they immediately recognize that while she understands everything signed to her, she is still connected enough to speaking and hearing that her signs themselves are not fluent. Basically, self-identity can vary based on setting and I can't disagree with Clint identifying as HoH to an obviously Deaf woman, when he cannot sign well or necessarily understand what is signed to him.

[@SynthApprentice]

That's kinda how I interpreted that scene. Maya interacted with Clint as if she assumed that his experience with deafness was similar to hers, and so he had to clarify that, no, his experience was different, so he wasn't able to respond in the way that she expected. It's also possible that Clint, being fairly new in his journey as deaf/HoH, might just not be aware of the nuance of deaf and HoH identity within the broader community. He may, mistakenly, still believe that deafness really is an all-or-nothing situation.

[@ladyphnx]

This a fantastic comment, if I could I would pin it. I’m not deaf, or hard of hearing, but I learned the finger spelling alphabet at age 10, studied ASL with a Deaf member of our church as a teenager, took ASL as my foreign language in college, and interpreted church services for about a year. Deaf culture is quite complex, and I think your comment illustrates that very well.

[@bennyton2560]

@@SynthApprentice agreed. it also suits his character

[@lifeatbuttheight]

Literally the only major complaint that I had about Hawkeye was that Deaf Space wasn't well... respected? We couldn't see hands and facial expressions at the same time and I was so FRUSTRATED trying to watch the ASL going on but not being able to see both hands and face in the camera shots they chose to use.

[@tengwarsenna]

Yeah, this bugged me. I don't know if they were covering up actors not feeling comfortable signing or what, but cutting off people who are signing at the elbow? Bad move.

[@StarryKat]

@@tengwarsenna especially as the person they cut off most was the person who uses ASL personally!!

[@jasenjacobs1365]

Pretty sure this was the ASL editing equivalent of having dialog shot from behind so they can alter what is said in post. ASL does require more thought from a direction view point. I know it's frustrating but remember that these shows are filmed very fast so sometimes weird shots are used or the dialog changes after the scene is even shot.

[@justapuffin7303]

@@jasenjacobs1365 Yes, like with dialogue the actors can record a different line and they can just cut away, but with asl since it’s happening on screen it’s much harder to make edits post-filming.

[@daalelli]

I think a great way to include this and still keep traditional viewpoint on reactor, would be to edit the scene like a dual screen and make it look like a comic book box in these types of movies. Then you would see the signer and their face as well as the reaction. You would also, only need to refilm the signers' parts if the writing was changed.

[@erinhowett3630]

I took Clint's distinction of "sorry, hard of hearing, not deaf" was more of an explanation and apology as to why he didn't know as much sign language as Maya did.

[@juniper617]

Yes, that’s definitely how I understood it.

[@vysharra]

More specifically, I interpreted it as “sorry, hard of hearing, not Deaf”. In the US, deaf vs Deaf is a cultural thing. It would be like being Irish American and apologizing for not speaking Irish with an Irish person. Similar but important differences when it comes to your culture and language.

[@DieAlteistwiederda]

My mom makes this distinction too mainly to explain quickly without having to explain anything why she doesn't know or use sign language. That's how I understood that too.

[@2eurocoin]

@@vysharra most Irish, being one myself and living in Ireland, do not speak Irish, like Clint, most of us have a couple of words, but very few could carry a conversation. It's unfortunate, but true.

[@tammymoseley1348]

He was also very early in his personal journey, whereas Maya was always deaf. Unfortunately not many people think to take, or schools think to offer, ASL as an elective language.

[@erinhowett3630]

I cried during the scene where he was on the phone with his kid and Kate was writing things down so his son could still have a conversation with him.

[@pattyknoll7428]

The emotion of that scene hit me hard and with tears streaming down my face I turned to my husband, who is hard of hearing and said "We have to get Clint home for Christmas!"

[@inaty22]

Si bHuh think

[@marchingham]

Oh my goodness. That scene was done SO well and I lost it. Loved that it was a series and not a movie so the director could take time to explore moments like that.

[@bcase5328]

On the topic of being too tired to make out what is being said, that isn't just an excuse. It happens. It happens not only to deaf, nor just to hard of hearing, but also to persons with auditory learning difficulties or sometimes other difficulties, as well as second language speakers. There are times when you just can't concentrate (to figure what was said) while people go on talking. You drop out of the conversation. Then, do the best you can.

[@TNJenni42]

I loved that scene too but my favorite was when the kids were leaving and he tells/signs to his youngest "I love you more"

[@Mothman_In_a_T-Pose]

Between Thor's fight with depression and loss, and Haweye's deafness, I'm really pleased with how Marvel has been normalizing everyday issues that are often considered taboo.

[@micheinnz]

They just can't help the fat jokes, though (the line about "cheez whiz running in Thor's veins").

[@Mothman_In_a_T-Pose]

@@micheinnz It’s definitely not perfect, but there are moments when you can tell the humor is various team members’ way of coping with their linchpin being in such a bad way.

[@kc5997]

Wanda vision explored grief so well. Falcon and WS explored PTSD , US imperialism and racism.

[@Mothman_In_a_T-Pose]

@@kc5997 True!! I forgot about those. Marvel’s getting close to DC in their openness about human reality.

[@Wednesdaywoe1975]

@@micheinnz I actually read that as: "Even heroes can be dicks when confronted with mental health issues ".

[@DarkkestNite]

Being near explosions as a reasoning for Hawkeye's hearing loss is such a welcome change from getting stabbed in both ears with arrows. The rep was cool in the Fraction run of comics, but it's just deeply silly.

[@SynthApprentice]

As a musician, I find the prolonged exposure to loud noise a much more realistic source of hearing loss. Getting stabbed in both ears by arrows is far less common.

[@tracy4290]

@@SynthApprentice Well, I'd guess that it'd be much more of a potential hazard for him than for you... 😉 (Unless, of course, you're a musician for very easily-irritated archers....🙃)

[@mariebourgot4949]

@@tracy4290 ^^

[@greensteve9307]

Agreed, it's a very real problem for the military. Hell, I have hearing damage just from wearing a headset to answer the phone in a busy office!

[@tysfrog]

I agree that there needs to be more Deaf representation in shows, especially visual representation

[@kittycatgaminghayley6210]

I’m happy there is Native American/American Indian representation that isn’t offensive, inappropriate and plays into stereotypes (Disney’s Pocahontas is a good example of what not to do).

[@specialagentA]

I saw Pocahontas as a child so don't really remember much of the details. Would you be able to tell me why it wasn't good rep or recommend a source to check out? Thank you!

[@kittycatgaminghayley6210]

@@specialagentA because Pocahontas was a child when the settlers came, they k*dnapped her and held her hostage and possibly r*ped her and were trying wipe out her people before she died from unknown causes. I also think that the movie s*xualized native woman contributing to the mmiwg crisis (missing and murdered indigenous women) nobody really knows how many women went missing or were murdered all we know the number is high. Jubilee did a video titled do all Native American think the same and one of the questions is about the movie if you want some else’s prospective.

[@KaylaKasel]

​@@specialagentA A big part is because it was a fictionalized and sanitized portrayal of a real historical person who had a much different (and more traumatic) life than is show on screen. By romanticizing her kidnappers/abusers in the movie it obscures the real history of how awful they generally were. It's complicated, and I'm no expert, but here's a great KZbin video from a Native/Indigenous person explaining some of the history better: "Why I'm not going to make a historical Pocahontas costume and no one else will either" by Miah Grace

[@shaycz5679]

I was not impressed with the show until Alaqua Cox was introduced. Game changer. Was so happy about her arc and being such a badass and that she has a spinoff. She is amazing!

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

@@KaylaKasel Thanks for flagging Miah's video, I'd definitely second that recommendation too! I honestly didn't know JUST how awful the real life Pocahontas' treatment had been (all the usual narratives tend to frame her as an unmarried young woman who accompanied & helped the settlers willingly) so Miah's breakdown of her understanding of the history was such an eye opener. ...

[@alydrolet5770]

I was so excited when the show showed that Clint was deaf. It was something I had been hoping for for a long time. I was also so happy at the inclusion of sign language since ASL is my minor in college. However some of the signing was cut of from view, making the viewer rely on the subtitles which I wasn’t a big fan of. While watching the show I was likewise pleased with the moments of silence and muffled sound that showed the way in which Clint could hear without his hearing aids. Over all I’m glad that Marvel is stepping out into more disability representation with the Hawkeye show and the Eternals film, which is out now on Disney+. Wonderful review Jessica 💜

[@emilyniedbala]

Yes! I hate it when they cut off the signing in movies and TV! That would be like mixing music so loud you can’t hear the characters speak so they just put subtitles instead to turning the music down… In the case of Hawkeye specifically, I have my suspicions that in some of those scenes with more editing and where the signing is cut off, that they actually decided to change what was said in the editing room (some of the signing that you can see doesn’t always line up well with the subtitles in certain scenes) and just cropped in and changed the subtitles, which I guess would be the ASL equivalent of doing ADR to change what was said out loud in a scene which is interesting, I think.

[@aliciaevans2012]

Did you notice any moments where they used British sign language instead of ASL?

[@philopharynx7910]

@@emilyniedbala I never thought of that. I specifically look for scenes in movies where the dialogue is done from behind the character or offscreen, as it usually involves and editing room rewrite. (If you are interested in this, watch Artemis Fowl and notice how often this happens) While you can lip sync to some degree, doing the same for signing would require reshooting the whole scene or completely replacing the character with CGI. Thanks for the insight. I'll be looking for those kinds of shots from now on.

[@Orynae]

Yeah it was super _weird_ when they did some of those dialogue scenes in ASL, but with the hands offscreen. Like I remember sometimes the camera would be over the speaker's shoulder, so you could see the listener's face reacting -- a super common thing in dialogue! But that framing completely hides the speaker's hands, which just doesn't work at all (except with the subtitles). Or when they would do a closeup on the speaker's face, which obscured any signs that were lower or farther off to the side. I never would've considered how filming a deaf conversation would need to be done differently, so it was cool to think about... I just wish they had actually considered it before filming lmao

[@amandahealey2216]

I was honestly wondering about that. I'm not deaf, but I did take a sign language class in college, and one of the assignments was to watch a documentary about deaf people. In the documentary, they talked about how one of the issues with "Children of a Lesser God" was that the editors would cut off signs in the middle of a conversation. So when Hawkeye came out, I thought, "Aren't they doing the same thing here?"

[@grff_]

My only complain with the show which was what my friends pointed out too is what you said. The plot about hearing aids doesn't go anywhere. I would have loved a post credits or just a small ending scene of clint practicing sign language more. Just a few seconds of that would have made me so happy

[@download351]

I actually don't think it needed to go anywhere. I'm glad that it wasn't made into some big plot point because then it would feel like the inclusion was pandering rather than just a fact of the story. We shouldn't have to be beaten around the head with it (although the size of his hearing aids is hilarious, mine are half that size!). I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not introduced as "The person with hearing aids" and then having reminders daily that I'm hard of hearing. It just is. It's kind of nice to have a fact of existence not become the whole person's identity.

[@grff_]

@@download351 yeah i don't think there's anything wrong with the show, my friends and i are just very enthusiastic about sign language and (just like maya) we wanted him to learn it in case he ever has to rely on it

[@annikan42]

I can't say anything about the hearing aids plot (or lack thereof) but in the last episode it did look like he had learned some more sign when he talks with Maya. It would've been nice to actually see him learning though

[@MsDiving1]

@@grff_ I’m hoping that his story will continue and we’ll be able to see him becoming more proficient over time as he takes over the mentorship of future young super heroes (he’s just so good in that type of role for some reason). Maybe he could even meet up with Maya again later and show off a bit?

[@kitdubhran2968]

I also really think that one of the reasons that Clint is so keen on keeping the hearing aids is partly so he can hear his children.

[@gracewhitmore1406]

I love that you’re talking about this! I wear hearing aids but my hearing issues aren’t very bad. Because of this, I don’t consider myself deaf or hard of hearing, just a little hearing impaired. When people find out I wear hearing aids, they assume that when I don’t have them in, I have absolutely zero hearing and they are confused sometimes by the different levels of hearing loss. So thank you!! Thank you for talking about the spectrums of hearing loss

[@Torania87]

Same! People who don't know me assume I'm completely deaf without them but people who do know me are like "Wait, but we talked all the time?" And I'm like, yeah, but I mostly read your lips cause the ringing was too loud to hear it all. 😅

[@mj85432]

I guess for you wearing hearing aids is like wearing glasses? You can kinda hear but not perfectly so you use an aid. I think that with time people will realize that it is a spectrum as much as vision impairment, not all people who wear glasses are blind/legally blind but still can't see properly.

[@suhaniselamat]

@@mj85432 close, but too many people think hearing loss is only about the volume of a sound, whereas you can actually lose your ability to hear specific pitches, rather than a volume. Imagine a piano and you can only hear maybe the left side of the piano just fine and not the right side of the piano. My left ear lost the ability to hear exactly the ranges out of a phone speaker, but otherwise I'm fine. I now get by using AfterShokz bone conduction headphones to bypass my damaged ear drum. But I wonder about counting myself as hard of hearing or disabled, when my hearing loss is so little, yet it's interfered with work several times when people expected me to be on the landline phone all day and my right ear suffers listening fatigue and feels bruised because I couldn't use my left ear to give my right ear a break.

[@gracewhitmore1406]

For me personally, if I wear my hearing aids it’s a lot like not wearing glasses. My hearing without is more ‘blurry’ especially depending on the pitch. My hearing loss is mostly in the low range so those sounds are more ‘blurry’ than high pitch sounds. Pitch kind of like distance for glasses. Certain pitches for me are like far away distances when seeing. It’s harder to see something farther away and harder to hear something in the certain pitches my hearing loss is in. I completely understand the struggle with terminology and labels for it as well. I’ve decided to go with hearing impaired because I could go about my life without my hearing aids, it would be a bit more difficult, but not impossible.

[@gracewhitmore1406]

Also a funny side note: I’m a lesbian and since my hearing loss is in the low range I like to say that I was destined to not be able to hear most men

[@galaxymew5138]

Even though Echo didn't really "talk" (I say "talk" because most people interpret talking as using their voice to do it) she was able to put SO MUCH emotion into her face, it's beautiful!

[@bumbabees]

I'm not deaf but I am selectively mute and I like when there are characters that don't use their voice and are represented well. It doesn't happen often and it makes my heart happy

[@lizschwab1746]

She is so beautifully expressive!

[@rebekahrhodes9512]

I thought her performance was amazing I only wish they wouldn't cut off her hands in the shot lol like I want to see what she's signing even if somebody is voicing her thoughts.

[@jessjohnson426]

I would say that's more of a reflection of ASL being her primary language. Facial expressions are used as a kind of grammar/intonation in ASL, so if anything most sign language speakers tend to be more facially expressive than vocal speakers. Keeping a stoic or unexpressive face in ASL is like having a monotone speaking voice

[@3Rayfire]

Splendid performance.

[@angeldivendetta9329]

Just so you know, better help is incredibly abusive both to therapists and clients. The therapist Micky Atkins did a fantastic video on the subject

[@nottelling808]

Thank you for sharing. I was considering using their services.

[@angeldivendetta9329]

@@nottelling808 of course! I hope your able to get help, from somewhere that will actually respect you as more then the money you give them :)

[@asterismos5451]

Thanks, I was going to comment the same :)

[@somebodyelsesdog]

Yes, thank you for commenting this. It bugs me every time

[@OwlaboveCitylights]

I wouldn't trust, really any of the ads that KZbinrs post. It's great that they are getting some income, but significantly and thoughtfully researching their ad partners would probably result in little to no ad partners and a loss of income

[@NikholaRichter]

I grew up being told that i was hard of hearing. I am loud, and I need ppl to repeat what they say a few times before I understand. Never really had my ears checked, my family and friends just assumed and teased me about it. I am also sensitive to sounds, some make my ears “crackle”, soo i never understood how i was hard of hearing. As an adult, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and found out that my “hard of hearing” was really a processing difference. I can hear what is said, but it takes me longer to process and understand. I can relate to having to watch closely, and mimic other people just to understand what they said. I got really good at pretending I understood long enough to buy myself time till I actually understood. I am excited to see how all of our differences are being integrated into mainstream media

[@Susannah-Dean]

Lmbo my mother had my ears checked in middle school and was shocked to learn that my hearing is fine I was diagnosed with ADHD like 12 years later

[@dorianr4770]

yeah I wonder if I'm similar. I hear enough that I don't think I could consider myself HoH. But a lot of times I feel Hoh. especially if there's lots of background noise. or certain jobs (taking orders over a headset with no visual cues for example, brutal). and hearing people can be unkind. If I miss just one word, I might miss the meaning of the sentence... and I get tired of saying, "What?" all the time and being frustrated and people frustrated with me. especially in a work situation. (ex. your boss tells you "go do [something]" ..."what?" "go do [something]", "can you repeat that?" ...and then they think I'm a bad employee) ... and yet I don't think my slight issues with hearing would be enough to officially say I'm HoH, because I feel that'd be offensive to people who struggle way worse. So yeah... I understand that degree of hearing is a spectrum. and I could see how HoH people have their own struggles and also might have no community, being neither "deaf enough" or "hearing enough" to really fit in anywhere.

[@bennyton2560]

yay ADHD gang!

[@CaseyShontz]

I have ADHD and I keep getting my ears checked too because I keep thinking I have some hearing problem, but it’s probably an audio or language processing issue. My family also used to tease me for mishearing words and said I needed hearing aids. Also I’ve noticed it’s much harder for me to understand what someone is saying if I can’t see their lips, like if I’m not wearing my glasses or if they’re wearing a mask.

[@K_swiph]

Hearing you talk about deaf representation in Hawkeye reminded me of The Dragon Prince. It's an animated show on Netflix that I really enjoyed, and features an awesome character who is deaf and uses sign language. I think you and your family would like it. 😊

[@geneticdriftwood]

Seconding this! The show also had some really satisfying representations of queer adults and parents

[@WriterOfMany]

Oh yes I remember her! I was really happy to see her...like....see....another spectrum of humanity? Like I saw it and didn't question it all, I suppose that means, to me being a hearing person, it didn't seem just thrown in there just to be ~inclusive~. And she wasn't a weak, one-line person either. She was Captain of the guard or something like that. As far as I've seen in the show, she uses sign, no voice.

[@bell6408]

I have a feeling they stuck with the HOH label because the actor has said he is HOH not deaf and it may have gone down worse had he claimed deafness in the show. I’m betting they didn’t want to risk any of the backlash they got when they first cast him and didn’t include his hearing loss. Just my thoughts!

[@Torania87]

This makes total sense! I can't say I 100% relate to the struggle but I get it now. I'd been struggling with severe tinnitus for years, it was negatively affecting my relationships, work and mental health, but I just kept ignoring it, thinking, "well I'm not 100% deaf, I can hear, it's just very difficult, I don't deserve hearing aids." But then my doc finally convinced me to get them and I almost cried when I finally heard silence for the first time in over a decade. (I'm 34 now) I can understand people and hear music better. It's astounding. And now I'm trying to wrap my head around this whole new part of me. I knew some very simple sign language from working customer service for 16 years but that was it. Now I want to learn more. 🥰

[@macaronmoon]

Bill Vicars has great videos teaching ASL at all levels if it could help you to learn more ASL.

[@kareldebures7006]

I am proud of you! And if you had the same experience as I did with the hearing aides, I found it amazing to be able to hear my own voice for the first time! That ringing never goes away with me, sometimes for whatever reason it can become louder for a while, and then tame down to what I call the normal level, do you experience that part as well? My best of luck to you on how to deal with it, I still just try to ignore it as much as possible!

[@CindyBrown]

the hearing aids helped stop the tinnitus? or the tinnitus eventually went away but had damaged your hearing? just a bit confused on that point (but happy that they helped you, however that worked!)

[@Torania87]

@@CindyBrown I have severe tinnitus that's so loud, it masks some of the sounds around me. There's minor damage to my ear drums but according to my doctor, the muscles inside my ear function normally. The hearing aids I have, and my dad has, make a sound that cancels out the tinnitus ringing we hear, making it easier to hear the world around us.

[@helenl3193]

I can totally related to that kinda imposter syndrome thing of thinking you're not "properly disabled"/'deaf enough' to justify the treatment - I haven't needed hearing aids yet but do have some issues so it may be in the future for me.. But I had a nasty back and hip injury in 2012 that left me disabled with mobility problems (I got lucky in that I'm not paralysed, but lots of nerve and tissue damage plus dislocated hip and permanent limp) and, combined with other health issues including hEDS and CPS, it left me unable to work. The changes to the benefits system in the UK REALLY don't help either - every 18 months or so I have to redo my application for disability benefits and then be interrogated to prove myself worthy of money to live, etc. despite having life-long chronic/genetic conditions and permanent injuries that will not improve. So it took at least 2 years for me to feel fully comfortable using the term disabled. (and even about 6 months to realise I should apply for said disability-specific benefits! 🤦‍♀️) Not because I felt negative/prejudice about disability and therefore that couldn't possibly be me, but rather did I really qualify, would I be taking something (benefits/treatment/blue badge/carer) that someone else needed/deserved more? Etc. It's a real minefield, isn't it?! Glad you got treatment and it's helping, best of luck with everything! :)

[@HOHNancy]

I wear a hearing aid in my right ear, and profoundly deaf in my left ear. I totally agree with you on the spectrum of hearing loss and it isn't an "on/off" kind of thing. ☺There were some people I knew who were pretty confused on the various amount of hearing loss. I would love to watch Maya and others with hearing loss in movies. They need to show more representatives of hearing loss/Deafness out there. I did see a great movie in an 1980s movie "Love Is Never Silent"...it has ASL in it but some real Deaf actors. ☺ As always, I am enjoying your content, Jessica! ❤

[@jennoscura2381]

I have some hearing loss thanks to a perforated left eardrum. It's bad enough that my insurance covered hearing aids. But my hearing is good enough that I normally don't use my hearing aids. At home I can just turn up the volume. So yea hearing loss isn't on or off. People have different degrees of hearing loss. My mom is practically deaf without her hearing aids. I kinda wish I had that problem. I have auditory sensitivities thanks to autism. I would love to be able to shut off my hearing. My mom can shut off her hearing by simply turning off her hearing aids.

[@rebekahl840]

I love Hawkeye! I knew Hawkeye was deaf in the comics, and having them intergrate this in the series Also, loving the hair today Jessica!

[@hazelgeorgene7719]

I’m curious what you thought about the ASL being framed in the show. It seemed like they made no effort to keep it in frame most of the time which I thought was odd since Alaqua Cox actually uses ASL in her daily life so I doubt they did so because they didn’t have faith in its accuracy. I’m hearing so I was curious what a deaf persons perspective is.

[@hanaowens5988]

This was my thought too as I was watching it!! Although it was clear that ASL was being used as they did occasionally have it on screen, it was mostly not actually visible and the focus was always on the verbal translation by the interpreter rather than seeing Maya speaking ASL itself, which I honestly found kind of frustrating?

[@ec4612]

I was literally about to comment this! It struck me as super odd that they would cut out her sign, especially since if the person was speaking, I doubt the filmmakers would just mute them/put a loud noise over their words. Shouldn’t the same go for Maya’s sign?

[@MsStBoom]

I think there were probably times when they were choosing between showing her hands and the ASL and having close, tight shots on their faces - that it was a cinematography and style choice, based on the limitations and conventions of the medium. But also my knowledge of ASL is extremely limited and nowhere near good enough to follow what she was saying, so I wasn't paying attention to how often it was happening

[@juniper617]

My guess is that they just didn’t think it was very important. Hopefully they’ll get a lot of viewer feedback about this issue and will reconsider their approach when they film the Echo series. Echo is still in preproduction, so we should all be sending this feedback now!

[@lucasiglesias1894]

It's hard because you have to keep the shots interesting, and framing someone from the front and showing them only signing can get repetitive very fast, so they have to find a balance between showing proper ASL and being "cinematic". I do think they should show more of it in her own series, at least develop a visual style that keeps the signs visible and the shot interesting at the same time.

[@jadedawes2556]

Are you into the walking dead? They have a deaf character (due to an unspecified hereditary disorder), called Connie (Lauren Ridloff, she's who you mentioned in Eternals and is herself deaf), and her younger sister, called Kelly (Angel Theory who has hearing loss in her right ear), who is currently going deaf (due to this same hereditary disorder). I really enjoyed this addition (and all the characters in that small group in general really). I know a lot of disabilities would make an apocalypse harder to live in, but they never really add anyone at all besides blindness (usually due to a stray bullet and not really dwelled upon) or missing limbs (usually amputated due to zombie bites, rather than someone being born with it/having it before the apocalypse for any reason) or implied/hypothesized autism. Not every disabled person would die in an apocalypse, so it would be nice to see more things like this represented. I would also love to see it explored and how they might deal with an apocalypse differently with these disabilities. Like, the group with Connie and Kelly in often communicate with sign language, so that both keeps them quiet around Walkers, sometimes lets them communicate within a herd and usually lets them communicate without others understanding because they don't know ASL. I just think it would be nice to have the representation and interest to see explored.

[@sheilarough236]

The character of Connie from Walking Dead is a complete bad ass

[@franksonatra]

It's strange that disabled people are shown to perish in the apocalypse, when disabled people are sadly the ones most used to abuse, pain (especially those with chronic pain), starvation, not being believed by doctors (for example someone who was infected by an apocalypse bioweapon and doctors dismiss them and they'd be like "ah, just like my suspected POTS!")... sure, we need a lot of help and accommodation, but any hero worth their heroism should not leave us behind.

[@jesslikescoffee24]

There’s also Wendell in the sister show Fear the Walking Dead, played by Daryl Mitchell, a wheelchair user.

[@jadedawes2556]

@@jesslikescoffee24 Ah, I'm not up to date on that one yet. I haven't even got to Nick's death yet.

[@beyondallmeasure]

I'm disabled and since there are medications that literally keep me alive, my family and I joke that I'll be the first to go in the zombie apocalypse. I doubt my rare disease medications that are shipped in from overseas would be readily available nearby. 🤪

[@userMIA709]

Maya was my absolute favorite character in Hawkeye, she was amazing and really badass I really loved her.

[@somebodyelsesdog]

Same, I'm super excited for the series! As soon as I saw her backstory I started methodically chanting "please don't make her a villain please don't make her a villain please don't make her a villain" because as much as I like villains, I would prefer for people to not be constantly wanting to kill her. That would make me sad. So I'm glad she seems to be not wholly villainous and I hope we get to see her kill more fat old men

[@TheSoundOfDistantThunder]

This is fantastic! I love Hawkeye as a series and love seeing Deaf representation! Also with the HoH vs Deaf thing I thought it was because that's how Jeremy Renner identifies.

[@l.c.8475]

I definitely did the wrong thing all the time (auditory processing issues related to ADHD, although sometimes I just got distracted by a page with more interesting questions and hyperfocused on those)

[@DestructionGlitter]

Yoooo I have auditory processing issues due to ADHD and I kept getting punished in school for asking other kids what the teacher was saying... I had good grades but teachers kept telling my parents I was a disruption, and no one believed me when I said I couldn't hear.

[@fanofallaroundaudreyandjus544]

Same. I also have auditory processing issues related to ADHD. I would do the wrong thing because I didn’t know that you couldn’t do that so I would get in trouble because my teachers didn’t understand how you are supposed to help and treat people with ADHD.

[@theveganflower5135]

I actually love that there are streets that say when to walk and stuff. I can't focus, the noises from the cars and street,people ect, that a calm loud voice telling steps to walking across the street is amazing. I watch things with cc because of it. My phone talks to me when someone is calling and flashes. I was so glad when. I found out auditory processing issues where a thing and that I was valid for using these mechanisms.

[@DestructionGlitter]

@@theveganflower5135 +1

[@kiapet286]

I was thinking the same thing! Doing the wrong assignment due to not processing the instructions properly is something I did all the time as a kid with undiagnosed ADHD. It's neat how people with different types of disabilities can share similar experiences

[@emilyniedbala]

*** I am not Deaf, but I have had many classes with Deaf professors and currently work at a school for the Deaf*** I don’t disagree at all that the distinction between Hard of Hearing (HoH) and Deaf can be a fraught one to say the least, but I also wonder if the culture around the terms is different between the US and the UK. From my experience with the Deaf community, there are sort of two different definitions of HoH vs D/deaf: one being a medical distinction of measurable hearing loss that is not really very useful for cultural use, and one that is more about language and community. The way I interpreted Clint saying he was HoH to Maya was him saying that he isn’t really immersed in the Deaf culture (at least not yet) that Maya very clearly was. In the US, one of the most important parts of the Deaf community is ASL, so the fact that Clint hasn’t learned much yet and is new to his hearing loss likely means that he does not feel Deaf culturally. (Also, at least in the US, there is a distinction between Deaf and deaf - “Deaf” refers to the cultural identity involved of deafness and the Deaf community, while “deaf” simply refers to someone with significant hearing loss.) And when it comes to the Deaf people I have known and worked with, there is a very large spectrum of hearing loss, assistive technology, and using speech among a lot of people who all are considered Deaf. I’d be very interested to know if this is different for the Deaf community in the UK, particularly because that language barrier does exist between signers of ASL and BSL (and hopefully I will get to find out with a study abroad this summer!).

[@user-ox5nh8kx1l]

Disclimer: I'm not a Deaf person, just disabled. I also took it to mean he hasn't fully accepted the disabled identity. I've known a lot of people who would qualify as deaf because of significant hearing loss and all of them used Hard of Hearing and didn't know sign. I feel like it's partially a lack of awareness that deafness is a spectrum, as well as a desire to not be disabled. Internalized ableism runs deep and I was definitely picking up those vibes from him. As a disabled person, I get that, and can only imagine that would be amplified in a disabled avenger! Overall a really compelling portrayal in my opinion.

[@helenl3193]

Interesting, I was told Deaf signifies total lose of hearing while deaf was the HOH and the rest of the spectrum... But I'm not deaf myself, and may have just been misinformed, rather than that being how the terms are actually used here (London, UK). 🤷‍♀️

[@helenl3193]

@@user-ox5nh8kx1l absolutely! Both internalised ableism making him uncomfortable/insecure about not only being one of the puny mortal avengers, but now also 'the deaf/disabled one', but also perhaps some imposter syndrome, which I really felt while coming to terms with my life changing back injury. Took about 2 years for me to be able to fully embrace the label disabled without worrying about if I was sick/injured enough to count, or taking advantage, and/or using resources that were limited meaning that someone more worthy of was missing out on because of me, etc. It's a lot to process, so I can totally understand if he needs to baby-step his way into the disabled community

[@chrisd7047]

@@helenl3193 I relate to that self-judgment. Hell, I still struggle with it even after 25 years. Intellectually I understand that I have a disability rating (I was burned and am thus covered in skin grafts over half my body) but I've never sought out resources because of it since I can do most of the things I was able to do before. I have some of that "outsider" feeling because I can hide my injuries when I go out in public. One thing about gaining a disability (that's an odd turn of phrase) that I never see talked about is that it incurs a grieving process. That process, of course, varies person to person and situationally, but ultimately I think someone like Clint, who was not HoH/deaf for most of his life, will go through the 5 stages of grief when he loses his hearing. I think Clint is still trying to figure out the day to day aspects of his hearing loss, how to function in the world, and is now grieving the loss of his best friend after 5 years of grieving his family in a spectacularly unhealthy fashion, and is too emotionally exhausted to face what his hearing loss means to his sense of identity. Or maybe I've completely missed the mark.

[@marymohr2799]

@@user-ox5nh8kx1l I think it's important to note that most Deaf people do not consider themselves disabled (I myself am hearing but am learning ASL right now and Deaf Culture is a huge part of that) I don't disagree with your points, I just thought that was important to bring up

[@emilia.s]

I was very upset when the 1st avengers movie came out and Hawkeye wasn't deaf. My family has a genetic disease that causes many of us to lose our hearing in our late teens early 20s. Out of my fathers 5 siblings only 1 of them is not hard of hearing or deaf. My family has lived in that buffer zone between the deaf community and the hearing community for decades and I would really like for ASL to be mandatory in all k-12 schools. There is no reason for the entries country not to know ASL.

[@maureenb2002]

I don’t disagree about everyone having to try to learn ASL, but there are actually quite a few reasons someone may not be successful or as successful at learning it. I tried to learn in college. It became apparent very quickly that I would never be able to hold actual conversations in ASL without significantly more time and practice then I would ever get outside of an immersion program. I have a non-verbal learning disorder, which is kind of like the opposite of dyslexia. Instead of to much special thinking I have very little. I learned to speak early and I speak 2 languages but I struggled to learn read and still read very slowly and I don’t understand body language or facial expressions very well. And I run into things a lot just walking around unless I concentrate. I had to drop the class to save my grades, but I don’t regret learning what little I could. I just think it’s important to acknowledge the existence of disabilities that could make learning ASL very hard or even nearly impossible. But that’s doesn’t mean people shouldn’t try, but I would not say there’s no reason everyone can’t know it and I think there are probably better ways to teach it than as an actual subject. An immersion type program is probably the most likely to actually work for most people.

[@tracy4290]

@@maureenb2002 Having exposure at least would be perfectly reasonable!

[@Nightman221k]

There’s a new anime called Ranking of Kings that has a deaf protagonist. So far it only has 8 episodes but I think it’s wonderful and as far as I can tell it really works well at representing a deaf character.

[@joaopedrocruz6432]

It has 12, at least in the subbed version.

[@turtlebirdrox]

I started watching that yesterday, he is also mute as well.... For others who don't know and are reading this comment lol. I'm really enjoying it!

[@magnuskarpakis]

"Life doesn't come with tidy resolutions" That phrase hit me hard, so much truth in a few words ❤️

[@davidbass7388]

Great job on the distinction between hard-of-hearing and deaf. I suddenly lost most of my hearing a few months ago, and have been annoyed to no end by "If you're deaf, why do you wear hearing aids. From now on I'm going to with, "So I don't get ran over by a lorry."

[@erinhowett3630]

Jessica is a comic book nerd. Just when I thought I couldn't like her more!

[@aprildawnsunshine4326]

I actually quite like how they wrote the whole Maya/hearing aide thing. It's a very good allegory for the sometimes brutal debate over hearing aides as well as the division between those born deaf, those who became deaf and the hard of hearing. (continued below 👇)

[@aprildawnsunshine4326]

It might not come to blows irl, then again disabled communities do tend to solve our problems without violence, but it's still vicious enough people get harmed and often by lack of access to support. Many have pushed for funding to go toward cochlear implants and hearing aides for infants and others for more deaf schools and ASL fluency the funds end up split and neither gets the funding it needs. If I were in Maya's position I could see myself reacting the same way.

[@DaniCal1forn1a]

The different levels of hearing in situations where it may not seem to make sense is interesting to me because while I don't have any technical _loss_ of hearing, my auditory processing is wonky and can be fine at times, and others be so bad to the point where I can hear all the *sounds* someone is making, but I can't parse the actual words they're saying - it just comes through as complete gibberish... it can be very frustrating at times but I've got to a point where I'm comfortable just flat out saying I have issues processing sounds and asking for another method of communication. I also have misophonia which is probably related to the auditory processing issues. I say this because I can really relate to Hawkeye being able to hear better in a specific loud environmemt than a specific quiet one because that can be the case for me depending on lots of factors... fatigue, pain, stress, high ADHD symptom levels, and what the background sounds actually are can mean I _cannot_ process speech in a quiet environment 😬. If there's a misophonia trigger happening, it's so distracting and it consumes my thoughts - and other sounds don't get through because my brain doesn't want to be listening, and to make it stop I have to get out of the environmemt or shut the sounds out - so I couldn't listen to what someone's saying to me if I want the misophonia to stop 😫. My ADHD can also mean I can hear/hone in on sounds that other people can filter out and these are usually incredibly distracting - especially any high pitched ringing sounds 🙃. I don't know exactly the whole nature of Hawkeye's hearing loss having not seen the show, but thought it would be worth mentioning my paradoxical hearing issues as possible explanations for these scenes 🤔

[@kdonline119]

Thank you for your comment! I've had the suspicion I have audio processing issues for a while (made worse after a car accident left me with tinnitus) but had no way to really describe it. A lot of what you've described sums up my experience, I feel less like I'm just imagining it!

[@cre-k8-ive]

I have a lot of sensory issues, including what I believe to be sensory processing difficulties. I also have a tiny bit of hearing loss and scarring on my eardrum. Because of this, it's often extremely difficult to understand people without lip-reading. It's even worse when I'm tired, in a busy or noisy place, or if I'm stressed. I totally relate to the feeling that it's quite random where I can understand and where I can't.

[@DaniCal1forn1a]

@@kdonline119 Ah I'm really glad it helped you feel less alone! 😊 Tinnitus on top of it absolutely sucks 😫, thankfully mine is intermittent because it's related to being sensitive to pressure changes and having sinuses that get blocked a lot - but it's awful when it does happen so you have my sympathy there 😞

[@jasenjacobs1365]

So I'm on the Autism spectrum and audio processing errors are super common in our neck of the woods as are ADD ADHD (there's a bunch of thought that those are really just part of the spectrum) and I also know that girls have a much lower rate of being diagnosed. Sorry for the ramble but you may want to look up resources about the spectrum. I apologize if I've overstepped bounds of random person on KZbin comments.

[@rebeccaholcombe9043]

@@jasenjacobs1365 Girls are probably disabled at the same rate but diagnosed at lower rates due to differing socialization and expression. At any rate, I thought I had hearing loss, but the audiologist said the actual hearing is in the normal range, its the processing that's the problem. Thus made me sad because if it had been the ears I could have gotten hearing aids, they can't do anything about the brain. The mess I took for adhd didn't touch the hearing problems.

[@tkwok8037]

As someone with family who are part of the deaf community I really love how they made the effort to really feature the deaf experience on Hawkeye. Overall I did enjoy the show but I did feel the last episode did leave a few loose ends as you mentioned. From what I have seen online they apparently had to do reshoots and make changes to the later episodes and ending, which likely affected the outcome of how deafness in the story was told. Maya and Clint were set up to have more interaction or connection over what it means to have always been deaf vs losing the ability to hear in life. but I think they ended up changing the later episodes and those ideas maybe didn't make it out of the editing room Really loved hearing your take on the show!

[@lucasiglesias1894]

Didn't know you were a Marvel fan ! I won't lie, I wanted to know how a person who identifies as deaf felt about how the series handled the topic, and I'm happy to see that you felt it was an overall positive representation.

[@kevinrate1475]

If you're open to doing another analysis in media, I'd be very curious to hear what you think about the movie "Sound of Metal" and how that portrays the deaf experience

[@etanesnil7072]

i second this!

[@maitesoto1953]

I loved the movie personally but I'd love to hear what Jessica thinks! I found a few reviews online by Ddeaf/HoH people and most agreed that it was a great film to show hearing people what losing your hearing is like (physically, mentally and socially) and that that makes it very important and useful, but that it would be cool to have more content about Ddeaf/HoH people that isn't just about educating hearing people

[@kevinrate1475]

@@maitesoto1953 same! I love the movie but I don’t really know how the deaf community feels about it. Also yeah, we’ve seen splashes, episodes of shows handle that without just educating hearing folks, it’d be cool to see a feature like that

[@maitesoto1953]

@@kevinrate1475 yes, it's quite a nuanced conversation I feel. Educational films like that are important because they allow hearing people to know what it's like to lose your hearing without asking people around what could be very triggering, personal questions (and this really applies to anything depicting anything other than the white cis straight non disabled and neurotypical perspective). But Ddeaf people also deserve stories that exist for them to enjoy, not just for hearing folks. But also, people who have suffered from hearing loss deserve to be able to see themselves and their stories represented in realistic but also beautiful ways... I think the short of it is, though, include more Ddeaf/HoH people in your stories (and not as the butt of the jokes). The more diversity we have, the more diverse the stories themselves can be

[@CindyBrown]

i am by no means a jessica, but i was meh on sound of metal, b/c it kind of fell into several typical tropes. firstly the soul crunching importance of MUSIC. secondly framed as a LOSS -- leaves me cold b/c hey i was born deaf and there's a lot more to being deaf (and hard of hearing etc) than that. i did appreciate that they used actual Deafactors for the deaf community the character meets etc. i'm just tired of the hearing as a loss trope. my take, as a born profoundly deaf person.

[@kayashford8332]

I loved the show but I truly loved your review, more. No butt-kissing. In the past year if watching your videos, I find my own self reframing how I see the world and my own understanding of disability. Thank you so much for your cheerful attitude, welcome education and insight. You've truly taught me so much.

[@eloiseharrison8574]

there's a TV show I used to LOVE growing up, called "Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye" about a detective who's deaf, she lip reads, signs, and has a service dog, and the actor that plays her was born deaf. I remember it being such a good show. I would definitely say give it a watch if you can find it (not sure what platforms it's available on now or if it's been subtitled 😅) - but I'd also love to hear your (or others) opinions on it; as a hearing person I'm aware what I might see as a good portrayal may miss the mark since I don't have lived experience ❤️

[@04beni04]

Good memory!! I was a student in Toronto when they started filming, and a roommate of mine was an extra in one of the episodes. Always meant to check it out, but I never had cable/traditional TV after moving away from home for school. Now it's on my 'to watch' list on Amazon Prime ... and all I need is the time to watch it, lol. 🙂

[@xxTwihardsdiehardxx]

I was never very privy to the complexity of hearing loss; and then I met my boyfriend. He has a severe-profound hearing loss; he lost his hearing as a baby, so he doesn't remember a time where he wasn't wearing hearing aids. He provides hearing services to kids in-school and he's currently getting a master's degree in deaf education, and he's opened my eyes so much to how our world just isn't built for the deaf/hard of hearing. So representation, I've realized, is even more imperative; the more awareness brought to the needs of deaf people, the more likely it'll be that we can make the world more deaf friendly. Love your channel! Thanks for the video!

[@westzed23]

A few years age there was a story on social media of a waitress serving a family. One of the kids at the table was wearing a superhero t-shirt and she complimented them. Then one of the parents signed to another boy what was said. The waitress knew ASL and signed back. The little boy was thrilled. She said that she was a geek and loved superheroes. Then she told the family about Hawkeye and that he was deaf. They were thrilled. The parents were going to get some comics and check out if there was any merch. A small moment for most, but this family were touched at the help the waitress gave.

[@isumr7480]

i cried when i saw maya on screen, to see someone native AND disabled is such an important reflection of myself that ive never gotten before!!!

[@ranabegumoflaz188]

Hey Jessica, I'm so happy to know that you're a Marvel fan too! I loved the Hawkeye series and I agree with all the things you said. I would like to add that Alaqua Cox, who is a deaf, Native American actress, is also an amputee unlike Echo in comics. I think it was so cool they integrated it with her character. She was so good in the role and I'm so excited for her own show, but I wish they didn't cut some of the signings from the screen in Hawkeye, I hope they don't do that in her show. Also, I'm really wondering your thoughts about Eternals, which had a diverse cast, and LGBTQ+ and deaf representations. And I want to say, as a Muslim teen I'm very excited for Ms. Marvel and to finally have some Muslim representation in MCU!

[@amywonderland9297]

Can you do one about Only Murders in the Building as they did an episode cantered around a deaf character called Theo. I’m really curious to know what you think! Also, did you watch Strictly this year?

[@AisforAwkwardd]

I used to work with the actor who plays Theo- wonderful guy, super funny, super skilled, and deserves every good thing coming to him! He's playing Harold Hill in an upcoming d/Deaf and hearing production of The Music Man at a theater outside of Washington, DC!

[@hannahk1306]

Have you seen that the Strictly tour this year is going to have a BSL interpreter at every single show?

[@amywonderland9297]

@@hannahk1306 I hope it’s not a 1 time thing, they should do it from now on. I also hope they show an interpreter on screen as well. I was really disappointed they didn’t do it this year. All they needed to do was have a camera set up on one of the interpreters so their deaf audience could actually see her throughout the show.

[@hannahk1306]

@@amywonderland9297 Yes I thought the same thing. They had the interpreter there for Rose anyway - why not show them on TV as well?

[@Bllue]

I loved that episode

[@CornerShadow]

I saw Hawkeye and I thought it was great but I was concerned with my mother watching it. She's only in the last year started coming to terms that she isn't 'half-deaf' the way she has described herself for over 25 years since she was in her 20s or even earlier, she is HOH and it has come about solely because of the pandemic and mask-wearing making her unable to compensate for one of her ears being purely decorative by lip-reading. She had no idea how much she compensated with lip reading until suddenly she couldn't see any lips and everyone was muffled behind masks. I have always stood on her 'good' side to the point where I stand on that side of anybody, and she had to go to hospital a few months ago. When I was unable to be there, she had great difficulty in making it known she had a disability and couldn't hear and many staff would not take their masks off so she could hear them. I can't imagine how scary it would be too have suddenly everyone refuse to communicate with you and expect you to know what they're saying. So when we got to where Maya smashes Clint's hearing aid and plunges him into a deeper loss of hearing I was concerned that that might be triggering, as it was to me, who immediately went into 'compensatory child mode, my mother can't hear you, please make allowances'. I suppose it was also triggering to me. I mean it's great, it was a great show, but I am glad my mother didn't take to it.

[@lisam5744]

I have a hearing impairment (APD)...thank you saying that hearing loss/impairment isn't an 'on/off switch thing'. Some days I hear much better than others. I first saw a video from you doing ASL/BSL Christmas signs. I've grown to love your channel. I've not seen the new Hawkeye shows but I'm looking forward to seeing them even more now. BTW-with the dress, scarf, red hair pulled up, red lipstick...you're rocking a real Lucy vibe today. :-D

[@sourisdebibliotheque]

What I like about the deaf character in Eternals is that originally, in the comics, they were a man and not deaf. The movie cast a female deaf actor, so is the character!

[@sclassicallyme]

Echo’s story is what got me back into comics as an adult. I am looking forward to the show, and I hope that they do right by the character.

[@TheWheelBry]

I am HoH (only starting losing my hearing in the last couple of years) and I watched Hawkeye with my Dad who is complete deaf in one ear for the last 20 years and he never really talks about it. We love Marvel but when I realised the show was including both HoH and Deaf characters it was so special. It helped me to understand more what it's like for my Dad (eventhough I've always tried to) especially as I've not had my HA for long. It was so nice to watch a programme that we loved but also have a topic we could connect over🥰

[@juniper617]

I enjoyed this video. I’ve been wishing to see Hawkeye’s hearing loss in the MCU for a decade. I thought even if they didn’t want to have a whole arc about it, they could at least have thrown in a quick cut of him putting in hearing aids. But like you, I’m glad to see it now. I don’t know how people in the UK discuss this, but in the American Deaf community that I’m familiar with, the distinction between identifying as Deaf or HOH is primarily cultural. It’s not really tied to level of residual hearing. As a side note, I don’t think you have an accurate understanding of the connection between Daredevil’s blindness and his extra powers; it’s actually coincidental. They arose from the same event, but one did not create the other. Your writing Daredevil off as if he’s not a character living with a disability is unfortunate. He’s a double exception: disabled and gifted. Nothing can make him able to identify colors, or get any information off a screen or monitor of any kind without an adaptive device. (Adaptive devices appeared in virtually every episode of the Netflix series.) He (depending on the writer) may be able to read print by running his hand over it, but he uses tactile Braille and/or text to speech for his regular life and work tasks. And, you know, he’s a superhero-*none* of them were ever meant to be realistic.

[@brittanycecile]

You're geeking out and I can't get enough. Yours truly, a fellow nerd. Can we get more of these videos. Maybe can talk about other disabled super heros?

[@mschrisfrank2420]

I’d love a video about Oracle.

[@eloise2319]

Glad to see more representation done right, and I didn't know you were an MCU fan too!

[@rosecauffman5984]

I just got glasses and didn't know I needed them. I just thought no one could see the board from the middle row in class. Now I'm so confused and now I feel weird on confused. It's like seeing the world for the first time

[@Lillith.]

I know exactly what you mean. I found out I needed glasses when I was learning how to drive. They couldn't figure out why I failed theory despite knowing every answer when quizzed. My mom took me to get my eyes checked and I needed glasses. The world was suddenly so much clearer.

[@KindCountsDeb3773]

I'm a boomer and in American 4th grade they had eye testing. I went thru Twice, so I knew something was up. I was 20/400 sight measurement and that actually hurt my schooling. I couldn't see what teacher was writing on the board, and it especially hurt my Math skills. I could see the giant alphabet placed above the chalk board, so English was one of my best classes. They said later that they should have known, since notes in my report card said "I played with things on desk", "looked out the window" . I got glasses and school got better. But I had a "deficit" for my whole life with Math at higher levels. I didn't study for careers that had math as a skill needed, which limited me on my choices. Things like this can affect your education and I understand that eye testing is done at an earlier age now. And of course, hearing tests for suspected hearing problems.

[@stareyedwitch]

In Hawkeye vs Deadpool, Clint and Wade team up to solve a murder and find a mcguffin. When Wade realizes Clint is partially deaf, he pulls up his mask so Clint can lipread and occasionally uses sign language.

[@CharaMcN]

I'm so glad you watched it! I was thinking as I watched it, "man I wish I could talk about the deafness/HoH with someone who gets it". I've been hard of hearing most of my life due to having tubes and recurrent ear infections as a child. In fall 2021 prior to the show airing I went completely deaf in my "good ear". I've since had a tympanoplasty to correct it and I may get some hearing back, but it was WILD watching the show while having a sudden increase in my hearing loss. I cried during the scene when he was trying to talk to his son on the phone. I don't know about you, but the muffled way that the show represented his son's speech from Clint's POV is SO accurate to how I experience hearing loss. Great deep dive, thank you as always

[@paprikapepper4765]

Hawkeye immediately became my favorite hero for all of the reasons you mentioned! He is just some dude who happened to really,really good and decided to do good. He kinda inspired me to take up ASL since sign language relies on eye contact and body/facial expressions and that in itself helped me work on my shyness. I was also made aware of how many Hoh/Deaf people were actually in my previous workplace. I even managed to help several students and use it outside of work. But besides that, he also helped me with my mannerisms where if I can do some good, I can just do it. Social anxiety and shyness be damned!

[@lindacgrace2973]

BRILLIANT! I was my grandparents' translator growing up. Both were profoundly deaf. My father could do simultaneous translation (using BOTH hands!) but I had to read. pause, translate, go back to reading. Now that I have lost all vision on my right side, and most of my vision on my left side, I am legally blind. I perceive about 20% of the light that a fully sighted person sees. Since I can manage to not walk into walls and even recognize friends at about 6-8 feet distant, I have been told "Oh, so you're NOT really blind." Ahem. In any dimly lit situation, I see - again - 20% of the light that the fully sighted see. If you can get by on only 1% or 2% of the light of day - go for it. I can't. Come sundown, I need Charlie, my registered trained (super sweet) guide dog. It is SO frustrating that people do not understand that disability is a spectrum!

[@janinawaz4596]

Your analysis retroactively deepened my enjoyment of the Hawkeye series. I liked your take on it, and not just about the deaf and hearing influenced factors. I too will be sad and angry IF they don't continue using Jeremy Renner and/or a hearing impaired Hawkeye.

[@caseysv7772]

I have hearing loss and started wearing hearing aids about 10 years ago. My life improved so much and I advocate for anyone who’s “embarrassed “ about hearing loss to get them. Because I’m a trainer, I always tell my classes about my hearing aids. Everyone is so understanding and are quick to repeat things when they see I can’t understand. Hearing aids are awesome and I’m so glad I overcame my own embarrassment and got them. I lovedHawkeye and really related to the character

[@erinhowett3630]

His hearing aids also seemed to be able to make calls and almost be walkie-talkies. Maybe that's why they're big.

[@StarryKat]

I assumed they were bluetooth style

[@rebeccaholcombe9043]

@@StarryKat my mom's hearing aids link to her phone. Pretty cool and less painful for her.

[@lizlmarchand8618]

I'm hard of hearing and slowly losing more every year. I had an operation to restore some hearing a long time ago and while having hectic tinnitus, I'm glad to have had it since I am completely unable to afford hearing aids and I don't know sign language yet. I appreciate standing somewhere in the middle and not quite fitting anywhere and the struggles with having one ear to take a phonecall (hopefully the other person can enunciated so that I can follow though). I also am acutely aware of not having the means to interact with many people and companies without calling and getting frustrated because I continue to say that I can't understand them and instead of saying something differently, they just repeat the offending sentence louder and louder and enunciation even less!! Thank you Jessica for this lovely video

[@nataliebushman1049]

I really loved that deafness was shown in more than one way. Like, not only are they showing the existence of deaf people, but that not every deaf person is the same. I'm also really liking that marvel is using languages other than English like in Hawkeye and Shang Chi

[@ghost-wl3pm]

15:02 im kinda confused about this, cuz in the scene where theyre in the train, i dont think he knows she's speaking, he isn't purposefully rhyming them back to her, they just happened to think of the same thing at the same time

[@ayadean3491]

yeah, I kinda interrupted it this way too!

[@mxmissy]

"The scene shows how much of an in-between world hard of hearing and those who are deafened later in life live in - caught between hearing and non-hearing people and not fitting into either group." I definitely feel this. I am technically hard of hearing, realistically I have auditory processing disorder so my translator gets messed up a lot. And I navigate between a hearing world where I can actually hear just fine, in fact, I can hear really well -- to the point where I'll hear certain noises and get annoyed and upset that no one else can hear them. But I also navigate this world of D/deafness and hoh where I need subtitles, and people to speak up or more clearly, or annunciate better. And I wish that they went more into it, because I know how frustrating it is trying to get people to understand and use subtitles for me, but also you're not technically D/deaf so there's nothing wrong. I am so so happy we got two!!!! characters who are D/deaf + hoh. I do wish there were writers or someone who is D/deaf + hoh, but I really am so happy about Hawkeye.

[@amandapetersen4247]

I loved Hawkeye, and I was so excited when I saw the hearing aids! When I first learned about Clint being deaf in the comics, I was disappointed that they hadn't included it in the movies. So happy that they've finally included that important detail about him, and I'm glad to hear that you seem to think they did a decent job with how they went about it. I loved that scene with Kate helping him talk to his son on the phone.

[@lindseybockhorst9537]

As both a huge superhero fan and someone who has been hard of hearing since birth, I loved seeing this representation in Hawkeye; there were so, so many relatable moments from both Clint and Maya. I loved your analysis of the representation of the series and I really enjoy your videos, thank you!

[@cre-k8-ive]

As someone who is not deaf but often relies on lip-reading and having crisp and clear sounds, your videos are so easy to watch. You speak so clearly and your facial expressions are really strong. I also love the content of the video. You've made me want to check out the show even though I'm not usually an action/ superhero fan.

[@ninakocjancic9346]

Could you also talk about coda? I found the movie so charming, but i wish there was more. I could watch a whole series to see more of the family dealing with deafness

[@_sarah.honey-]

I watched Hawkeye with my dad who is particularly deaf. I cried when I first watched the show completely because my dad’s experience was being shown. Not only that, but the relationship between Clint and Kate emulated my father and I.

[@SweetAsCookiePie]

I watched the series and really enjoyed it. Also, as someone who is hearing I'm really glad you did a review of it because whenever I watch TV shows or movies that include deafness or disability I always worry about whether it is an accurate representation or if it's just spreading more misinformation

[@Black.Rabbit_]

There's something delightful about going to see the newest super hero film and seeing a bunch of people in vintage fashion~

[@heatherjones4034]

It is so exciting to see a more inclusive world headed by our Jessica❤️🤶🏻

[@missmysterious13]

I read mostly Deadpool comics and there's some gorgeous moments between Deadpool and Hawkeye as Deadpool always signs to Hawkeye.

[@AnjuliSymone]

I self identify as deaf and grew up mainstreamed (not learning sign, going to a mainstream school, and wearing hearing aids for a very short period of my childhood and a short time again in adulthood). I don’t know very much about the marvel characters but seeing Echo’s story as you described it really resonates with me. I was basically taught to watch and observe my peers to figure out how to get by. With this skill, I actually picked up dance, singing, playing the trumpet, and a lot more stuff that hearing is usually considered a need for. I remember being young and being too deaf to hear and therefore understand jokes and learning to just laugh because everyone else was. I say all this to say, I actually just want to check this show out and maybe watch it with my loved ones to demonstrate my experience. Deafness is a wide spectrum and how people live with it varies as well. Thank you for the insight with this!

[@jasapotato8362]

Ngl, was browsing through random videos, found yours, started it, and noticed it had no sound and thought "Damn, this really is the deaf experience". That was when I realized I had the volume at zero...

[@pandora4037]

I'm here a minute after you posted. 🥳

[@taylorgayhart9497]

I watched a few interviews with Lauren Ridloff leading up to the Eternals and it was so fascinating learning about her experiences filming on set while being deaf. I wish they had done more interviews with just her, she had such a beautiful personality, so warm and joyful!

[@hutchyyy6444]

I think that by Clint saying "hard of hearing, not deaf" they were hinting at the fact that Clint hasn't fully accepted his hearing loss yet, or that he doesn't feel that he deserves to use the term deaf as he has only recently lost his hearing.

[@nicoleallen3079]

This was really great. I feel that hearing and sight is very similar. I’m slowly losing my ability to see definitive shapes. I can see colors and basically where things are, but I can’t see clearly. It’s getting worse and worse each year. Even with glasses I can’t see well enough to drive. My hearing has never been great. It’s always gone in and out. It’s just nice to see that people are starting to notice that you don’t have to perfect to flourish.

[@foxylovelace2679]

I was waiting for this video as soon as I started watching the show. I also think Clint is in denial about how bad his hearing thus making the firm distinction. Hopefully we get more in Season 2 and Echo's show!

[@aliflanagan7669]

I really really like your advertising style. I find ads so much more engaging (and persuasive, tbh!) when there's a specific example of them being useful/interesting

[@amycurran5886]

Thank you for covering this! I am in my 30's and completely lost hearing on my right side last year as a result of brain surgery. It's been a huge adjustment, one that I struggle with daily. I don't yet have hearing aids, so I am constantly shuffling my position to my good side. I love this series. My partner suggested we watch it and he points out situations that happen in our daily lives. It's been validating to see my new disability played out on screen, even in a small way.

[@kareldebures7006]

I just wish you to have all of the best treatment available and adjust to this new type of world any which way that you can!

[@amycurran5886]

@@kareldebures7006 Thank you!! I appreciate you :)

[@kareldebures7006]

@@amycurran5886 All the best to you!

[@SynthApprentice]

My grandmother was deaf in her right ear, and hard of hearing in her left ear. She would try her best to use her "good" ear whenever possible, but when that didn't work out, she would just nod understandingly and say "yeah". If you've never experienced anyone doing that, you'd be surprised at just how long it can take for people to realize that they're simply not being heard! Hahaha

[@bcase5328]

The general public doesn't know that hearing aids (of any kind) aren't the fix for all hard of hearing/deafness, nor do they work in all environments.

[@04AprilRose]

This was so helpful for me and my husband. He's deaf in one ear and it's helped me learn a lot more about how he experiences the world.

[@rikkipoynter]

Oh man I need to grab someone's Disney+ and watch this already

[@ashlynbrown7171]

I loved this take and I agree with pretty much everything you touched on. I'm not Deaf or Hard of Hearing but I am fluent in ASL and part of the wider support in the Deaf community. I actually bought and read that comic series and one of the things I loved that I didn't see you touch on was that they use blank speech bubbles to show when speaking happened but the character got none of it. It was such a beautiful way to use the comic format and while representing what the character experiences.

[@miriavtst]

I binge watched all Hawkeye's episodes yesterday and I was so over the moon that they casted an actress actually disabled for the role. As a wheelchair user I hope that producers hire more disabled actors for the main media in the next years...

[@B3gonias]

I adopted a fully deaf dog, I am partially deaf. Having her has encouraged me to be a better advocate about my own needs and experiences.

[@YourPenguinFriendMilo]

Wow I'm so appreciative of this deep dive, I've been losing hearing in one ear over the course of the last two years and I've only just now started to come to terms with the fact that I am hard of hearing and I'm working on learning ASL to help communicate better. I can't wait to watch Hawkeye, just hearing about representation for people like me always makes me feel less alone.

[@robertjackson3552]

Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye is probably the one of the few i have seen based on a real story with the lead being deaf

[@HOHNancy]

I saw that one too! ☺

[@megankuchta9145]

A personal fave

[@ayadean3491]

I LOVE this show and I'm so happy you did this review, Jessica! speaking for myself of course here because everyone's experince is different and special to them, but as a slightly-later-in-life HOH person muself, I just felt so SEEN watching this show! Maya of course just a wonderful new breath of fresh air to the MCU and I cannot wait for her show, but Clint is just felt more like part of my own experience reflected back at me through the screen and often times, read many many many times, while watching the show I found myself getting overwhelmed by how much I could see parts of me in those moments, when he's just overwhelmed by the NOISE of it all, or how he can't really see himself as deaf because he can sometimes hear better than others, like with his first exchange with Maya. it was like I saw the part of me that can't fit on either side on the screen and like... it was so good to see it. as always your presence is lovely Jess!

[@WildOoley]

Your point that hard of hearing folks exist in this strange place between hearing and deaf cultures is so true! I've been hard of hearing for my whole life -- I've never had hearing aids, I just sort of deal with it... I watched the Hawkeye show and related to the symptoms but didn't think about it more than that. Your video actually had me tearing up realizing that being hard of hearing *is* actually ... a facet of my identity that just was never acknowledged by my family growing up. Of course its affected me but I just didn't really understand that tools are accessible and normal. I never thought of this as a disability but if I'm being honest, it is. Anyway, I'm incredibly grateful for your videos normalizing disabilities, tools like hearing aids, and discussing your life as a delightful person with disabilities. Thank you!

[@SidV101]

That third episode where they show Echo’s backstory was some of the most compelling TV I’ve seen in a while, I’m so pumped she’s getting her own show!

[@sersastark]

The character of Hawkeye, no matter how bad his hearing deteriorates, will never lose any of his situational awareness due to hearing loss. He's a former SHIELD agent, aka spy, and his situational awareness is partly from hearing but partly from seeing sensing and using other sensory receptors around him in the field, from his training and skills as an Archer. That's the comic book aspect of his character and the show that isn't realistic, but that's also why we love Marvel!

[@evelynkrull5268]

I agree if it was nice to expand on deafness. I would have loved if they had even gone further and had Kate (who has a lot of adhd symptoms) also having APD (you don't have to have adhd to have apd but more than the average amount of apd people also have adhd). Ive discovered APD and really think I might have it as my parents brought me to 5 seperate hearing tests because they were sure I was HOH but I can hear sounds but the context of the sounds take a while to hit my brain, if at all. (Mostly like... words) Although it is very nice that Kate as a hearing person helped immediately it might also have been nice for her to bond with klint on his "sometimes hearing" and ive never EVER seen APD represented in media. I can't even get a diagnosis because a lot of the doctors around me either don't believe its real or say its not a big enough problem to need a diagnosis.

[@evelynkrull5268]

Wow I've been trusting my doctors regarding diagnosis, but I just looked up child diagnosis and I'm so angry that the audiologists never went further. As with everything my success in school seems to have been a roadblock to getting help. I just dug up my old medical forms and it literally says "because child excels in school and is able to cope we suspect this normal childhood selective hearing" Really? After 5 different tests?

[@bcase5328]

@@evelynkrull5268 Yes, my difficulties where dismissed because I was a good student. I was a good student because I put so much more work and hours in. It wasn't until I was an adult and sought out the right testing, (all paid out of my own pocket) that I was diagnosed. But I was given no real suggestions as to what might help. There where a few ideas which I had already worked out myself. The help, that there might be, forces on working with young children, not adults.

[@azzabynes5707]

My dad has 70% hearing loss in one ear and 60% in the other, so he uses hearing aids and it usually isn't even thought about, but there are so many little things, like how he's unable to hear whispers because was hearing aids can't pick them up, or when he has his hearing aids out when he's sleeping or swimming you have to talk really loud for him to hear you, and everybody is required to always close the toilet so that his hearing aid can't fall in and cost him thousands of dollars. The show really made me think about how his life must be so different from mine even though on the outside you can't really tell

[@taylorgayhart9497]

I’m learning ASL so it was fun for me to see you signing at the beginning! Hawkeye is actually my favorite Avenger so I’m excited to watch this video and get your perspective!!! Next I’m going to watch your videos about BSL, I want to see what some of the differences are! PS your family is beautiful!!!!!

[@jooleebilly]

I started watching this video, then stopped and binged the whole Hawkeye series before coming back! Glad I waited because it was better not to have spoilers. BTW you're amazingly fantastic.

[@SupersizedHobbit]

Can we also get how the Witcher handles disability? I’m not part of the disabled groups represented and I would love the same treatment of whether it is good, bad, or meh

[@SupersizedHobbit]

@LizzyDizzyYo Yennifer's "magically cured" disability and her later realization that it didn't make her happier. I was also interested in general on the use of little people as dwarves. These dwarves are real characters, but it is problematic? Or is it better than when taller actors are used and little people are relegated to the body doubles? I know also in the books there are a lot of facial scars and I am curious how they are treated in the show.