Recently the social media has been abuzz with this “heart-warming” video which was created by Samsung Turkey to promote their new video call center. Titled “Hearing Hands,” the video centers on a young Deaf man named Muharrem who lives in Istanbul, and the town’s efforts to give him one special day:
Since being posted to YouTube the first week of March, the video has gone viral, with over three million views in just one week. It’s popped up on many a Facebook wall (including several of my friends), and in Twitter accounts. It’s been discussed in many an article or blog post on the internet. And naturally, most of the comments surrounding it have referenced its “touching” content.
Yes, it’s a feel-good video. Sure, it leaves you reaching for the kleenex. Granted, it might make your heart grow three times bigger.
But I’m going to be brutally honest here, folks.
I didn’t care for it.
As a Deaf person myself, this video didn’t touch my heart or leave me feeling good. It just made me roll my eyes, heave a sigh and wonder when the world is going to stop exploiting sign language and Deaf people.
Yes, you read that right. Exploiting. Because like it or not…that’s essentially what this commercial is doing. It’s making full use of and deriving benefit from incorporating sign language and a Deaf person. Yes, one could say that it’s in a positive way – especially since the whole point of the video is to call attention to a service that provides access for the deaf and hard of hearing.
But I think Samsung could have found a better way to get their message across.
Let’s get real here, people.
First of all, more than one media outlet has referred to this as being “an entire town secretly learning sign language.” Newsflash, folks – this dude lives in Istanbul, which has over 14 million people. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I didn’t see that many people in this video. And even if he actually lives somewhere in the suburbs, I still didn’t get the impression it was the entire town…or even the entire neighborhood.
Nor did I get the impression that they all learned sign language for the benefit of this Deaf individual. They learned signs because someone came up to them and asked if they wanted to be in a commercial. They weren’t learning signs – they were learning lines. They were learning and using what they needed to know in order to make this video. But did they really learn how to actually communicate with a Deaf person? I highly doubt it. Call me cynical if you want, but I really don’t see these people taking the skills that they learned for the sake of this commercial and going out to Deaf events and gatherings to use their signs, learn more, make new friends, and become more inclusive. The majority of them will likely pat themselves on the back, proclaim “what a great thing we did today!” and then go home and forget it all. Sad to say, I have met many people who “took a sign language class or two,” rarely used their skills outside of the classroom, and a year later can barely remember how to introduce themselves, let alone carry on a conversation.
Touchy-feely adverts. You probably feel like you’ve seen them all, from soppy penguins to poignant First World War truces. Most of the time, it’s easy to feel cynical about the idea of big corporations manipulating our emotions. But in the case of the new advert from Samsung Türkiye, we’re prepared to park our cynicism to one side. Promoting a video call service for the hearing impaired, the advert, which uses dozens of hidden cameras, follows Istanbul resident Muharrem, who is deaf, on the most surprising morning of his life.
The Telegraph
Yup, this is one of those “touchy-feely adverts.” It’s intended to be – that’s the whole point. But we have to remember…this IS a commercial. And as a commercial, its purpose is to try to sell you on something, to send a message where the prime objective is to convince you to buy it, use it, or whatever with it for business profit.
Sure, there can be some meaningful messages within commercials – they can educate, advocate, encourage, inspire. They can make us laugh, they can make us cry, sometimes they can piss us off. They can make us think and make us want to change the world. But we have to remember that they are written and filmed and presented that way. And oftentimes they do not necessarily reflect reality – but rather, a vision that has been conceived by the creators.
It’s pretty obvious that the vision here has been created by hearing people…for hearing people. And most likely done with little input from the Deaf Community itself. The whole tone of this video is doing FOR the Deaf person, rather than WITH the Deaf person. What comes across isn’t a sense of empowerment…it’s a sense of pity. We see Muharrem as this “poor deaf guy” whom we have to help, for whom we have to do these nice, kind things to help him have a “special day” – as if he was a child that we have to encourage to smile.
And why, oh why…do people still persist in using terms like “hearing impaired”??? The video itself uses this term, and of course the social network picked up on it. For whatever reason, the media persists in believing that “hearing impaired” is the proper, politically correct term – even though organizations here in the United States include the National Association of the Deaf, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and the USA Deaf Sports Federation as well as a state agency right here in my home state: the Kentucky Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Deaf denotes an identity – a source of pride and community, not an affliction. But it seems like hearing folks will go out of their way to avoid using the term, as if it was some dirty four-letter word. “Hearing impaired”…”hearing disabilities”…”people with hearing loss.”
To promote their new video call center for people with hearing disabilities, Samsung Turkey put together a wonderfully touching moment for a young man who suffers from hearing loss.
~ LittleThings.com
Ahem…I do not suffer from hearing loss. I am Deaf. Period. Let’s stop taking this pathological view of deafness as a sort of wretched disease, stop fixating on my broken ears, and start seeing me as a person. Period. Just like Muharrem I go about my day doing the ordinary things that many of us do – which may include buying bagels and fruit. Yes, I might interact with people a little bit differently, using a different mode of communication…but that hardly constitutes suffering.
Clearly, the action had to be carefully choreographed so that he could encounter all the residents who had learned sign language. Still, my Turkish friends tell me that the ad should be seen in the context of Turkish infrastructure making it very hard for disabled people to live anything resembling normal lives.
~ c|net
It’s challenging enough for Deaf people living in the United States, where we have technology, laws, programs, services, organizations, etc. all designed to enhance the quality of our lives. We’ve had video relay services here in America for several years. We have captioning, we have sign language interpreters, we have a national organization, we have a federal law that prevents discrimination. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for those deaf and hard of hearing people living in areas without such assistance.
But at the same time, I have to wonder what is meant by a “normal life.” From what I could see, this young Deaf man was going about doing things that looked pretty darn normal. Yes, Deaf people may have more barriers when it comes to gaining a good education, finding a good job, interacting with others, and participating in various functions. But most of those barriers have a lot more to do with attitudes than with audiograms. As I am fond of saying, “Deafness is my disability. Society is my handicap.” I’m not hampered so much by my hearing loss, as I am by how people perceive me because of it.
Like I said…this is a feel-good story for hearing people – the majority of whom know little if anything about Deaf Culture. And please, don’t tell me that because you have a hearing loss or know someone who does, that qualifies you as knowledgeable on the subject. It takes actually living or working within the Deaf Community – utilizing their language, knowing their social norms, and recognizing their perspectives to truly understand. I have to wonder how much the folks who created this video really made the effort to try to understand. Developing that kind of deep knowledge takes a lot more than just a month of learning sign language and planning a commercial designed to shed light on the importance of removing barriers.
On reflection, I sought to empathize with the protagonist. It seems pretty obvious to me that when he turns to his sister and signs “WHAT’S GOING ON?” he is doing so out of confusion and discomfort, not satisfaction. I believe that a person with a disability does not want his disability to define him. He does not want to be confronted by strangers, each of whom has learned a single sentence in sign language. Because what each of these strangers is really saying is: “You don’t know me, and I know nothing about you — except that you are deaf.” And they are saying “I’ve learned to sign a single sentence, so now I understand your experience.”
~ Avi Jacobson, YouTube commenter
So please…put away that box of tissues. Stop feeling sorry for this guy and his obviously “anything but normal life in a silent world.” Stop applauding these folks who came together to help create an advertisement. Yes, this video might have gotten people thinking – but did it really change their views about Deaf people? Judging from what I have read…not really. We’re still being labeled with the wrong terms, seen as suffering from an affliction, viewed as objects of pity. We are still characters being used to make people cry and feel sorry for us, rather than making them cheer and feel proud of us.
I realize that Samsung had the best of intentions here. I do applaud their efforts at creating accommodations. That’s what we in the Deaf Community want and need – Equal Communication Access. I do wish the company the very best of luck with this video calling center. But I’m not sure that their approach here is as positive, as sensitive or as Deaf-Friendly as it could and should be.
Sorry Samsung…but I do believe you missed the mark.
This sculpture shows the sign for "connect"...and that is what Deaf Pagan Crossroads is all about - making connections. Connections between Deafhood and Paganism, connections between the Deaf Community and the Hearing Community, connections between myself as the writer and you as the reader. I hope you will take the time to read my various posts, some of which are listed below. Welcome to the Crossroads, and I hope you make some connections here!
Here is another video in which a Deaf man shares his own views on the Samsung commercial. It is captioned for those who cannot understand sign language. He makes a lot of good points well worth watching.
Intelligent and compelling…
Respectfully to Ocean1025 you quoted, ” Call me cynical if you want, but I really don’t see these people taking the skills that they learned for the sake of this commercial and going out to the Deaf Club to use their signs, learn more, make new friends, and become more inclusive”.
There are no longer Deaf Clubs for the deaf to attend as in the old days. Technology has afforded deaf people to communicate long distances through various means of available technology. You have to understand that deaf in others countries do not have the same opportunities and laws that the United States has to offer those with any type of disability. No one likes to be judged, especially when it comes to being “different” or not being able to change their status, but it seems that you can judge. You do not know for sure any of the remarks that you have made. You are entitled to your own opinion.
I consider this an “eye-opener” for many deaf and hearing individuals. For Turkey, it might just be the stepping stone it needs to open Turkish peoples eyes to the isolation and lack of communication that keeps deaf people form obtaining the goals they would like. Lighten up…give support to the deaf brothers and sisters that do not have the same opportunities as Americans. It seems that you have some underlying issues as well. Try to keep and open mind and before being so pessimistic.
Thank you for your comment, Mary Ann.
You are correct that Deaf Clubs have changed considerably from the old days. This is not to say that they no longer exist, although I suspect there are not as many active clubs as there were 25 or 50 years ago, and I am sure their format has changed somewhat since the old days. However, Deaf people still gather together for social activities – such as sports, dining together, Starbucks, etc. And certainly they still get together for various events which may occur. For this reason, I have changed the wording in my post to “Deaf events and gatherings” – since these still take occur, and can be good opportunities for sign language students to practice their skills, which they are often encouraged to do.
Yet my message remains the same – regardless of whether it’s a Deaf Club or simply a gathering of Deaf people at a local cafe, I honestly don’t see the majority of these hearing individuals making a regular, active effort to participate in such events. Once this commercial is over, they will pat themselves on the back for a deed well done, and then go on back to their daily business…which doesn’t include using sign language on a consistent basis.
Mary Ann, I am Deaf myself, and I have in fact met Deaf people in other countries – I even attended a Deaf Club during one of my travels overseas. I am well aware that Deaf people in other countries often do not have the same opportunities that we have here in America. I realize how challenging it must be for such individuals – I saw a clear indication of those challenges during my travels. Perhaps one of the reasons why Deaf people here in America do have greater opportunities is because we are not afraid to advocate for ourselves – to empower ourselves and stand up for what we want, what we need, and what we believe in.
“Nobody likes to be judged.” But the fact is, the people who watch this video will make judgmental conclusions based upon what they see, and how they react. And yes, they will formulate their own opinions, just as I have. Certainly I am entitled to my own opinion – an opinion that is based upon my experiences and perspectives as a Deaf person.
So… because you don’t like what I had to say, I obviously must have some “underlying issues?” That seems quite disempowering to me.
I am supporting our Deaf brothers and sisters. I’m showing them that they do not need to be victims of pity. They do not need to be “helped.” Certainly they can and should work with hearing people, educating and advocating. But the point is, everyone must work together as a team. Yes, we need hearing allies – but those allies must recognize and accept that in order for true progress to be made, they must work WITH Deaf people, not FOR Deaf people. Otherwise nothing will really change, and the future for Deaf people will remain the same, with no new opportunities.
Last but not least – this video has been gathering quite a bit of buzz from the Deaf Community. I think you will find that the vast majority of Deaf individuals share similar sentiments as myself. Witness the video that is posted here in the commentary section. Have you watched this video? Are you going to tell this gentleman to lighten up as well? Color us all with that same pessimistic paintbrush?
Or could it be that maybe, just maybe… there actually is something to what we are trying to say here?
Hi, ocean1025. Thank you so much for this insight. Thanks also for confirming (and quoting a little of) my initial reaction to this video, as I posted it on YouTube. (For those who would like to read my full commentary, and my rebuttals to commenters who were angry about my ruining their feel-good moment, here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrvaSqN76h4 )
I’m eager to read more insights and reflections about this misguided (though well-intentioned) video from other members of the Deaf Community, so I’ll be checking this thread for additional comments.
Thank YOU, Avi…for your comments both here and on YouTube. It’s nice to see someone who isn’t afraid to “swim against the tide,” so to speak. I think you hit the nail on the head with much of what you said, and your comments on YouTube helped to encourage me to go ahead with the writing of this blog post.
I’d pick you as a hearing ally any day.
Wow! I’d agree the commercial isn’t the best but you’re looking for reasons to demonize them! This type of thing is why a lot of hearing people stop trying to advocate for the Deaf community! No matter what they do or how hard they try, you’ll find a reason they’re trying to screw you over! If you don’t like how the world is being educated on Deafness, stop bitching and do something about it but stop slapping people who are trying to help you in the face. And if you don’t want their help, don’t complain when you’re ignored!
Bree, I don’t think you can speak for all hearing advocates. Do you think this commercial really educates people about deafness? Wherever this video has been posted, droves of hearing commenters write about Muharrem as a person who is totally dependent on his sister for communication with the hearing world (I’m sure he’s not), and by extension, they think of all deaf people as being helpless and dependent. This commercial reinforces that impression.
The video is typically headlined “An entire village learned sign language to give one man a nice day” or similar drivel. And commenters actually believe that “learning sign lanugage” is something that one can do in a few hours or a month. There’s no reason for them to believe that — Americans all take at least two years of a foreign language in high school and most of them are still unable to communicate in that language — yet it is convenient for them to think of bridging the language gap as an easy fix. And this commercial strengthens that impression.
The communication challenges experienced by the deaf community are comprehensive and vast. Yet this commercial presents the idea that these challenges can be alleviated just by learning to sign “these bagels are hot” or deliberately bumping into someone so you can then sign “sorry I bumped into you.” And commenters across the Internet have embraced this absurd idea. Even at the height of this silly fictional exercise, Muharrem was no more able to communicate with these individuals (who, by the way, are strangers — not his friends and neighbors) than he would have been on any other day. He cannot respond to them (they don’t understand Sign), they cannot respond to him, and they have no idea what he is trying to say. So how exactly is this commercial educating the world on deafness?
But the comment within your diatribe that I find most baffling is “If you don’t like how the world is being educated on Deafness, stop bitching and do something about it.” My understanding is that since the age of 16, when she departed from the oral culture that had been imposed on her and embraced Sign and Deaf culture, Ocean has been a very vocal advocate educating the community at large on the challenges, needs and culture of the Deaf community. It’s ironic that you have made that comment right here on a blog that has been dedicated to educating the world on deafness for the past 8+ years.
We can advocate for ourselves thanks. We poor little people don’t need your self-serving savior complexes and guilt tripping when we call you out. If having hearing advocates requires us to shut up even when the tactics and information are poorly designed then we are better off without that “help”.
I meant to say “*Ocean* has been a very vocal advocate.” Apologies for the typo.
Typo has been fixed, Avi. No apologies needed. But thank you for the kind words of support!
I don’t think I am demonizing anyone, Bree. I am merely sharing my perspectives on a video that incorporates a Deaf individual and sign language, and explaining my reasons why it doesn’t leave me with that warm fuzzy feeling that a lot of people seem to be getting from watching it.
Different strokes for different folks. I’ve met some hearing people who disliked it, and some Deaf folks who loved it. We are all have our own opinions..and our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and attitudes are often influenced by our own experiences. My experiences tell me to take this whole thing with a hefty grain of salt, and to be leery about the possible “unseen picture” behind this whole project.
“A lot of hearing people stop trying to advocate for the Deaf Community” ??? With all due respect, Bree…what’s wrong with sitting back and letting Deaf people advocate for themselves?
Sure, I am all for having hearing allies – but I’m a big believer in collaboration. I don’t need a hearing person trying to “help” me… you’re right – that individual will likely get slapped in the face. But if they want to work together with me; to see me and respect me as a peer; listen to my wants and needs and then respond accordingly; include me in the whole process rather than making decisions, doing things for me, and then expecting me to be grateful for their actions – well then… welcome aboard!
But I’m not convinced that’s what happened with this video project. And this is what contributes to that sour taste in my mouth. And I’m concerned that the results may not be in the Deaf Community’s best interests. Judging from the articles and the comments I have read, I cannot say that this video has changed people’s perspectives or attitudes for the better.
By the way…several of my hearing interpreter friends (whom I consider my allies and fellow advocates) don’t like this video either.
[…] take a look at Deaf Pagan Crossroads’ blog on it […]
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a blog from you (guilty myself). You expressed the exact same thoughts I did in my own Facebook share of the video, but in much more detail and added points that I didn’t. Kudos!
Thanks for the post. I agree with your take. Samsung was probably pretty happy that the Internet helped them squeeze the last ounce of feel-good juice out of this video, but the coverage was over the top. (Full disclosure: I’m hearing-unimpeded.) I’d imagine that it would have been pretty darn heartwarming if a bunch of people living in Muharrem’s neighborhood had taken intensive signing classes for a month, two months or six, and had surprised him by actually having conversations with him, reaching out in a meaningful way. I’d have probably gone through a box and a half of tissues just by myself. In this video, as you say, they just gave a handful of people lines to sign, but constructed the interactions in a close-ended way so people didn’t have to react if Muharrem responded in kind.
Thanks, Andrew. That’s exactly what I was thinking – if this video had shown Muharrem actually interacting with people he knows or meets on a regular basis, teaching them signs and having actual conversations with them and thus demonstrating the true intent of learning to communicate (to make genuine connections with others)…then I would be fighting you for that tissue box.
But this just comes across like canned laughter. You’re right…it’s been carefully constructed in a close-ended way. I’m not even convinced that this dude was actually surprised… I’m suspecting that his reactions were all part of the script.
I don’t know…but I can tell you this – if it had been me in this video, I wouldn’t be crying at the end. I’d just be standing there with a “WTF???” look on my face.
awesome. I wrote a post on this too – http://www.meriahnichols.com/about-that-touching-samsung-deaf-ad/ – but you said it WAAAAAAAAAAAAY the hell better than I did. kissfist. Thank you.
[…] it all better than mine does – please go over to Ocean’s blog and read her post, “Sorry Samsung, But You Missed the Mark“. It’s […]
Thank you for saying some of the same things I also thought after watching the video. I learned limited sign language after having a neighbor/friend who was deaf, though we mostly wrote notes to each other to communicate because I just wasn’t learning fast enough.
I do hope that some of the people this man regularly comes in contact with will continue to learn and use at least SOME sign language… at least things like “Good Morning”, “Thank You” and such. Those are not hard.
Oh, and my friend was in no way terribly dependent or helpless! (Though she also had a considerable vision loss.) She is the one who showed me around my new town and gave me instructions on how to get to all the important places I needed to go–and some nice little cafe’s as well. She didn’t drive but had memorized an incredible number of bus routes.
Totally agree with oceans points. Answer is we need to educate hearing people. And best way is to challenge the media portraying deaf as objects of pity. As a hearing person I thank my sign language teacher for educating us on deaf culture and identity. Most challenges facing deaf people are a result of hearing ignorance. A good book on this subject is the mask of benevolence.
I completely agree with the opines of Ocean and the lovely deaf man on YouTube. In many ways I see the Deaf Community as a model and as inspiration for a much younger community of my own. I’m Autistic, and in many ways we face many simular issues to that of the Deaf World. If I may be so bold, Ocean.
Thank you for this. I didn’t like the commercial either, and (as a person who is not Deaf, but disabled in other ways) was really struggling to explain why. You nailed it. 🙂
[…] take a look at Deaf Pagan Crossroads’ blog on it […]
[…] it all better than mine does – please go over to Ocean’s blog and read her post, “Sorry Samsung, But You Missed the Mark“. It’s […]
Thoughtful.
But I’m wondering how you would do a better ad for the video call center.
[…] it all better than mine does – please go over to Ocean’s blog and read her post, “Sorry Samsung, But You Missed the Mark“. It’s […]
I think people have to relax and stop being so judgemental. When you make a commercial, there is always an end game of trying to make money. I think that they may have brought up some deaf awareness. Are we supposed to never make a nice gesture to anyone for fear of not being able to sustain it? I think people need to stop jumping on everyone else and recognize that we as a society cannot be all things for all people, even though we should try. Deafness, blindness, allergies, diabetes is not something that affects most people therefore our society is not geared towards the needs of that segment of population. Raising awareness is a good thing. Also there are movies when people play the role of a fat,or stupid, and we laugh and cry at their expense. The producers make all the money and after the movie the actor has to live with himself. That is how the world goes round. I don’t think that samsung did anything bad, and a profit is ok by me. The fact that so many people are talking about the video brings an awareness that should be celebrated.
I won’t lie and say I did not get a warm fuzzy feeling when I watched this video. It was sweet and you could tell that the young man, Mahureem, was very moved by the steps taken to communicate with him in sign. Now, obviously this man can get along with his life just fine without everyone he comes in contact signing. He’s not helpless or someone to be pitied or babied. People who look on deaf people as someone to be pitied need a serious reality check. But I do know that in the hearing community this video has made people think. They’re not just thinking about assimilating deaf people into their community, but learning and trying to understand and immerse themselves in deaf culture. Now, will most of these people forget about it in a few weeks? Yes. Will their ambition for change turn to apathy? Yes. But it won’t for all. Some hearing people will see this and it will change them. It will bring a whole new culture into their lives, where they can work with, socialize, and befriend people with whom they never thought they could. So, of course, take everything you see with a grain of salt, but don’t shut out the possibility that even a missed mark can bring about positive change. You may be surprised.
ok ok I saw the video , and the video response and the back and forth of several folks. I think that we all have missed the point, Yes they should have said some of the town people not the entire town learned to sign. The take away from the the commercial should be that Samsung has opened a call center for the deaf, to assist them. A commercial is just that a commercial, its has to be staged with what ever message that they need to portray. and stop demonizing the people in the video for only learning it for a day, its just a commercial they were doing their job… can both side use some understanding of each other? Sure, lets not beat each other up over it though.
I appreciate your perspective on this commercial and its response from both hearing and deaf people. But I do have to take issue with the tremendous number of comments you make where you project your assumptions about the company, the participants, and even about the “protagonist.”
Many times throughout what is otherwise an eye-opening and thought-provoking response, you insert your (mostly) negative assumptions. The people probably only did it to be in a commercial. The company likely didn’t consult the deaf community. Just to name two.
You can make these assumptions. You have that right. But to give them at least as much weight as your facts seems to cheapen your message and make it sound angrier than it needs to be.
Just two cents from a hearing person who is also a reformed cynic.
Ocean and Avi, your analyses lay out patiently and lucidly why this commercial is very problematic. My gut reaction was negative, but I certainly was not able to unpack the whole thing the way each of you have. People who were moved by it are perhaps reacting a little defensively, because it suggests that their emotion was somehow not genuine, or was naive–but that’s precisely, in a sense, the point–that’s why the commercial is exploitative and manipulative and needs to be called out… It’s not either of you who is being a ‘downer’ here, it’s Samsung that has created its own dubious theater: they’ve made (certain) viewers feel something nice and wholesome and positive, when in fact they really are only taking care of business. Human emotion, entire communities reduced to pawns in a commercial strategy is pernicious. (One could also ask whether they’re not being a bit patronizing toward their ‘exotic’ Turkish ‘townies’–this is a major world capital, not a bunch of backward villagers.)
I feel sorry for you. How unfortunate that you are so unhappy that you can not find the kindness of this video. I don’t care if it had only involved two people, or whether or not the town all learned how to communicate. It was the idea that spread. It may help one person to be kinder. Get over yourself.
How can I explain this any more simply? These are ACTORS. They responded to a casting call placed by an advertising agency. Each of them learned two lines in sign language. The ad agency’s website has all the details of how this was done. It’s a scripted, produced commercial. The only real thing in it is the poor deaf guy who thought it was real.
Ms Brown: “It may help one person to be kinder. Get over yourself.” Nicely done; have you thought about taking your own advice? There are some very thoughtful explanations as to why Samsung’s commercial is exploitative and manipulative. We would all like to see more kindness in the world; Samsung indeed missed the mark, whether cynically or naively is for each to decide. So I will recommend your own advice: get overself and listen to others better placed to speak on this issue. (Avi and Ocean both present very well reasoned explanations that remain quite moderate in tone; those are good places to start.)
Some interesting points in this well-written piece, and I do see good points on both sides on this thread about the issue of the commercial itself. However, to go off on a tangent (and I do apologize for the length), I am a bit troubled/confused by this part of the article: “Call me cynical if you want, but I really don’t see these people taking the skills that they learned for the sake of this commercial and going out to Deaf events and gatherings to use their signs, learn more, make new friends, and become more inclusive. The majority of them will likely pat themselves on the back, proclaim “what a great thing we did today!” and then go home and forget it all.”
If we are to assume that (at least in North America) deaf people should not be seen as having a disability so much as having a rich culture of their own with their own language and ever-increasing independence, then why does the writer feel that hearing people SHOULD go to deaf events or learn more at all, unless they have deaf family members or a significant number of deaf co-workers? I suppose I’m saying that taking part in such events often comes from a place of either participation (you or a significant person in your life is deaf), empathy (necessary if society is to be moved to inclusive action for any of the many excluded groups) or sympathy/compassion (not bad traits but potentially patronizing ones) – because many or most people do not meet a significant number of deaf people in their day-to-day lives. Apart from making new friends, which one can do in an unlimited number of ways, what motivation SHOULD a non-involved hearing person have for going to such an event?
Speaking only for myself, I’ve lived in 8 towns and cities and traveled fairly widely. The number of signing deaf people I have met (as opposed to passed in the street, and I’m not given to approaching strangers in the street) is zero. This has nothing to do with WANTING to meet deaf people or not; I simply haven’t. I would not go out of my way to meet them, not because I have any misgivings about deaf people, but BECAUSE I see them as people with lives of their own and would no more make a point of seeking them out than I would of, say, making friends with a black person, Latvian, or homosexual just for the sake of having a black, Latvian, or gay friend. (I DO have friends from all those groups because I’ve met them somewhere and we hit it off. At the same time, I don’t attend specifically black, Latvian, or gay events, unless invited.) I haven’t learned Latvian because I don’t know THAT many Latvian people; the ones I do know might teach me a few words and laugh when I use them, and if I meet their monolingual Latvian relative we’ll negotiate communication somehow, but they don’t expect me to learn Latvian because they know how long a language takes to learn, and that my opportunities to use that language would be limited to when I attend their events, visit Latvia, and/or marry a Latvian.
Having said all that, I like languages and my OWN main reason for taking an ASL class is that it is a beautiful language. When we were in Korea, old women on the train would complain, “Your language hurts my ears!”; I have felt the same way sitting next to Cantonese speakers. A language phonetically very different from one’s own can be harsh, even painful for some to hear; ASL will never, by its very nature, have that disadvantage. As such, it probably draws more casual students than other languages with similar or greater numbers of speakers in North America. However, I don’t think the casualness of their interest need be seen as dismissive. I’ve taken one online ASL class and one class in Greek, both because I think they’re lovely languages. I remember only two signs and only one Greek word, however, because I never meet deaf or monolingual Greek people; and as a former ESL teacher I know that motivation is key to becoming even proficient, let alone fluent. My cousin is fluent in ASL because her best friend from childhood is deaf; I remember most of my Japanese and French classes because my work has brought me into frequent contact with speakers of both. Nonetheless, i do not consider myself part of Japanese or French culture and don’t specifically seek out events involving those languages; I would only do so if I were planning to move to Japan or a French-speaking area permanently.
The commercial itself, particularly because it IS a commercial, can certainly be seen as banal and venal, though some good arguments have also been made in favour of the ad. But as far as how hearing people should approach deaf culture, I’m not quite sure from the article what motivation would be an acceptable one, from the author’s point of view, for an outsider’s involvement in deaf cutlure, though the article seems to simultaneously suggest that non-involved hearing people SHOULD want to be involved.
I think if you were a friend of mine, I would choose to forget any sign language that I learned.
No doubt a tremendous loss for us all.
Sadly I think you are misunderstanding the point of this commercial. When I saw it I saw the barrier removed from those who learned the language not the man who was the focus of that learning. I was moved to take lessons and learn so that I can be involved in a hearing impaired person’s life. I see myself as the one who needs to remove my barrier not the other way around. If I were to learn this language would you have a conversation with me? or scorn me for making this effort to get to know you? I would like to get to know you.
Hi, Denise. No one in this commercial really “learned the language.” This is a story, written, produced, and acted, like any TV story or commercial. An advertising agency, called Leo Burnett Istanbul, created a commercial for its highly-paying client, Samsung Turkey. A bunch of creative directors hired copywriters to write a script. Creative directors, strategic directors, and production teams were all hired and paid. None of this is a cynical assumption; it’s all documented by the production companies involved. Here are their names: http://creativity-online.com/work/samsung-turkey-hearing-hands/39312
Actors were auditioned and hired, and each of them was taught a sentence or two in Turkish sign language. (These were not Muharram’s friends and neighbors, as indicated in some of the viral reposts; the script is built around the fact that the people signing are supposed to be strangers.) The script called for creating very contrived situations (like a woman deliberately bumping into the protagonist so she can sign “Sorry I bumped into you”). This contrived scenario was then unleashed on the unsuspecting Muharram (like in any hidden-camera prank), and the resulting video was edited tightly. A production company produced the entire commercial, in between producing other glitzy paid commercials for Mercedes, Fiat, Vodafone, Maybelline, and others. Here’s the production company’s website — you can see the “Hearing Hands” commercial in their portfolio, along with the car, makeup, phone and beer commercials: http://www.dinamoistanbul.com/index.php?page=latest
The original premise of the video — which seems to have been entirely lost — was entirely metaphorical. It went something like this: “IMAGINE that a deaf person could remove the communications barrier, and instantly communicate with every hearing person he meets on the street. Wouldn’t that be great? Well, that’s what the deaf can do now, by using Samsung’s new call center for the deaf.” The idea of hearing people learning sign language was not literal; it was a metaphor for ease of communication.
But somehow, when the video went viral (as planned), people started to propagate stories suggesting that the fantasy scenario was real, and that “a whole town learned sign language” (incidentally, the “whole town” of Istanbul has a population of 14 million, almost twice that of New York City), and that they had created “a whole day without [communications] barriers.” In fact, five actors portrayed five one-line roles (the “good morning” guy, the bagel guy, the fruit guy, the bump-into-you lady, and the taxi driver), and the entire exercise probably took less than half an hour.
If you would go back and re-read my post, you will see where I utilize an entire paragraph to discuss proper terminology:
” And why, oh why…do people still persist in using terms like “hearing impaired”??? The video itself uses this term, and of course the social network picked up on it. For whatever reason, the media persists in believing that “hearing impaired” is the proper, politically correct term – even though organizations here in the United States include the National Association of the Deaf, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and the USA Deaf Sports Federation as well as a state agency right here in my home state: the Kentucky Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Deaf denotes an identity – a source of pride and community, not an affliction. But it seems like hearing folks will go out of their way to avoid using the term, as if it was some dirty four-letter word. “Hearing impaired”…”hearing disabilities”…”people with hearing loss.” ”
And yet in your comment you persisted in using the very term that we Deaf people abhor, then go on to tell us how you would like to be involved in our lives.
Would I have a conversation with you? Get to know you? Allow you to get to know me? Since you seem either unable or unwilling to truly listen to what I have to say, to learn from such, and to respect my viewpoints which derive from my own experiences as a Deaf person…
Probably not.
As a Hearing-abled individual I have heard awful stories of in-laws who refused to learn sign language when their child married someone hearing-impaired even of some ignorant relatives of hearing -impaired people and the Hope is that if people saw what an ENTIRE town could do for one day…maybe people will see what is possible when THEY make an effort ..they may just estable new and wonderful relationships
Ocean1025,
So wish I knew you personally! After far too many yrs of listening to “normal” (?) people talk about my Deaf family members/friends, in public anywhere and everywhere, your post is EXACTLY what I have wanted to say. STOP using Deaf people and sign language to puff up your esteem, or pump your ego! I might be engaged in the fast animated signed conversation at next table but I can HEAR you. And yes, I am telling my deaf family, friends, etc exactly what you are saying. Sadly those hearing ppl will never know who the truly “impaired” person is in the room. Also, the LAST thing I want is for you to walk over and interrupt our cherished visit (or argument, for all you know) to show us your n-a-m-e. Then expecting… what? from us?? Do you interrupt strangers conversations who have same color skin or hair as you? If a hearing person truly KNOWS the language, they wld instantly determine if it’s appropriate to introduce themselves by simply observing from afar for five seconds. Nobody in this ad is to be applauded, neither is Samsung. Put away your tears, pity and sad faces. Thank you, Ocean1025, for calling it what it is. Exploitation. The man in ad is, to me, an extension of my own family. TINY square brain Samsung execs needs to be educated. THAT! Many thx.
Thank you, sisterncertterp, for stating so much for eloquently than I could. This is exactly what I have been trying to say in this thread.
Avi,
Your posts also gave me the courage to finally say what I never dare for fear of “insulting” others. When i happened upon this blog it was a feeling of relief, finally. All my life ppl either demanded (school teachers) that i teach signs or as an adult asked me to teach them 1:1. Why? Its my first question. Yeh the cynicism is result of having no choice as a child…then being mocked when in public with my siblings by same classmates I was forced to teach. Anyone can be very skilled yet a lousy teacher. Hockey players in Stanley Cup may not make great coaches, interpreters can hold highest poss cert yet do not have teaching skills, on and on. I knew yrs ago i wld not teach anyone signs because yeh, like most deaf ppl, Ive been screwed over. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice? shame on me! So for the ppl on this thread who think deaf ppl are ungrateful, etc? Unless you have experienced the yrs and yrs of oppression, discrimination and heartbreak urself then u have no right to ASSUME! Im not deaf, it is not MY language, yet being immersed in Deaf culture since i was born, I have walked beside the pain, the tears that go on thru the night, and heartbreak caused by hearing ppls ignorance, arrogance and self-serving comments. Until you have seen ur Deaf brother walk to military recruiters office with note he wrote “Me go Viet Nam same my brother” only to have the recruiter call our dad to “come get ur kid” wld u ever begin to understand. Seeing our dad in tears as his deaf son tried to join a war where his only other son was, until u have experienced that exchange of “Me want u love me same brother finish go war” and a father stumbling thru tears to explain as best he cld he loved his sons equally while being devastated yet proud of his deaf son, the bewilderment of a young deaf man begging to go to war, experienced raw, unparrelled pain at the behest of obstinate, then and only then can someone speak to these issues. Deaf ppl have every right to their feelings and NO hearing person has right to deny or bellyache abt a culture they are truly clueless abt. “Get over yourself”?????? Wow. Walk a milexxx a block in their shoes. If anyone still with me here thank you!
Thanks for this blog. I’m fully hearing and this helped me explain to my sister that it’s exploiting the deaf on many levels. She thought it was sweet and moving. I said only hearing people with zero knowledge of deaf culture (which is most people unfortunately) will think that.
Seeing this video and playing it for my Parents who have a son that’s deaf (our eldest brother) and even playing it for him as well, was emotional for my Parents and my brother found it cool. Even if you feel that Samsung exploited the deaf community/ individual for they’re own gain. The message is clear, you took it apart detail by detail. You’re entitled to your opinion, but the message is clear. Deaf ppl step out into a hearing world everyday, doesn’t make them less or more…. it’s called human kindness and bridging the Gap between cultures, societies, and deaf- hearing impaired (doesn’t matter but with respect to ppl those that are hearing and kind in their heart will say hearing impaired out of respect to a deaf person completely deaf or not; that’s not the point). My Parents who did and continue to do everything and encourage they’re son felt moved, and thought if the world would learn a few words to sign what a difference it would make. The ppl that participated in the video paid/ or not seem happy when they sign and to be a part of this you don’t know they might have someone in they’re life that’s deaf, so this meant something to them. Have you thought if that, I am hearing and I know sign language but what I wouldn’t give to have my brother experience something like this in the open world, even in his own community. Muharrem, reaction is real, genuine, filled w/ emotion & gratitude. Generosity of spirit goes a long way from one human being to another. I watch it over and over to remind me of good things in life, humanity at it’s best. Technology is one thing but personal interaction from one person to another especially when you try to bridge a gap in communication, after all when you speak different languages and you speak from the heart, ppl seem to understand one another somehow. Don’t fault the commercial over 3million views, doesn’t that say it all.
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