Friday, March 23, 2007

Thru Deaf Eyes: Hit and miss


Adding to an ongoing list of reviews of Through Deaf Eyes found on DeafRead, Jay Krieger presents his own views of the film itself, and why he thinks it was a hit and miss. Jay opens with his review of the film, why it hits and misses, and then finishes with an explanation of a film he wishes to see instead.

Video.Google seem to have problems, so for a direct access to the vLog, go here.

25 comments:

David said...

I watched your view. Yes you are absolutely right that everyone has their own opinions.

I feel the Through Deaf Eyes is pretty good and just beginning. It is like an introduction for people who need to understand basic about us.

I hope there will be another one even better or just part 2 to include more information about ASL, Culture, BiBi and history of ours.

David Kerr

Oscar Chacon said...

What video problem? I did not see any *smile*.
Anyway, that was cool response. I did not watch it because I don't watch television anyway, just rented movies from Netflix but at least I get very rough idea of what it is about from reviews and your review is very touching.
ASL is great!

drmzz said...

It's good TV when your screensaver comes on, got it. I hope that ASL hook is strong enuff to hold that Deaf bag. BTW, how's that armless and legless frog doing? :)

mishkazena said...

I like your analogy of a childless expert advising parents.

Why don't you and others get together to produce an ASL documentary? :)

Anonymous said...

You are absolutely right. When ASL is the main theme, then family education, k-12 school (deaf and mainstream) will adopt bilingual education. We would find unbelieveable success stories among deaf/hh people. More doctors, more lawyers, more politicians, more astronaunts (sp?), more CEOs and so forth.

Anonymous said...

I think the Through Deaf Eyes is pretty good but I think they need to elaborate more on the Deaf issues (ASL language itself, deaf clubs, Deaf West Theatre, NTD, NAD, etc) more and cut down the topics of oralism (Clarke school).

Hope part 2 will come out with better one specifically talking about deaf, nothing else! And of course direct and produce by deaf filmmaker.

Beaux Arts de Boutjean said...

What an excellent exegesis! Concise and succinct! I must
agree with Mishkazena that you
and the others must get together to do a documentary film on ASL.

Teri said...

Jay,

You did a great job sharing your view.

Of course, we are entitled to our own opinions! I share my somewhat harsh review especially of a couple of films made by deaf filmamkers.

In fact, I am not impressed with the film overall. It started off well, but to me, it dragged in the middle and the issues related to medical pathology slowly unfolded towards as if it's a much importance in the film.

Damn hearing producers! They are smart -- I bet they got money from several investors who lean towards cochlear implanations. ( I know Rory and he told me that he discontinued using implanation and it was not discussed in the film at all!) Again, damn them! Pardon my French. I should have mentioned it in my video clip, however my memory on the hard drive ran out! Darn!

Yes, you are absolutely right that the film should feature several successful stories.

By the way, I love your analogies of "Right, you do not know" and " BS professionals".

Jay, I always look forward to seeing your new video clips!

Yours,
Teri

Anonymous said...

You're right about "you know nothing about it." The filmmaker has no idea what to be Deaf.
It was hmmmmm.... so so so.

Anonymous said...

Hi Jay,

I have always enjoyed your views. Thank you for sharing this with us. In your eye, I am an ok person because I disagree with you on a few things. You quote "if people agree with you, it is good. If you don't agree, it is ok." Your facial expression revealed. :o) In my opinion. Anyone disagree, I still consider it is still good thing. :o)

I respect you a great deal and you know that. I wanted to challenge you about this situation and to see if it is ok to do that.

For example: I have a daughter who plans to go to Germany for Summer School, and I got fund from Skinhead organization and they wanted me to give a speech to skinhead audience and there is a famous skinhead speaker that believe in killing Jews but I don't care about the history as long as they give me money.

I must stress this is not true story and I don't have a daughter. I don't support any organization that harm any group of diverse people and I will turn them down even I will starve to death or beat me to death. I stand by my belief. I don’t support any organization or accept the fund that it would lead to an act of genocide (ASLcide/Deafcide) or harm any children.

Do you realize that in film industry, they won’t release movies if they repeat anything that is offensive more than three times? For an example: The word of N. I suggest you to pay closely to different films and see what their message. They will not show some movies if they were offensive messages or causing a problem that would harm the society. Did you ever see any films about promoting that they would have a cure for black people so they can become white? No one will try that or the pack of Black people will fight and demand it to be banned.

The priest and scientists discover something that they might have cure for Gay and Lesbian before they born so they will live as straight people. People were outrageous about this situation.

I would love to see it happen in Deaf community where we can speak out and embrace our culture and as Deaf people that we don’t need to be fixed. But I guess we, Deaf people, don't mind for hearing people to mess up our lives and to portray us as screwed up people that was God's mistake. It is doctors' job to wipe Deaf people out.

People come in confused and get out confused. No I don’t think so. They want to have cochlear implant and focus on speaking because the president of Alexander Bell Organization said, "the reason why some Deaf people were oral failure because there were not enough technology back there. But now we have much much better technology that we can provide.”

I will discuss more in Vlogs. For this weekend, I am going to take a break, go to concert, and have too much fun. (Iammine and DrMzz-I wish you could join me. We would have too much fun.)

Jay- Keep it up with good work as usual.

Aidan

Karen Mayes said...

Yes, you hit right on the nose. I have had my blog including a few hearing people who let me publish their emails, thinking that it would throw a little light on their perspective of the show... No one commented on it, and I realized that deaf people were interested in deaf people, not in what hearing people thought and if they felt changed from watching the show. Also, I talked with two hearing parents at a hearing school last night (the hearing school's PTO hosted a sport festival last night and we went there.) Both said that the TV program was too long and too generalized but was nice, nothing more.

I liked the show because it related to me, as a deaf person, etc. But I felt there were missing points, like deaf education (facts, research, why 4th grade reading level, etc.)

Karen Mayes said...

Aidan and Jay, in a way to add my comment to you... I don't want to go all religious, since I am not... but it is interesting to see how God views deaf... He acknowleges He created deafness and He commanded the hearing world to show respect to the deaf. So Joseph V. was correct about ASL as a beautiful gift to the deaf people. Check out the verses below...


Exodus 4:11 (New International Version)
11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ?


Leviticus 19:14 (New International Version)
14 " 'Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD."


Cool, huh? Of course, the hearing world still sees deafness in the pathologic view. Oh well.

Anonymous said...

Wondering if it has lot of sponsors from Alex Graham Bell...throughout the showing on that film...mostly at the half of ending time...emphasis on Cohlear Implants and speech...little on ASL...Money talks to allow the pressure of showing CI,speech,music, etc. They failed to show each deaf class room with ASL and its success, instead bragging the success on CI, speech, etc.

John Lestina --- said...

Good to see your face again!
LONG LIVE ASL!!

Dr. E. Lynn Jacobowitz said...

Jay-
You hit home! We must empower ASL to its maximum. I find this film inclined heavily on auditory and speech successes which perpetuates the belief that the advancements of technology (cochlear implants, digital hearing aids, computerized speech to text, speech recognition, etc.)is more important to focus on than to focus on ASL and its technology (ASL DVD/video production, videophones, TTYs, text and video pagers, sign to text computers, ASL computer activities, etc.). We should follow Veditz's preservation of ASL by using films to perpetuate God's noblest gift, our ASL! Let's produce more ASL technology-related stuff! Jay, thank you for sharing your well thought out opinions. I am proud of you and your VLOGs. May the ASL force be with you!
Best always!
E. Lynn Jacobowitz, Ph.D.
(Jay's former babysitter :*))

Barb DiGi said...

Hi Jay,

It is nothing new for hearing producers to make a documentary film about deaf people. Now with the moviemaking industry on the rise for deaf producers, why can't it be possible to collaborate with PBS or other shows such as 20/20, etc.? Imagine all of us as a team get to develop these kind of relevant topics..that will be deifnitely through Deaf eyes!

Tell me when was the last time such a show was nationally broadcasted on TV? So this is just a step and hopefully there will be plans to include more information about giving parents of deaf children the facts.

It is all about money. Sad to say, AG Bell is a much richer organization than NAD but this is a reality. There are doctors, surgeons, speech therapists and even teachers directing the course of CI to the parents while people like us have limited initiated contact with parents. So MONEY influences the media.

Also it is about access. Parents learn the information about raising deaf children firsthand from them and for the Through Deaf Eyes who is thought to offer unbiased information, I think not. It all adds up that parents receive too much information about non-ASL related issues and not being informed how bilingual education is proven with successful outcome.

IamMine said...

You're the first vlogger I reply to because I didn't want to agree/disagree since I still have NOT seen the show myself!

But I really enjoyed your review!

FYI - I'd like to whack that blond woman with CI who said we weren’t normal *grins* - they should have asked ME. Pfft.

At least she showed ASL... hmm.

I like your way of saying how the show itself was like "photo album”!

I am with others on YOU getting this next project going - "Through ASL, We See"! :D

Now, about that hearing producer...

I'm thinking maybe it's like damned if you do, damned if you don't.

See if it was produced by a deaf person, it could be argued that person is very biased towards strong Deaf Culture, ignoring others, or if it was a CI person, that person would be accused of destroying the deaf culture, or if a deaf person who has never been exposed to deaf culture....

You get it? How can a deaf producer be neutral without getting attacked for showing deaf people of different backgrounds or upbringing?

Then again, I haven't seen the show... ;)

But the next project – get busy, Jay and Barb DiGi! :D

Anonymous said...

AG Bell have more sponsorship with other corporations than NAD. That is how it works.

But, we should be grateful to have NAD to advocate our deaf's rights.

Don't let AG Bell control us.

White Ghost

Jay said...

Iammine,

When I see "damned if you do, damned if you dont" I always respond with "I choose damned if you do over damned if you dont" because at least it meant you did something. Grins.

Anonymous said...

Surprisingly, we agree on all counts in this matter.

About time. :)

Anonymous said...

I know this is awfully simplistic view/question but given that we were fed "milk" instead of "meat" in this film, I was wondering how come all of the currently deaf people, especially the movers and shakers amongst us, who were in this film did not take a proactive approach as to the film's content/direction/message? Must be the money!

DT

Anonymous said...

hi, u know i am so glad some of people asked for ur vlog for ur opinion which is so great! i love ur vlogs! i love the way u share with us so simple but powerful statements. keep vlooging! ur statements are so clearly for kid also! :)

mule4350 said...

Hey i appericate your vlog to keep to going on to update news of DEAF/HOH as well. I was watching Through Deaf Eyes but not at all and forgot to record it late night but it isok and I did nikt say my opions and I think It seem little weird because of processing different and not much real for Deaf Hmmm. I wish some of Deaf are produces and would agree with them and why does we let Hearing power to control that program Dont forgot our DEAF/HOh to control it anytime or soon!

Anonymous said...

It's really nice to see another vlogger offering up a review of the film.

You said that ASL is the glue that holds us together, both Deaf and hearing people. I agree, ASL is central to our community and important. I think we should be very careful, however, that we don't say ASL makes Deaf and hearing people equal. Yes, ASL binds us together, but our experiences as Deaf and hearing people are still different.

Anonymous said...

Iammine,

You're right that a Deaf producer would likely be labeled biased. Hearing producers are biased, too. There's no getting around biases, whoever you are! I don't think neutrality is really possible anyway. See ASC's view on neutrality:

http://www.ascdeaf.com/blog/?s=neutral