We’re Not Here for Your Entertainment
Sign Language is our culture and mode of communication, not a gimmick for clout
Brief disclaimer
This is the eighth of a multi-part article series based on a paper I originally wrote for a University rhetoric course. If you missed parts 1–7 I recommend reading those first.
I broke my very long paper into sections and made edits to make it easier to read, so I hope you enjoy.
ASL = accessibility
Sign language means accessibility. It means understanding and being understood. It’s not a cheap party trick, and it sure as hell isn’t for influencers to co-opt for attention and profit.
So, why do some content creators insist on appropriating and exploiting sign language?
Fetishization and exoticism
In The Influencer Factory, Bollmer and Guinness explain how algorithms manipulate the attention of users to reinforce the ‘norm’ of the majority, which I contend would also select against Deaf and disabled people whose physicality and language deviate from the statistical norm. So while influencers work to be interesting and distinguish themselves from other content creators,
“This distinction must…
