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We’re Not Here for Your Entertainment

We’re Not Here for Your Entertainment

Sign Language is our culture and mode of communication, not a gimmick for clout

Jillian Enright's avatar
Jillian Enright
Jul 18, 2024
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Neurodiversity MB
Neurodiversity MB
We’re Not Here for Your Entertainment
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A Black man in a white shirt signing ‘be careful’ in American Sign Language (ASL)
Created by author on Canva — signing ‘be careful’ in American Sign Language (ASL)

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 (they’re all listed at the end of this short article).

I broke my very long paper into sections and made edits to make it easier to read, so I hope you enjoy.


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 be relatable and cannot deviate excessively from the norm” 
— Bollmer & Guinness

Young, non-disabled, conventionally attractive, white hearing people using sign language as a gimmick will distinguish themselves just enough to be interesting and attract attention, but Deaf influencers deviate too far from the majority of users, so their content is deemed less worthy by the algorithm (and presumably by some viewers as well).

ASL is able to be commodified because it is unique and interesting to the majority of people who have rarely been exposed to signed languages. Grant and Bollmer describe how “signifiers of race are often appropriated by white influencers for attention and exoticism”. 

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