Deafness in fiction?

[shimo]

I remember reading about a man that was very talented for his skills working with repairing airplanes. He was just so good at his job, he held a high paying position and his employers bent over backwards to give him whatever he needed. Being deaf, he was able to work around the incredible noise level without issues, unlike the other coworkers that had to wear ear muffs and had trouble communicating with each other on the job.

Hmm.. this is giving me ideas. I am into airplanes/passenger flights right now, so it's in my interest area.

 

[RandomHearie]

No one would watch that. People watch the soaps for the stories, not to see every conceivable disabled and ethnic group represented. Who would watch that, it's a joke. If it’s a good story with strong characters, it might happen. “Life Goes On” featured actors with Downs Syndrome. I don’t watch shows looking for a hearing impaired person, I look for characters that I can identify with.

Laura

I would watch, but then again, I'm interested in pan-disability rights and portrayals, so...

 

[Lau2046]

I would watch, but then again, I'm interested in pan-disability rights and portrayals, so...

So you would watch a show featuring a Pakistani, French, Italian, British, Indian, Native American, Black, White, Portugese, Jewish, Maltese, Swiss, Swedish, Israeli, Brazilian, blind characters, deaf characters, characters in wheelchairs, the terminally ill, downs syndrome, MS, CF, bed ridden, etc, week after week?.....do you have coworkers with all these nationalities and amount of disabled people? Does your job employ all these people Mine doesn't. In my entire life I've never worked any place, or visited a business establishment that had this variety of people in one setting.

People want to be entertained and to escape the harsh realities of life. Even as a child, when my mother pointed out someone that also wore hearing aids, I couldn't have cared less. TV shows try to lure audiences with a story; characters that people can identify with and wish they could be like in some way. Or, as in the case of programs like Dynasty, Dallas, and some of today's reality shows, they like to watch train wrecks like Jersey Shore and The Real World. They don't want depressing storylines. If it's reality they want, those are called documentaries...which no one watches every week on prime time.

Laura

 

[RandomHearie]

So you would watch a show featuring a Pakistani, French, Italian, British, Indian, Native American, Black, White, Portugese, Jewish, Maltese, Swiss, Swedish, Israeli, Brazilian, blind characters, deaf characters, characters in wheelchairs, the terminally ill, downs syndrome, MS, CF, bed ridden, etc, week after week?.....do you have coworkers with all these nationalities and amount of disabled people? Does your job employ all these people Mine doesn't. In my entire life I've never worked any place, or visited a business establishment that had this variety of people in one setting.

People want to be entertained and to escape the harsh realities of life. Even as a child, when my mother pointed out someone that also wore hearing aids, I couldn't have cared less. TV shows try to lure audiences with a story; characters that people can identify with and wish they could be like in some way. Or, as in the case of programs like Dynasty, Dallas, and some of today's reality shows, they like to watch train wrecks like Jersey Shore and The Real World. They don't want depressing storylines. If it's reality they want, those are called documentaries...which no one watches every week on prime time.

Laura

The variety of disabilities would guarantee that I'd watch the first episode. After that, it would depend on a few things. I'd stop watching if anyone was an offensive stereotype, but if I thought the plot was interesting, I would keep watching.

First, I dispute that audiences don't want depressing stories. Second, I dispute that any show featuring a large number of disabled characters is necessarily depressing. Family gatherings would be a real blast if I thought that way... eight disabilities among four people, not even counting the repeats. Outside my family, at least two of my friends are autistic, at least one has ADHD, I know someone with depression, one of my friends has a speech impediment and someone else I interact with has problems with eye tracking.

As for how to get them all together in one setting, a TV show about ADAPT (a disability rights protest group) would work. It would be a little tough to include the bedridden character, but that one could be part of a romantic subplot. Or a millionaire donating money to the group.

And before you ask, yes, I would watch that.