YES THIS HAPPENED. Also in a general sense if ASL interpreters are working one of my events and there is time, I try to give them access to any prepared materials and generally go over things that I suspect will present an issue for them. The idea they're not needed or useful is shitty ableist BS. - ThreadSky

scalzi.com • 43 days ago

YES THIS HAPPENED. Also in a general sense if ASL interpreters are working one of my events and there is time, I try to give them access to any prepared materials and generally go over things that I suspect will present an issue for them. The idea they're not needed or useful is shitty ableist BS.

Reposted from Perri

Reminds me of the time at WorldCon when an ASL interpreter completely stole the show from Scalzi by signing the HELL out of a short story filled with weird alien words. Scalzi was laughing too hard to read half the time.

ASL interpreters are valuable and amazing and must be protected.

Comments

mithras.bsky.social•43 days ago

Or the ASL interpreter at BAHFest 2014 for Matt Inman's Jibbers Crabst bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ_BtZ-5O60&ab_channel=BAHFest

macoop.bsky.social•43 days ago

Another job I could not do! 😂 Move over Flying Spaghetti Monster, there's a new tasty God in town! 😆

pyperkub.bsky.social•43 days ago

Now I'm imagining signing Kaiju!

jehsee-da-bunn.bsky.social•43 days ago

Anyone doing an event that is live-captioned, please also provide this information for your captioner. Many work for hours before your event researching names, spellings, etc, and having this info emailed or available beforehand can save a lot of time and errors.

foundonshelfpod.bsky.social•43 days ago

That's pretty awesome you give them a chance to go over the materials when you can. Honestly, it's the little that count in the long run!

bitpoet.bsky.social•43 days ago

I love seeing ASL interpers at serious press conferences. Since emphasis is done with body language, and the politician is trying to stand as still as possible.

lillamatlov.bsky.social•43 days ago

feels like a performance art that combines movement and stillness!

kinyutaka.bsky.social•43 days ago

After all, if you're reading a passage from your work, or just giving a speech, why should we be able to listen, and make them read it themselves?

ASL also helps impart nuance and meaning to words that can enhance a story told.

msbak.bsky.social•43 days ago

True dat

gravener.bsky.social•43 days ago

One semester, I had an ASL interpreter in my classroom for a student, and I swear I spent a lot of time watching the interpreter signing my lecture/jokes/f-bombs. Had a good relationship with her and learned some effective tips in speaking that helped with their job.

mrsdanielwalker.bsky.social•43 days ago

I teach DHH students and can attest that ASL interpreters serve an integral role in my classroom instruction. And to suggest that they move to the side or behind a structure is ludicrous. Interpreters are there for DHH people. I would think that denying them visibility violates the ADA.

usmarine.bsky.social•43 days ago

This is how fvkked the usa is…
the Good Guys gotta explain to the dummest MFing racist inbreds on the planet that ASL interpreters are good, decent and needed.

vg1111.bsky.social•43 days ago

I directed a music video in ASL and it's made me actively search for more projects where I can integrate it into my work. The idea that language is part of the body expands us all. We need more not less.

redshift42.bsky.social•43 days ago

When @paulandstorm.bsky.social played at the Kansas City Worldcon, there was one song (or maybe the whole concert) where they mock-apologized in advance to the sign interpreters, and they were amazing.

iansimmons1960.bsky.social•43 days ago

I once did a performance with a very talented signer, at one point I made an innuendo and she signed 'he makes a terrible dick joke' which made the sign literate audience members completely collapse, and continued to do similar throughout, really added to the show!

ellan75.bsky.social•43 days ago

Thank God for ASL interpreters. My grandson is a deaf mute and he loves “listening” to them. Without them the deaf would be left out of so much. We had to fight tooth and nail to get one in his school so he could learn

classyearlgrey.bsky.social•43 days ago

💙💙💙💙

rstockto.bsky.social•43 days ago

I was at a "Who's Line" event at GenCon, and it was an adults-only and exceptionally crude instance of it. One of my friends had a ASL interpreter, and we were astounded that she knew signs for concepts I hadn't even known. (e.g. fluffer)

She said she'd taken an entire class on just those words.

evankirshenbaum.bsky.social•43 days ago

It's a bit out of date (1980), but I have a copy of this and its companion, "Signs of Drug Use".

thattallgrrl.bsky.social•43 days ago

Thank you!!
I’m going to search for them right now.
#writerthings
#lifethings

evankirshenbaum.bsky.social•43 days ago

Taking a look at it, I don't see anything I would use to translate "fluffer". 😄 It does capture variation though. E.g., it has three signs for VAGINA: "the most common", "sometimes used in Southern areas", and "the only people that have been found using this sign are Black Deaf people in Georgia."

mosfet15.bsky.social•43 days ago

You are a good man, John. 😇

pitneyandamelia.bsky.social•43 days ago

One of the greatest moments of my life was being in the room where this happened…
(h/t https://thebloggess.bsky.social
https://youtu.be/VxSyIEzAaGA?si=W2VGv0kbHfbSZgxX

pitneyandamelia.bsky.social•42 days ago

Realized this afternoon how weird it is that I posted this video this morning and then the NG articles dropped and… INTO THE BIN WITH HIM

gibbsmoryss.bsky.social•43 days ago

Hells yeah! I was already in favor of having ASL interpreters everywhere partly based on videos I've seen of somr rocking out while interpreting various concerts.

johnbooth.bsky.social•43 days ago

Kevin Smith's ASL interpreters are *legendary* in part due to the amount of creative, off-the-wall vulgarity he employs. (And they're wonderful to chat with afterward.)

louiseplease.bsky.social•43 days ago

bornangelauthor.bsky.social•43 days ago

Agreed!

jessicarobot.bsky.social•43 days ago

This sounds amazing!

thinbrim.bsky.social•43 days ago

It's like saying *Blind* people don't need braille, they have EARS. JFC what bloody harm is in it? If ASL offends people, they can just not bloody look. Also anyone it offends needs to grow the fuck up.

tombs.bsky.social•43 days ago

The sign language interpreters during Melodifestivalen and Eurovision goes hard and are always a joy to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaDob2RQldM

madsynth.bsky.social•43 days ago

Idk who you are, but this got my attention. Aliens and sign language? Count me in!

mlrivers.bsky.social•43 days ago

I love ASL at the Ren Faire! It almost always turns into a game of "what's the bawdiest word or phrase we can get the interpreter to sign" and they have so much fun with it!

wlr312.bsky.social•43 days ago

Same! I was just mentioning our performer who does spoonerisms, Zilch the Tory Steller. His show on asl weekend is a *must*. As is the historical session on renaissance birth control.

laurelfynes.bsky.social•43 days ago

Spoonerisms in ASL?! 🤯🤩

wlr312.bsky.social•43 days ago

This is a pretty old video, and the focus is mostly on Zilch, but it's all I could find

https://youtu.be/sqhgTJFndBQ?feature=shared

libraryfaery.bsky.social•43 days ago

This would have been awesome to see.

And they are 100% necessary.

ambientrelish.bsky.social•43 days ago

I love seeing ASL interpreters at concerts, especially when they play air guitar or drums during an instrumental stretch in a song.

smugcat10.bsky.social•43 days ago

ALL interpreters are AWESOME! I have a friend who is a Spanish/English interpreter & it requires thinking simultaneously in 2 languages. Sometimes she translates topics she is unfamiliar with & must learn new words in 2 languages.

orna.bsky.social•43 days ago

That sounds AMAZING. And a great motivation to learn ASL.

jamesjdominguez.bsky.social•43 days ago

If you ever get the chance to see Aussie comedian Adam Hill live, go when he has an interpreter (during festivals he always does at least one show a week with signing). He incorporates it into the show and makes many of the jokes even funnier. https://youtu.be/pfl7D4_joZU?si=ctOBeD810mHmP7eW

keithflippenactor.bsky.social•43 days ago

PLEASE tell us there is a recording of this somewhere.

mfuss.bsky.social•43 days ago

I wonder: Have people who do these complaints even learned one foreign language in their life?

vermicula.bsky.social•43 days ago

Absolutely! SF conventions and filk performances would not be the same without the wonderful ASL interpreters.

thecorrection.bsky.social•43 days ago

Judi Miller signing 'The Tapioca Song' at a house filk was one of my peak life experiences.

vermicula.bsky.social•29 days ago

Judy is absolutely amazing!

wlr312.bsky.social•43 days ago

At our local ren fair, we have a performer who does spoonerisms (stories like Jomeo & Ruliette, & Loldigocks & the Be Threars). On asl weekend his show is a must see. I've been going for almost 20 years and it still makes me cry with laughter

leefranke.bsky.social•43 days ago

The local school district offers ASL as a foreign language. Both my kids took it. They have both found it useful at various moments.

feycat.bsky.social•43 days ago

As a hearing person, I will watch the ASL interpreters because their facial expressions and body language is always so ON POINT.

marketdoctor.bsky.social•43 days ago

I know you know this, but giving them pre-material when you can helps a lot, because I understand that ASL grammar and idiom are different, and this gives them more time to find the right expressions.

raednz.bsky.social•25 days ago

All sign interpreters. I once took on Benjamin Zephaniah at a schools performance and nearly ...very nearly...kept up! He was totally gracious.

schenkley.bsky.social•43 days ago

And what a skill, learning ASL as a 2nd language!

whitewaterlawyer.bsky.social•43 days ago

also I think the "argument" is just the same as any other crusade against a minority group. "Those people are a small minority, we shouldn't all have to share space with them". These people (GOP) would be happy to just dispose of anyone inconvenient to them.

whitewaterlawyer.bsky.social•43 days ago

I feel like i'm missing context but now I'm imagining an ASL equivalent of an audiobook and it's warping my mind. Or even just books written in ASL. Is that a thing?

arianhwyvar.bsky.social•43 days ago

At Michael Longcor's concerts at the Pennsic War, I remember the ASL interpreter (I wish I remembered her name!) sometimes got more applause than Longcor! Her rendition of 'Hooters' was especially hilarious.

spitxher.bsky.social•43 days ago

I would like to see that interview. Anybody know how?

eliserothberg.bsky.social•43 days ago

Also, these ignorant assholes don't get that in ASL, facial expressions are *part of the language* - they impart tone and context.

yodasminion.bsky.social•43 days ago

The idea that anyone is mad that an ASL interpreter is present is mind boggling to me.

There are other people in the world, with different levels of ability.

An interpreter there detracts exactly zero from their experience, and helps others. WTF is wrong with these people?! 😂

mathcurmudgeon.bsky.social•43 days ago

It’s Christopher Rufo.
No one should be surprised.

megnumbers.bsky.social•43 days ago

ASL interpreters at rap shows are my favorite.

conanoflibraria.bsky.social•43 days ago

Many years ago, the guy who does The Oatmeal had the keynote for the Bad Ad Hoc Hypothesis festival, and the woman doing the ASL was AMAZING, it can add so much, even for those who don't need it, and complaints about it existing are bad, and should feel bad.

evankirshenbaum.bsky.social•43 days ago

Thanks for the pointer. I was trying to remember who the speaker was. The best thing about that is that the interpreter was a little behind him, and he didn't realize what the audience was laughing at. ("You should not applaud that.")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ_BtZ-5O60

nocatsnomasters.bsky.social•43 days ago

@jayeatonart.bsky.social‬, I'm getting strong chaos gremlin Gillie vibes here.

eliiv.bsky.social•43 days ago

This was amazing 😂

rds773.bsky.social•43 days ago

I love her

mhairiforrest.bsky.social•43 days ago

THIS is exactly how it should be done! Thank you!

alexaclint87.bsky.social•43 days ago

How

shiplives.bsky.social•43 days ago

Preach, brother.

realmommatalk.bsky.social•43 days ago

I absolutely love watching ASL interpreters! I know just a little signing, and am always trying to learn more.

tapati.bsky.social•43 days ago

That is a great thing to do for any translator.

aadgroeneveld.bsky.social•43 days ago

Good on you.
One of ours got a bit of fame when she made up a sign for hoarding/stockpiling ('hamsteren' in Dutch), loved that.
https://youtu.be/57XFC1GrrZk?si=O6UE8dEnW-jy4xNg&t=95

simpystuff.bsky.social•43 days ago

Sign language is needed all over the world, more so than most second or third languages. It should be taught more and accepted more! I'm currently learning BSL for any friends I make that use it.

plusran.bsky.social•43 days ago

I caught that interpreter on the news during the wildfires and he was awesome. Made me wish I could be one. Reminded me of the girl who was on stage with that rapper and he tried to dance with her. So good

adownie.bsky.social•43 days ago

When I had one at an event, the interpreter asked what emotions I was conveying in each section, so they could mirror.

Such a professional and I’d like to see so many more of them.

alcoremortis.bsky.social•43 days ago

One of my formative childhood memories is a ASL interpreter at a children’s concert. One of the songs was called “Flubber Blubber Whale” and given how silly the signs were for it, I think the band did it on purpose.

bruce.grembowski.com•43 days ago

We had someone sign Silent Night when our choir sang it for Christmas. It was so beautiful!

dennisd56.bsky.social•43 days ago

Couldn’t agree more (and I’d have loved to have seen that ‘performance’!) lol

donnadeacon.bsky.social•43 days ago

As a retired ASL interpreter, I am appalled at this ignorance.

danielsand.bsky.social•43 days ago

The most entertaining panels at cons have involv the ASL interpreter becoming a part of the show (obviously worked out in advance).

danielsand.bsky.social•43 days ago

I saw a screenshot of the original tweet with the pathetic manchild complaining about ASL being useless. The dude was so blatantly trolling I truly love how the overall reaction was to bless his heart and move on without him.

alikat747.bsky.social•43 days ago

Just another reason why we love you :)

citizenbleys.bsky.social•43 days ago

I would watch the hell out of an ASL or BSL interpreter doing Shadow War of the Night Dragons and the only thing wrong with my hearing is that I'm over 40.

dfprovine.bsky.social•43 days ago

I have had deaf students, and the interpreters who come to class are heroes, every one. I started learning ASL because I felt I could teach better if I could communicate better. It worked: things I learned about ASL grammar helped me make adjustments so the interpreters' job is easier.

chasfrank.bsky.social•43 days ago

I've always loved the sign language folks, usually better than the speeches being given.

oblyn.bsky.social•43 days ago

You're a good man.

Giving it to them ahead of time makes a huge difference in the ability to ensure everyone understands. I used to do the same so the interpreters could prep the technical or medical portions & key names.

driftwoodpainter.bsky.social•43 days ago

Plus, some signs are so obviously on that we can all enjoy them.

nalohop.bsky.social•40 days ago

I once got so caught up in an ASL interpreter giving a such a creative and vivacious interpretation of a story of mine that I wanted to stop reading it and just watch her. As I was reading, I kept thinking, HTF would you translate *that* into ASL? But she did.

kathleena.bsky.social•43 days ago

Remember when the fake sign language interpreter appeared for Nelson Mandela's memorial in South Africa?

mcnultylab.bsky.social•43 days ago

Was guest-lecturing in a class and did not know ahead of time that there was a team of ASL interpreters. Lost my train of thought several times because of the sheer beauty of the signing.

michelesliger.bsky.social•43 days ago

I worked with a pair (they switch off on day-long classes because it’s exhausting otherwise) and would always warn them ahead of time of weird words I’d be using, like “single nucleotide polymorphism.” And I spoke more slowly. They thanked me saying most folks treated them like they were invisible.😡

adapalmer.bsky.social•43 days ago

The ASL people who sign my concerts are so epically incredible, often doing two sets of simultaneous lyrics at once one with each arm, it’s an exquisite dance!

minnesotagirl.bsky.social•43 days ago

The ASL interpreters at the Queen concert last year were amazing! They were rocking out while they signed.

naraoia.bsky.social•43 days ago

HOW 🤯

esmerel.bsky.social•43 days ago

Given my small knowledge of asl, it is assuredly as difficult as it sounds!

danielzklein.bsky.social•43 days ago

Whaaaaaaa

daveqs.bsky.social•42 days ago

you are teh awesome.

xander-zero.bsky.social•43 days ago

Especially in the "but there are subtitles now!" Sense, because from what I understand, due to the fact that English is a phonetic language many deaf people can have trouble reading/writing, because they miss that connection. And it wouldn't cover children who haven't learned to read yet either.

petehardie.bsky.social•43 days ago

One year at DragonCon, my son and I were sitting close to the front for the big Masquerade costume contest, right in front of the ASL interpreter, and we had the best time - she was a hoot translating for Anthony Daniels

chilari.bsky.social•43 days ago

I went to see a signed staging of The Woman in Black a few years ago, and I was watching the signer as much as the actors, she really added to the atmosphere.

alicechamber.bsky.social•43 days ago

Lol that's great.

darth-babaganoosh.bsky.social•43 days ago

Comedian Adam Hills always has an AUSLAN interpreter with him on stage during his comedy shows.

I now know the signs for "Fuck you. Fuck the lot of you" and "I don't give a flying fuck".

His shows are educational.

marciesmelody.bsky.social•43 days ago

My mom is a retired ASL interpreter and is just appalled… why do we continue to marginalize people?

pyrexcorex.bsky.social•43 days ago

In a world where fewer Americans share a common news source, ASL interpreters are more than welcome to broaden the viewer base.

dr2chase.bsky.social•43 days ago

Not seeing any mention of this college ASL student's fun final exam (just a student, not a professional): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv3tadz5Q3o

Decades ago we saw Brian Eno speak at the Palace of Fine Arts in SF, and they had an ASL interpreter there for all the talk and the musical bits as well.

esmerel.bsky.social•43 days ago

This is one of my absolute favorites. She’s SO good.

m57lyra.bsky.social•43 days ago

The rap ASL interpreters are absolutely amazing. So fast, in rhythm. Really shows you how much real-time interpretation, not just translation, has to happen.

amardguru.bsky.social•43 days ago

At the Portland Gay Mens Chorus holiday concert the team of two ASL interpreters received a longer standing ovation than most song numbers. Even as a hearing person I could feel the music in the way their hands danced to the music.

michael-w-busch.bsky.social•43 days ago

I do the same thing when working with ASL interpreters when talking about science; since they have to decide which terms to fingerspell in English and which to translate when there may not be exact equivalent ASL signs.

Just like when working with a translator for any other language.

mhairiforrest.bsky.social•43 days ago

Are you aware of Atomic Jands & ASL STEM? They are groups of Deaf scientists, linguists, & interpreters standardizing ASL STEM vocab. https://atomichands.com/asl-stem-dictionaries/
https://aslstem.cs.washington.edu/

mhairiforrest.bsky.social•43 days ago

Atomic Hands*

michael-w-busch.bsky.social•43 days ago

I was not aware of that group.

I had known of similar efforts specific to astronomy, covering LSF and BSL as well as ASL: https://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau1706/

mhairiforrest.bsky.social•43 days ago

Ooh! I hadn't seen this one yet. Thank you!

greym0user.bsky.social•43 days ago

We have a bunch of friends who are ASL interpreters at the Los Angeles Ren Faire. They are hardworking, fantastic people who make the visit better for everyone.

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