I Know This Audience – TikTok Users Accidently Baited

So I able to successfully elicit a predictable response pattern, albeit inadvertently, while responding to a video on TikTok that shows a woman in a pool wearing what appears to be a surgical mask.  I had no idea why she was wearing the mask, nor did anyone else in the thread and it was obvious they did not care to (that was the first sign).   And while there was no proof of her putting the mask into the water or the mask being wet (the astute observer will notice the mask retains its shape without sagging), comments included such gems like “waterbording herself.”  Gotta love it.

So I made a comment: “If she can wear it in that environment, other people can handle it in stores.”  It ended up being the bait that attracted all kinds of people, some with some truly witty comments. Continue reading I Know This Audience – TikTok Users Accidently Baited

Why do Deaf Noises Make Some Hearies Uncomfortable?

So this question came up from a Deaf creator that I follow on TikTok.  She wondered why (hearing) people might judge others based on the noises they make.  The specific context here is noise made during communication (ASL production), but can be expanded to any noise that deaf people may be making unbeknownst to them.

As a hearing person that went though the experience in question (long before I starting learning ASL and learning about the Deaf World) and the things listed below, I believe I am qualified to provide an answer to this.

As hearing people, we are exposed to sounds and noise all the time, even while in the womb(!).  What some deaf people may not  initially realize is that just about everything that moves makes noise!  And I am talking about an understanding that goes far beyond that moment where you first learned that farts made a noise! 😛 Continue reading Why do Deaf Noises Make Some Hearies Uncomfortable?