Like any other culture or type of people, deaf people have labels written on them, stereotyping them, usually reflecting preconceptions. After reading this chapter, it was extremely disappointing to see all the uneducated and negative stereotypes that are meant to define deaf people and the Deaf culture.
One of the stereotypes described is called 'The Silent Sufferer'...recognized by the novel, "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter". Some people believe that based on deaf people's inability to hear, they are lonely and outcasts. I personally think this stereotype is extremely irrational and according to HPO, "ASL-Deaf people are social creatures" (pg 359). Knowing about Deaf culture and how socially active deaf people are, I do not understand this stereotype.
Another stereotype listed is 'The Incompetent Dum-Dum'. This stereotype basically defines deaf people as stupid and unintelligent, believing that they can not think for themselves. I think this assumption goes back to the history of Deaf culture, and how in the past, this was the original view. People use to assume that deaf people were 'deaf and dumb' or 'deaf-mute', and as a result, some people still hold this ridiculous belief.
The stereotype, 'Exotic Alien', is another that surprises me. The fact that people see deaf people as "exotic, weird, strange, and alien' just because they are deaf and use sign language seems to be very judgmental and slightly unreasonable.
In addition, 'Life's Loser' is another stereotype that I have unfortunately heard of. For deaf people who choose to only use ASL as their way of communication, they are looked at negatively because apparently, you are "nothing if you can't speak" (pg 362) in Hearing culture. This belief that those who do not voice are 'losers' or insignificant is an idea that is used by hearing people with oralist beliefs.
Another two, 'Evil Deafie' and 'God's Victim', seem very similar. Both show deaf people as being cursed by God. In the stereotype, 'Evil Deafie', this idea that deaf people are cursed gives an extremely negative view towards them, making them seem like they are dangerous. In 'God's Victim', deaf people are seen as "touched by God" or "special to God" (pg 363). It is so frustrating to see how far some people will go just to justify the differences that deaf people have compared to themselves.
One stereotype that is often seen throughout media is the 'Tabloid Tragedies'. This stereotype labels being deaf as extremely negative and sees being deaf as a tragedy...often leading to low self-esteem. The authors had a statement referring to this stereotype that I found very powerful: "In our struggle to gain rights, empowerment, and better education for all deaf people, the last thing we need is to be branded as walking tragedies!" (pg 363).
In addition to the stereotypes described above, HPO also discusses 'The Pathetic Waif/Emotional Basket Case', 'Super-Sleuth Who Can Read Lips Through Walls', 'Super-Deafie with Novelty Value', and 'Sleazy Card Peddlers'. I find many of these over-exaggerated and according to HPO, many are based on single situations or even based on media such as television shows, movies, or novels.
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