Putting a signer on stage during a performance – even if it’s one of the most-watched TV broadcasts of the year – doesn’t mean that ‘access’ has been provided if no-one can see it.
So, while Deaf people worldwide would agree that it’s great that Deaf actress and Oscar winner Marlee Matlin was asked to perform an ASL version of the US national anthem (as Lady Gaga sang it) at the Superbowl yesterday, the fact that no-one could see her has been met with a response that is far from positive.
In the stadium, her performance could be seen in a box on the giant monitors (see Marlee Matlin’s own upload below) but viewers only saw a brief glimpse of her on the TV broadcast.
You can see the video below. Here are just a few of the comments on Facebook:
Here’s the video of what was seen in the stadium:
By Charlie Swinbourne, Editor
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Rosie Malezer
February 8, 2016
CBS meant good things to me…. until now.
I am grateful that Marlee Matlin signed the anthem. I am Deaf/blind and the clip on her own page brought tears to my eyes, it was so beautiful. Shame on you, CBS, for not televising it better! #DeafCAN
Sybil
February 8, 2016
CBS was the last nightly news to include close captioning- after Deaf people across the nation picketed their local stations. As far as I am concerned, CBS doesn’t have a great track record. (But I suppose, it’s the negative stuff that sticks in our memory sometimes.)
What’s worse, is the NAD, Marlee Matlin and other deaf people/outlets were spreading news of this event. There was high praise for these companies for being inclusive (before the actual event.)
There were lots of non-fans that tuned in even though they don’t care for football. Then, MM was introduced. Then nothing. It’s really sad, because the performers we did see on television (Lady GaGa and the military choir) did very well.Ms. Matlin’s performance could have been a great addition. Instead, due to CBS’ actions, it will be a distraction and yet another example of how the hearing world just doesn’t GET it.
Donny
February 9, 2016
If you are blind how did you see it? Is this a hoax? Smh
Rayven
February 9, 2016
A person who is Deafblind does not have complete deafness or blindness. It means that there is a varying degree of loss of both. It differs from person to person.
James
February 10, 2016
{To: Donny} It’s good you asked, (and without any apparent malice or sarcasm…hopefully other’s on the internet can emulate your example on how to respectfully challenge something you find dubious without being a #%^%^#head)so that after some explanation you will know what’s up. To add to what Rayven replied, both deafness and blindness, medically speaking, are on sliding scales. For example, a Deaf/Blind person may have Usher’s Syndrome, which can affect their peripheral vision, and typically it progresses.If a person can only see what is directly in front of them, they are blind. There are many other medical scenarios; the point is that “blind” is a flexible concept. Medically so is deafness. CULTURALLY speaking, though, is an entirely different subject that I will defer to my Deaf/Blind friends to expound upon. But to give it a quick hearing analogy for this particular situation…imagine (Slash/Chuck D/Erykah Badu/Garth Brookes/~insert favorite artist here~) was advertised to play/sing with Lady Gaga and the production crew turned off the other musician’s mic/amp on the TV. The scores of people that were excited to experience BOTH performers would be sorely disappointed, understandably so. That is partially what happened here. Even worse is the cultural disrespect, but I will let those folks represent themselves, as it ain’t my place.
Kerena Marchant
February 8, 2016
It is a complete disgrace. Marlee Matlin is an American Icon and her performance of the Anthem was inspired. After the shunning of minority actors at the Oscars, this is a further barrier to minorities taking their rightful place as artists. The fact that Deaf viewers did not get full access is doubly unfortunate.
Cathy
February 8, 2016
Sorry, Iam confused: the signed song can clearly be seen in the box. Is this not the original video? Was the box too small? It lasted right through the song, did it not? Can’t fully understand these deaf people complaining?? I apologise for missing the plot!
Editor
February 8, 2016
The video shows what people in the stadium saw, not what was shown on tv
Amy
February 8, 2016
Cathy the box was on the stadium monitor, but NOT broadcast to the masses watching at home. So only if you were in attendance was the anthem actually accessible. FAIL.
Michelle Pepper
February 9, 2016
I have seen posted TV version and this one showing stadium monitors. MM does not appear but two seconds on TV version. I have deaf daughter this would have been a nice accompaniment to Gaga.
Laura
February 9, 2016
That signed box was only displayed at the game… Viewers at home only got glimpses of Marlee. The ability to add that little box for home viewers is readily available. The clip with the box is from Marlee herself.
Lonnie Stocklin
February 10, 2016
Anyone that watched the game on CBS could not watch her entire performance. CBS wasn’t making it possible. Lady Gaga was great, but there was no split screen or pip box to watch both performers on CBS.
PaulinePauline
February 8, 2016
Cathy: I first saw this as a 6 second clip on Facebook which showed the quick 6 second clip of Marlee signing. That was it! Someone commented about where was the full video and there was a ‘suggested link’ below which I went to. This was the full song but again, only the same few seconds could be seen. The camera was panning from the players, audience and Lady Gaga singing. There was also a couple of long-distance camera shots which showed how far away Marlee had been placed from Lady Gaga. I am presuming the video they are complaining about has been one that was ‘made for TV’ as there was definitely no small box like is customary for signing events.
Peter Weiss
February 8, 2016
CBS should be ashamed of themselves. Did they somehow determine the deaf community would not like to have been able to enjoy “America the Beautiful,” and “The Star Spangled Banner” as signed by Marlee. This was Super Bowl 50. This is 2016. The technology available could have turned these two beautiful songs into a meaningful few moments for the deaf community at an event of unparalleled excitement. A major mistake CBS!!! You can’t change yesterday but you can certainly change tomorrow.
Nita Roberts Crapps
February 8, 2016
My daughter and son in law r deaf, it’s a shame you can’t show the signing on tv , they miss so much . Even the weather does’t have CC. Thank God if you can hear. My daughter struggle all her life but she is very smart. Worked for Civil Service for years. Made something of her self. My son in law worked for the IRS plus he is a Pro Bowler. They need to know what’s being said on tv is that to much to ask CBS
Molly Bowen
February 8, 2016
Why are we surprised at the fact that the signing performance was not televised? It was going to happen like it does every year. I agree that major broadcasters repeatedly #CBSFail to include the interpreter (signer) in news and in entertainment events. However, the focus of blame isn’t just CBS or SuperBowl folks but the entertainers themselves in this case #LadyGaGa do not like to share the stage. I’m a fan of #LadyGaGa and I’m disappointed in her and the others for not doing the right thing by including the hundreds of thousands of Deaf and ASL users access to this important annual American cultural televised event. It just goes to show that politics and privilege comes before the human rights of others. Maybe we should be exempt from taxes and other things since we are not treated fairly or included in the same benefits as hearing people do.
Darlene
February 9, 2016
I’d love to hear from Marlee on this. She is an advocate for the Deaf and should have made sure CBS would show her split screen on tv- this is her third appearance at the SB she knows how this should work
Maka
March 1, 2016
Exactly!!!!! Marlee could have done something to prevent this, she fought for captioning in Netflix and movie theatres. But not fighting for the Super Bowl? Interesting…. I would want to hear Marlee’s comment after all!
Hope Tompkins
February 9, 2016
Closed captioning. Is it the prob that they couldn’t see the awesome actress. Serious over sight. I am grateful to be blessed with hearing bcos, not being a Gaga fan. I really enjoyed it. She looked respectful and classy
Laurie
February 9, 2016
MM should stand on stage next to Lady Gaga. Didn’t see completely ASL signed. That sad!! Very wrong for her stand on ground not on stage with LG or even on small box bottom right corner. Not happy
Karen
February 9, 2016
CBS…What’s so hard to understand? Hearing people can HEAR the music whether you show the performer or not, but those who NEED the sign language, actually need to SEE the person signing! DUH! Epic fail!
Nicholas Lopez
February 9, 2016
CBS you are a disgrace to the deaf society. Marlee should be in the stage with Lady Gaga to perform national anthem in sign language while lady Gaga sang the song. That would’ve have been more life moving if that was to happen, but instead, you put Marlee in a box, and CBS you also made me feel like a rat in a damn box. Marlee doesn’t deserve that treatment from you CBS. we should be treated as equal diversity.
I am more upset due to the fact that Lady Gaga did not even step up to have the balls to bring Marlee on the stage with her.
changingbrains
February 9, 2016
Exclusion and invisibility goes on.
adrianjbailey
February 9, 2016
Important to recognise that this is not the first time Marlee has signed the national anthem at the Superbowl. Search Youtube for the 1993 (yep… 23 years ago…) clip of Marlee signing with Garth Brooks singing. On stage. Next to each other. Close enough to touch.
David Goldfarb
February 9, 2016
Awesome! Not perfect but that one glimpse gave the viewer something a reminder of how big and diverse a nation of people we are. Where were the other physically challenged and at what point does enough become too Kun? It’s a national anthem…not a sermon. …as it was, it achieved the goal…a beautifully rendered version of Our National Anthem broadcast with images of our armed forces in other countries, players, coaches, planes…a tapestry of images and people. Yes CBS should have put Marlee on the entire time and made it more relevant to the entire performance. But as it was, she was flawless. The song was well performed. God Bless Amerca. A land of diversity and arrogant broadcasters cow towing to sponsors and angry consumers who just want their entertainment. 🙂
Derf Nietsdlog
February 9, 2016
I am not challenged from a hearing standpoint but noticed immediately that Marlee Matlin was conspicuously absent from the tv screen. I immediately commented to my wife that having someone there to “sign” lost quite a bit when those who desired inclusion in this manner could not even see the “signer” on tv. It’s like playing Super Bowl 50 without showing any member of either team.
To say that some tv Genius blew it would require someone to take a video of the signing of a comment!!
Dumbest mistake on Turf!
Hartmut
February 9, 2016
What the absurd (ab=not, surd=deaf) people too often fail to see the meaning of teleVISION. The video part should show the signing part on at least half of the screen with the audio part being given exclusively to the audio part. What people see on the screen is teleBLAHBLAHBLAH, not teleVISION.
The US National Association of the Deaf failed to include the email and mailing addresses of CBS key people when it massmailed the information to its members. I asked the NAD headquarter for the address, since it was the NAD who approached CBS to put Marlee Matlin to perform the two songs in ASL and got assurance that it will be put on the CBS website. The information officer said she does not have the addresses for people to write letters to CBS.
pezben
February 9, 2016
Marlee had the chance to uplift the Deaf Community after her Oscar win up until her “Reasonable Doubt” TV show. She chose to do nothing. Her marginalization now by CBS is the price we’re all paying now. By contrast Beyonce is fearless!
mark
February 10, 2016
CLOSED CAPTIONING ANYONE???
SHE WAS SHOWN AT THE STADIUM, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
If you feel as though a picture in picture bubble is required for this broadcast, then a bubble should be required for every broadcast.
Krista
March 10, 2016
In the same tone as your remark, THEY SHOULD! And why have a signing performer and then NOT SHOW HER!?! So we can look up some football player’s nostrils while he stands there? Marlee carefully prepared her performance, just as Lady Gaga did. It was a shame she was not shown.
Anne Medrow
February 10, 2016
I thought the signing done by Marlee was for the hearing impaired in ATTENDANCE at the game. Those who were at home watching, already have closed caption so that they can see ALL that is said (and sung) during the complete broadcast of the game.
pezben
February 10, 2016
Closed captioning is in English. ASL is a separate language with its own syntax.
Hartmut
March 2, 2016
Anne and Mark,
I am sorry having to tell you both bluntly of your idiocy in your remarks. WHAT is being said can be rendered by captions. But not the performance of a national anthem. Why must Gaga be shown en toto on the screen and the artistic ASL rendition be transmitted by a monotonous and wholly uninteresting English script. Gaga is there WHOLLY via audio and nothing interesting is visually from her. Why must she be on the screen? She is ugly anyway who needs lot of make-up and sexy clothing that cover up her ugliness.
I need to know how this happened. NAD messed up in this royally. I know NAD contacted NFL and CBS about having an ASL rendition of the two songs and got affirmation that it will be done. Nothing more, apparently the conversation with them were very brief and assumptions of how it will be realized ran wildly. Lesson learned: negotiations for the TV accessibility must be thorough and all details be spelled out and the agreed to our complete satisfaction and all needed implementation information be transmitted from the top echelons to the production level and wholly supervised.
Krista
March 10, 2016
Hi Anne, I was so excited to hear that Marlee was going to be signing the national anthem. 🙂 I jumped up and ran into the room to watch it. She is a renowned actress and performer (much like Lady Gaga). If this helps you picture why I was excited, imagine the difference between them announcing “The National Anthem was printed in your program. We will pause for 30 seconds to read through it.” and “A wonderful performer will sing The National Anthem” The performance adds to the feeling, right? Watch it a couple times. Which is better, watching Marlee perform it in ASL, or watching football players stand there and listen to Lady Gaga? I just wish I had had that option at home. 🙁
Melody Jimenez
February 10, 2016
I did not even know that the National Anthem was signed until just now when I viewed the video!
Rev. Joseph Pesola
February 11, 2016
Once AGAIN CBS and the NFL totally fumbled the American Sign Language Version of the National Anthem. Considering how much money local communities spend to secure the opportunity to host the Super Bowl, this is quite shameful. Our nation has had the Americans with Disabilities Act for well over 25 years. Our Deaf community has once again been relegated to second class. It is totally inexcusable that Marlee’s performance was not broadcasted on TV and throughout the stadium. The NFL dishes out serious penalties and fines for trivial things like not wearing NFL socks properly ($10,000 uniform violation). Fines were given for not using NFL licensed products. Yet the NFL, Levi stadium and CBS totally excluded and dismissed a large segment of the population. tHe NFL, CBS and Levi Stadium should each be fined $250,000. the fines should be given to the National Association for the Deaf, thus continuing the work of Advocacy for the Deaf. The Signed performance should be given the same respect that the musical version is given in English.
Harold pe
February 11, 2016
close captioning is not the same as a ASL version. The difference is similar to using a view aster or using An HD version
Christina
February 11, 2016
As an hard of hearing individual, I prefer to see songs in ASL, the hering can listen and hear the emotions run wild within the singer while the deaf can SEE the emotions run in the ASL language. CBS needs to step up to their game.