The Simpsons Makes History with the Use of ASL and Casting Deaf Voice Actors
Season 33, episode 17 of the hit animated sitcom The Simpsons entitled “The Sound of Bleeding Gums” is outstanding for its use of American Sign Language ( ASL ) (although the characters have only 4 fingers), and for its casting of Deaf actor John Autry II to be the voice of the Deaf character Monk. Autry became the first Deaf performer to voice a character on the show through this role. The ep. 17 additionally features a few other Deaf performers, like comedian Kathy Buckley and 3 youngsters, Kaylee Arellano, Ian Mayorga, and Hazel Lopez from No Limits, a nonprofit organization dedicated to deaf kids. This fact reinforces the impact of “The Sound of Bleeding Gums” as a turning point in US entertainment history for the Deaf community. Concern for Deaf People and Deaf Culture “The Sound of Bleeding Gums” installment of The Simpsons demonstrates that its creators care about dealing with real-life issues on the show, especially regarding people of different communities like the Deaf. For i