Season 33, episode 17 of the long-running popular animated sitcom The Simpsons titled “The Sound of Bleeding Gums” is outstanding for its use of American Sign Language (ASL) (even though the characters only have four fingers), and for its casting of Deaf actor John Autry II to be the voice of the Deaf character Monk. With this role, Autry has become the very first Deaf performer to voice a character on the show.
The creators additionally deserve credit for aiming to have characters with just four fingers communicate in American Sign Language. This process must have been challenging to animate, which could account for the fact that signing is only featured at the end of the episode. It’s a fairly brief sequence, but it’s also fun to see the characters perform the virtually impossible task of signing while lacking a fifth finger. To ensure the accuracy of the ASL used in the episode, the producers employed two ASL consultants, despite the limitation of The Simpsons characters having just four fingers on each hand.
“The Sound of Bleeding Gums” installment of The Simpsons shows that its creators care about dealing with real-life issues on the show, especially regarding people of different communities like the Deaf. For instance, to voice the Deaf character Monk they selected Deaf actor John Autry II, who gave a stellar performance. One more thing is the script that was carefully composed by Loni Steele Sosthand, whose sibling was born Deaf. Additionally, details related to Deaf culture were carefully presented. And at another point in the episode Monk says to Lisa,I’m not anybody’s cause,” reflecting how Deaf people actually feel. They don’t really want sympathy or assistance in doing things simply because they can’t hear. They feel they can do anything a hearing person can.
With CODA winning Best Picture and other awards at the 2022 Oscars, and the airing of “The Sound of Bleeding Gums” on The Simpsons, the Deaf community undoubtedly has a bright future ahead in the entertainment industry, especially in the field of animation. The Deaf actor John Autry II provides a great source of inspiration for other aspiring Deaf and hard of hearing actors. His ability to land a starring role star on The Simpsons despite his being Deaf is uplifting and encouraging to both the Deaf and hearing populations alike.
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