Re: "Sinners" To Debut On Max As First Show With "Black American Sign Language" Translation

On 7/2/2025 9:58 AM, shawn wrote:

BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:

"Ubiquitous" <weberm@polaris.net> wrote:

On July 4th, the movie SINNERS will become the first show to be
interpreted into "Black American Sign Language (BASL)," per a press
release from Warner Bros.
>
The entertainment company described it as "a major step forward in
accessibility, representation, and visibility in streaming."
>
"BASL is a distinct dialect of American Sign Language (ASL) with its own
dynamic history and unique grammar, signing space, rhythm, facial
expressions, and cultural nuances," the release stated. "For the first
time, the black deaf community will have streaming access to a more
immersive experience in their language. Max subscribers, who sign in
ASL but are unfamiliar with this dialect, will also be able to follow
along with this interpretation."

>
Oh my god. They actually made sign language ebonics.

 
So this is something that didn't exist so there is no base of people
who know it.

>
I see this type of stuff posted in this group all the time and I usually
just ignore.  But I'm bored so I'm going to speak up.
>
Black Sign language has existed since the 19th century.  The reason it
exists is because White people refused to let Black people attend
schools with them.  This was called segregation.  One of the results of
segregation was separate schools for Black deaf people which resulted in
divergent sign language.

When I watch a movie either on disc or streaming, there are often
multiple language options available to accommodate a wide audience who
don't speak English.  And I don't think I've ever heard someone complain
about that until now.  And of course the complaint would be targeted
towards Black people.