Nyle DiMarco did not appreciate a recent promo by Jimmy Fallon and Jamie Foxx, which he says was disrespectful of hearing impaired people.
The spot aired last week and depicted Foxx pretending to translate Fallon’s comments into sign language. But here’s the thing: Foxx wasn’t actually using sign language. He was just nonsensically moving his fingers around.
Related: Nyle DiMarco Reveals One Advantage To Being Deaf (Hint: It Has To Do With Donald Trump)
28-year-old DiMarco is deaf. He is also the founder of the Nyle DiMarco Foundation, which works to improve language and literacy development for hearing impaired youth across the country. He immediately took to Twitter to call out Foxx for his failed attempt at a joke, tweeting:
How about we take this to the next level?
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.@iamjamiefoxx, It is straight up disrespectful to make up sign language.
Everything is in gibberish. pic.twitter.com/X5AHkusq3o
— Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) May 27, 2017
In a followup tweet, DiMarco wrote: “How was this allowed? Where’s the cultural sensitivity. Not comedy when you make fun of others.”
He followed that followup with a longer tweet, in which he didn’t mince any words:
My response to Jamie Foxx making up sign language on Fallon Tonight with @jimmyfallon. pic.twitter.com/GpDN8iB9xL
— Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) May 27, 2017
Related: Nyle DiMarco Is ‘Very Single’; Wants A Lover With These Three Qualities
ChrisK
Lighten up. This is such a non issue. Jeez.
DMRX
It is ABSOLUTELY NOT a non-issue!
It is the height of disrespect and ignorance.
barkomatic
Agreed. Neither Fallon nor Foxx disparaged deaf people in any way. This guy is trying to draw attention to himself and his foundation and outrage is the most effective way to get attention these days.
Xzamilloh
DMRX, I’d say physical assault, terrorism. murder, hatred of someone over things they cannot change are a littler taller in height than making up sign language in a clear joke.
Sluggo2007
Another attention whore.
Daniel-Reader
Good for him for raising awareness about the lack of education access to Sign Language for deaf human beings worldwide. And remember that you can lose your full hearing ability in any number of ways so you and those you know and care about can become impacted at any time.
Donston
I can’t take anyone seriously who mostly takes their clothes for a living and sees themselves as “sexually fluid”. I just can’t. However, I’m not deaf, so I have no right to tell him whether he should be offended or not. But why can’t people learn to call out insensibility without sounding so whiny and melodramatic? And of course he had to promote his foundation. And being dead is a culture?
Xzamilloh
The Nyle DiMarco Foundation… it’s not like he had me, but he definitely lost me with that shameless plug of his foundation. Not to mention, his — pardon the expression — tone-deaf take on comedy is precisely why people who aren’t comedians should really just learn that their offense and sensitivity only serves to fuel comedians like Jamie Foxx who just don’t care. I mean, really, who thought he was seriously trying to do sign language? It’s an old joke that wasn’t funny, but mountains out of molehills.
Donston
I actually just texted my nephew who is deaf to watch the clip. He wasn’t offended. That’s not to say one can speak for all. And as I said, there’s a way to call out insensitivity or “tone deafness” without the sermonizing and self-victimizing. It really should have been something that Nyle shrugged off. There really isn’t anything there. However, he saw it as a perfect opportunity to blatantly publicize his foundation and get some press. These damn narcissists know nothing about subtlety.
Xzamilloh
It’s one of the side effects of social media, that you can use your platform as a low hanging fruit lazy form of “activism” that is nothing more than self-validating virtue signaling. I agree with you that my opinion takes nothing away from Nyle’s and his offense, but honestly, what has his tweet changed about the perception of deaf people? Or how deaf people are treated? Or deaf culture? Nothing at all. But he’s hot, so I forgive him… and his “sexual fluidity” and whatever that gross sounding mess is.
Chris
It IS insensitive. But then, all humor is insensitive. That’s the point.
Donston
I’m trying to be somewhat sympathetic over here.
jhon_siders
What can you expect from a low talent host and a Dindo ??
Sluggo2007
You misspelled it. It’s Dindu.