Here is your Wednesday antidote to everything annoying on the Internet (meaning everyone being unable to shut up about Tim Tebow, AGAIN): a completely adorable video of a deaf college student, Stephon, signing “I am proud of you” to Barack Obama and the President signing “thank you” in response without missing a beat. TAKE THAT, kittens with your heads stuck in a plastic cup. From the the student’s account of the exchange via a transcript on Distriction:
The moment I will never forget was when he looked at me. He gave me a chance to talk to him. It was like he was waiting for me to say something. I took the moment and signed “I am proud of you,” and his response was “Thank u” in sign language back! Oh my gosh! I was like wow! He understood me after I said I was proud of him. It was so amazing…I was just speechless. Right after he thanked me, he smiled at another deaf lady who signed “I love you.”
Mind-numbingly sweet video, after the jump!
This has been Your Day in Rainbows and Obama Being Rad. [YouTube/Distriction]
{ 203 comments }
"Deaf people are people too, my friends."
–St. Barry of O'Bama
You should reach 150p with that comment.
I'm doing my part, and it looks like 107 people did, as well. Keep 'em coming.
ASL is in the tank!
But where's his Deaf Certificate, Henh?
ASL and ACORN both start with an A – coincidence? OR BLACK MUSLIM CONSPIRACY?
Mitt Romney tried to sign but every time he kept giving America the middle finger.
The only thing Rmoney can sign is a check.
Hand writing is a really complex subroutine
Needs more dot-matrix printers.
Cold unfeeling robots are people too, my friend!
If you ask Mittbott about the mortgage robo-signing scandal, he'll throw a kernel panic, and Ann will try to unobtrusively reboot him.
and a pink slip.
I think he's far more adept at signing pink slips.
Santorum refuses to learn ASL because he thinks those people should just learn to speak English, like the law says to do.
But, the ASL is even better than use English-speakers. They speak "American," for goodness sake!
It's a Miracle on Pennsylvania Avenue moment!
NOW do you believe, Susie?
On a side note: I would like to marry Obama. And Michelle.
I hope they adopt me.
Get in line, buster.
First it was gay marriage, then they wanted multiple marriage… SLIPPERY SLOPE ALERT!!
Btw, can I marry you and Michelle and Barack?
I would like to get in on this action, too.
So would we all.
Dependent upon your gender, that will be impossible for at least one of them, at the moment.
And he's stuck dealing with *this* Congress.
I think in his second term he'll have the perfect sign to flip them.
"Congress?! This?!? This is no fucking congress!!"
"You are no Parliament, I say you are no Parliament. Come, I will put an end to your prating."
Oliver Cromwell knew what to do with obstructive legislatures.
Messy.
Yeah, try and make a teleprompter crack, now, haters. Just try it.
Do you really doubt they will?
"Everyone" knows Barry's Teleprompter comes with closed captioning.
Or a small insert of Garrett Morris in the top corner, shouting.
Yer old. (I'm old too.)
Actor,
In response to that awesome comment, I refer you thusly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWiMZjG3jPc&fe…
Oh cmon. You know he was just taking advantage of the opportunity to pander to the aurally-impaired.
Just another page from the Alinsky Handbook.
That page is in elitist Braille, which O also reads, because, obvs!!!
Rick Santorum is going to be pissed about this. English is the official language, not American Sign Language.
Santorum's just jealous that Barry made saint before he did.
Plus, after this latest Obama spank-down, Republicans will leap to action (ironic finger quotes) and lobby to change the name to "Un-American Sign Language."
You would be f*cking surprised to know how many people actually think that way.
Ole Newt would have known just what to do.
He would have given that kid the finger.
Or had one if his neighborhood watch captains shoot him.
Or put him to work as a janitor.
ha ha yeah! As if anyone would ever say/sign "I am proud of you" to that fat sneering turd-bucket.
Dude's always fingering something.
Which one? The one that smells like Hugh Jazz or the one that smells like Calista?
His fingers are so fat, I don't think anyone would be able to tell.
Yeah? Well, Santorum keeps his semaphores numbered for just such an occasion.
What, he can't afford an interpreter?
FUN FACT:
Ex. Mrs Baconz's nephew is deaf. I never knew this till I started to learn how to sign but it's the truth. American sign language, and not spanish, is the 2nd most used language in the United States.
Well, then someone ought to start expelling all them illegal Deaficans…
True story.
I was at a ball game last summer and 2 guys next to me were deaf. Occasionally they would say somthing derogatory about my gal. About the 7th inning while they were getting a beer I followed them and, standing in line, tapped one on the shoulder and informed them "Shit heads. I know how to sign". I revieved the text book definition of an embarrassed apology.
Assholes are deaf too, my friend.
People don't realize it's considered a different language, even though it has its own syntax and and you have to learn new ways to communicate every single word.
AND is totally different from British Sign Language.
My daughter teaches at a primo early-learning center here in K-town, and they teach the babies sign language from a very early age, like 8-9 mos., so they can communicate long before they're able to verbalize. It's awesome.
My sons speak it fluently. Having a deaf cousin and all.
Wait, what? Not that Wikipedia is the end-all-be-all or anything, but this here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_United_States#Census_statistics) says ASL is used by about 500,000 Americans, putting it somewhere between Portuguese and Japanese in order of usage, making it about the 14th most used language. By comparison, Spanish is spoken (according to that reference) by 28 million people.
Is sign a universal language? Not to go all "Chicken of the Sea" here, but is it really "American" sign language? Or is it an international language – like, say, math?
Well, according to CSI (the TV show) and its "Grissom's mother is deaf" subplot, sign language is different in different languages, so yes, there is an American sign language.
ASL has different conventions than other versions, and refers to the fact that it was developed here. It is the American standard, but it isn't even the only version people learn in America. So it could be adopted as a quasi-universal language, but it would still reflect its roots in being developed by American English users and would have to be adapted for use in other countries.
It is different from the sign languages used in other countries, and it is drastically different from English (syntax and grammar).
Interesting! Thank you. I thought it would be universal – like the Plains Indian sign language that permitted various tribes to communicate quite easily.
Different cultures, different languages. For example, the ASL sign for pray is both palms pressed together-the way Christians hold their hands in prayer. In Israeli sign language, "pray" is hold hands palms up, as if holding a prayer book, and sway back and forth-the traditional Jewish posture for prayer.
"…I was just speechless. …" No shit.
Okay, tag me a buzz killer, but signing "thank you" to adoring people who are talking to you is no different than saying "thank you" to all the people who speak out loud in a line. I've worked with professional signers and I know how to do that, too. What, you think he wasn't prepped?
Like the guy, but he ain't no saint, and he would probably cringe at these accolades – which is a great thing about him.
Gang sign FAIL!
Oh God, there are all kinds of ways that could be the next Tragic Event in the news.
Oh, it's happened already. Makes me worry about my teenage son, sometimes.
ASL = American Socialist Language.
another terrorist hand gesture
Monster!
This gives me an ouchie in my heart region.
I think you need to see a doctor about that.
I predict…
Rightwing noise machine will claim the college student was planted.
Any other guesses?
He wasn't REALLY deaf.
he should self-deport himself for non-english communication
I guess "D," Gratuitous. Final answer.
He went deaf cuz he's a slut.
The obvious (and entirely plausible) possibility: Obama really only knows the sign for "Thank you," and would have used it even if the deaf guy had signed "My hovercraft is full of eels. You great poof. My nipples explode with delight."
There's one way to test this theory.
"My hovercraft is full of eels. You great poof. My nipples explode with delight."
I just found what's going to be carved on my tombstone.
You'll want to make sure it's in Hungarian
Sounds like a Don Hertzfeldt cartoon.
He was exaggerating his deafness like what'shisname, the actor with Parkinson's. I think it will be Rush who catches this one.
Barry and his team have been working on that skit for years but he, obvs, didn't have the wattage to master the few simple gestures until now.
It was a school for the deaf so they were all deaf, and Obama was rehearsed beforehand on how to do basic sign things.
He had an ASL-knowing HUMAN TELEPROMPTER behind the guy!
"The Human Teleprompter: Full Sequence"!!
Obama just happened to burp at the very second the kid finished signing.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Today we are ALL part of the right wing noise maker.
Relax, people! That's just Kenyan sign language for Flipping The Bird.
Kinda like all of the pics of Iraqis giving the "thumbs up" when the war first got going…
Sign language? Terrorist hand mimes? People are calling this a lot of things.
Wait, how did they get the sign language on the TeLePromPter so fast?
Oh yeah? Well, if he's so great, why didn't he heal that poor deaf child?
Another Nobama failure!
Because he already had the kid added to the Death Panel list.
Ronald Reagan raised Ignorance, Jingoism and Bigotry from the dead!
Santo-gold would've at least turned him white.
He saving it for the lepers.
Santorum would have just prayed away the deaf like he prays away the gay.
This is a example of how great our POTUS is.
What would GWB have done in that situation? In the very best scenario, George would have said "You're going to have to speak up, I can't hear you".
Relevant
And yet, when Joe Biden pulled this, I mostly just rolled my eyes and said, "Oh, Joe…there you go again…"
There's something about Biden that makes his gaffes more facepalm-laughable than douchey.
Joe Biden is not a mean person, at heart. He takes the bus (OK, train) to work every day and raised his kids as a single father. He's a bit of a doof and a bit of a goof, but not mean.
GWB was a mean sick fuck, who enjoyed exploding frogs and humiliating other people. You just KNOW he's the kind of guy that, if you invited him to your house for drinks or dinner, he would kick your dog when he thought you weren't looking.
THAT's why Biden's gaffes are laughable, and Gee, Dumb? Yeah, Bush!'s gaffes were cringey-vomitty.
Yes, and Biden is not actually an idiot, but an intelligent man with a lot of wisdom and experience. I'd be more than comfortable with him as President.
Also, let's not forget Mr. Biden's totally badass ride.
(Also charming: VP Joe thinks the Onion story is a hoot. And really owns a 67 Corvette)
What are you? DEAF??
"Yer deaf? Now thatsa great 'Merican story right there…"
Like a blah could have made it in to a Dubya event if he/she wanted to.
Didn't he wave at Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles from off stage once?
True story. I worked for a decade at one of this great nation's largest HIT corporations. The CEO is a dyed-in-the-wool Republican, who so wants to influence legislation that he made his wife run for Congress against Emmanuel Cleaver, which explains Cleaver's resounding win since Wifey was so ill-informed she makes Sarah Palin appear to have two DNA strands by comparison. In addition, Wifey was spectacularly ILL-coiffed. I can put up with a lot, but big hair on a Congressional candidate is my LIMIT.
Anywaze, in the annual company "Airing of the CEO's Ego" or as it was officially called, the Town Hall meeting, the CEO called for questions and comments after one of his terrifying stream of consciousness 40 minute speeches. A young woman stood and the mic was passed along to her. She asked her question in a very wispy, hoarse voice. CEO looked down his nose and sneered (the sarcasm was dripping off him like morality off a Republican presidential candidate): "What's wrong with your voice? Speak up!" To which the young woman replied (to the silent thrall of the rest of us cogs in the audience): "I can't. I'm recovering from throat cancer." CEO was so nonplussed he literally scurried to the other side of the stage and totally ignored her and her question.
WHAT? He didn't have her fired before somebody ELSE caught the cancer?
Shocking.
These sort of stories always reminds me of stories the hubby would tell to explain why he left the corporate world.
Corporate life sucks, but its a quiet, cold, fluorescent lit sucking, with poor leadership. Usually with grudgingly given benefits and little praise or fulfillment, so there's that.
Might explain why I am still awake now.
But, seriously, this Bamz video made me choke up, my heart grew three sizes, and I won't have quite as severe road rage tomorrow.
ROTFLMAO!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Today we are ALL part of the right wing noise maker.
If an aide told him the kid was deaf George would just start talking louder.
Well, why not? It always works for talking to Foreigners!
Huh?
See Mittens? Charisma is something no SuperPAC can buy for you.
Oh God, I love that. The only sign language I know is the gesture that I make toward the wingnuts…
And the one for cunnilingus.
Easy Manolo, you gonna get slapped again, papi.
The GOP can do this too! What's the big deal? They have been giving the finger to wounded vets for years!
Santorum would have had the kid arrested for flashing gang signs or something appropriately stupid while Mittens would have looked confused and then asked his secret service detail to frisk the kid for explosives.
And that is why it doesn't really matter who the Repubiltard nominee is. Obama will smoke his ass in every language.
"Thank You" in sign language is the same as "Disappear this deaf bastard to Guantanamo and hellfire-predator drone his kid" so it's hard to know exactly what he meant.
Mitt Romney plaintively whined, "Gee, don't I get any credit for how far I've come even though I'm completely tone-deaf? Also, I've fired some deaf people."
"And some of my friends own sweatshop factories where the employees go deaf."
Right after he thanked me, he smiled at another deaf lady who signed “I love you.”
Oh please. That kid totally doesn't recognize Satan Fingers.
Oh come on, Mitt Rmoney would have done the same thing if the kid had flashed some ACSII code at him.
I want someone to ask Newt a question in Klingon.
And watch him get infuriated as his secret is revealed?
Barry could definitely handle Klingon. After all, he is the Kwisatz Haderach
maud dib….swoon
Tell me about the waters of your homeworld, Usul.
Newt Gingrich demands an apology in 3…2..1…
I can't hear a word this kid is saying.
Tomorrow, Teatard state legislators will begin introducing legislation requiring people to take a hearing test before they can vote. They will claim it is necessary to prevent voter fraud.
Of course it is Rmoney who is deaf to the concerns of most Americans.
SPEEK ENGLISH!!!111
Barry just smooth man, and cool. Just a smooth, cool, slim cat who drives half the population into fits of teeth gnashing race hatred, and makes the other half wet, or the equivalent thereof.
I like it when he whips out his organ.
What? I meant his brain!
Oh, I know what you meant! *disapproving look*
OK Snowbilly, not that you care, but I finally found some of your garbled words of advice I can use. This I will retweet. AND reload..
Probably picked it up watching Switched at Birth with Malia.
When Obama debates Romney later this year, he can tell the person doing the sign language interpretation, "Relax, I got it covered."
Mitt Romney saw the guy and smirked, "What's up, Marcel Marceau?"
"Sprung for the expensive cochlear implant, did you?"
Mitt is friends with the president of Gallaudet tho –
President of Gallaudet is a Deaf Jewish academic, so probably not.
I need more thumbs to give you for knowing this.
Also, let's start the count down until the right-wing idiots start a rumor that he really called the guy a jelly doughnut.
Breaking on Fox; "Kenyan madrassa's teach sign language!!1!"
But why hasn't Barry ever signed anything to Bristol Palin? Huh? He's such an elitist jerk!
How does one "sign" to Bristol? Wave a wine cooler in the air? Throw The Shocker?
I'm guessing you point to her, point to yourself, then make the "OK" sign with your left hand, extend the index finger of your right hand, and then insert and withdraw your right index finger into the circle made by your left thumb and index finger. And smile at her.
Set up a tent?
Where's Ken Layne to tell us this proves Obama is a douchebag?
Gone!
Or at least morally weak?
I know a cat named Way-Out Barry,
Got a cool little chick named Rocking Chellie.
He can walk and stroll and Susie Q
And do that crazy hand jive, too.
Santorum would have said to the kid "You're lucky to be an American. In the Netherlands, deaf people hide in sewers to escape from the euthanasia death squads."
A little off topic but I find that pic of Obmbi as Saint a little offensive. Barry has yet to molest the requisite number of alter boys to even be considered for pope or canonization.
But has he paid players bonuses for deliberately injuring other players?
Aw man, as a saints fan, that really hurts…. *sniff
Maybe one of the miracles is that he was non-white & got elected President of the US.
Srsly, this deserves ELEBENTY BAJILLION more upfists than there are humans in this universe. Just for the LULZworthiness, if nothing else.
Agreed, Frothy, we will always be the generation that saw the equivalent of the first Jewish pope. (I am sure somebody will cite my ignorance, but it is late)
Romney would have written "what are you saying?" on the Etch-a-sketch he always carries with him for such occasions.
This roused a deep chuckle in my roomy gullet, my friend.
I'm trying to figure out why Fehrnstrom still has a job after that epic gaffe.
Sounded fine to Romney, He's running for office for Pete's sake!
Bet this leads on Fox and Friends tomorrow.
Yes, the coverage over at Fox News as we speak is just crazy!
Another put-down of the non-speech impaired community. He never stops insulting real Americans. Pah!
Deaf terrorist fist-bump!!!!!!
Seriously, tho. I love this guy.
He's pretty damn loveable, goddammit. I resisted. God knows I resisted.
Speaking for Kittens With Their Heads Stuck In Cups International, I find this story incredibly biased.
Raccoons With Their Heads Stuck in Jars would like to lodge a complaint, too.
You have NO idea how many Republizards With Their Heads Stuck In Their Asses are lining up to complain.
Mitt Romney reacted to the news by saying,"I have several good friends who own deaf people."
He also went onto to say: "And I know plenty of people who don't listen to me."
Which would include roughly 56% of his (very) base.
I need to get my son a T-shirt that say "Yes, I'm Deaf, AND I'm ignoring you."
Santorum and (r)Money would have both thrown down "Rock" and declared themselves the winner!
Fox News Headline!!!!
OBAMA SNUBS DEAF STUDENT, FAILS TO TALK WITH HIM !!!!
The woman who signed "I love you"–TOTAL slut!
AND a PROSTITUTE!! (see, e.g., Rush Limbaugh)
Oh, great…now President for Life Santorum will have to send all these deafies to Puerto Rico….thanks a lot, Bama….
Holy shit, that video… wait, what was I thinking about before I watched it? Wasn't I mad about something? Something about somebody having a terrible record on civil somethings… or maybe it was Social Security? Right, right–somebody nearly let the Republicans destroy Social Security and Medicare last year–argh, who was it?
Aw, fuck it. It was probably that dick Ben Nelson. FOUR MORE YEARS, FOUR MORE YEARS.
Marlee Matlin in The West Wing.
Hubba Hubba!
She's hotter in person than on screen-and really nice, too.
Terrorist fist language.
DAMN, Barry, why you wanna tug at my ancient, withered old heartstrings like that, dood?
Don't have to watch it, Barry Rules….Now if he can climb out of the tank during his second term.
This is cuter than two baskets-full of assorted kittehs and puppehs with their heads stuck in Dart Container styrofoam cups.
I live in Denver. Nothing has made me happier lately than seeing our Broncos getting rid of Saint Tebow.
Bush would have given the guy the NASCAR redneck salute, beings how that's the only sign language they use down in Tejas…
How very "urban."
I'm just not comfortable with my president communicating with obvious gang members thru secret hand signals.
Troo dat. Plus he's somewhat to the left of Mr. Prez, which he can afford to be anaconda Teh White Whiteness. Poor Barry! Even when he's hewing to the center, the whole fucking population of the LoonyBin we call 'Murka is screaming about how he's Stalin (or Muhammad or Hitler, it's never quite clear)! I'm expecting GREAT things of his second term, especially after the new FCC ruling.
Very charming. I want that car. NAOW.
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