Photo courtesy of Seventeen Magazine
Netflix’s latest documentary series, “Deaf U,” premiered on Netflix on Friday, Oct. 9. The series follows a group of students at Gallaudet University, a school primarily for the deaf and hard of hearing, as they navigate the complexities of the college experience. Executive produced by Nyle DiMarco, “Deaf U” is not a series that pities those with disabilities like many shows do today, but rather aims to highlight and explore the intricacies of Deaf culture. What DiMarco really tries to put at the forefront in this series is that people with a hearing impairment are not defined by it, despite the media’s tendency to oversimplify their experiences.
“Deaf characters in media are portrayed as one dimensional, limiting them to an overused trope in Hollywood – their deaf struggle. I wanted to veer away from that, and I wanted people to forget that they were watching a deaf show,” DiMarco said in an interview with Daily Front Row magazine. “So many people will be able to see themselves, their friends or family members in one of the students on screen, whether they’re deaf or not.”
The cast of “Deaf U” is full of complex and multidimensional people who face issues that many people can relate to, including problems with relationships, religion, family, sexuality and depression. Where “Deaf U” falls short is in its lack of diversity. While two of the main cast members are Black, they are frequently seen within the context of praising the white deaf “elite,” and there are no Black women represented in the show. This may, to some extent, reflect the lack of diversity in Gallaudet University as a whole.
The show follows seven students, Alexa, Daequan, Cheyenna, Renate, Rodney, Dalton and Tessa, who fall into different categories within the deaf community. “Deaf U” makes a point to draw attention to Deaf culture and the hierarchy within it. There are the deaf “elite,” who are part of multi-generational deaf families and who have attended American Sign Language (ASL) schools throughout their lives. Those who are not part of the “elite” are judged within the deaf community based on “how deaf” they are, which causes drama between the students.
The drama at Gallaudet University can best be described as jaw-dropping and scalding hot. With only eight episodes at around 20 minutes each, you would not expect for there to be as much drama as there is, but Gallaudet is a small university where everyone is in each other’s business. Gossip spreads like wildfire; their relationships are incredibly complex and judgment against people not within the deaf “elite” is rampant. A major focus of the series is on relationships, as it seems everyone is in some sort of messy, warped love triangle. College relationships are hard enough, and things are only made more difficult by the overlap between romantic partners due to the tight-knit community at Gallaudet University.
While dealing with the stress and pressure of romantic relationships, these students also have to navigate their relationship with their disability. While Gallaudet caters specifically to the deaf and hard of hearing, there is not one definition of what it means to be deaf and not one label that can be placed on someone who is a part of deaf culture. Daequan and Rodney are both hard of hearing, but they are not completely deaf and can speak. Daequan, as someone who is only deaf in his left ear, feels judged for not signing all the time. Cheyenna, who mouths when signing, especially to cater toward her fanbase as an influencer, is ridiculed throughout the series by the deaf “elite,” who view her as a poor representative for the Deaf community. At one point in the series, she asks, “Am I not deaf enough?”
The insight into these seven students’ lives proves how not all deaf people share the same experiences, even though they are often shown that way in the media: Deaf culture is rich, complex and very much real despite what the media may portray. As messy as “Deaf U” is, it is one of the realest shows on television today. These are real people whose problems will break your heart and whose triumphs will piece it back together again.
