16. Mo. Try and figure this out. Marlee is deaf but her kids are not and they're fans. She didn't want her 11 year old daughter going to the show unaccompanied. Plus, Marlee is deaf not blind. Half the show is about the spectacle and what person who is a fan of this kind of stuff want something like deafness get in her way. If that were the case, she would've never entered acting and won an Academy Award. Thank goodness comments, even jokingly, like the ones you made don't bother her. But what bothers me are the ones out there who might have never met a deaf person and think that all they do is sit in silence and close themselves off from the world; far from it.

And I'm speaking as a person who knows Marlee well; I'm the interpreter guy, Jack, who's worked with her for 21 years and my parents are deaf too.

Have a good one.
Jack Jason

Jack Jason at 2:03PM on May 24th 2007

17. (resent with typos corrected!)

Mo. Try and figure this out. Marlee is deaf but her kids are not and they're fans. She didn't want her 11 year old daughter going to the show unaccompanied. Plus, Marlee is deaf not blind. Half the show is about the spectacle and why would a person who is a fan of this kind of stuff want something like deafness get in her way? If that were the case, she would've never entered acting and won an Academy Award because she's "handicapped." Thank goodness comments, even jokingly, like the ones you made don't bother her. But you know what bothers me? Comments like the one you made might come across to people who might have never met a deaf person as fact and just onfirm the misconception that all deaf people do is sit in silence and close themselves off from the world; far from it.

And I'm speaking as a person who knows Marlee well; I'm the interpreter guy, Jack, who's worked with her for 21 years and my parents are deaf too.

Have a good one.
Jack Jason

Jack Jason at 2:10PM on May 24th 2007

18. C'mon, people...lay off our boy here. In interviews, Marlee has a terrific sense of humor, and I'm sure she had a chuckle at the irony without anyone having to bring it up to her.

Jer at 4:30PM on May 24th 2007

19. No BIG deal that Marlee went to the show I don't see what all the fuss is about. I am hearing impaired and I have been watching American Idol from the start. I don't find it strange that Marlee Matlin would attend the show alot of Deaf people watch AI it's captioned ya know. I love the show and if I could score tickets to watch in person I would pack my bags be on the next flight to LA. Marlee you lucky dog more power to ya girl hope u enjoyed the show

Tam at 9:22PM on May 24th 2007

20. so what?

I am a Deafie guy, and i think american idol show is just plainly bogus. it bores me out of my skull. blah. now who is the new winner? is it another fat ethnical girl who looks like j-hudson cross fantasia?

purplemoon whitesun at 6:19PM on Jun 1st 2007

21. Marlee can follow music much the same way that I can-- by memorizing lyrics, reading lyrics along with the music or watching someone interpret music.

Sometimes it surprises people to learn that some deaf people enjoy music and play it frequently. If you take ten people with the same type of hearing loss, you'd find ten different responses about their ability to hear and enjoy music. Some people with a profound hearing loss can follow along with music and others cannot.

Karen at 11:22AM on May 29th 2007

22. Marlee Matlin is such a terrific actress that she can go where ever she wants to go and do what she wants to do. Maybe,..after you,..Mo,..win your first Oscar,..you too,..will have the same "je-ne-sais-quois"..that gives Marlee the right to take her eleven year old daughter to see Idol and not be questioned or made fun of by a half-baked critic,..who calls himself a comic!! I, also,..find your poll to be quite disrectful of marlee Matlin and other Deaf people.

My husband and I go out socially with our hearing son to everything from parties to church services and we certainly don't feel like we don't have a right to be there just because our capacity for hearing might not be the same as everyone elses or our ears doesn't break the "twenty decibel sound barrier!!"

How many Deaf people do you actually know,..Mo?

Stanelle at 8:25PM on May 29th 2007

23. Why do you think MO ROCCA made such a dumb and discriminating comment about Marlee?

1. He likes to look at argyle sweaters
2. He's stalking and is jealous the fact Marlee was
sitting near Simon Cowell
3. His comment hopes to bring presence to a
stunning protest against the elimination of
Mo Rocca who never made it to Hollywood
4. So what if he's dumb? Beat-boxing gives off
very strong vibrations
5. He's Paula's stalker, just to find reason to
comment about American Idol since he has
restraining order from Paula.
6. The no-Oscar winner has just been "acting"
smart.

Brian at 7:27PM on May 29th 2007

24. Mo...

I mean no disrespect to you has a News Blogger. You can write anything you damn well please.

But the thing is... You wear glasses... isn't only people with 20/20 vision supposed to write blogs?

Nick at 7:37PM on May 29th 2007

25. you never sent me a password

Stanelle at 1:59PM on May 31st 2007

26. Many deaf people like to go to rock concerts and still enjoy their favorite artists. I've been to couple shows before.

I'm deaf, I went to a rock concert one time and I think hearing people are really insane for turning up 50 thousands watts blasting out loud! Yet, deaf people can feel the very strong vibrations, some can hear.

DB at 8:42PM on May 29th 2007

27. I am not deaf, but I have a respect and knowledge for deaf individuals. I sincerly challenge you to take a deaf culture class, taught by a deaf person (don't worry they provide interpreters), so that you can gain better respect for people that you so obviously know nothing about. That way maybe you can stop embarrassing yourself and loose some of that ignorance that many of us are quite annoyed at.

muse at 4:41AM on May 31st 2007

28. I want to thank everyone for their responses. Hopefully you've read Marlee's response in a later post. (The link is inside the body of this entry.)

Rob, you make a good point about going where the "in" crowd is. I'll go anywhere for good people watching, even if it means sitting through a bad performance.

Drella, thanks for sharing your experience as a room mother at your deaf daughter's school.

CG, Bam and gail, you've got to stop calling me an idiot. I'm actually really smart. I just need to hurry up and make some deaf friends.

fred beam, thank you for your insight.

Thanks, Jer, Tommy and Chimeraphile, for your support. I in no way aspire to be Imus.

Stanelle, you're overreacting. I meant no disrespect. And I never called myself a "comic." I'm more a "humorist". (I also sing and I can tap dance.) Can't we all just get along?!

Nick, your comment about people with glasses writing blogs is very smart and funny.

Mo Rocca at 2:47PM on May 31st 2007