Jamie Foxx comes under fire after allegedly making fun of sign language:
.@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 case you missed it, the actor recently appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” to promote the premiere of his new FOX game show “Beat Shazam.” As Fallon threw to a commercial, Foxx appeared to make hand gestures into the camera as if he was speaking in sign language. Only, according to viewers, it didn’t add up, as he seemed to be making fun.
Shortly after a clip of the segment circulated online, “Dancing With the Stars” alum Nyle DiMarco along with activist Marlee Matlin took to social media where they blasted the actor for his less than admirable behavior.
On Friday, DiMarco re-posted the video clip along with a straight forward lashing, writing, “It is straight up disrespectful to make up sign language. Everything is in gibberish.”
Meanwhile, in a statement on Saturday, May 27, the former “America’s Got Talent” contestant added that Foxx’s behavior on the show “should not be tolerated.”
“We simply do not make fun at the expense of other cultures, especially those with a history of being marginalized. When we do this, progress takes a step backward,” he said. “Sign Language is important to me because it’s the bedrock of Deaf culture. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities says Sign Language is a human right of deaf people, and out of the 70 million worldwide, only 2% have access to education in Sign Language.”
“This is why I started the Nyle DiMarco Foundation. We are working with other organizations to ensure every deaf child has a usable language before the age of 5,” he continued. “What Foxx did on Fallon Tonight made our struggle that much harder.”
“Mr. @iamjamiefoxx. I’d be happy to give you sign language lessons so you could be funnier,” Matlin tweeted Friday.
What are your thoughts on Foxx allegedly criticizing sign language? Are people reading too far into the incident or was he in the wrong? Sound off in the comment section below.
