Oscar Viewers Are Calling Out The Academy For Not Showing Marlee Matlin Signing While Presenting
The deaf and hearing impaired community aren’t thrilled with how the Academy handled Marlee Matlin‘s presenting during the 2021 Oscars.
Marlee presented two awards at the ceremony tonight, Best Documentary Short Subject and Best Documentary Feature.
During her moment in the program, while signing, the camera panned away from her and only featured a voiceover of her interpreter.
The Deaf community was quick to call out how that moment was handled.
“It’s odd to have Marlee Matlin present an award but then not show her on screen as her interpreter does all the voiceovers,” one Oscar viewer shared on Twitter about the moment that would’ve been great for the community.
Another added, “I feel like if Marlee Matlin is signing, she should at least be on split screen. Also WHY is there never an interpreter shown on the broadcast? We don’t all have access to captions.”
However, many did see how the camera stayed back on Marlee for the second award.
Click inside to see what other fans are saying about the missed moment with Marlee Matlin…
Here’s what other fans are saying about the missed opportunity…
Marlee Matlin presenting an Oscar to @CripCampFilm would’ve been a watershed moment for the authentic representation of disabled people onscreen. (But then Academy voters have never had much interest in authentic representations of disability.) #Oscars #DisTheOscars
— Scott Jordan Harris (@ScottFilmCritic) April 26, 2021
i know this was like two awards ago, but i'm still mad that they brought marlee matlin on to present in ASL only to cut away from her (instead of doing a split screen while showing the nominees) AND when they did show her it was so close up it cut off her signing
— kateschmate (@kateschmate) April 26, 2021
Kind of felt like virtue-signaling to have Marlee Matlin present Best Documentary in ASL (positive representation!) and then Crip Camp didn't get the win. But you know what? This is progress. I still felt seen. I still feel proud.#CripCampAtTheOscars #CrippingTheRedCarpet
— Emily Ladau (@emily_ladau) April 26, 2021
I appreciate whoever told the director/crew to not f***ing rudely cut away from Marlee Matlin when she was announcing documentary feature like they did when she announced documentary short.
— Steph (@thenancydrews) April 26, 2021
Dear Oscars: It's one thing when Boon Jong Ho and his interpreter are both in voiceover for long periods, but it's different to hear Marlee Matlin's interpreter and not see her.
— Gul Du Chat (@djlynch) April 26, 2021
It’s odd to have Marlee Matlin present an award but then not show her on screen as her interpreter does all the voiceovers.
— Jeff🏳️🌈 (@tinmanic) April 26, 2021
#Oscars I was hoping that the fact that Marlee Matlin was giving out the award was a hint that the social justice struggle of disabled people was about to be recognized tonight. At least we got a ramp.
And I guess it’s not as if they had octopi on-hand to give out the award
— David Radcliff (@DavidRadcliff) April 26, 2021
why the hell they take marlee matlin off screen
— Frank (@C0WBAELIKEME) April 26, 2021
It would be super easy to put her in a picture-in-picture, a feature The #Oscars often uses, so that we can see her AND the nominees. YOU TOOK AWAY HER VOICE!
— Ms. Wrightmeyer (@GCS_VirtualSLP) April 26, 2021
It kinda defeat the purpose to take the camera off Oscar winner Marlee Matlin while she signing……..
— Nigga Doll (@meatz_boo_t) April 26, 2021
If #Oscars2021 are going to use the incredible Marlee Matlin to introduce communicating with ASL, y’all need to have a visual on her the whole time. Come on now.
— Bethany Anne Lind (@LindBethanyAnne) April 26, 2021
Hey @TheAcademy
Who made the choice to have Marlee Matlin signing off-camera?
That… doesn’t make sense. The benefit is lost. The language is lost. #Oscars
— Sneezy McSniff (@Sneezy_McSniff) April 26, 2021
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