I Hate Inspiration Videos. Here’s Why I Helped Produce One.
Part of my mission in both research and advocacy is to spotlight ways that deaf people are successful.
However, I am not interested in the “success in spite of disability” approach to our narratives. I have often been praised with this underhanded “successful for a deaf person” slant, laying bare the low expectations for me and others like me.
When sharing stories about deaf successes, my goal is not to show where we are exceptional against the odds, but that deaf people are as capable as everyone else, given the chance to be our full selves.
So when Dr. Aaron Rochlen, my University of Texas at Austin colleague and founder of Soccer Assist, came to me with a potential video project about Leo Bopp, a deaf chant leader for Los Verdes and La Murga of the pro soccer team Austin Football Club, I was definitely interested.
Deaf Capo was produced together with leaders of La Murga and members of the broader Austin FC fan base. (The full production team is listed in the video link.)
We released the video at a watch party for an Austin FC away game, complete with backdrops for photos and a presentation by Leo. We even submitted the video for some film festivals, to some success (so far)!
All good, right?
Yet I still have a nagging concern: Does this documentary short walk the line of inspiration porn?
Perhaps that phrase made you do a double-take. Bear with me.
Inspiration porn is the idea that disability in media is used to inspire abled people. Stella Young gave a definitive TED Talk on this topic several years ago, and her story is still my go-to example.
She says that in this approach to media, “we're objectifying disabled people for the benefit of nondisabled people. The purpose of these images is to inspire you, to motivate you, so that we can look at them and think, ‘Well, however bad my life is, it could be worse. I could be that person.’”
That line is a tightrope!
In thinking about the potential implications of this challenge of why people are inspired by Leo Bopp’s story, I consider the following.
On one hand, yes, we want to celebrate all deaf people in everything they do. The world is full of barriers to deaf participation in community life. Seeing Leo thrive in who he is as a Capo connects him to all of us in our best selves.
On the other hand, wince. There are moments where I wonder if this approach plays into the challenges around any media that seems geared toward a hearing audience and their fascination with sign language and deaf culture.
What propelled me forward with this project was understanding why it is an important story to tell.
Austin FC is a hugely community-oriented pro soccer club. The supporter section is simply incredible. There is no team without the community, and the supporters section is the heartbeat of the stadium. (Literally, the drums play nonstop the entire game.)
Being a member of the supporter section, of La Murga, and of the broader soccer community holds significance for all of us, including Leo. Celebrating his role as a Capo spotlights the connections within and across this community that continue to grow.
The appeal is universal.
A brief example: My brother came to town this summer, and we went over to Q2 Stadium to catch the second half of a match. He was absolutely enthralled. As someone who spends a lot of time in big stadiums with big crowds, he knew the real deal of the fans' connection to the team and the city. The supporter section completely won him over. He is not alone!
This video was also not a hearing team focusing on a deaf person. There was a deaf lens at all phases of the project.
Both the videographer, Andrés “Flash” Otalora, and I are deaf and active collaborators on media projects. There were members of the deaf community in the video who shared their own stories and experiences — not just of Leo, but of Austin FC as a whole.
Is the video perfect?
No.
Are there times when I wanted to see more of Leo’s complete signed responses, instead of the cutaway to the voiceover and video of the crowd?
Yes.
Do I think the project is important?
Yes. Yes, I do. Spotlighting Leo in a way that puts his work in the context of the flags, the chants, and the entire community is something that I believe to be an important perspective to share.
Image graphic by Octavio Sosa. | Image description: A stylized graphic from the video "Deaf Capo" that shows Leo Bopp rendered in the green colors of the Austin FC football club. He has a beard and wears glasses and an Austin FC cap. He is looking to his left and Austin's city skyline is in the upper left corner. In the lower left corner are La Murga flags and in the lower right corner are three bats.