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‘The Simpsons’ will feature a deaf actor and American Sign Language for the first time
Though the characters within the present have solely 4 fingers, they will use American Signal Language within the groundbreaking episode. And no, the episode was not written after “CODA,” the film concerning the listening to daughter of two deaf mother and father, received finest image on the Oscars final month.
The episode is titled “The Sound of Bleeding Gums.” It facilities on Lisa Simpson, who finds out that her function mannequin and favourite musician, the late saxophonist Bleeding Gums Murphy, has a son who’s deaf and wishes a cochlear implant. Lisa will get somewhat too carried away attempting to assist the son, Monk Murphy.
Bleeding Gums Murphy died in season 6.
The episode’s storyline is loosely based mostly on the lifetime of Loni Steele Sosthand, its most important author.
“Loni pitched making the son of Bleeding Gums Murphy a person who was born deaf and will by no means hear his father’s music,” Jean informed CNN.
Sosthand informed CNN that the present’s producers consulted two ASL specialists relating to the indicators that characters make within the episode. The signal language specialists reviewed animatics — tough variations of the present’s visuals — to make it possible for regardless of the characters’ lacking fingers, the that means of the phrases was conveyed appropriately.
Sosthand mentioned the episode was private for her and a labor of affection. Her brother, Eli, is listening to impaired in a household that loves jazz music.
“Having a brother, who’s only a 12 months older, who was born deaf, actually formed who I’m as an individual. So it’s a story not simply near my coronary heart, however to my identification,” she mentioned.
“There are lots of autobiographical themes within the episode relating to the stress between a love of music and family members who’re deaf — themes additionally current in “CODA,” however very a lot from my very own life,” she added.
Deaf actor John Autry II, whose credit embody “Glee” and “No Extraordinary Household,” performs Monk. In an announcement, he referred to as the function “life-changing” for him.
“It is about exhausting of listening to and listening to characters coming collectively,” he mentioned. “It is part of historical past.”
The episode may even function three children — Ian Mayorga, Kaylee Arellano and Hazel Lopez — from No Limits, a nonprofit dedicated to deaf youngsters. Watching them report “Completely satisfied Discuss,” a music from the musical “South Pacific” and featured on the finish of the episode, was emotional for Sosthand.
“The music says, ‘If you do not have a dream, the way you gonna have a dream come true.’ Whereas watching them report, I simply had tears in my eyes the entire time, realizing it is a dream come true for all of us,” she mentioned.
The thought for the present was within the works lengthy earlier than the film, mentioned Jean, the “Simpsons” showrunner.
“A few of it’s based mostly on occasions that occurred a few years in the past,” he mentioned. “In fact, we’re very blissful for CODA’s success.”
Jean is wanting ahead to sharing Sunday’s episode with viewers and mentioned he smiles each time he thinks about it.
“I am a sucker for a contented ending,” he mentioned, “although it isn’t fairly the one you count on.”