SOCI 240 Deaf Culture in America (Whyte): Assignment

You need to find Deaf humor material (can be DeafBlind and other kinds of humor, particularly from marginalized groups). Some Deaf entertainers are Ben Bahan, CJ Jones, Banjamin Jarashow, Marybeth Miller, Chalb, Peter Cook, Gil Eastman, and Keith Wann (CODA). There are also Black Deaf entertainers on social media. Check out the online videos "Deaf Folklore" and "Deaf Heritage". 

You must cite academic/scholarly work and popular culture (magazines, social media, etc.) in APA format. You may also use “personal communication” as a source. This guide explains how to cite social media. You can format your citations using BibGuru, a free citation source.

Finding sources:

For scholarly work, use Google Scholar. Make sure your library settings point to RIT Libraries. Below are some examples of deaf humor (bing, comedy, jokes, wit, zap, folklore). You can use Google or social media to find examples of YouTube videos or websites on Deaf humor. We also have DVDs and book chapters on deaf humor. These can be found using Summon, our library discovery tool, which will find books (also e-Books), articles, and videos. Some materials, like DVDs or books, may be off-site in building 99. You can request (watch short video) the materials by clicking on the request tab above the title in the catalog record. Here is a chart to review the differences between scholarly and popular works. If you need a book or article the library doesn't have, you can request it for free through Interlibrary Loan. 

Here are journal articles or theses examples.
Bertone, C. P. (n.d.). Deaf humor: A theater performance in Italian Sign Language. Unive.It. Retrieved March 30, 2025, from https://unitesi.unive.it/retrieve/8985b2e9-b809-4aa6-81a4-e158351d36ca/845036-1182277.pdf (can translate from Italian to English using Google Translation). We have the Pa Pa DVD she references.

Luckner, J. L., & Yarger, C. C. (1997). What’s so funny? A comparison of students who are deaf or hard of hearing and hearing students’ appreciation of cartoons. American Annals of the Deaf, 142(5), 373–378. https://doi.org/10.1353/aad.2012.0273

Perez, E., & Klimkova, S. (2016). Linguistic and cultural determinacy of Deaf humour. XLinguae, 9(4), 108–115. https://doi.org/10.18355/xl.2016.09.04.108-115

Rutherford, S. D. (1983). Funny in deaf. Not in hearing. The Journal of American Folk-Lore, 96(381), 310. https://doi.org/10.2307/540947

Sutton-Spence, R., & Napoli, D. J. (2012). Deaf jokes and sign language humor. Humor - International Journal of Humor Research, 25(3). https://doi.org/10.1515/humor-2012-0016

Willoughby, L., Manns, H., Iwasaki, S., & Bartlett, M. (2019). Are you trying to be funny? Communicating humour in deafblind conversations. Discourse Studies, 21(5), 584–602. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461445619846704

Websites or YouTube Examples
Bezuidenhout, N., & Naude, K. (n.d.). The silent symphony of laughter: Exploring the vibrant world of deaf humour. Deafinition. Retrieved March 30, 2025, from https://www.deafinition.co.za/the-silent-symphony-of-laughter-exploring-the-vibrant-world-of-deaf-humour/

California School for the Deaf-Riverside [@CSDRiverside]. (n.d.). Deaf humor. Youtube. Retrieved March 30, 2025, from http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUtPX41w8VhgFlDPPSzfydT_5A1MsW3Fk

Deaf humor: The unique side of Deaf comedy and jokes. (2024, May 20). DeafWebsites. https://deafwebsites.com/deaf-humor-the-unique-side-of-deaf-comedy-and-jokes/

“Deaf Jokes” American sign language (ASL). (n.d.). Lifeprint.com. Retrieved March 30, 2025, from https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/jokes.htm

Ellington, D. [@VS1ShortFilm]. (n.d.). A deaf person’s guide to the sound sensitive (2004). Youtube. Retrieved March 30, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61D0Zl0Jq9k&ab_channel=DavidEllington

Humor and jokes in sign language and Deaf Culture. (2017, July 6). Handspeak.com. https://www.handspeak.com/learn/355/

Over 50 of the best deaf jokes. (2010, October 1). Start ASL | Learn American Sign Language with Our Complete 4-Level Course!; StartASL. https://www.startasl.com/deaf-jokes/

Wann, K. [@KeithWannASL]. (n.d.). ASL Comedy Tour - hosted by Keith Wann, featuring Peter Cook and Crom Saunders. Youtube. Retrieved March 30, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCKpiiDo4-Q&ab_channel=KeithWann

DVD Examples

Live at SMI: Bill Ennis. (2002 [1994]). [DVD]. Sign Media.

Live at SMI: Mary Beth Miller. (2002 [1994]). [DVD]. Sign Media.

Caia, G. (2010). Pa Pa [DVD]. Compagnia Teatrale Uccello/DeafMedia.

Stratiy, A. P. (1999). You think Deaf people have problems?  [DVD]. Deaf Utopia.