Is the phrase ‘falling on deaf ears’ offensive?

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Karamo Brown, known famously for his role as the culture coach on Netflix’s ‘Queer Eye’, sparked an interesting conversation on Twitter last week, asking “is the phrase ‘falling on deaf ears’ offensive?”

Ableism is defined by StopAbleism.Org as something that affects people with disabilities, as well as minority groups and those in the hearing hard and deaf community. It refers to the attitudes and practices in society that limit and devalue the potentials of individuals with disabilities, or the conversation that addresses ableism.

Karamo wondered if it was offensive after being addressed with the common phrase “falling on deaf ears,” so he took to the social media platform to get some thoughts.

Someone just said to me, “I feel like my message is falling on deaf ears…” and I told them that I felt that “saying” is inappropriate. It seems disrespectful and rude to the deaf & HOH community. She said I was being over sensitive. Thoughts?

Is the phrase ‘falling on deaf ears’ offensive?

I was intrigued by the variety of responses and spent a lot of time reading the conversation on Twitter. I was happy and proud to see genuine thoughts from the deaf communities, more than anything.

Personally, I don’t feel offended by the statement, but I really appreciated and connected with these responses the most.

  • Can you hear me? Some have pointed out the societal repercussions of conflating the unwillingness to hear someone versus the inability to do so, so make sure you give full attention to the person you’re talking to, whether they have a loss of hearing or not!
  • In general, these delicate expressions should be avoided to ensure uncertainty, as these discussions can have a wide range of responses. Some individuals may have been offended by what others said, while others experienced a loss of hearing. Meh.
  • It says differently. I came up with some alternative ways to say “falling on deaf ears”. For example, I feel like I’m talking into a microphone that is turned off. I’m trying to find phrases that are not discriminatory.
  • The historical origins of language are rooted in systems that traditionally served privileged individuals. Some have pointed out that we need to recognize the origins of our words and phrases and examine them. “I rarely hear the expression ‘that’s so gay’ anymore, as people have called it out for diminishing others,” one user wrote. “Keep up the good work, Karamo, always opening minds!”

    • Lydia X. Z. Brown, a writer and activist, argues that language is not just an isolated entity, but rather a fundamental aspect of the entire ableist system. They emphasize that language cannot be divorced from culture, as it is intricately connected and influenced by society.

    “Language reflects and influences society and culture.”

    I think overall, Karamo’s discussion about the phrase “falling on deaf ears” can be said to be the most talked about on Twitter threads. I noticed that people were learning from each other, which is more than what can be said about other discussions.