The Diseased Tree at DVTV
Posted by ShelSep 11
This vlog discusses the rampant audism as well as homophobia, christianophobia, and racism at DVTV using an analogy of a diseased tree whose roots killed ALL the grass in my old neighbour’s backyard.
Sep 11
This vlog discusses the rampant audism as well as homophobia, christianophobia, and racism at DVTV using an analogy of a diseased tree whose roots killed ALL the grass in my old neighbour’s backyard.
16 comments
Comment by brenster- on September 12, 2009 at 8:56 am
I really like your analogy. I always enjoy your discussion, so I have bookmarked your blog and youtube. btw, I love the new look of your blog!!!
Comment by patti on September 12, 2009 at 1:21 pm
awesome vlog
thanks for all u do and all u are
peace
patti
Comment by Dan Binder on September 12, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Wonderful video! Do I have your permission to subtitle this video ? I would make sure that only you saw the subtitled version of this video and that I would not post it until you gave me your OK. You could e-mail me at the address I provided when commentating to let me know if this would be OK with you.
Thanks,
Dan Binder
Comment by michelle on September 12, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Like I did reply to your comment the other day… again you would make a great teacher or parent educator. Everything what you said, they all make sense. I long for home sweet home with greener pasture. Thanks for leaving your informative comments on my vlogs and I am sorry I had no intention to return and reply on DVTV. It is already infested with audism practices. Vamos casa!
Comment by Shel on September 12, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Brenster, I have seen your comments elsewhere and have enjoyed what you had to say as well. Thank you for bookmarking my blog!
Patti, thank you for your kind message. We each need to do our part to educate people on audism, but with dignity.
Michelle. Hey, I’m already a teacher, so that career has some influence how I present my views to others. Thank you for leaving your great comment here. I fully understand why you don’t want to return to DVTV. It was clear to me that it wasn’t an easy decision for you to make your last vlog, knowing the fallout that would ensue. You exposed one face of audism… and the hatred behind that. It was one of the reasons why I decided to leave DVTV. Audism is indeed rife at DVTV, and it’s getting no better…for now. People are starting to analyze things and piece the puzzles together, and speak out. The winds of change are coming…and it’s not what certain people think.
Shel
Comment by Darryl on September 12, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Beautiful vlog! I cannot agree with you more about DVTV! That is why I have not gone there for a long time!
Comment by brenster- on September 12, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Thanks
Sorry that I didn’t offer much to say earlier. I was (and still am) processing from the whole DVTV audistic drama! I am so mind-blown by incredible inconsistency in Tayler Mayer’s decisions.
*Bans one person for name calling, but allows another and several others for the same thing (and their videos are still on DVTV).
*Does not allow videos (involving name calling or any videos that Tayler does not like) to appear on DVTV, yet allows other videos that involves name calling and cyber-harassing to appear on DVTV. One excellent example: Not allowing Barb’s “The Wizard of DVTV” to appear on DVTV but allowing that chicken farm (of sort, I never care for his so-called creative works on videos, really) to appear on DVTV. That boy’s video involves name-calling, but Barb’s video didn’t even involve name-calling. Why wasn’t Barb’s video on DVTV? Copyright-infringement of the film? Hey, that boy is guilty of this as well! Not only his, but that “pretend-mafia” guy’s video also appeared on DVTV!
*Tayler Mayer posted his two-part vlog series (which btw were long and full of blab blab blab, distracting us from the REAL ISSUES). In one of those, he said the goal for DVTV according to R-List is to promote healthy discussion…
“The main goal of the R-LIST is to promote and maintain a healthy and positive environment at DeafVIDEO.TV.” (http://www.deafvideo.tv/r-list)
Those chicken farm and how dh blew it videos do not promote healthy and positive environment at DVTV. Those videos promote the rise of hate.
I was like, WTF? Tayler Mayer of DVTV is completely inconsistent!
I am all for different opinions from all sides – for our side, we must be able to express FREELY whatever we want to discuss about: DEAFHOOD, ASL, DEAF PRIDE, anything without being consistently persecuted and harassed by others with their brainwashing and intimidating tactics. That’s what I understand from the very first sentence in the R-List.
Unfortunately, this rule does not accurately reflect on DVTV.
Back to your tree analogy, I like the way you described the roots (audism, hate, etc), and DVTV as the tree… The only thing that will never happen as your neighbor did to treat his lawn (removed the tree, removed the roots, removed the dirt, and start all over again). If the tree, roots, grass, dirt are all removed from DVTV, it’ll still be useless because the new tree, roots, grass will still be nurtured by Tayler who allowed all those ugliness to occur in the first place…
You and others did the right thing to walk out, and go to a greener pasture. It’s all about holding true principles, really.
I’m proud of you all!
Comment by Shel on September 12, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Brenster,
I completely understand your need for time to digest all that has been happening. It certainly took me a couple of days to digest the latest situation. It came to the point where I HAD to take my stand against oppression and unethical tactics employed by those who seek to intimidate and silence others, and the fact that double standards are being practiced. Tayler has said audism is under cyberbullying at r-list. I looked. NOPE.
You know, you have a point, Brenster. if people don’t recognize their mistakes nor learn from them, they are doomed to repeat it. History has proven that over and over.
Comment by the one and only ridor on September 13, 2009 at 3:51 am
What a great vlog. YOu certainly have the introduction, build-up and hitting the climax then wrap it up … all the ingredients for a story to be told!
Since this is for Canadians, I’ll jump on your youtube.com to make a video response!
R-
Comment by Shel on September 13, 2009 at 8:26 am
I’ll go to my youtube, Ridor. Thanks for dropping by here!
Comment by Hola on September 13, 2009 at 9:09 am
Nice analogy but you failed to offer solution.
What if Tayler decide to close DVTV for one week and open again after clean-up and cooldown period? Or you have better suggestion?
Comment by Shel on September 13, 2009 at 9:25 am
Actually, Hola, you are correct. I did not offer a solution.
Your suggestion is a good one, and I like it. The problem with that is…
This would require that Tayler actually recognize the issues and see the need for an overhaul, spring-cleaning (or as is the case, fall-cleaning). If he acknowledges the issues and removes that diseased tree and begins anew, I would most definitely consider returning.
Another problem is that people are arguing about what constitutes audism, and what does not. There are those who actually recognize the term, and that it is more than a theory. There are others who deny it. What compounds this is that some people refuses to recognize that audism exists in the horizontal oppression occurring in our community.
Comment by Shel on September 13, 2009 at 9:51 am
Ridor,
I have to clarify something. You seemed to say this website is for Canadians? Clearly I gave the wrong impression. I’m Canadian therefore this website is Canadian. However, my website is for everyone to view and leave comments here if they so wish.
Comment by Danny on September 15, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Shel, your Vlogs are always wonderfully thought out, clear and thought-provoking. Thanks for adding to the discussion about DVTV, audism and all of the rest.
One point I’d like to clarify, as it is often overlooked. As much as we would LIKE to think that there are laws protecting the LGBT community from discriminiation, the truth is that very few places actually outlaw anti-Gay discrimination. There is NO US law that makes it illegal to discriminate against gay people in the work place, in terms of access to services, in adoption of children, or in access to marriage rights. In fact, Gay people are woafully ill-protected by laws (in the US, to be sure).
Many straight folks assume that it is illegal to discriminate against Gay people. To them, it makes perfect sense that one should not discriminate against Gay people. Sadly, no such laws exist.
We LGBT people NEED the straight community. We need you all to understand that the appropriate laws DO NOT EXIST. With that knowledge, you can join us in our fight to be recognized fully as people.
Ah, but this is one small detail in a brilliant Vlog. Thanks for sharing your brilliance and creativity with the rest of us.
Danny
Comment by Shel on September 15, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Danny, you raised an valid point. You’re indeed correct that there is no real legal protection at the US federal level. At the state level, the protection is spotty at best. I did some research over the summer for my 7-part Deaf and Gay Parallels blog series. The 2nd-part is titled Deaf and Gay Parallels Part II: The Impact of the Medical Label deals with that very issue (except I did not focus on the adoption of children or marriage rights). You might find that blog post interesting.
Both the LGBT and Deaf communities need allies from the majority group if they are to stop the second-class citizenship treatment.
Comment by Davide on October 3, 2009 at 1:11 pm
needed here