Deaf Applause

From the book Gestures by Roger E. Axtell:

How do the deaf signal applause? After all, they cannot hear the gratifying sound produced by applause. The answer is that they have adopted their own unique method of signaling enjoyment or approval. They raise their hands to shoulder or head height, palms outward, and shake them with a fast, almost shivering-like motion. Seeing an audience waggling their hands in that fashion can be just as rewarding as hearing a thundering round of applause.

I thought there would be plenty of clips on Youtube of this 'deaf applause,' but I could only find one, very brief example taken at an opera for the deaf in Denmark:

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Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Posted By: Alex - Wed Oct 02, 2019
Category: Differently Abled, Handicapped, Challenged, and Otherwise Atypical

Comments

Alex, on America’s Got Talent a couple of years ago (maybe 2016 or 2017), there was a deaf singer Mandy Harvey. Some of the judges and audience were deaf applauding after she sang. I don’t have a link but it is on YouTube.

Posted by Charles White on 10/02/19 at 10:28 AM

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