Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Cochlear Implant User as Criminal on "CSI: Miami", Oct. 8, 2007

The portrayal of cochlear implant (CI)user as victim, then discovered to be an accomplice to her drug dealer boyfriend on "CSI: Miami" TV show to my own delights!

The episode title of "CSI: Miami" TV was "Inside Out" on the air date of October 8, 2007. The main plot was about the deadly prison bus outbreak which the female character with CI attempted to help out her lover and other prisoners escaped from the heavy-security transportation. The unknown actress played the role of deaf person with cochlear implant led to her own demise on the show. She was not clearly identified as a deaf person til later. The injured police officer originally thought that he shot the deaf female as an innocent civilian during the fog of war.

The CSI Miami forensic team actually found out that the police officer really didn't shoot the deaf person at all. Someone did! The prison bus outbreak was plotted by tens of total strangers desperate for $2 million payout to help the reputable drug dealer and his friends escaped from the bus. The deaf girlfriend with CI lost her dependable device after several individuals bumped into her. She desperately looked for the misplaced device. The police officer was previously beaten by the drug dealer and gang of escaped prisoners which mistakenly shot the deaf female with CI. One of male hearing opporuntist intentionally shot the deaf female with CI out of personal greed and wanted $2 million dollars all to himself. The chaotic scene followed prisoners escaped to the red SUV.

The presence of .45 gun was nowhere to be find on the crime scene. The police officer usually used the .9mm gun, not the .45 gun. The deaf girlfriend with CI was discovered to be an accomplice for her drug dealer boyfriend, not really a victim at all. Yes, the deaf character with CI, did use ASL to the drug dealer boyfriend about one of prisoners to be a son of the head of CSI forensic team.

Why the delights about the deaf character with CI to be realistically portrayed as a victim, then an accomplice? Much pleased to see the popular entertainment portrayed someone deaf with CI in that manner.

So the parents of would-be deaf babies and children probably have second thoughts about cochlearizing their own offspring after seeing the tragic consequences of CI use. The portrayal of deaf character with CI clearly shown that the CI users are too preoccupied with the device, instead of looking out for their own personal safety or on alert for anything out of ordinary.

Culturally deaf individuals would be more observant of their own surroundings and keep hawkish eyes on people around them. The "CSI: Miami" TV programming could be a best example of shortcomings with the CI use.

Last year's "CSI: NY" TV show also made the mockery of cochlear implants use. Bravo to the CSI producers and writers for covering the subject of cochlear implants use in much unfavorable status.

The writers of "CSI: Miami" TV programming are Sunil Nagar and John Haynes. We ought to give the media awards to the CSI TV programming producers and CBS Network for such an accurate portrayal of deaf people with cochlear implants. That could be our best campaign against cochlear implants by hearing people! We ought to encourage more filmmakers and television producers to cast deaf people with CI as much vulnerable and dependable upon the device itself. People in general will have second thoughts about the CI device installed in deaf babies and youngsters without their consent.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)