Netflix Original movie Sierra Burgess Is a Loser has been criticised for a scene where its lead character pretends to be deaf.
The movie sees the lead character, played by Stranger Things‘ Shannon Purser, pretend to be cheerleader Veronica (Kristine Froseth) to win over her crush Jamey (Noah Centineo), after Veronica gives him Sierra’s phone number when he asks for Veronica’s.
However, this leads to a scene where Sierra pretends to be deaf so that she won’t have to speak to Jamey in person (as he’d recognise her voice), only to discover that Jamey’s brother Ty (Cochise Zornoza) is actually deaf and tries to speak to her in sign language.
The joke has led to criticism from deaf model Nyle DiMarco, who won America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars.
“So one of my close friends’ deaf brother is in Sierra Burgess. When I learned, I was elated. Finally more deaf actors/representation & ASL inclusion in films… Only to find out the deaf character was written and used for a terrible joke. PS – pretending to be deaf is NOT ok,” he wrote on Twitter.
Digital Spy has reached out to Netflix for comment.
DiMarco also had an issue with the movie’s “homophobic and transphobic jokes” and it appears that other viewers had similar issues with the movie.
Warning, there is some fruity language.
Sierra Burgess Is a Loser is available to watch now on Netflix.
Source: Read Full Article