@suchalovelyred: how do you know I’m being sarcastic if you can’t hear my voice? my face tells you. hearing people have different sarcastic tones, and Deaf people have different sarcastic styles. some people are completely deadpan. some use their entire body. and just like you can learn to recognize a friend’s sarcastic voice, you can learn to recognize someone’s sarcastic signing style. and yes as an autistic person, it can be as difficult to pick up on tone as it is in spoken language. But I think it’s easier? Maybe. (Visual description: Rach is a white woman with red hair and freckles, wearing a black top, hoop earrings, and beaded bracelets, standing in front of a black wall. Text appears as she signs to the camera.) Transcript: “[sarcastically] “Oh, great.” [normally] That was sarcasm. But how did you know? I don't have vocal tone to show what I mean, so you have to watch my face. I sign GREAT. But I slow it down. Hold it. I change my mouth shape. One eyebrow up, not two. I'm not surprised. I'm judging you. I tilt my head and hold it instead of giving you a quick nod. And a smile that doesn't reach the eyes… not warm, not genuine. Because this is where people get it wrong: they smirk. Like this, “oh, great.” That’s obvious. True sarcasm is when you say something but actually mean the total opposite. In ASL my signs give you the words. But you have to watch my face to interpret them. And suddenly you know I do not mean great. I mean, oh, great. You have tone of voice. I have tone of face.”

rach, Lovely Red 💋

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Sunday 13 September 2026 18:38:27 GMT