# I'm sorry what is the point of signing the national anthem if you never show the signer?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-what-is-the-point-of-signing-the-national-anthem-if-you-never-show-the-signer/1032944>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 10, 2026, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-what-is-the-point-of-signing-the-national-anthem-if-you-never-show-the-signer/1032944 "2026-09-10T00:29:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-what-is-the-point-of-signing-the-national-anthem-if-you-never-show-the-signer/1032944/21 "2026-09-12T12:45:21Z")

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And why do people sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” when they’re already there?

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-what-is-the-point-of-signing-the-national-anthem-if-you-never-show-the-signer/1032944/22 "2026-09-13T05:49:59Z")

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> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#):
>
> why do people sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” when they’re already there?

They all wanna date Katie Casey.

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**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-what-is-the-point-of-signing-the-national-anthem-if-you-never-show-the-signer/1032944/23 "2026-09-13T12:03:04Z")

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I know a deaf guy that does interpreting and organises interpreters for music festivals and gigs. He’s been to Glastonbury several times. He says that many bands are helpful by giving the interpreters the set list in advance of the gig. But if they change things up at the last second then the interpreters just have to wing it. It must be far easier to interpret Ed Sheeren than Napalm Death.

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**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2026, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-what-is-the-point-of-signing-the-national-anthem-if-you-never-show-the-signer/1032944/24 "2026-09-13T14:49:15Z")

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What is the sign for ‘indecipherable screaming’? It would get a bit repetitive by the end of the set regardless, I suppose…

For the OP, are they sure there wasn’t another camera recording the interpreter? I dunno about the US, but it’s common at events I’ve been to to either have a dedicated area for those who need it with good sight lines to the sign interpreter and/or have a second camera trained on them which can then be shown in selected broadcasts, normally in a little box in the corner.

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