# Is it just me, or is physical attractiveness overrepresented in the deaf community? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 13, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332 "2006-10-13T17:45:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/1 "2006-10-13T17:45:40Z")
What’s that all about? ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/2 "2006-10-13T17:52:02Z")
Wait, maybe it’s just a Galludet thing (lookist admissions policies?). I could probably assume that the glut of young adult deaf people around here has something to do with that school. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/3 "2006-10-13T18:21:14Z")
It’s a college, and it’s not exactly cheap. Those two things have more to do with it than deafness, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/4 "2006-10-13T18:30:04Z")
Remember, with small sample sizes, one or two extreme individuals can signifigantly affect the results. In this case, Marlee Matlin is single-handedly skewing the curve. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/5 "2006-10-13T18:45:34Z")
As a data point, one of our sign language interpreters at the NDP convention happened to be Bo Ladashevska, a.k.a International Mr. Leather. He’s not deaf (obviously, since he’s an interpreter) but I believe his parents are. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/6 "2006-10-13T20:36:03Z")
Flawed sampling method. We spend more time looking at attractive people than unattractive people simply because they are pleasing to the eye. And unless you’re conversing with someone, you’d have to _see_ them using sign or writing something to realize they are deaf. Since we are more likely to see an attractive person signing than an unattractive person, and anyone we don’t see signing is categorized as “hearing”, this leads to the perception of a higher average attractiveness in the deaf community. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/7 "2006-10-13T23:42:36Z")
FWIW I have seen people asking this question in forums for parents of deaf kids (my son is hearing impaired but not deaf). I distinctly remember someone posting as an aside in a thread devoted to another subject “Is it just me, or do deaf kids tend to be way cute?” I think **iamthewalrus(:3=** has the real reason though. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/8 "2006-10-13T23:53:02Z")
Physical attractiveness is definitely overrepresented in the deaf DOPER community. (Of course we’re going by a sample size of 2, to the best of my knowledge.) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/9 "2006-10-14T01:04:24Z")
My wife taught the deaf community exclusively for many years, and still has deaf children in her special ed classes. From what I’ve seen of her students/former students, I’d say no, physical attractiveness is not overrepresented. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/10 "2006-10-14T03:34:33Z")
The [one deaf person I know](http://www.netac.rit.edu/goals/detail.html?uid=8115A20713d9619BD9lTVU1B9595) is on the hunky side. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/11 "2006-10-14T03:42:34Z")
[QUOTE=pizzabrat] Wait, maybe it’s just a Galludet thing (lookist admissions policies?). I could probably assume that the glut of young adult deaf people around here has something to do with that school. [/QUOTE] They’ve been in the news a lot lately haven’t they. Its probably because they are young and college students and thus have the time and energy to exercise. Also the campus is a few blocks from the Metro and might not have all that much parking. [hijack]. I drove by it tonight and there were barricades on the Florida Avenue, entrance, and a few students on what the sign proclaimed to be a hunger strike. There were a lot more people a few days ago when I drove by. [/endhijack] ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/12 "2006-10-14T04:15:09Z")
The deaf people I’ve known (a reasonable number because I teach) have ranged in looks to the same extent that hearing people have. I’m more likely to watch a stranger who’s signing than a stranger who’s talking because signing is cool to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/13 "2006-10-14T04:55:32Z")
I know only two deaf people, and they’re both fairly ugly. One of them is a dead ringer for Napoleon Dynamite. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/14 "2006-10-14T05:13:31Z")
[QUOTE=iamthewalrus(:3=] Since we are more likely to see an attractive person signing than an unattractive person [/QUOTE] Why? ---
**Author:** ![Subway\_Prophet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/15 "2006-10-14T14:49:35Z")
My daughter is deaf, and she’s knock-down, drag-out, setting-ships-to-sail cute. I have the paperwork to prove it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/16 "2006-10-14T17:02:17Z")
**I said, "How you doin’?"** ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/17 "2006-10-14T18:02:28Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] **I said, “How you doin’?”** [/QUOTE] _snerk_ You are SO going to Heck for that… ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/18 "2006-10-14T18:13:25Z")
[Hello](http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/H/W1606.htm), [good-looking](http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/G/W1478.htm)! ---
**Author:** ![hawksgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@hawksgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawksgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/19 "2006-10-14T18:13:41Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] **I said, “How you doin’?”** [/QUOTE] Soory, but its all in the body language and facial expressions. That’ll probably get you farther. ex: 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2006, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332/20 "2006-10-15T06:12:41Z")
It’s simple. You’ve got to reproduce, right? And it doesn’t help if you “TALK” a good game, because your intended is still taking all cues visually. No matter how quickly you move your fingers, your face is still where the story is. Therefore, only the pretty are getting together. :dubious: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-physical-attractiveness-overrepresented-in-the-deaf-community/376332.md?page=2)