Why does The Simpsons' first episode featuring a deaf voice actor feel like pandering?

Salon.com

With CODA's Best Picture Oscar victory and John Autry II's role as The Simpsons' first deaf performer, it seems like deaf people are having a moment. But as Alison Stine points out, Autrey's role, like a lot of deaf roles, is a minor one. "It's not, perhaps in part because it was not directed or written by a deaf or Hard of Hearing creator, as The Simpsons episode was not. Though deaf-adjacent is a good start, stories will never make strides until they're actually created by the people whose community is being mined for content," says Stine. "Hollywood loves to reward itself for the bare minimum, and deafness may be the first disability to be rising in onscreen representation in part because deafness is often invisible." ALSO: John Autry II discusses his experience working on The Simpsons.