Bedkingdom.co.uk analyzed Google Trends data over the past week to find that ‘sign language’ – has seen a spike in searches after the release of Marvel’s new series ‘Hawkeye’ on Disney+ that stars Alaqua Cox – a deaf Native American actress, and an introduction of hearing aids to superhero Hawkeye.
Clint Barton, played by Jeremy Renner, has begun to wear a hearing aid in Hawkeye the series. The search volume for ‘hearing aid’, on the day that Hawkeye was released on Disney+, exploded 1328.57%. Having a superhero with a hearing disability will be relatable to so many children and they will feel represented by this inclusion.
The Google search volume for ‘learn sign language’ has skyrocketed 900% on the day of the Hawkeye release on 24th November 2021.
The data reveals that searches worldwide for ‘learn sign language’ have steadily increased since the 5th November 2021 – the release of the Marvel movie, The Eternals; featuring the first deaf superhero Makkari.
In preparation for the release, ‘Disney plus membership’ saw a 426% increase in searches above the average search volume, just the day before Hawkeye’s release.
A spokesperson for BedKingdom.co.uk said: “This analysis has shown that the Marvel franchise is really making an impact through the representation of the deaf community in both television series and movies. For example, in the most recent Marvel movie – The Eternals, they cast the first deaf hero – Makkari, played by Lauren Ridloff. This data not only shows that the American public are taking more of an interest in Sign Language but are also wanting to actively learn sign language themselves as a result of Marvel’s inclusion of deaf actresses and sign language in their series.
The incorporation of sign language into television series highlights the growing representation of the deaf community on our screens. Not only will this hopefully give confidence to people just like Alaqua, but also educate viewers on Sign Language and the importance of communication.”
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