You know, I understand why it is done the way it is, supposed to convey the richness of nuance that people who cannot hear lose, but...it is hard not to roll your eyes at some of these people.
It is pretty obvious that some of them believe that their performance is far more important than what is being said.
Professionalism and doing your job is one thing. Some are pretty over the top, and it seems like the higher up the power chain ASL people go, the more outlandish they seem to be.
As if it their Hollywood. I could be mistaken, but I believe that if you were to watch an ASL interpreter doing a town hall meeting, it would be somewhat businesslike and utilitarian, and one might expect it should be. But they get to national level jobs, and their facial contortions take on the aspect of Pee Wee Herman, Jim Carrey, and Robin Williams.
I would also take a guess that the vast majority of people who perform that task professionally are the same kind of people who might vote for Joe Biden or Barack Obama. Not all. But a wide majority.
Just a guess.
Professionalism and doing your job is one thing. Some are pretty over the top, and it seems like the higher up the power chain ASL people go, the more outlandish they seem to be.
and there it is...