For some years now, I have been lucky enough to count myself as a friend of Jhani Griffin. She has all the quailities that a good human being should have; she is kind, funny, understanding, etc, and here’s the kicker…she’s deaf!
As I understand it, she was born with a complete hearing deficiency in one ear, and a slight one in the other. She usually has to look at my lips moving to fully understand what I am saying. She almost always has to watch television with closed captions, and can’t leave the house without her hearing aid.
This friendship is equipped with its own ups downs. For instance, she can lip read, so I can mouth things to her at loud parties, and she understands quickly. However, relaying other messages can be rather difficult (the picture above is from the worst game of Telephone ever).
So just one final question remains: how strong is her sense of humor?
One year ago, she gave me full permission to make fun of her deafness as much as I wanted and she wouldn’t get mad. In fact, she kind of encouraged it. It was better than Christmas. A new fairground for inappropriate humor that I wouldn’t get socially penalized for!
The jokes have ranged from the wildly immature to the grossly ignorant and misinformed.
I am now continuing to hold her to her word as I present to you: The Best Deaf Jokes I Was Able to Come Up With! (In fact now that I think about it, this is probably the first time she may be getting these jokes since she may not have actually heard them before…)
*I gave her a new nickname: Mos Def.
*When freestyling on a live stage to a large crowd at Nectar’s, I said “Y’all know me, I’m the one with the spirit/and I’mma rock so loud Jhani Griffin’ll hear it.”
*Jhani once said, “You know, I realized that I have really big ears.” I immediately responded, “It’s a shame you couldn’t have put them to better use.”
*I asked her if she got to go to a school for real kids.
*If she ever gets involved in the music industry, she should work for this label
*While wearing a shirt advertising the college newspaper, radio station, and TV station. I covered the radio part and told her that it didn’t apply to her.
*An Online Conversation once Went as Follows:
Luigi239: With graduation, and everything, life is getting so crazy!
Jhamba17: I hear what you’re saying.
Luigi239: I wouldn’t be too sure about that.
So here’s to you Jhani, thank you for putting up with everything this past year. I hope you aren’t regretting letting the dog out of the cage a year ago. You certainly have free range to rip on me for being an overweight, pasty manchild any day of the week. I guess I’ll just have to respond in sign language or something. But for now, just be you, stay true to yourself, and keep on marching to the beat of your own ear drum.
5 Comments
January 29, 2008 at 3:01 am
Welcome to 19 years of my life. Iv’e got a novel of jokes. At the high school where my sister and i went, all seniors have to give speeches in front of the entire school. At the end of mine I was thanking all my family members. When it got to jhani (who was in Vermont) i said “Jhani, I know you can’t hear me….er….i mean right now….cause your in Vermont….not cause your dea…well i mean even if you were here you you would’t be able to hear me…but thats not my point”.
and the best one our cousin Nicole and i invented. When she takes her hearing aid you say “Jhani, if you think im way better than you and you suck, don’t say anything”. hah hah. And shes always been able to laugh at her self. its great.
January 29, 2008 at 10:03 pm
I love Jhani too! I always thought it was cool that she had a vibrating pillow as an alarm clock. Go Jhani!
January 29, 2008 at 11:12 pm
I’m talking to Jhani right now and she doesnt know it. but now she does because she sees me laughing.
February 2, 2008 at 8:51 pm
To the man who wrote this: Thank you! You’re a genius, and I’m glad you see as well, how wonderful Jhani is, I’ve made fun of her for many years myself, it’s was great, and now… I’m hearing impaired and it’s getting worse as I get older, so be aware, she also knows voodoo magic!!! Be aware of how far you take your jokes. hehe, thanks again, this is a wonderful article!
February 3, 2008 at 4:12 am
Hey, I am Megan’s mom and I have known Jhani since she was 8 years old. You and Jahni ought to sing Love Shack at karaoke sometime. She is really convincing when you get to the “Bang, bang, bang, on the door baby” And she responds, “Knock a little louder baby. I can’t hear you” part.
Love ya Jhani.