Deaf-accessible YouTube Music

[alexxkay]

So, I was in a Jonathan Coulton Youtube-browsing mood today, and stumbled on a really neat series of fan videos. A fellow called CaptainValor has posted a bunch of videos of himself doing ASL captions to songs -- and not just JoCo, though he does do several of those. He isn't just 'transcribing', either, but emoting and performing quite well.

I especially commend his interpretation of "Re: Your Brains". He made a zombie-office-worker costume with ripped and bloody shirt, some simple zombie makeup, and performs with most excellent shambling.

Since I know I have a few blind readers who will be interested, I include his back-translation of the ASL here:

Heya Tom, it's Bob from the office down the hall
HI I BOB, OFFICE HALL [location-mid] FROM-[there]
Good to see you buddy, how've you been?
GOOD SEE-[you] FRIEND, HOW ARE YOU?
Things have been OK for me except that I'm a zombie now
I GET-THROUGH OK, BUT I BECOME [ZOMBIE]
I really wish you'd let us in
PAST I WISH YOU INVITE-[us]
I think I speak for all of us when I say I understand
I THINK WE AGREE WE UNDERSTAND
Why you folks might hesitate to submit to our demand
WHY YOU NOT WANT OBEY US
But here's an FYI: you're all gonna die screaming
BUT I SEND {FYI} FUTURE YOU-[all] DIE, SCREAM

All we want to do is eat your brains
WE WANT DO-WHAT? YOUR BRAIN EAT
We're not unreasonable, I mean,
WE NOT CRAZY,
No one's gonna eat your eyes
NOT EYES EAT
All we want to do is eat your brains
WE WANT DO-WHAT? YOUR BRAIN EAT
We're at an impasse here,
TWO-OF-US NOT GET-ALONG,
Maybe we should compromise:
MAYBE TWO-OF-US NEGOTIATE
If you open up the doors
IF YOU OPEN
We'll all come inside and eat your brains
WE ENTER, YOUR BRAIN EAT

I don't want to nitpick, Tom, but is this really your plan?
I KNOW I PICK-ON-[you] BUT YOUR PLAN WHAT?
Spend your whole life locked inside a mall?
LIVE ALONE INSIDE MALL?
Maybe that's OK for now but someday
MAYBE OK NOW, BUT FUTURE
You'll be out of food and guns
GUN, FOOD FINISH
And then you'll have to make the call
YOU MUST DECIDE
I'm not surprised to see
I NOT SURPRISE
You haven't thought it through enough
YOU NOT PONDER ENOUGH
You never had the head for all that bigger picture stuff
PAST YOU NOT UNDERSTAND-ALL
But Tom, that's what I do,
BUT I UNDERSTAND,
And I plan on eating you slowly
PLAN EAT-[you] SLOW

[chorus]

I'd like to help you Tom, in any way I can
TOM, I WANT HELP-[you]
I sure appreciate the way you're working with me
TWO-OF-US COOPERATE I APPRECIATE
I'm not a monster Tom, well, technically I am
I NOT MONSTER (pause) TRUE
I guess I am
YES

I've got another meeting Tom,
HAVE MEETING,
Maybe we could wrap it up
MAYBE TWO-OF-US END
I know we'll get to common ground somehow
FUTURE TWO-OF-US AGREE
Meanwhile I'll report back to my colleagues
NOW I GO-TO FRIENDS,
Who are chewing on the doors
THEY DO-WHAT? DOOR CHEW
I guess we'll table this for now
TWO-OF-US POSTPONE THIS
I'm glad to see you take constructive criticism well
MY CRITICIZE YOU ACCEPT
Thank you for your time I know we're all busy as hell
YOUR ATTENTION THANK-YOU, WE BUSY
And we'll put this thing to bed
FUTURE THIS MELT-AWAY
When I bash your head open
WHEN I SMASH-[you]

[chorus]