How Film & TV Misrepresented Neurodiversity

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Yea misrep confirmed

👍︎︎ 6 👤︎︎ u/n2k2021 📅︎︎ Jul 11 2021 đź—«︎ replies

Good show. Shows how much our prejudices have changed over the years, if not decades.

We still have a long way to go, & still have to fight against harmful stereotypes, but the fight has begun at least.

Media reflects the society it was made in, & as attitudes towards ASD change IRL, so representation will change in films & shows.

👍︎︎ 5 👤︎︎ u/Bakanasharkyblahaj 📅︎︎ Jul 11 2021 đź—«︎ replies

Abed looks so perfect in the thumbnail.

Also, theres new episodes of Atypical. I actually really like that show. Sam is a bit over-the-top, but hes also relatable. And season 5 hasnt gotten an out loud laugh out of me more than once.

👍︎︎ 5 👤︎︎ u/High_and_Lonesome 📅︎︎ Jul 11 2021 đź—«︎ replies

[removed]

👍︎︎ 1 👤︎︎ u/[deleted] 📅︎︎ Jul 18 2021 đź—«︎ replies
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“I wasn't born with an inbuilt understanding of many things neurotypical people take for granted.” Film and TV have a long history of failing to portray neurodiverse characters with accuracy, nuance and respect. But in recent years, as our society comes to understand a lot more about how neurodiversity manifests, onscreen portrayals are at last improving to more authentically represent and empower those in the neurodiverse community. “Matilda is 17 she's a high school senior, she's musically talented and she has autism and like me I also have autism as well.” Looking across a range of examples, we can observe some salient patterns in how neurodiversity tends to be featured on Film and TV:   Neurodiverse characters are frequently driven. Research shows that those on the autism spectrum have increased capacity for extended focus, as well as hyperfocus, where they zero in on an interest and lose track of everything else going on around them. “The incision should take place two ribs down.” And neurodiverse characters often channel that focus and drive in order to be successful in highly competitive fields. They tend to see the world differently. “How did it get into our systems? How?” “Get out, I need to go to my mind palace.” They can use their unique perspective to solve complex problems and think outside the box, which gives them an advantage over neurotypical thinking. “These are latitudes and longitudes. They appear to be routing orders across the border into the US.” “Extraordinary.” Still, film and TV sometimes overemphasize these traits to a degree which might lead audiences to falsely imagine that all neurodiverse people are autistic savants — characters who lack social skills but are geniuses in one specific area. “What do I have left?” “Two jacks, one eight, one king, one six, two aces, one ten, one nine, one five.” Neurodiverse characters are often framed as the odd one out — presented as  the single neurodivergent in a group of neurotypicals. “Abed, your social skills aren’t exactly streets ahead, know what I mean?” “I don’t.” On the one hand this story structure can celebrate what makes them unique, but it can also be othering, putting the focus on how their neurodiversity impacts people around them instead of what their experience is. “dad’s dead, dad’s dead, dad’s dead, dad’s dead...” “Arnie shut up!” “Stop it!” But nuanced portrayals of neurodiverse characters aim to put us in their shoes and give us a window into how they experience the world differently. “I love the way the paint squishes in my fingers.” “Ehhh.” “Ooh. Oh you’re right. I’m sorry Julia, I know you don’t like the way it feels.” Maybe the biggest factor in improving the portrayal of neurodiverse characters is the term “neurodiversity” itself, which refers to variation in the human brain regarding the way we learn, socialize, focus, and do other mental functions. Judy Singer, an autistic sociologist, coined it in the late 90s to challenge the idea that Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnoses are disabilities, or that they need to be cured. “Neurodiversity is the concept that neurological differences between people should be recognised and respected.” Here’s our take on our evolving understanding of the neurodivergent character, and why film and TV must use their power to show us how thinking and behaving differently isn’t a problem that needs to be fixed. “In some circumstances it can definitely be an advantage.” “To be neurodiverse, because that makes you different, that makes you think differently.” Looking back at early representations of neurodivergent characters on screen can feel uncomfortable. “You were born perfect and I was born like this.” Many of those portrayals can be patronizing, and represent a very narrow view of what neurodiversity is like. They frequently make neurodivergent characters non-verbal, to the extent that they can’t communicate any emotion at all — turning them into puzzles for a neurotypical character to solve, “What are you seeing in there?” or depicting them as basically unaware of their surroundings. “Is he ok?” “Moo moo here and moo, moo, moo! Moooo!” “He’s been very happy here Mr. Mckay.” “I guess ignorance is bliss right?” In the context of their times, some of these film’s representations could actually be groundbreaking. Talking about 1988’s Rain Man, one of the first films to centre a neurodivergent protagonist and specifically name the condition as autism, Ali Vaux says that, “To even suggest that Raymond was a human with basic dignity was a really big deal.” “What I said about being on the road with you I meant, connecting. I like having you for my brother.” But by today’s standards, most past iconic films about neurodiverse characters contain elements that come off as cringeworthy or offensive — "Piggy back ride! Piggy back. Piggy back ride!” and the same goes for critical conversations around the films. Roger Ebert’s review of Rain Man, while positive and empathetic overall, opened by asking: “Is it possible to have a relationship with an autistic person? Is it possible to have a relationship with a cat?” Todd McCarthy’s 1994 review of Forrest Gump describes Gump as a “semi-imbecile” and a “part Dustin Hoffman might once have killed for.” “I’m not a smart man but I know what love is.” While Ed Potton’s 1980 review of Being There used the ignorant descriptor of “idiot savant.” “Shortchanged by the Lord and dumb as a jackass.” “Look at him now.” Rain Man’s Raymond Babbitt is the most iconic example of the prevalent cinematic trend of overwhelmingly representing the neurodivergent character as a brilliant autistic savant. “How much is 4343 x 1234?” “5359262.” “He’s a genius.” “That’s right.” Raymond can count cards and solve complex math problems in his head, but struggles with everyday elements of numeracy and social expectation. “Ray, do you know how much candy bar cost?” “About 100 dollars.” Before Raymond, The Boy Who Could Fly’s Eric also put forward this representation of autistic people as extraordinary — instead of being mathematical, Eric’s savant abilities are fantastical, in that he can actually fly. “You caught me, didn't you? You can fly.” Yet the film still suggests that Eric’s autism is something we should look to cure. [ “Miss Sherman, she used to teach those kinda kids, and she thinks that maybe being around normal people will help them or something.” Autistic savants — who make up around 10% of all autistic people — are overrepresented in pop culture. They're treated almost as a white equivalent to the magical minority trope in depictions that other them while suggesting they can offer mystical insights that will revolutionize other people’s outlooks. “It is only in the mysterious equations of love that any logical reasons can be found.” Even when they’re the main character, the neurodivergent character in all these portrayals is there to help neurotypical people learn something. Raymond is there to help Charlie grow as a person. “It's, it's got your cheeseballs on it, your apple juice, notebooks, pens and Who's On First video.” Eric uses his flying ability to help Milly realise the importance of faith, “Can you really fly Eric?” and Chance The Gardener in Being There (who was read as neurodivergent despite not being diagnosed within the film) inspires his entire nation after his words about gardening are misinterpreted by the President as nuanced political and economic advice. “As long as the roots are not severed all is well, and all will be well in the garden.” “We welcome the inevitable seasons of nature, but we're upset by the seasons of our economy.” Neurodiverse characters are often there to share their understated wisdom with the audience as well. In Forrest Gump — whose protagonist is again never diagnosed beyond being evaluated for his IQ “Your boy's different, Mrs. Gump. Now, his IQ is 75.” Forrest’s simplicity allows him to find beauty in the world that the other characters can’t see, and his uncomplicated perspective on life is held up as something we should learn from. “Were you scared in Vietnam?” “Sometimes it would stop raining long enough for the stars to come out. Then it was nice.” Even at their most compassionate these portrayals can present neurodivergence in an oversimplified one-dimensional way and risk making the neurodivergent character the punchline. “Oh he was very clever, keeping it at a third grade level. That’s what they understand.” Because the focus on these stories is overwhelmingly on how the neurodiverse character impacts others, when they’re not being a magical helper the film might encourage a lot of audience sympathy for the neurotypical people who have to deal with these characters’ needs. “You and I are gonna get on this f****** plane.” (screaming) “Ray, Ray, Ray we’re not gonna take the plane.” “You tire me, Ray.” In What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Arnie is loved by his family but he is still presented as a burden — and his narrative purpose is to create obstacles for Gilbert’s character arc. “Arnie could go at any time, some days you want him to live, some days you don’t.” There are some outliers in early representations of neurodivergent people that attempt to show them in a more complex, less tokenistic way. The 1989 documentary John’s Not Mad, following a young boy with tourette’s syndrome, shows a number of different sides to tourette’s and allows him to talk about the condition for himself. “When I feel I'm going to say it I try and stop myself, but it just feels if I have to say it. It's just like somebody’s forcing it out.” As illustrated by its title, John’s Not Mad attempted to break down the stigma around neurodivergence, and promote understanding, rather than pity. Contemporary depictions of neurodivergent characters can’t get away with the narrow portrayals of past films — in large part because there are more actual, high-profile people speaking publicly about their neurodiversity than ever before. “I’m actually making history tonight as the first person with asperger’s to host SNL, or at least the first to admit it.” Greta Thurnberg has credited her rare drive and sense of purpose in climate activism to her different way of seeing things; “I saw the world from a different perspective, so I saw what was wrong with the world.” Hannah Gadsby has used her diagnosis for comedic material; “To give you an idea of what it feels like to be on the spectrum basically it feels like being the only sober person in a room full of drunks.” and Anthony Hopkins has credited his neurodivergence with helping his acting, saying: “I definitely look at people differently. I like to deconstruct, to pull a character apart, to work out what makes them tick and my view will not be the same as everyone else.” Documentary filmmaking has led the charge in representation for neurodivergent characters on screen, doing much to counter the harmful stereotypes once widely perpetuated by fiction films. One outdated trope of neurodivergent characters is that they’re not interested in romantic relationships, “Have you ever kissed a girl?” “I don’t know.” “How was that?” “Wet.” but Aspie Seeks Love challenges that by focusing on author David Matthews’ trials in the world of online dating. “Even near hermits, such as yours truly, crave personal contact.” Another outdated trope is that neurodivergent people don’t have a sense of humor, something that is expertly disproven in Asperger’s Are Us. “It’s true we’re the first comedy troupe composed of people on the autism spectrum.” “So if we’re not funny, blame it on Ethan’s disability.” In fiction, neurodivergent protagonists have found a home in the detective genre, thanks to the legacy of Sherlock Holmes. “I play the violin when I'm thinking and sometimes I don't talk for days on end. Would that bother you? Potential flatmates should know the worst about each other.” Sherlock’s powers of deduction and his photographic memory are both commonly thought of as autistic traits. “His watch?” “The time was right but the date was wrong. It was set two days ago, crossed the date line twice and he didn’t alter it.” Even his lack of social skills and empathy (also commonly linked to Autism Spectrum Disorders) become useful to his profession, as they give him the ability to focus on the task at hand. “Five.” “It's speeding up.” “Sherlock!” “Four.” “Oh in the planetarium you heard it too. Oh that is brilliant, that is gorgeous.” But while Sherlock is a beloved character whose stories arguably even glorify neurodivergent traits, he is still subtly othered — painted more like a magical superhero than a fleshed-out person with needs, and occasionally referred to as inhuman or robotic by the neurotypical people around him. “Why am I the only one who thinks that this is wrong? The only one reacting like a human being?” In that sense, Sherlock represents a bridge between older and newer understandings of neurodivergence. He’s afforded more agency, independence and dignity than many previous autistic or autistic coded characters, but still strays into the autistic savant trope. “You said you could identify a software designer by his tie and an airline pilot by his left thumb.” “And I could read your military career by your face and your leg and your brother’s drinking habits by your mobile phone.” A less fantastical portrayal of an autistic detective can be seen in Danish series The Bridge’s Saga Noren (who’s not diagnosed within the show, but in the words of actress Sofia Helen, “To me she has Asperger's.” “The spasms suggest an alkaloid, the rigor mortis implies strychnine.” “Get yourself a hobby.” “What?” Whereas Sherlock’s coldness sometimes manifests as comedic and his intelligence as superhuman, Saga is more down to earth. “A shoeprint, size 9. I haven’t identified the make yet.” “Let’s bring in all men that take size 9. That was a joke.” “Yes, I got that.” She also disproves the assumption that autism only affects men. Modern neurodivergent characters can still fall into outdated stereotypes, showing that our mainstream understanding still has some ways to go. Sia’s Music was heavily criticised for including scenes where its neurodivergent protagonist is restrained — a practice now considered to be abusive within the autism community — and for using a neurotypical actor to play a non-verbal, neurodivergent part. “That really speaks to a kind of patronizing view of autism and the idea that we shouldn’t be the people telling our own stories.” The lead actress also imitated stimming and facial expressions that were meant to make her look autistic, much like in outdated films from decades earlier. While there’s a long tradition of neurotypical actors being highly praised and winning top awards for their performances as neurodiverse people, we now understand that this practice is damaging and even some have termed it “cripface.” “All these really meaty roles that are winning awards for autistic characters, autistic actors have never been included in that process.” Claire Bennett writes that it, “suggests that disability is an identity that can be temporarily assumed for the purpose of entertaining people. In the best scenarios, it has mocking undertones. In the worst, it devalues disabled peoples’ very existence.” “Can we try not to have one of your freakouts up there, alright?” Even Netflix’s Atypical, which began in 2017, was criticized for casting a neurotypical actor to play its protagonist, Sam, who’s on the autism spectrum. “The reason prey animals hang around with a pack is for safety, so they don’t get eaten. And I was feeling like a prey animal with no pack.” However, Atypical listened to the criticism, and in the second season did cast neurodiverse actors in the roles of Sam’s support group. “It's about the autism community so I wanted as much involvement from the Autism community as possible. And I loved the idea of this peer group.” Kayla Cromer, who stars in Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, recently became the first actress with autism to portray a lead character with autism on American TV. “I have autism, my dad's biggest regret is vaccinating me, that’s a joke.” These are significant steps toward widespread authentic representation, because even the most well-intended neurotypical actors will never truly know what it’s like to be neurodivergent. The concept of a headcanon, born out of fan-fiction, has been adopted by the neurodivergent community to reclaim characters who present as neurodiverse, even when they don’t have an official diagnosis in the story. “I get that they probably weren’t written with autism in mind.” “I think it can only be a good thing to try and hijack a few characters who I really think were on the spectrum.” This exercise of identifying neurodivergence where it was previously overlooked also speaks to our growing understanding that it isn’t all non-verbal, challenging behavior, and is instead truly a broad spectrum. Grey’s Anatomy’s Cristina Yang frequently gets diagnosed as neurodiverse, “That’s a cute baby right?” “Its small features and over-sized eyes trigger a hormonal response in humans. It's autonomic. It's what keeps us from eating them.” with neurodiverse author Holly Smale citing reasons like Cristina’s hyperfocus, her struggle to connect with anyone who isn’t Meredith, and the way she masks her true personality, or puts effort into presenting as neurotypical, when she’s with Dr Burke. The show briefly touches on the question but never formally diagnoses her. “When someone's really smart, like a genius, but they're a little different, like they don't know how to talk to people?” “Are you asking me if I'm autistic?” Yet it presents her neurodiverse traits as just one part of a complex person. “Pretty good is not enough, I wanna be great.” Tina Belcher in Bob’s Burgers is another character whose show questions whether she may be autistic. “I’m autistic.” “Bob...” “Just a sec. No, you’re not autistic Tina.” In the neurodiverse community, Tina’s frequent moans and groans have been identified as a kind of stimming, a repetitive, self-stimulating behavior that neurodiverse people exhibit when bored, nervous, or tense. “Tina I’ll be right back.” “Uhhhhh.” Community’s Abed has also been read as on the autism spectrum thanks to his hyper-focused interest in and knowledge of TV and film, “Abed what are you doing?!” “Don Draper from Mad Men. What’d you think?” as well as his challenges with social cues. “Is this a social cue?” Abed has been embraced by so much of the neurodiverse community because his passions and style of self-expression are encouraged by and shared with his friends. “Can I ask you something I always wanted to ask the real Batman?” “Yeah.” “Am I good looking?” “You’re a very attractive young man.” Also, while he does display extraordinary powers of recall and knowledge of pop culture, he isn’t a superhuman success, so he doesn’t fall into pop culture’s reductive stereotype of the autistic savant. “Wanna watch a movie?” “Sure. Aliens, cyborgs, or zombies?” Brooklyn 99 has been credited not only for creating characters who read as neurodivergent, but also making those characters people of color, who often go underrepresented in discussions of neurodivergence. “Hey what’s your handle? I’ll be your first follower.” “It’s @ 5261796D6E 6420486F6C74.” Captain Holt’s strict sense of order, his flat-speaking delivery, and his sensory avoidance when it comes to food, “I have zero interest in food, if it were feasible my diet would consist of flavourless beige smoothies containing all the nutrients required by the human animal.” are all signifiers of ASD, while Amy Santiago’s love of organizing and structure have also been read as neurodiverse traits. “There’s a magazine about organizing?” “Yeah, I want to be featured as organizer of the month.” Both of these characters are celebrated for their differences and respected as mentors who have a lot to teach others in their workplace. “I followed you because you're great and because you make everything you touch better.” Looking back a little further, 2001’s Amelie is another character who’s been embraced by the autistic community for her hyperfocus, difficulty reading social cues, and hypersensitivity. “He is going to put down his spoon… Dip his finger in the sugar…” We can see signs of neurodiversity in Shawshank Redemption’s Andy Dufresne, who exhibits hyperfocus with his accountancy and his meticulous plan to escape prison, and struggles to connect with people. “My wife used to say I’m a hard man to know, like a closed book.” While Andy may not find it easy to immediately bond with others in a conventional way, his different way of viewing the world radically inspires the other men in the prison and improves their lives in lasting ways. “Get busy living, or get busy dying.” “Get busy living, or get busy dying.” To Kill a Mockingbird’s misunderstood recluse Boo Radley has recently been read as an undiagnosed neurodivergent person who’s treated poorly by his community due to his difference. And a study from the Canadian Medical Journal theorised that in the Winnie the Pooh stories, all the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood exhibit some form of neurodiversity, from Tigger’s ADHD, “They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!” to Rabbit’s narcissistic personality disorder, “Your detailed list of chores and duties, I’ve got it right here.” to Piglet’s anxiety disorder. “Oh dear, I'm a goner! Ahhh!” “You act like I'm going to cook you for dinner.” “Aren't you?” “Why of course not!” While some object to this kind of “armchair diagnosis” of fictional creations, if there is a character who a lot of neurodiverse people recognize themselves in, then maybe it doesn’t matter what the author’s intention was. It’s ironic that in trying to create distinctive and lovable characters, writers often code them as neurodivergent without necessarily intending to. “Every Saturday since we’ve lived in this apartment, I have awakened at 6:15, poured myself a bowl of cereal, added a quarter cup of two percent milk, sat on this end of this couch, turned on BBC America and watched Doctor Who.” This shows that deep down, we know that differences are what make people unique, special, and interesting. On the other hand, when the writing doesn’t explicitly say that “different” characters are neurodiverse, and sets them apart mainly via their refined skills or intelligence, the narrative isn’t consciously pushing us to expand our perspective on what we consider acceptable differences. The success that can come with hyperfocus is already sought after in a lot of ways, and it’s important to also show the less romanticized aspects of neurodiversity in order to destigmatize them. (Inaudible) Moreover, if creatives can get away with simply implying that a character may be neurodiverse, then they do not need to be held accountable for the lack of neurodiverse writers and talent hired to create and portray that character. This situation can end up perpetuating misunderstandings about neurodivergence and continuing the one-dimensional representation or harmful stereotypes of the past. “Arnie’s a real instinctive character. He acts a lot on what’s directly in front of him. He doesn’t have a lot of necessarily deep thoughts about life.” So as empowering as it can be to reclaim neurodiverse-presenting characters, it’s also important not to accept headcanon representation as enough and keep pushing for intentional representation. “My DMs constantly blow up from little kids, teens...” “...Just saying how grateful they are to be actually, be seeing finally something authentic on screen.” While thoughtful neurodivergent visibility is still lacking in most mainstream media, important new representations are forming. “Your son has the same desire to be loved that we all do.” Sesame Street’s introduction of an autistic character, Julia, will allow people to understand autism from a young age, “What's autism?” “Well for Julia, it means that she might not answer you right away.” while shows like Everything’s Going To Be Okay and films like Keep The Change are centering neurodiverse people in front of and behind the camera. “Today he's making history as the creator of the first ever American tv series to star an autistic actress in a leading role.” “And last month Josh made headlines when he announced that he himself is autistic, discovering his diagnosis while writing the show.” The documentary The Reason I Jump, based on the book of the same name by Naoki Higashida, has also been heralded as breaking new ground in depictions of autism, as it attempts to evoke the lived experience of non-verbal autistic people through immersive sound, and a specific cinematic language. “My mind is forever swaying, this way and that.” With more neurodiverse protagonists and a broader range of accurate portrayals of the neurodiverse community, people’s headcanons can become actual canon, and representation can grow beyond the stereotypes. “I can’t think of anything better than that.”
Info
Channel: The Take
Views: 245,323
Rating: undefined out of 5
Keywords: everything's gonna be okay, matilda, rain man, sherlock, forrest gump, a beautiful mind, the good doctor, community, abed, gilbert grape, the boy who could fly, being there, greta thurnberg, the bridge, holmes, headcanon, grey's anatomy, cristina, tina, bob's burgers, brooklyn nine-nine, captain holt, boo radley, kill a mockingbird, the big bang theory, sheldon, atypical, the reason i jump, kayla cromer, sesame street, julia, autism, neurodiverse, neurodivergent, neurodiversity
Id: DvwtPD6o_z4
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 26min 5sec (1565 seconds)
Published: Sat Jul 10 2021
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