Matt’s Mailbag #1 — What do you think about the media’s portrayal of autism?

Time for something new! Hooray!

Whilst working on 36 different blog drafts simultaneously (my drafts are wiiiiiiild….), I was asked an excellent question recently by my friend Lincoln.

They asked me:

‘Do you feel like people with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) are generally poorly represented in media?’

This is an excellent question and I had no immediate answer to it. I also wanted to answer it probably and realised that might be longer than a Whatsapp message. So, I asked if they would mind me using a blog to explore the question and now here we are.

Before we start, some quick things:

Firstly, this is not me attempting to comprehensively survey all the autistic portrayals in media and in some way catalogue them. Wikipedia has done that here. This is only about media I’ve seen or am familiar with. And my tastes are baaaaaaasic.

Secondly, this is just my opinion. I am an autistic voice, not the voice for autism. I do not claim any actual knowledge or to know anything about anything. Basically ever. These are just my thoughts. With occasional light editing. That’s it.

Thirdly, having spoken to Lincoln, they meant scripted fiction, rather than the news media or documentary. I know the BBC in particular are releasing exciting documentaries on this subject as I write this but they’re an issue for another day.

OK, now we’ve gotten that out of the way….

I think when I’m asked about autistic characters in media, my first response is: ‘what autistic characters?’

First, let’s be clear what I mean.

For me, when I’m looking for representation, I’m looking for 4 things:

• Explicit autism — I want the character to explicitly self identify as autistic or on the spectrum. Being ‘weird’ or ‘thinking differently’ doesn’t cut it.
• Accurate autism — I don’t know how else to say but some portrayals of autism are so cringe that I have to shut them off instantly. (I’m so sorry The Good Doctor). The autism needs to feel real.
• Positive (or at least neutral) autism — Autism (and a lack of empathy) often tends to be portrayed as a form of psychopathy. Lots of portrayals of autism make me feel like autism is a curse or a burden or whatever, and I’m not here for that in fiction.
• A wide release — Look, I love indie shows, social media and YouTube videos. There are some amazing portrayals in the fringes (and at Fringes!). But meaningful representation means something my Mum might watch on BBC1 or something in normal movie theatres.

(There is also a huge debate as to whether autistic characters need to portrated by autistic actors. My personal take on that is that at this point I’ll take all the representation I can get. I want to see myself on screen and do whatever autistic empathy is. If it’s a good portrayal, I’m not mad at a NT portrayal. But I’d love to see more autistic actors too!)

So, are there any?

Well firstly, let’s be clear up top. There are very few attempted portrayals of autism in media. We are not looking at a stacked field here. Even the Wikipedia list is shorter than you’d expect.

But, honestly, given that definition I’d say that there aren’t any I can think of that confidently or easily pass those four criteria. That feels bold to say I know, but I genuinely can’t think of a portrayal of autism where I felt authentically represented and seen. Some are tantalisingly close, but there’s always a caveat. There’s always a but.

Actually, I think basically all portrayals of autism in media (that I’m familiar with) fall into 5 basic archetypes.

Those are:

Autistic Nerds (Who Technically Aren’t Autistic) in Comedies

Some Examples: Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory), Abed Nadir (Community), Judah Mannowdog (BoJack Horseman)

Fun fact: this category bums me out a lot.

Quite often in media concerning nerds you get the ‘not-explicitly-autistic autistic nerd’ character. They’re quirky. They don’t get jokes. They have formal routines. They need notice to change things. They hate change. They hyperfocus on weird stuff. They are too into their hobbies. They love media. They see life as a TV show/film. You know, classic (broadly drawn) autistic stuff. Whether or not they’d get a diagnosis is irrelevant. The writers are clearly drawing on autistic tropes.

And, let’s be clear. It’s often funny. One of the things I wish I could change about autism in the media is that we stopped taking it all seriously all the time. Because autism is often hilarious. It is objectively funny that I reject things I want because I’m surprised. It is often funny to see someone autistic say the quiet (or secret) part out loud. I have lost count of the amount of times I’ve realised someone was flirting with me like a decade after the fact. I’m so here for humour about autism.

But, this isn’t about autism, is it?

There are 279 episodes of the Big Bang Theory. There are 110 episodes of Community. There are 77 episodes of BoJack Horseman. I have seen them all.

And they don’t mention it. They don’t mention autism. (Or they do mention it to brush it off).

They use autistic tropes. They use humour around autism. They definitely use autistic perspectives in their writing. But there’s no episode that deals with it directly.

Fuck. There are even multiple episodes dealing with Abed’s mental health. Do we mention it? Fuck no. Sheldon jokes ‘my mother got me tested’ constantly on TBBT. Tested for what, Sheldon? TESTED FOR WHAT, SHELDON??? BoJack Horseman tackles so much but not this. There are episodes discussing the nuances of everything from asexuality, woman and guns, infertility, depression, drug abuse. And yet, they just leave this one on the shelf unexplored. While having a clearly autistic character on screen. Why no Judah episode?!

Mayim Bialik, star of TBBT, says that the reason there’s no labels is so that the characters can be loved by all. Maybe… But I think Sheldon’s actor, Jim Parsons, is more correct. He is reported as saying that not giving Sheldon a diagnosis avoids a ‘social responsibility’ to perform it authentically or appropriately.

Which is the key point. Whether or not these are good portrayals of autistic characters misses the point. They are characters that appear autistic but don’t have to deal with the label. They’re just ‘quirky’

It’s lazy. It’s cowardly. It’s basic. And autistic people deserve better representation.

Actors taking big swings at autism in prestige dramas

Notable Examples: Oskar Schnell (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close), Ray Babbitt (Rain Man), Christian Wolff (The Accountant)

Let’s change the pace.

So sure lazy nerdy comedies use autistic tropes for laughs but duck the big discussions. But they’re low budget. Small minded. The small-minded screen, as it were. Surely, film is different?

Well…

Here’s the thing. One thing film has over TV is time. I’ve read behind the scenes interviews from the example movies that all talk about being careful about portraying autism well.

You could argue that they do. As, with their comic TV counterparts, there are definitely details of each performance that resonate with me. Ben Affleck has to deal with social issues, light sensitivity and tics in the Accountant. Dustin Hoffman is doing some interesting things in terms of eye contact, his body position or his need for the things he needs. And literally noone has seen Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Myself Included.

There is definitely effort here. Undeniably so. Research has been done. Consultants have been consulted. Autistic people has been asked about this stuff. And that’s all commendable.

BUT.

Something’s off here.

I don’t know whether it’s because none of these characters actually exist and that they were written wholecloth for the screen*. I don’t know whether it’s because these three actors aren’t autistic themselves. I don’t know if it’s the framing of autism within the story. Or, because I don’t believe that the autistic person who be in that scenario. I don’t know. But something’s off.

If I had to describe it, Lincoln, I’d say it feels like actors doing an acting challenge. It feels like actors really wanting to push themselves to do something new and ‘edgy’. Like when an actor gets abs, or gains a bunch of weight, or whatever Charlise Theron did for Monster.

And that’s very impressive. For sure. But it doesn’t feel like a portrayal of autism in media. It feels like an actor trying hard to show autism on screen. Or that they can play autistic.

I don’t love it. I don’t feel it represents me. Moving on.

The Unbearable Cringe

Notable Examples: Mercury Rising (1998), Music (2021), Atypical (2017–21)

So sometimes I watch an autistic character and it makes me cringe so hard I have to turn it off instantly or hide under a blanket.

All these media properties have that.

I can’t tell you what it is specifically. Sometimes it’s all the guttural screaming. Sometimes it’s the facial expressions. Sometimes it’s the screaming. Sometimes it’s how being autistic is the only thing they’ve got going on in their life. Sometimes it’s how their family treats or talks to them.

But nope. Nope nope nope. So much nope that I can barely contain it.

Funnily enough, very similar to that is…

The Autistic Superhero/Genius

Notable Examples: The Good Doctor (2017 — ), Criminal Minds (2005 — ), House (2004–12)**, Sherlock (2010–17)

This sub-genre of autistic portrayals is probably the funniest to me.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before.

There’s a puzzle to solve. The patient is dying. Or the murderer is getting away. Or they need evidence so the killer doesn’t go free. The clock is ticking. Suddenly, just as time is running out, out of nowhere, House or Spencer or Sherlock or The Good Doctor suddenly recites or notices some tiny detail and then goes into a big speech about why that matters. The day is saved.

And, of course, that naturally means we forgive these typically weird, abrasive nerdy guys for their social quirks and foibles. Spencer gets to be adorkable and awkward. House gets to be cantankerous. Sherlock (at least in the BBC version) gets to be a rampaging arsehole. The Good Doctor gets to be… OK, real talk, The Good Doctor’s trailer was so cringy I’d actually put it in the category above. But you get the idea.

Obviously, these suck as genuine representational portrayals of autism. Firstly, savants are super duper rare. And most savants aren’t mega-geniuses. They don’t always arrive at the final hour with the perfect solution. We autistic, not fucking Batman.

But I actually don’t take (much) offence on this occasion. Because this isn’t actually about autism. It’s just part of the ongoing (and incredibly successful) genre that is crime/medical/legal procedural whose lead has a quirky twist. Autism is just one thing they’ve used. There’s also:

• The Mentalist — Man solves crime whilst also being a mentalist
• Monk — Man solves crime while having OCD
• Bosch — Man wins cases despite having no charisma whatsoever (no matter what my Mum thinks)
• Suits — Man does good lawyering whilst also having an idetic memory.
• Brooklyn 99 — Detective solves crime while clearly having ADHD.
• Medium — Woman solves crimes while pretending she isn’t psychic but she is
• Pysch — Man solves crimes pretending to be psychic when he isn’t.

I could go on forever. Other people have. But, yeah, this isn’t really an autism thing.

So, sure this is annoying, but meh. Not the end of the world. Definitely not a portrayal of autism though!

The Unfeeling Psychopath

Notable Examples: R.B. (Utopia*), Jessica Rabbit (Utopia), Lou Bloom (Nightcrawler), Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

Bear with me here, Lincoln, we’re going to get weird for a second.

OK, so obviously autism isn’t psychopathy. And psychopathy isn’t autism. There’s no causal relationship between them in any sense.

BUT! There is common ground here. Some amount of connective tissue.

One of the things I associate most with my experience of autism is a lack of natural social empathy. I struggle to know how to feel naturally. I struggle to know how people expect me to feel. I sometimes struggle to know what to say and how to say it. I sometimes come off differently to how I mean to. I struggle to come across as normal. I say the wrong thing at dinner. I get found flatfooted conversationally often.

And, generally speaking, I don’t think that’s something we normally allow the hero of the story to be. Conventional ‘Western’ movie heroes are charismatic, charming, quick with a joke and easygoing. They glide through social situations. They quip. In fact, movie studios actively want them to have high levels of social skill. Firstly, that means that the character is relatable (to most). But also it probably means the actor will be great hawking their movie on Kimmel or Fallon.

So, when a character struggles to empathise on screen I feel something. In Utopia, when R.B. and Jessica try to make friends with people but can’t because they can’t human, I get that. There’s a spectacularly awkward attempted kiss that feels like something I would have done at 18 (and later). When Lou Bloom is hitting on Rene Russo’s character with 0 self awareness in Nightcrawler, I relate to him in that moment. When Patrick Bateman isn’t understood how he wants to be understood, I, to some extent, feel that.

Basically, whilst these are clearly not portrayals of autism (and shouldn’t be taken as them), I do feel compelled to say that some of the moments I have felt the most seen are with low empathy bad people.

Which I’m sure isn’t something to dwell on or worry about. Anyway…

In conclusion

Are there any good portrayals of autism in the media? Yes.
Are there many? No.
Are media representations of autism generally good? Not even a bit.
Are there any perfect ones? Not by my counting.
Which is the worst? Sia’s Music movie. Christ… all the cringe.

I honestly think autistic folks are still waiting for their first big representation moment. I am at least. I’m waiting for someone to do for autistic folks what Laverne Cox did for trans folks in scripted media. Or the first interracial kiss in Star Trek. Or even a Will and Grace.

Personally, I’m still definitely still waiting for autism’s big representation moment.

I think that’s why I’m so mad at The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon Cooper could have been it. He could have been our guy. The portrayal was good. The writing (about autism) was good enough. The context (nerdy gamers at a University) made sense. It’s all there. They just needed to do one ‘very special episode’ and they didn’t. And they chickened out. Which suuuuuuuucks.

But, not at all is lost. Representation grows year on year and it’s awesome to see. And even if nothing is perfect, that doesn’t mean there isn’t good media to consume.

Finally, if you’re looking for recommendations, my top 5 autistic representations in media are:

5. Abed Nadir (Community) — Even though they didn’t give him actual autism, I think the characterisation and portrayal feel very authentic to me. Not perfect, but very resonant.

4. Drax the Destroyer (Guardians of the Galaxy) — Whilst Drax clearly isn’t autistic, the way he takes things literally is. I have lost count of the amount of times I’ve taken something metaphorical literally and vice versa.

3. R.B. (Utopia) — I can’t say anything about this without spoiling it. This character is clearly not written as autistic. But his journey to try and be a kinder person whilst not understanding them or having much empathy definitely spoke to me. Plus, everyone should watch Utopia (the British one).

2. Judah Mannowdog (BoJack Horseman) — BoJack Horseman is a well written show and Judah is a well written character. He is clearly autistic. He has autistic problems and he isn’t defined by them. He’s just a little part in a big story but everytime he shows up, I do feel somewhat represented on screen.

1. Christopher John Francis Boone (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) — So I’ve never seen a really good portrayal of autism on screen. Or in a video game. Or in music. But, I have read one reeeeeeally good book. Now, technically speaking, Boone isn’t explicitly autistic. But, reading this book I saw so much of myself in the narrator. It’s all pitch perfect. It resonates and it challenges. If you want to learn what’s going on in an autistic mind, there are worse places to look.

Hopefully that answers your question, Lincoln! Thanks so much for your wonderful and provocative question!

And if you’d like to ask me a question that I will answer in far too many words, then you can! Leave a comment on a blog or get in touch with me and maybe we’ll see you on an upcoming edition of Matt’s Mailbag!

Until next time, lovelies. Have an amazing day!

Hi everyone, thanks for reading this new mailbag thing! I really enjoyed answering a question directly and would love to do it again. Feel free to ask me anything!

Remember to subscribe/follow to me on Medium if you haven’t already! It makes a huge difference! Like huge!

Also, I’d love to know your thoughts on this topicc. Did I miss any key examples out? Did I get this one all wrong? Who is your favourite autistc character of all time?

Feel free to leave a like. It makes me smile every single time.

You’re the best. Chase joy today.

* It’s definitely possible to argue that Kim Peek (the character Rain Main is based on) is autistic. But he has ‘savant syndrome’ which doesn’t really reflect my autistic experience. Most autistic people aren’t memorising the phone book or dictionary.

** Whilst this is refuted in the show on one occasion, I think Laurie’s characterisation of House definitely has a touch of the ‘tism.

*** In case anyone is under the impression that I mean the American Amazon series, I very much do not.