The Audacious Aspie: An Art Critique on How Society Sees Us (Feel Free to Get Your Snob On)
Welcome back to The Audacious Aspie! Today, we are looking at the stereotypes facing those on the spectrum and just how absurd they really are. As will as having fun looking at how one stereotype says one thing, but another stereo type claiming us to be/act the opposite, at the same time. For example: being really depressed and angry, but also showing countless pictures of the stereotyped being very, very happy in ads or what not. Why? Because it’s far easier than talking to the stereotyped, less work and less brain power needed.
We start off by revisiting the mighty site concerning autism, The Mighty. This time, the list is by the author Sarah Bartowski titled “5 Autism Stereotypes I Fit, and 5 I don't”. First on the list? We all like math, and born mathematicians. To be a mathematician, you will have to have at least one these two traits: liking math, and doing will at math. If everyone who was autistic loved to do math and was good at math, we’d have so many people who would be really good with numbers that it would be impossible for politicians lie about the economy, crime rate or any statistic ever!
There would be to many people to try and convince for the lie to succeed, even for a little bit, and that would take away a large amount of fun they have in an otherwise boring and stressful workplace, you don't want to ruin their fun, do you? Actually, if you think about it, it's not so much a stereotype but more like a wish, a wish for a race of superhumans who can see past the political number-juggling. Is it a group of professor’s? A think-tank? No, it’s the Numbers People!!
Behold, the Autism Team: in the back, its Huge Hugo, whose powers include; math magic! Computer Wizardry, and being...huge (as denoted by his robot armour and giant size)! Silver Sylvia, whose powers include; economic equality (closing the gap between the rich and everyone else and ensuring that women are paid as much as men)! Flash bang (NO! Not that way! Will, maybe)! And the same as Hugo's! (except for being huge), Red man Ron, whose powers include; math magic and computer Wizardry!
And with a cast of side characters that are all generic except for the two main characters who are kind of different.
We all love every animal, in existence, ever. Not true obviously, for while I don't mind dogs, cats, frogs or spiders, I don't quite care for mice, mosquitoes (love my face and back of my neck) and mice. The one thing that I think all aspies can agree on, is that we prefer the company of animals, any animals (except for mosquitoes, fleas or anything of the sort) to humans. Why? Will, I think it's not that hard a question to ask, you don't exactly have to be autistic to figure this one out.
We get confused by sarcasm: while it is true that we do get confused by sarcasm every once in awhile (everyone does, other wise it would not be as fun if everyone automatically got the drift), not every autistic person watch’s sarcasm fly over our heads, wondering what it was (your thinking bird watching: “wow! Did you see that bird Joe?” “Sure did Bob!” “You know what kind of bird it was Joe?” “Couldn’t tell you Bob.” “Hey, Joe uh, we uh, we did bring the bird watching book with us...right?” “yep, it's in the car.” “Think maybe we should go get it to find out what the types of birds are that fly over our heads Joe?” “...no.” “yea, me neither”).
Here is one that seems to have a number of names, two of them being “savant abilities” or “Rain Man geniuses’ “ (paragraph 4). What do they mean? Will, it's kind of like the math bit, except that instead of, or on top of, every one with autism being amazing at math, we all have a kind of superhuman talent. For example, we can either: re-create what they have just seen minutes ago on paper or, more likely, play a whole song by ear (my sister can do this. My parents are envious).
This is Military Helicopter, His power is flying around blowing stuff up. Full package, what more do you need?
I’m beginning to think that society sees us as super humans, you think Superman, Batman, the X-men and Star Wars are based on us? That would be wicked.
Here’s another one: We are all mentally disabled. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (deep breaths) HAHAHAHAHAHA! (deep breaths) No.
Bad parenting causes autism: Some of you have probably heard this one before, infuriated even. Don’t fret, the HuffPost has your back. A man called Bruno Bettelheim made the sorry-excuse-for-a-theory popular, blaming what he called “refrigerator mothers” (paragraph 6, mothers who do not bond will to their children. Notice how there is no refrigerator dads). Fortunately, so the article states, hardly anyone believes this now-a-days, but they still exist, sadly.
Back to The Mighty, we all have trouble reading body language: this would depend on the individual. I too have problems reading body language, it's like a foreign language to me. If a mime came up and started acting like he/she was trapped in an invisible wall, My first thought would be that he/she was just being weird, but what can you expect from a person who paints their body all white, wears suspenders, and looks at you with unblinking eyes like they are perpetually surprised, or had their eye lids cut out?
Or they go out in white dress shirts and black vests looking they will kill someone, like this guy. I found the origin of Batman’s Joker everyone, he was a mime.
All autistic people hate parties: Wrong. Sure, we don't like the huge rave’s that almost everyone else is into, particularly my generation, but we like parties. Small ones. The only parties that I enjoy are ones with very few people in them. Something that is unheard of for most people my age but true nonetheless. Only activity I enjoy that could possibly be improved with more people is an Airsoft game. When I’m one of the players. Allowing me to ignore the fact that there are tons of people around me. Was never able to do that on a dance floor.
Being autistic is just being eccentric: Will, it’s half right, but the HuffPost got it all right: Sure, it can seem that we are a little eccentric (to everyone who does not understand us), but we are not eccentric. Thats a funny way of spelling “obsession” or “passion”. But, to be fair, being eccentric isn’t so bad. Beats being normal any day, just ask Donald Trump.
We will make drug-induced visions while looking at a dartboard great again!
So, to recap: We are all good at math AND contain an extra super power, we are practically Mutants. We got our super powers from “bad parenting”, though they never go into specifics, specifically moms who are kitchen appliances. Whatever our super power is, though, it’s not “being sociable at any level. Period”, as we are supposed to be shut ins who don’t know body language, hate going to any party ever, and are eccentric to the core. We are a bunch of super powered hermits.
Is there more? Yes, but most of the remaining stuff I already covered in earlier posts. But before I go back into my secret underground base sealed off from the rest of the world and hidden by very powerful magic, this has been the Audacious Aspie, signing off. And wishing that you would stop trying to contact me MOM AND DAD! This the life I chose! Why can't you let me be the powerful shut-in that I want to be! Fine, I'll come visit on the weekend, but only because of chocolate.
Sources used:
https://themighty.com/2017/04/autism-stereotypes/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hannah-brown/7-myths-about-autism_b_2977120.html