Welcome to VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: SURVEYING PORTRAYALS OF AUTISM ON TV! I know what you're wondering: "Who are you, and for heaven's sake, what are you aiming to do?" Settle down, now! Take a seat, and steady that mouse (this isn't a "hold up" situation)!
Although it'd be easy to tell you what VIEWER DISCRETION aims to do, in the spirit of television (the medium to which we're dedicated), it would seem more appropriate to show you. So . . . Let's turn to two women who always seem to be on the pulse of what's happening, Lucy and Ethel from "I Love Lucy," for answers.
...
FADE IN:
INT. RICARDO APARTMENT - DAY
LUCY sits in her APARTMENT when the phone RINGS.
LUCY:
(answering)
Yell-o?!
ETHEL: (O.S.)
Lucy! I'm so glad that you're home. Although, I suppose you already know . . .
LUCY:
Spill it, Ethel.
ETHEL: (O. S.)
Haven't you heard, Lucy? Television is in a golden age! That's right: an increasing number of people are turning away from their once-weekly trips to the megaplex in favor of their now-nightly appointments with "the tube."
LUCY:
Are you off your meds again, Ethel?
ETHEL: (O. S.)
Now what kind of question is that, Lucy? I know you don't believe me, but it's true.
LUCY:
Alright, alright. I believe you. I was just pulling your leg. Say, Ethel, why don't you come upstairs? I've got something to share myself, but you'll want to sit down to hear it.
CUT TO:
INT. RICARDO APARTMENT - MOMENTS LATER
ETHEL ENTERS and quickly takes a seat on the piano bench. Naturally, LUCY decides to sit on her lap.
ETHEL:
Alright, Lucy. What is it you've got to share? Besides my lap, of course?
LUCY:
Well, you've probably already heard it . . .
ETHEL:
Just . . . Well, I'd tell you to "spill it," Lucy, but I'm afraid you'll take to physical comedy in some capacity and go limp, breaking my nose or hurting my---
LUCY:
Ethel, please . . . Something along those lines will happen no matter what you instruct. Alright, then. Here goes . . .
(quietly)
Haven't you heard, Ethel? Advocacy for the acceptance of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD's) is on the rise! That's right: there are an increasing number of autistic spokespersons--- from bloggers to academics, authors, documentarians and countless others--- who are spreading the word that autism is not a disease or a curse, but a unique state of being.
CLOSE ON ETHEL, who takes the news well.
ETHEL:
Well, why are you whispering the advent of such a happy progression toward equal rights and understanding?
LUCY:
Oh, I'm not whispering, Ethel! I'm in a different room, undergoing a costume change.
LUCY: (CONT'D)
Won't you join me in celebrating, Ethel? While you weren't looking, I let in some of the renegades begging for quarters outside my window!
ETHEL:
No. I . . . I think I'll go read some information on the Internet. Now that you've told me the news . . .
LUCY:
(out of breath)
Ethel! Ethel! There's a blog called "Viewer Discretion Advised," which connects the advent of television's golden age with the increasing prevalence of autism advocacy, comparing the realities of life on the spectrum with its varying Hollywood portrayals. It was put together by a senior at the UW - Madison named Emily Kingman who's majoring in psychology. She took a course called "Discovering Autism" during the fall of 2013.
ETHEL:
Thanks, Lucy . . . I'm glad you didn't stop dancing on my account.
(a beat)
You have fun . . .
LUCY:
Oh, I'm not whispering, Ethel! I'm in a different room, undergoing a costume change.
PAN TO LUCY, who's changed into a decidedly more chipper dress for the occasion.
LUCY: (CONT'D)
Won't you join me in celebrating, Ethel? While you weren't looking, I let in some of the renegades begging for quarters outside my window!
ETHEL:
No. I . . . I think I'll go read some information on the Internet. Now that you've told me the news . . .
LUCY:
(out of breath)
Ethel! Ethel! There's a blog called "Viewer Discretion Advised," which connects the advent of television's golden age with the increasing prevalence of autism advocacy, comparing the realities of life on the spectrum with its varying Hollywood portrayals. It was put together by a senior at the UW - Madison named Emily Kingman who's majoring in psychology. She took a course called "Discovering Autism" during the fall of 2013.
ETHEL:
Thanks, Lucy . . . I'm glad you didn't stop dancing on my account.
(a beat)
You have fun . . .
ETHEL EXITS as RICKY ENTERS, seeing LUCY in full garb. CLOSE ON RICKY.
FADE TO:
BLACK.
…
By the look of Ricky's face, it would seem Lucy's got some s'plainin' to do. Hopefully, however, she and Ethel have done what was necessary for the purposes of this site to your satisfaction. If you have any further questions about VIEWER DISCRETION, don't hesitate to email me. Otherwise, you will find links in navigation bar, directing you to some entertaining, but nonetheless critical analyses of several* well-noted autistic characters on television today.** Each one has their own "channel" or "page."
*If you have a potential character submission for inclusion on the site, email me. If you have a suggestion for making an existing analysis better or more accurate, also email me. (I don't know . . . Does it sound like I'm open to the idea of you emailing me?)
**For each character, analysis was based on the pilot episodes (for series regulars) or (for supporting figures) the first episodes on which the character in question appeared. I made this decision based on the importance of first impressions. As proven by a bevy of psychological studies on prejudice and stereotyping (many of which are outlined in Plous's survey of the literature), there are many possible dangers in how people construct first impressions because of general tendencies toward: categorical thinking (i.e., "us" vs. "them"; "neurotypical" vs. "neuroatypical"; etc.), in-group bias (i.e., the tendency to think positively about one's own group and negatively about another group), perceptions of out-group homogeneity (i.e., "they're different than us, but all in the same way" and/or "they're all the same"), attribution errors (i.e., making uncharitable attributions for the behavior of out-group members), etc. What's more, once people form impressions, there is a resulting determination to hold onto them (follow hyperlink: see number 2). Thus, I believe that characters (each of which is designed with purpose) have the most didactic potential at first meeting. Concerns of relative 'screen time' (half- versus full-hour shows), be gone! If the "hello's" are spoken in different times, almost all their judgments are made in split seconds.
*If you have a potential character submission for inclusion on the site, email me. If you have a suggestion for making an existing analysis better or more accurate, also email me. (I don't know . . . Does it sound like I'm open to the idea of you emailing me?)
**For each character, analysis was based on the pilot episodes (for series regulars) or (for supporting figures) the first episodes on which the character in question appeared. I made this decision based on the importance of first impressions. As proven by a bevy of psychological studies on prejudice and stereotyping (many of which are outlined in Plous's survey of the literature), there are many possible dangers in how people construct first impressions because of general tendencies toward: categorical thinking (i.e., "us" vs. "them"; "neurotypical" vs. "neuroatypical"; etc.), in-group bias (i.e., the tendency to think positively about one's own group and negatively about another group), perceptions of out-group homogeneity (i.e., "they're different than us, but all in the same way" and/or "they're all the same"), attribution errors (i.e., making uncharitable attributions for the behavior of out-group members), etc. What's more, once people form impressions, there is a resulting determination to hold onto them (follow hyperlink: see number 2). Thus, I believe that characters (each of which is designed with purpose) have the most didactic potential at first meeting. Concerns of relative 'screen time' (half- versus full-hour shows), be gone! If the "hello's" are spoken in different times, almost all their judgments are made in split seconds.
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