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Has the Big Bang Theory TV Series raised Asperger awareness?

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Samian
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08 Oct 2012, 7:49 pm

I like the show!

I think if people watching were even aware that sheldon is portraying some AS traits it would only reinforce the view that AS is a minor bit of geekyness that could easily be trained out of him if he paid more attention to the people in his life......

So in my view - bad for our cause - but funny



eric76
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08 Oct 2012, 9:00 pm

MindWithoutWalls wrote:
I think, in live comedy shows, they do multiple tapings with different audiences paying to see the episode performed each time.


I'm pretty sure that the tickets to be in the audience of any of the tv shows with a live audience are completely free.



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08 Oct 2012, 9:33 pm

Samian wrote:
I like the show!

I think if people watching were even aware that sheldon is portraying some AS traits it would only reinforce the view that AS is a minor bit of geekyness that could easily be trained out of him if he paid more attention to the people in his life......

So in my view - bad for our cause - but funny
I agree that the notion that if we simply tried we could be normal is extremely offensive.



Davinel
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08 Oct 2012, 9:38 pm

Hey! Sheldon is normal, his mother had him tested!



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08 Oct 2012, 9:48 pm

Aimless wrote:
This says it better than I can:
http://butmyopinionisright.tumblr.com/p ... ang-theory


emm... I think this guy, who wrote this, has some kind of inferiority complex or something... In BBT they laugh at them, they laugh with them, at their jokes, and at Penny, and at her friends. They laugh at everything, because it's sitcom and this is what they do in sitcom's.
And besides, four main characters is shown like pretty cool guys. Well, maybe except Raj)) It's more like "yeah, they are nerds, and they got some pretty funny and childish hobbies, but they are cool nonetheless"



Shellfish
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09 Oct 2012, 1:31 am

naturalplastic wrote:
Shellfish wrote:
This has been a bit of a realisation for me, actually. There is a little boy in a tv show called "The middle", his name is Brick who is definitely portrayed as having Aspergers (highly intellligent, loves reading, has no friends, attends a social skills group and even has echolalia). I think it's a great show, funny and cleverly written and every member of the family is 'cliched' and mocked to an extent. Now that I know this child has Aspergers, it makes me uncomfortable to laugh at him though, a little too close to home I guess.


Thats interesting.
I started a thread about brick here on wp ( TV and Films Forum) suggesting that he was a possible aspie.

Has he been actually IDENTIFIED on the show as having asperger's?


Not that I am aware of, although I have not seen all the episodes. It's unlikely they would though because making jokes about a 'quirky' kid is one thing, laughing at a child with a mental disorder is something quite different.


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09 Oct 2012, 2:44 pm

Aimless wrote:
This says it better than I can:
http://butmyopinionisright.tumblr.com/p ... ang-theory

Maybe that guy has a point. I found it funny for a long time because I thought "yeah, I do that, how ridiculous I am!" and "silly Penny, doesn't understand basic science!", but maybe it is laughing at rather than with the main characters a lot of the time.

The article mentions the costume episode- I found the humour there to be them all wanting to be the Flash, Raj saying they should make it look like they are one fast person, them all wanting to be Frodo, Raj inferring racism, and Sheldon trying to work out the rules of conversation (because it reminded me of social skills class).



Female
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09 Oct 2012, 3:40 pm

Aimless wrote:
This says it better than I can:
http://butmyopinionisright.tumblr.com/p ... ang-theory

If you ask me, the biggest problem with The Big Bang Theory is that it's less funny then pancreatic cancer.



BorgPrince
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09 Oct 2012, 5:15 pm

Such disdain for TBBT on this forum! I suspect it could be accounted for by feelings of jealousy. Sheldon Cooper is, after all, accepted for who he is, whereas most of us are not. :o



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09 Oct 2012, 6:28 pm

Stoek wrote:
He`s a positive stereotype, that does make the issue more easily understood by the regular person.

This type of stereotyping can be very beneficial, creating likable associations with certain traits.

If you compare it to being gay there are alot of comparison. Both groups got exposure through, television, and require positive role modeling.

The problem is sheldon isn`t a very diverse role model.

Just as not all gays are flamboyant and obnoxious, not all Aspies are geeky and obnoxious.


Definitely: eople like to put things into boxes. It's like Sheldon is now the most commonly accepted persona of someone with an ASD. It promotes awareness, sure, but most people don't understand the sheer range of people on the spectrum. Yes, you'll have some people like Sheldon, but most others out there don't fit this stereotype, and when they don't, their diagnosis may be called into question.

Personally, I find the show obnoxious as the audience is laughing at the characters rather than with them...but that's just me.


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Given a “tentative” diagnosis as a child as I needed services at school for what was later correctly discovered to be a major anxiety disorder.

This misdiagnosis caused me significant stress, which lessened upon finding out the truth about myself from my current and past long-term therapists - that I am an anxious and highly sensitive person but do not have an autism spectrum disorder.

My diagnoses - social anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

I’m no longer involved with the ASD world.


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09 Oct 2012, 7:19 pm

BorgPrince wrote:
Such disdain for TBBT on this forum! I suspect it could be accounted for by feelings of jealousy. Sheldon Cooper is, after all, accepted for who he is, whereas most of us are not. :o

No, I just hate laugh tracks. Still, I can see why some AS people like the show: Oh look, a nerdy reference followed by laughter. That must mean someone told a joke, so I should laugh. HA! HA! HA!



Samian
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09 Oct 2012, 7:37 pm

BorgPrince wrote:
Such disdain for TBBT on this forum! I suspect it could be accounted for by feelings of jealousy. Sheldon Cooper is, after all, accepted for who he is, whereas most of us are not. :o


Yeah man! Sheldon has no anxiety or depression , thinks what he's doing and thinking at any time is right , has friends, goes out alot, he could probably even get a date if he wanted. Who wouldn't be jealous?



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09 Oct 2012, 7:48 pm

The actor is gay. That is all.



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09 Oct 2012, 7:56 pm

Female wrote:
Aimless wrote:
This says it better than I can:
http://butmyopinionisright.tumblr.com/p ... ang-theory

If you ask me, the biggest problem with The Big Bang Theory is that it's less funny then pancreatic cancer.

I agree actually, at best it's just lame.


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09 Oct 2012, 8:26 pm

The show is funny -- and I don't think it's exaggerating the underlying psychology to the point of being stereotypical. There are funny things about psychology, and there are funny things that us aspies do that we're completely unaware of. I personally like to watch the blunders Sheldon makes. And who says he has friends?! All the other characters can't stand him. I was told I was like Sheldon not that long ago and was kind of horrified. I think the person who told me was wrong, I'm not mean like he is. Then and again, who knows ... I have only a limited idea of how I'm coming across to people and have only recently started paying more attention to it.



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09 Oct 2012, 8:33 pm

Quote:
I was told I was like Sheldon not that long ago and was kind of horrified.


Back in the 70s, I was occasionally called Spock.