I Hate Rain Man!

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I really do. Ever since this 1988 movie hit the theaters in early 1989, there are many people who think people with autism are like that cliche savant.

Fewer than 10% of the autistic population even HAVE savant skills and there are fewer than 100 people alive today who are prodigious savants. Daniel Tammant (sp), author of "Born on a Blue Day" falls into the prodigious savant category, but he is NOTHING like that damn R*** M**!

In fact, the very term R*** M** is considered a slur in autism circles. Asking people to perform is equivalent to treating them like performing seals. It is also demeaning. You would not ask a neurotypical to perform feats, so don't treat people with autism that way. We don't all do toothpick tricks. We don't all know every name in the telephone directory. While I'm at it, I HATE the "People's Court!"

I wish I had a R*** M** dartboard. R*** M** is to autism what Amos & Andy are to black people; houseboys banging gongs and riding in rikshaws to Asian people and wild, mouth hitting whoo whoo whoo shriekers are to Native people. I hate that sort of thing. R*** M** is a very prejudiced term that is every bit as offensive as any ethnic, racist, religious or social slur.

In August of 2006, the comic "Pooch Cafe," about robotic looking Poncho and his pack of dog pals ran two very offensive strips about autism.

One strip said that Poncho was "an idiot savant like R*** M**" and the following day the strip made even more cruel negative comments of that ilk about people with autism.

Idiot savant?! That makes me very angry! Most people with autism, savant abilities or none are of above average to gifted intelligence. I hate that kind of thing because it is equivalent to a racist remark. It is ironic when you consider the tiny minority of people who even HAVE savant skills!

"Pooch Cafe" belongs in the bottom of a bird cage or as a training pad for your dog.

What to do, Rain Man was the window for many people to understand more on autism... And sadly, this is distorted...

Sob!

Geez, calm down, Rain Man. Just because you are on your period doesn't mean it's the end of the world.

But we need to watch more films to accrately know what is autism! I wished there'd been more viewership in Autism Reality though...

Best doc ever, most accurate too for autistics' plights!

Btw am I old fashioned?

Hush, I'm sure they will calm down after some nice relaxing card counting.

I also hate that move with a passion. My sister treated me like crap, for the longest time, after my family watched that movie in 1989. That was a horrible movie.

What does a person's menstrual cycle have to do with anything? Your comment conveys the attitude that if a woman is upset or feels strongly about something, it must be because of her "period". I find that a bit offensive and disturbing.

Actually, I think the implication of the term is if a woman seems to be disproportionately upset about something relative to an often rather minor something, because of hormones. This doesn't just happen with periods but it is well-documented with pregnancy as well.

And trust me, having been 'on my period', the irrational can start to creep in if I'm not paying attention.

Well, the person that inspired Rain Man has recently kicked off, so that should cheer you a bit!

If someone asked me to perform like that I would be flattered that they thought I could do it, but I would tell them I couldn't because I'm an honest person. I'm only offended if they think I'm an idiot or even socially stupid.

i do have a soft spot for Kim Peek, the man on whose life the movie was based. but the word "savant?" kiss my butt and die.

I think my problem with the movie Rain Man was that they made him seem a bit subhuman. They definitely definitely definitely could've expanded his character a little more than just being a savant who could remember numbers and events.

The whole movie is so vulgar.

the movie is based on kim peek who did not actually have classic autism. he had fg syndrome which also causes autistic symptoms.

At least women only have to deal with hormones during their periods. Men are flooded with testosterone all month.