Heather Kuzmich representing female Aspies

Post Reply New Topic

The image you've just painted in my mind!! Priceless. Thanks dude.

Conjures Bill Bailey.

Think Heather uses the forum?

Thanks.

Alex did interview her right? So she at least knows of the site.

Nor do I. But it's a fact of life that humans form their opinions based on associations and generalisations. They see one or two examples and base a whole belief upon that experience.

I'd sooner someone like Heather Kuzmich being that public example than say Martin Bryant as it was a few years ago.

Remember, she's not actually representing you or me, but rather is an example of a person on the Autism spectrum. Neither one of us can be summed up entirely by our condition. Paul Hogan and John Howard are both examples of Aussie males, but I don't think either one really relates that much to you or I, Daniel.

High enough probability to avoid publically demeaning her?

I dont. I have enough storage to hate everyone on an individual basis.

I know she has been here because she said something about it in her blog. I think it was about people saying she doesn't have it.

Spokane_Girl, where is Heather's blog?

Personally, I like Heather as a representative of people (and specifically women) with AS. For starters, she's not a serial killer or anything like that, so that makes her automatically better than many "representatives" we've had.

In fact, I think Heather represents a lot of of us, who may not look like supermodels (I know I couldn't be even my neighborhood's next top model), but have heard the "But you're pretty/handsome! if only you were more like this, or less like that... (translation: if only you didn't have Asperger's...)" line, or have been teased by people who think if you have Asperger's or autism, you don't have the right to be even remotely cute/attractive.

She has talents, she uses them and is noticed for that. Her photos are around, her art is around and when she finishes college and starts working as a videogame designer, her work will probably be around too. The fact that she's a model doesn't take away from her geekiness or aspieness at all, and viceversa. It's not a problem if she's not a full-time advocate for Asperger's, or if she's not telling "the dark truth" about anything, her work speaks for her. And she also brings certain lightness to the issue of the Aspie image that is very much needed.

i have a soft spot for Heather, i have to admit. i also have a (terrible) fascination for ANTM, even though i have the relative fashion sense of a 12-year old boy. (i'm always trying to pick out the closet aspie. plus i like the elements of queer culture--aspects of queer culture, i mean.)

i like Heather. i think she's smart and articulate, and i think she figured--well, i get attention for my looks: might as well use them to some positive end. (i'd like to think, anyway. she seems surprisingly free of model ego.)

having said that: i hate to think she's the end-all be-all, or that--aside from Temple Grandin (whom i also love) she'll be the only spokeswoman we get. (assuming i am a "we." at this point, i'm still self-diagnosed.) i'd like to see famous spokespeople from all walks of life. we're as diverse as NT's. would be nice to have that reflected.

Modeling aside, does anyone know what Heather's been up to in recent times?

I think the measure of an autistic spokesperson is the the things they say and do towards either helping with public acceptance of autistic people, or furthering the development of the autistic community. As such, I consider Heather to be moderately successful - she raised awareness about the spectrum in the public arena, and she didn't introduce any negative ideas about autism which would negate this. I would have liked to hear more from her after ANTM, but as many others have said, it's her life.

The modeling aspect of her life is largely irrelevant to how well regarded she should be regarded as an autistic spokesperson...

Who would you nominate, Violet?

This whole thing of having someone repersent me - someone sooo different from everyone else - is very wierd. I am trying to wrap my brain around it. I read Donna William's book and sort of related to her. I don't particularly relate to Temple Grandin, although I do admire her and have read many of her books. I am off to google Heather - never heard of her.....

PS I was asked to model for some skin product I never used. I got some great photos out of it!

Yes, why do they? I can understand people admiring people, etc, but every person is an individual, and no person should ever feel they have to imitate someone else (which is the whole idea of a "role model").

Good on Heather for going out there and doing something she loves.

I am really struggling with all this. How can anyone imply or say that Heather Kuzmich doesn't have Asperger's syndrome? What is wrong with her following her dreams and wanting to become a model? Are we all supposed to have hermit like lifestyles or, for some reason, not be able to achieve what Heather has? I say this because I have had the same problem. I may not be as pretty as Heather (my avatar is a picture of me) but then I'm not butt ugly either I don't think. I have had comments like 'well you don't look autistic or aspie' and it really does my head in. The amount of times I have been accused of not being aspie is unbelievable, and that's based solely on how I look! And it does my head in when people feel the need to condemn Heather for being a model just because it doesn't seem to fit in with the ideal aspie. That's crazy. I personally would never want to be a model, purely because, although, I'm not fat or chubby (I'm fairly slim), I'm a little too curvy to be one (I'm a real woman and not a clothes horse basically, but hey, what can you do?) and I can't be bothered to do anthing about that quite frankly. Plus my body is scarred to hell from injuries etc in the past so I couldn't be one based on that. Besides, it's not something I aspire to be. I think the take home message from Heather's experience is that, if you try real hard, you can achieve what you want. I'm 26 years old and am still in the trying hard stage in my life, but I am not about to give up. That's the message I took from her experience anyway. I do agree that being born with good looks isn't an achievement and purely the luck of the genetic draw, but I don't think she should be slated for it. I say that if you have it, you should flaunt it, because I'm sure I would if I was better looking!! In fact, I'm a little glad there is someone out there like her as she doesn't fit any of the stereotypes.

I'm sure there are a lot of us here, myself included, that have difficulty fitting in with others, have been bullied in the past and made to feel insignificant etc. I know how bad that feels as it still happens to me. By slating Heather and suggesting that she isn't an aspie because she doesn't fit the stereotypes is actually isolating someone for being different. It is inflicting on her what we hate being inflicted on us!! If she has seen posts about people doubting she is an aspie and still gets anything like the hard time she got on ANTM, she is going to feel isolated from not only the NT population, but from a group of people who are supposed to understand how she feels. That must be really horrible for her. I ask that those of you who feel it necessary to say such things to think about how other NT's make you feel and imagine that aspies were doing it in addition. Not a nice thought is it?

^

Agreed. I haven't watched ANTM, but I'm sure Heather is a lovely girl, and it's a big achievement for someone her age. I feel I should be venting more outrage, but you've said it all so nicely I don't feel the need to add more.