I am not a 'Fire in the Sky' alien!

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I know that you will find this an unusual concern, but this chiefly concerns one scene of a movie called Fire in the Sky, in which an alien smears brown gunk in an abducted captive's mouth. This image has me worried sick about the label 'Asperger's Syndrome' and the alien stereotype given to us.

I do not want the diagnosed to be scapegoated in any way that makes them appear evil, whether by religious people (the 'asp' might scare them) or by people who watched this movie, which is quite possibly the scariest movie I've ever watched in my life. I once played out this scene with my siblings when I was around 12 (I am now 26), but I would never smear gunk in anyone's mouth, stick wires down throats, or do any of the injurious things these aliens did to an innocent captive. I would be profoundly insulted if anyone tried to force such an image on us.

If you want to learn more about my life experience and views on Asperger's Syndrome as someone diagnosed with it, you can read my essay, Rejection and Asperger's Syndrome, and I address many key issues that NTs often overlook. I'm also thinking about adding a new section on the alien stereotype that mentions Fire in the Sky, but I'm not sure yet.

I just wanted to make that clear. Thank you.

Um...given that "aliens from space" and "aliens as a metaphor for strange people" are always seen as two different things unless you're watching Third Rock, what exactly do you see as the issue here? Why do you think anyone will project what one alien movie, made many years ago, onto humans sitting in front of them?

My main concern is that people with Asperger's Syndrome and autism are going to be singled out as either being or belonging to the group of humans who 'lack empathy,' and that at one point or another, movies like this might sway the unthinking crowd into believing that we're somehow evil.

Notice how the name of one of our biggest Asperger forums (if not the biggest) is 'WrongPlanet.' Could mean people possibly construe this to mean that we don't belong here? And what good is the alien stereotype doing us?

I'm really pretty sure most people do NOT make this connection. Even if anyone in a place of power makes this connection and voices it, they will be immediately torn down, and it will probably actually help bring light to the truth of the situation.

And if people tell you they don't think you have any empathy, well then, prove them wrong why don't you?

Anyway, don't worry about it. :3

When observing their behavior, I sometimes question whether or not I could realy be called 'human.'

While there are kooky religious people out there, I doubt anyone with half a brain would assume Asperger's has anything to do with asps. Most if not all of the explanations of AS point out that the syndrome was described by Hans Asperger.

If they truely need an alien character to protray Asperger's, why not use Zim from Invader Zim. Zim is tottaly clueless the Irkins sent him to earth only in an attempt to get rid of him (hoping he would die on the way). It couldn't be more obvious the Irkin leaders "Red" and "Purple" want Zim gone but Zim swears that the "mission" is real. Plus Zim is just plain cute.

I just watched Fire in the Sky recently, and I was pretty shaken up about a couple of scenes I didn't remember. I've just been thinking a lot lately about how I've been treated and comparing it to Walton's experience.

Walton retched. I retched.
Walton was teamed up on. I was teamed up on.
Walton had a terrifying encounter with the unusual. I had a terrifying encounter with the unusual.
All I can think about sometimes is 'stupid people.' Walton met the stupid people.

I like that movie.