On The Screen And On The Spectrum: Jim Parsons As Sheldon Cooper In The Big Bang Theory

On The Screen And On The Spectrum is a recurring feature where I examine pop culture depictions of individuals with Autism, Asperger's or other developmental disabilities similar to Autism.

I was talking to a good friend of mine, who happens to be both on the Autistic spectrum and a major fan of pop culture too, on Facebook, and this chum of mine brought up a great point about the majority of on-screen depictions of people on the Autistic spectrum; many Autistic individuals in film and television are blissfully unaware that they even have Autism or exhibit Autistic tendencies. Such personalities are usually too wrapped up in singular interests to find time to pay much mind to the environment and people around them. While there are plenty of figures in the real world on the Autistic spectrum who are like that, me and my friend were wistful in hoping there'd be more Autistic people in films/TV like us who were acutely aware of their condition and the difficulties stemming from Autism they were grappling with.

On The Screen And On The Spectrum: Christian Bale As Michael Burry In The Big Short

On The Screen And On The Spectrum is a recurring feature where I examine pop culture depictions of individuals with Autism, Asperger's or other developmental disabilities similar to Autism.

I mentioned in my original review of The Big Short that the portrayal of the character Michael Burry was one of the bets on-screen depictions of Asperger's Syndrome I'd ever seen on-screen. It may sound like hyperbole, but I totally stand by that statement. Not only is it a strong turn in its own right, but in the grand scheme of performances of people with Asperger's, it's one of the few to realize that individual on the Autistic spectrum are, y'know, actual human beings.