I was watching an episode of "Parenthood" on NBC (which I've never seen before) and in one family apparently the mom got breast cancer. They first told their daughter over skype (who was off at college), and interestingly I was watching her get all emotional (thinking she was over reacting) and remembering my own moms diagnosis of cancer. I wondered if it was normal to get so emotional.... Well, then (in the TV show) they told their son who looked like he was 13 and his lack of reaction troubled the mom who wondered if he 'understood' or 'cared'. I was thinking 'of course he cares, he probably is just coping differently'.

Later the kid was working on some project with help from some lady and he was asking her questions about being more grown up (because the parents told him that since his mom has cancer he'll have to be a little more grown up), and then he told her his mom had cancer, and she asked if he wanted to talk about it and he said no, and then started tapping the table, and I thought 'he's stimming! I think he has autism!' and I googled and apparently he DOES.

Here's an article about it:
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/11/0...ood/11084/

Is it weird I identified his character as aspie in the few seconds of interaction I watched him in? Or maybe it was really obvious. Reading the interview in the link above was nice- the kid (who is NT) tries really hard to portray asperger's accurately, which is admirable. Its more common to see an aspie try to be NT, but I've never seen an NT try to be aspie (accurately).

This post was last modified: 10-10-2012 05:05 AM by sg1008.

I don't think it's weird you recognized that the character was Autistic after observing only a few seconds worth of his behavior. I tend to have that ability as well. The reason you were able to recognize in a fast manner is because you know a lot about, therefore it's easier for you to recognize it, not to mention that you have Asperger's.

Neat, I'll have to watch that!  Is it a newer episode, or an older one I could find online?

I enjoy Big Bang theory, but I find the "aspieness" of the characters to be overstated in some ways, yet understated in other ways.  For instance, Sheldon's need for precise social rules, his lack of visible emotion, his forced laughter, his need for routine and sameness, his disdain for personal encounters like hugs - these are grossly overstated IMO.  Yet, they completely gloss over other, perhaps less interesting aspects of autism - stimming, meltdowns, etc.  

So, kudos to this show for trying to be accurate, even if it isn't as entertaining

From what I saw (and I think it was a newer episode), it was pretty accurate, and not overstated. It was the stimming that was the give away for me, because it reminded me of my stimming lol. But you can always watch older episodes if you can find them.

Curious, I went on YouTube and watched some Max clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekQ0SUoHoAk
If I ever acted like this when my family went food shopping, they'd never take me food shopping again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8intAGOJcU
If I ever acted like this when my family had company, my parents would cut my video games/TV privileges for at least a week and make me sleep in the backyard. After all, one time when we had guests, I once got harshly rebuked (while the guests were still there, may I add) for telling a very slightly off-color joke (which was printed a few years prior in a newspaper cartoon, but nevertheless relevant to the situation).

I wish I could watch the clips (slow connection)...I've only seen the one episode. I don't know if he portrays it accurately elsewhere. What do people think?

I know I wouldn't have flipped out if I saw a stranger breaking the rules. I would have just ignored it than do a conflict. I hate conflicts. But good for the dad punching the customer for calling his kid a retard.


About the second one, that sounds like me how I talk minus the black part. I don't need to tell people their skin color. I also wouldn't tell someone their topic is boring.

That's because it's a sitcom, not a documentary.

hmm...just watched the clips. Couldn't understand the shopping situation, but the boyfriend one was strange. Apparently (from the one episode) the family is friend with another mixed race family (mom black, dad white) with a mixed kid, so why would the black guy need pointing out?

Gasp!  I had no idea.  

That doesn't mean I have to like their use of stereotypes.  I do think that it shines a positive light on AS, even if it does represent it in caricature.

I think Max was shocked someone's boyfriend was black. We all naturally think someone is white so we are expecting that color but when we see they are another race, it surprises us but Max blurted it out. I knew he wasn't saying it to be racist. He was being literal.

Plus why is mentioning skin color racism? I never understood it. To me it's all literal so I don't see why it be racism. I wouldn't have known if it weren't for the internet.

It's not racism, its just seems silly...to me at least. Asking someone their background isn't racist either...just as long as you ask about their background-- rather than saying 'where are you from?' (thus assuming they are foreign because they're asian or something--that tends to offend people).

I don't know if I naturally think someone is white...but that could be because I don't have many white acquaintances (mostly south asian), and my father is black, and my mom tends to have black male friends, and my brothers fiance is southeast asian, and my other brother had an southeast asian gf, and my little brother...he kissed a south asian girl-but I don't think they dated, and my exgf was latina; and my brother exgf was mixed (east asian and white), and before that was costa rican, and before that was...also costa rican.

Brown faces are familiar in my family.  

And so are not so brown faces. But I realize not every family is so acculturated...(is acculturated the right word?)

But now that I think about it, my first time visiting the suburbs I kept exclaiming how huge the houses were and how rich everyone was. I suppose for someone who is rich, its strange to hear about someone being poor. For me I suppose I would be more surprised if someone was rich rather than poor...hence the exclamation. Ok, I think I get it.