It's Just A Stupid TV Show: Why Pay Attention?

Several readers commented on my last post, about Asperger's portrayals in shows such as Boston Legal, and Grey's Anatomy, questioning why I should concern myself with shows that are melodramatic at best, surreal at worst. It's just fiction, can't you just trust that adults will tell truth from fiction? Not necessarily. Not if they have no truth to compare it to. Let me give you an example...

This past winter, while riding to a holiday dinner with some extended family members (who don't know I have Asperger's), the topic of conversation turned to TV. After discussing several shows that we mutually liked, they brought up the show Boston Legal. I said that I liked it in the beginning, having been a huge fan of "The Practice," but gradually came to like it less and less as sexism, rude and ridiculous behavior had begun to get to me. And, I said, the introduction of Jerry "Hands" Espenson really finished it for me, as I really disliked the character. (I did not specify why.)

Immediately a member of the group piped up, "He has Asperger, y'know." Her tone was authoritative, as if she were talking about a real person, and the portrayal would be educational to me in some way.

Needless to say, I was less than enthused. But, not wanting to offend, I replied simply with, "I know."

There was silence in the back seat for a few seconds. She seemed a little perplexed...what did I have against Asperger people? Perhaps hoping to persuade me, she continued, "But, y'know, he really gets a lot more aggressive now when he smokes that cigar...." (For those that are not familiar with the show, this refers to a plot device in which the character adopted the crutch of smoking a fake cigar. While smoking the cigar, his typical Asperger tendencies would go away, and he'd suddenly become an aggressive super-lawyer.)

I took a deep breath, mentally counted to three. My husband, knowing my likely reaction to this, watched in amusement as I tried to compose myself before responding. After a moment I replied, with probably a bit of sarcasm (at least as much as I'm capable of), "Somehow, I find it difficult to believe that a condition as pervasive as Asperger's could simply go away simply by smoking a fake cigar. Okay, I'm autistic...." I paused.

I could feel my husband go still next to me. Was I about to out myself on the way to holiday dinner?

I continued, sarcasm growing as I went on, "....I smoke a cigar. Now.....not." More silence in the back seat. Point made, the conversation moved to other subjects.

This is why I bother myself with a stupid TV show. If Boston Legal portrays an elderly woman who murders her neighbor, people have enough experience with elderly women to know that this type of behavior is not typical. However, portray a character with Asperger's as a person who threatens the boss with a cake knife, simply because she gave the job he wanted to someone else, well, you might not have the same result.

How many people were introduced to Asperger's through this portrayal? What does that tell them about what Asperger's is? How will that effect how they treat those with Asperger's?

Bek Caruso, a parent of a child with Asperger's, wrote:
"I believe that popular culture/fictional portrayals of autism have made my son's diagnosis and getting assistance and even just a starting point for helping him, extremely delayed. Many people believe fictional television shows as fact and assume that they are very well researched by the writers and staff of the TV show, but they do not realize that the amount of research that is done is enough to make the storyline plausible in the world of the TV show (and not necessarily in the real world).

Unfortunately, this leads to many viewers having stereotypes and incomplete information about various disorders. I find that this happens frequently with asperger's, autism, Diabetes (particularly Type 1/Juvenile diabetes), and psychiatric disorders like bipolar."

In my opinion, not only do many people assume that these portrayals are decently researched, the shows perpetuate this assumption. Grey's Anatomy, went so far as to make a featurette called "An Exploration of Asperger's Syndrome" which described what Asperger's is, and how it affected the character. This would seem to indicate that they at least had some intention to present themselves as experts in Asperger's. The writer's research is prominently mentioned, and presented as being very good.

Boston Legal, according to TV.com, "...prides itself on being at the forefront of issue-oriented television," and "...confronts social and moral issues." If that is true, they failed badly in taking on the social issues around Asperger's.

Is it not valid for those of us with Asperger's, and those who love them, to expect accuracy from those who present themselves as experts? Especially when it is our lives that will be affected by the impressions made by these characters? It's hard enough for kids and adults with Asperger's - why make it harder?