Talk:Asperger syndrome in popular culture

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Within the last few years, Asperger syndrome has entered popular culture-- Big Bang Theory and Community are the two categorical examples everyone cites, but there are others. --08:49, 15 August 2012 (UTC)

Other suggested television characters

Temperance Brennan and Hart Hanson from Bones. Referenced in two articles: http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/ellen_gray/20070131_Ellen_Gray___Boreanaz_says__Bones__is_not_procedural.html

Deschanel, the actress that plays Temperance “Bones,” nods when asked if Brennan might not actually have Asperger’s. She explains, “Hart Hanson, the creator of the show, and I discuss, you know, that my character almost has Asperger syndrome, and, you know, if maybe if it was a film, that I maybe specifically would have Asperger’s.” Deschanel also explains that she feels the character Zach “almost definitely has Asperger syndrome,” and how she even prepared for the role by talking to a “psychologist who specializes in people with Asperger’s.”

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2010/02/how_tv_shows_try_or_choose_not.html

HBO producer Emily Gerson Saines explains that Sheldon from “Big Bang Theory” and Temperance Brennan “would appear to be classic ‘Aspies,’” since they “are smart and focused on subjects they care about, but have great difficulty understanding rules of social interaction that come easily to those around them.” Saines discusses how “for different reasons, neither show has said their character has Asperger’s.” She dicusses that the Sheldon was not labeled for fear of “too much responsibility to depict the condition accurately within a sitcom.” Similiary, Saines reveals that “Bones” creator Hart Hanson based Brennan on an Aspie friend, but neglected to diclose this on the show “to get as large an audience as possible” on Fox. Hanson even added,”If we were on cable, we would have said from the beginning that Brennan has Asperger’s.” The article adds the creater considered having Brennan look into a diagnosis in a later season, but that never ended up occurring in the series due to fear of not “getting it right.”

While neither show outright labels the characters, both admit that Autistic friends of the creators influenced the characters. It's also common for people to go undiagnosed if they have high functioning Autism / Asperger's so that is another element of realism for the characters.

Sherlock in the BBC Sherlock show. In Series 2, Episode 2 Watson even says "Asperger's" aloud to another character when describing Sherlock.

JJ from Skins?

Rorschach from Watchmen seems to exhibit traits of Asperger's Syndrome.

Also, since DSM V will include Asperger's in the Autism Spectrum, I feel this main article should be added to the Autism Spectrum fictional characters article.

Just some suggestions to think about :) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.108.252.201 (talk) 10:41, 22 October 2012 (UTC)

Abed

Is it explicitly stated that Abed has Asperger's? I'm pretty sure it's, at best, hinted.86.29.28.15 (talk) 01:31, 7 June 2013 (UTC)

The word Aspergers is explicitly used in the pilot.

Abed: Her name is Britta, she’s 28 - birthday in October. She has two older brothers and one of them works with children who have a disorder I might want to look up.

and later:

Abed: I thought you were like Bill Murray in any of his films, but you're more like Michael Douglas in any of his films.
Jeff: Yeah, well you have Aspergers.

Obviously, Jeff isn't a psychiatrist. --HectorMoffet (talk) 02:20, 7 June 2013 (UTC)