Autism in film and television : on the Island

Global awareness of autism has skyrocketed since the 1980s, and popular culture has caught on, with film and television producers developing ever more material featuring autistic characters. __Autism in Film and Television__ brings together more than a dozen essays on depictions of autism, exploring how autistic characters are signified in media and how the reception of these characters informs societal understandings of autism. Editors Murray Pomerance and R. Barton Palmer have assembled a pioneering examination of autism’s portrayal in film and television. Contributors consider the various means by which autism has been expressed in films such as __Phantom Thread,__ __Mercury Rising__, and __Life Animated__ and in television and streaming programs including __Atypical__, __Stranger Things__, __Star Trek: The Next Generation__, and __Community__. Across media, the figure of the brilliant, accomplished, and “quirky” autist has proven especially appealing. Film and television have thus staked out a progressive position on neurodiversity by insisting on screen time for autism but have done so while frequently ignoring the true diversity of autistic experience. As a result, this volume is a welcome celebration of nonjudgmental approaches to disability, albeit one that is still freighted with stereotypes and elisions.

Global awareness of autism has skyrocketed since the 1980s, andpopular culture has caught on, with film and television producersdeveloping ever more material featuring autistic characters.Autism in Film and Television brings together more than adozen essays on depictions of autism, exploring how autisticcharacters are signified in media and how the reception of thesecharacters informs societal understandings of autism.

Editors Murray Pomerance and R. Barton Palmer have assembled apioneering examination of autism's portrayal in film andtelevision. Contributors consider the various means by which autismhas been expressed in films such as Phantom Thread,Mercury Rising, and Life Animated and intelevision and streaming programs including Atypical,Stranger Things, Star Trek: The Next Generation,and Community. Across media, the figure of the brilliant,accomplished, and "quirky" autist has proven especially appealing.Film and television have thus staked out a progressive position onneurodiversity by insisting on screen time for autism but have doneso while frequently ignoring the true diversity of autisticexperience. As a result, this volume is a welcome celebration ofnonjudgmental approaches to disability, albeit one that is stillfreighted with stereotypes and elisions.