Patrick Bateman from "American Psycho" has Asperger's

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Spoiler Alert!! ! ! !


Sorry. There's no way to say that without it sounding insulting as it reenforces the stereotype of people with Asperger's as being sociopaths or prone to violence. However, this was the thought that came to me after rewatching the film; that narrator and protagonist Patrick Bateman has undiagnosed Asperger's. I had seen the film before, but after learning I was on the spectrum I noticed familiarity in Patrick's thought processes and my own.

Additionally, he is played by Christian Bale, who some on WP have mentioned as possibly being on the spectrum.

Spoiler alert!! ! ! !

The ending of the book and film are left ambiguous as to whether Patrick actually committed the gruesome acts that he has been describing. Based on his actions and thought processes throughout the story he seems to have impaired social interaction and struggles to fit in with his peers. He is lonely because he's never satisfied with the people he associates himself with, so he copes by harboring revenge fantasies about the people who he dislikes because they don't fall into his view of how things should be.

Throughout the movie he has a habit of going on long, winding, one sided monologues about topics that he's interested in, oblivious to wether or not the listener is interested. The conversations are just random collections of facts and statements without any real point or conclusion. He brings up random topics that have nothing to do with the situation at hand. He immensely dislikes anything that affects his routine such as when he can't get a good table at a restaurant. He gets extremely bothered by small details. One scene revolves around him refusing to take time off from social activities or work that he easily could take off in order to get married, and the reason he gives is "Because I want to fit in."

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hMm-cLPUb6k

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hPSi0jXeQRs

These are compilations of scenes from the movie. Just watch Patrick and you can see the Aspergian traits I'm talking about.

"The power was nice, but frankly I could have used more power."
-Richard Nixon

Oh, so this it just your opinion, nothing more.



The man was acting. This means that he had taken on a role that required him to behave as if he was someone else. Some actors do this so well that they seem to literally become another person.

Other actors perform stiffly, as if they don't quite understand or identify with the role. This is called "bad acting". While it may look like AS (to some) it really is nothing more than the actor being uncomfortable with the role.

Like most psychopaths, Patrick Bateman probably would fit better with Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

I thought he was a sociopath with psychopath traits.

No, just a lousy actor, type-cast into lousy roles.

OP-i thought the same about after rewatching the movie.(esp. after that meltdown he had at the end of the movie).
But i've been finding a lot of potennial aspies since learning about it.

Christian Bale is fantastic. American Psycho was definitely a trip. I never imagined that "Hip to Be Square" could be used in a murder scene.

Since he is undiagnosed, then there is no evidence with which to reinforce your entirely subjective opinion.

Again, he's just a lousy actor, type-cast into lousy roles

Why are some people so eager to label fictional characters as being on the spectrum?

Maybe because they have difficulty discerning reality from fiction ... ?

Fnord, why do you have a problem with christian Bale?
(as far as his acting)

I thought he was a fantasist. I think he was fantasising about killing those people but didn't do it really. He was delusional. But i see what you mean about the obsession with topics like Whitney Houston and Huey Lewis and the News. Maybe the writer decided to throw in those odd traits along with the psycho bits.

My take on the book is that the character represents the US, or a side of the US that is most prominent to foreigners. The writer is saying that if the US was a person, that person would be a sociopath.

Uhh... Yeah I think that explains some of his disposition. But he also had a lot of effeminate traits even beyond the self care stuff. I believe he was in the "closet" and it was taking a toll on is mind.

Why are we so eager to label disgustingly violent and sociopathic characters as Patrick Bateman with AS which only hinders the reputation of the spectrum but when a celebrity with redeeming qualities like Dan Aykroyd or Jerry Seinfeld whose association with AS would help our image comes out and says they have or think they have AS, we are so quick to vilify them and deny their claims, keeping us away being associated with any living famous people besides Temple Grandin and a few others?

I realize its a dark comedy. The movie seems very unrealistic to me.