Music, movies, and TV which may have Aspies

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Hi, I have been reading some of these posts, and thinking about a lot of things, and how they relate to AS and why I like them. I am only recently diagnosed with it, and that finally cleared up a whole lot of confusion in my own life. Since then, I have been noticing a lot of the personality quirks I had were actually symptoms of AS, and so some of the stuff I can relate to you might also.

For example, my favorite band is the Pet Shop Boys, who play Euro-Techno dance music. (I don't know many other people who like them, or are even familiar with their music, so that in itself has always set me apart.) Their music is mainly synthesized, but with orchestration, and (as with all techno music) has highly repetitive beats, especially on the extended dance mixes I prefer. Also, the words to a lot of songs hold true for me, even if they aren't the original meanings that were written for the songs. My favorite CD, "Actually" (their 2nd) has several song that I especially relate to: "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "One More Chance", "Rent", and (my fave) "It's a Sin". Off another CD is "Left to My Own Devices."

My other favorite music comes from Danny Elfman, who has provided most of the music for Tim Burton's movies, as well as a slew of others. I have already mentioned (in another post) how Tim Burton's Batman, as portrayed by Michael Keaton, displays many symptoms of AS, but several other roles of Keaton's also exhibit some of the same traits, or other dysfunctional ones. Check him out in "Mr. Mom", "Duplicity", and especially in "Dream Team". In "Dream Team" he plays one of 4 patients from a mental hospital who find themselves out in the real world without the supervision of a 'normie' and must get help for their pshychologist. It also stars Chrstopher Lloyd and Peter Boyle, and while it is mainly a comedy, it does have touching moments.

Also take a look at John Cleese in "Clockwise", about a college professor who has been awarded for perfect attendance or promptness or something similar (I can't remember at the moment, I will need to re-watch it myself) and is supposed to give an acceptance speech for it in another town, and everything possible happens to him to prevent him from arriving on time or at all. It is also a comedy, but I think we can all relate to what happens to him and how he feels about it.

For television, I notice someone else has already mentioned "NUMB3RS", but take a look at some of the characters on "Criminal Minds" as well, and "Beauty & the Geek," though I think only a high-functioning aspie could pass the audition process for that. "B&tG" and "The Amazing Race" are the only 2 reality shows I watch, and I have attempted to get onto both of those.

Hmm... I've noticed that Johnny Depp plays a bunch of characters that could definitely qualify as Aspies.

Peter Parker (Spider-Man) also could qualify as an Aspie. It really shows through in the line in the first movie:

Peter Parker: Some spiders change colors to blend into their environment. It's a defense mechanism.
Harry Osborn: Peter, what makes you think I would want to know that?
Peter Parker: Who wouldn't?

The Beatles' Fool on the Hill?

"...They don't like him,
But the Fool on the Hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning round."

Although it is not about Asperger's, the movie Four Minutes, the life story of Roger Bannister, reveals that Bannister seems to be a very high-functioning, successful individual with Asperger's. He is intelligent, charted his own course, and was very interested in finding out about things. He did not like surprises, prefering to know things and work them out scientifically. He was considered odd and engendered the scorn of the British press for training in his own way. Yet, to his friends, he was a kind and loyal person.

Yeah like Edward Scissorhands maybe? He even had to learn how to 'act normal' from the inventor. And he couldn't get the girl at the end because of misunderstanding and very big differences. Typical Aspie situation...

"Scissorhands" even sounds like a good metaphor for our social ineptitude in a neurotypical world.

What do you guys think?

<What do you guys think?>

He's like that because he was made, never born. So he will appear as aspie.


<Hmm... I've noticed that Johnny Depp plays a bunch of characters that could definitely qualify as Aspies.>


Benny & Joon
Edwards Scissorshands
What other movies?

In response to likedcalico's comment:

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and (not very likely though...) "Sleepy Hollow".

Johnny Depp in person seems aspie-like himself, or at least very reserved.

Edward Scissorhands
Ichabod Crane
Willy Wonka
Sam
Captain Jack Sparrow

How about Bruce Banner? Napoleon Dynamite? Jason Bourne?

Bridge(power rangers spd)
helba(dot hack)
rose(power rangers operation overdrive)
piper(charmed)
L(death note)

Last edited by Flyn on 29 Mar 2007, 6:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

A lot of characters from Napoleon Dynamite seem like they could be on the autistic spectrum.

Golly. This thread made me go out and rent the first season of "Bones" and by golly you're right!

Having now watched the show, I SWEAR that Dr. Temperance Brennan has Asperger's Syndrome. I mean, the way she says things and the way she acts...
And I have to say that Zack Addy (from the same show) has it too. I mean, even the way he WALKS seems Aspie-ish to me.

*I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A SPOILER OR NOT, BUT IT DOESN'T GIVE AWAY ANY PLOT TWISTS TO THE TV SHOW*

(after Dr. Brennan a long speech to some College Students about the relationship between the FBI and the Jeffersonian)

DR. GOODMAN: Any questions?
(a girl raises her hand)
DR. GOODMAN: Yes?
GIRL: Dr. Brennan, how much money have you made off your new book?
DR. BRENNAN: I don't really know...I have accountants for that type of thing...

I dunno about Jack Sparrow... Yeah, sometimes he's Aspie, but he'd be one with an seriously alternative upbringing...

Thinking of Benny and Joon and his character there, though, there's Buster Keaton, the guy Sam mimicked in his dress. I'm a big fan of Keaton and Harold Lloyd. Lloyd was certainly not Aspie, though. But Buster Keaton, though supposedly having created the character on-screen, seemed pretty much the same in real life. He wasn't bubbly or smiley. Friendly, yes, but in a different way.

Also, though I'd sure they're been mentioned before, Det. Bobby Goren, House and Monk's brother Ambrose.

clint eastwood in durty harry, go ahead make my day punk, now did i fire 6 bullets or was it 5

Butters from South Park
Prof. Frink from the Simpsons
Dale Gribble from King of the Hill

Tim

As I pointed out in the other thread on this topic, Peter in the comics is a good example too. Who but an Aspie would create an artificial spider-silk analogue, with many of the properties of real spider-silk, but with the handy additional property of dissolving after a couple of hours, then fail to ever offer it commercially? (I mean, think how much you could make selling webshooters to law-enforcement agencies alone...)

And then have an amazingly gorgeous redhead, a model and actress, hitting on you for years, and never ever pick up on it?