Aspie dude again on Boston Legal ...

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Boston Legal, a show about two oddball lawyers, just had this aspie dude on during the season premiere. This guy showed up a couple of times during the last season. Basically, the writters wrote directly into the script that this person is an aspie.

Here is how this show went:

This guy is a client of the lawyers on the show, and he gets arrested for attempting to drive in a California carpool lane with a doll on his passenger seat. This guy treats this doll, literally, as a real-life human. When the cops try to confiscate it, he begins fighting with them, and he gets arrested. So, he contacts these lawyers to help him out. Stating that he has serious emotional and social problems, this one lawyer gets him involved with a sex therapist, which then begins a charade in the courtroom of ethics regarding sex therapy, which some DA thinks should be illegal. It was a bit odd, but nonetheless ... This is the only show that I tend to know of where they wrote aspergers directly into the script. I also believe this show tends to over-exaggerate the symptoms. I don't see too many aspies in my aspie group acting completely afraid to speak in a conversation with someone, so much so that they hold their hands directly at their sides while nearly stuttering. Nor do I have I heard about aspies establishing relationships with dolls.

- Ray M -

i remember watching 'the closer' on TNT once and they had a guy on there with HFA or something. it ws pretty cool, more people with autism and it's related disorders need to make it on televison

There was some show on UK tv just the other night about weirdos with dolls, I dont think there was anything about them being AS but I didn't see the show, everyone was talking about it though.

While interesting that it has been written into a script, I would really be interested in any sort of "aspie" stuff on TV that I could actually relate to. One thing on CNBC had a bit I could relate with, but overall the coverage is never anything that makes any sense to me.

I am troubled by the portrayal of the aspie attorney on Boston Legal. They have made him completely dysfunctional. He is in his 40's and never been intimate with a women. Professionally, his courtroom preformance was so poor he was responsible for messing up a trial so bad that Alan Shore had to advise the defendant to leave the country. He is also prone to extreme violence (pulling a knife on his boss, assualting a police officer.

I am sure there are aspie's like this, but the portrayal seems pretty extreme. Most aspies are not violent, and many can function. I know aspie trial attorney's who do very well.

Since this is the first identified aspie prime time character, I am concerned the general public will assume all aspies are like this character. It could have an adverse impact on hiring and such in the real world.

Maybe I am overreacting. Boston Legal is one of my favorite shows, but maybe it is not popular enough to effect the general public.

I live next door to a couple of attourneys and they're basically the complete opposite of the people on Boston Legal. Then again, my neighborhood is kind of weird. There are three sections and mine is the most expensive. This section absolutely hates the other two sections and welcomes anyone who moves into this section to join their little clique they have going on. Needless to say, my mom and I are in it. But yeah, back to Boston Legal.

The only way aspies can be portrayed accurately on TV is if aspie people make a tv show (that would be interesting) or if an aspie screenwriter is incorporated into the staff. Otherwise, aspies (as every human group) will be stigmatized and stereotyped till the end...