Blog Post #11 02/11/15
As I mentioned in my blog post about Asperger's Syndrome and Autism, Sheldon Cooper, a character from the TV show, The Big Bang Theory, has a low spectrum form of Autism spectrum disorder known as Asperger's Syndrome. Although it is an easy diagnosis, they never do mention this on the show. If they were to do so, the element of humor from Sheldon's character would disappear, because you can't exactly laugh at mental disorders now can you?
Sheldon's character constantly shows symptoms of Asperger's that are quite common and obvious. The one most popular association with his character is his "spot."
Sheldon's character constantly shows symptoms of Asperger's that are quite common and obvious. The one most popular association with his character is his "spot."
This is part of his brain's need for routine. Often times an autistic person will be uncomfortable with change, and therefore choose to keep routines and traditions such to comfort them. For me, I have a "spot" at the dining table. I make wishes at 11:11. I go to my friend's house every morning before heading to the bus stop, I have a banana-chocolate milkshake every morning for breakfast, I wear a onesie to school every Friday, and all these things are routine for me. In the same way, Sheldon has his "spot" on the couch, he eats a certain type of take-out food for each day of the week, he goes to the comic book store every Wednesday, has dinner at the Cheesecake Factory Tuesday evening, Wednesday is Halo night, and many more things that are scheduled and precise. People with Asperger's Syndrome use these scheduled things as a way to find comfort because this routine eliminates their need to make a decision every time they're in this situation. To many people, things like this may look like what is known as OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), and they're not entirely wrong. This specific symptom quite easily falls in with the symptoms of OCD, and the normal assumption that people make is that Sheldon has OCD. This would be the proper diagnosis if it weren't for the other symptoms he frequently displays on the show.
Another commonly recognized trait that Sheldon carries is the inability to understand sarcasm, tying in with his need to be taught regular social cues. Leonard and the others are constantly answering questions that Sheldon asks with sarcastic answers and he almost always takes them literally, much like any autistic person would. His sense of humor thus differs from theirs, due to his current inability to comprehend. However, throughout the seasons, the show has begun to make a trend of it, by having several moments where Sheldon learns to understand sarcastic remarks and it fills him with a sense of pride. Of course, this is at the most awkward moments in the show, adding to the element of humor.
Sheldon, like many other autistic people, experiences obsessive behavior. When someone who is autistic finds something they enjoy knowing about or watching or playing or doing, they develop an obsession with said thing. Clearly displayed on the show, Sheldon obsesses over science, specifically physics. He puts a lot of time into his work and gets incredibly excited over it, doing what he loves. His grandfather introduced him to the world of science and he grew a strong interest at a young age, developing quickly as he got older. Subtly mentioned many times throughout the show, Sheldon also has an obsession with trains. Trains were something he admired as a kid, playing with model trains all the time and sometimes getting the rare opportunity to see a real train. Again, this seed was planted when he was a child, and now he's always thrilled to talk about trains. This is a very common trait among autistic people. Temple Grandin, for example, is obsessed with animals, specifically cows. I am obsessed with science, numerous fictional characters, and psychology (I understand that psychology is a form of science. Sheldon would beg to differ.)
The thing that I found really interesting about Sheldon's character was the actor. Jim Parsons is, in my opinion, a brilliant actor. His understanding of Sheldon makes it seem as though he's become friends with his character, and I think that's a wonderful thing for an actor to be able to achieve. Having seen him in other roles, I can truly say that this is one of his best and that the show couldn't have found a better actor to play Sheldon.
My question for you is why do you think it's so easy to laugh at Sheldon's character. Autism is not a funny thing, and many of the things Sheldon goes through probably shouldn't be laughed at, but somehow he's still very funny and entertaining. What do you think the reason might be for this?
Yours truly,
Kat.N
The thing that I found really interesting about Sheldon's character was the actor. Jim Parsons is, in my opinion, a brilliant actor. His understanding of Sheldon makes it seem as though he's become friends with his character, and I think that's a wonderful thing for an actor to be able to achieve. Having seen him in other roles, I can truly say that this is one of his best and that the show couldn't have found a better actor to play Sheldon.
My question for you is why do you think it's so easy to laugh at Sheldon's character. Autism is not a funny thing, and many of the things Sheldon goes through probably shouldn't be laughed at, but somehow he's still very funny and entertaining. What do you think the reason might be for this?
Yours truly,
Kat.N