Welcome back to my column, where I’ll give you a tour of the cultural zeitgeist, both online and off. I was overwhelmed by the response to my debut last week, especially the commenter who said my writing brought the phrase “culture of death” to mind. I prefer to think of this as a Celebration of Life but either way, we’re going to hell. Get in the handbasket.
Last week, we covered the noted socialist theorist Snow White, the endurance of David Blaine, and how cat ladies are preparing for the end of democracy. This week, we’ll get into disability reality television, a fallen temple to teenage girlhood, and a few other oddities that have caught my eye.
Lights, Camera, Autism!
There are two new-ish reality shows about young adults with neurological disorders. One is a delight, the other a disgrace.
Let’s start with the good news. On Wednesday, the third season of Love on the Spectrum arrived on Netflix. The show follows a handful of autistic adults who are looking for romantic partners. Connor, 25, in between showing off his new Viking horn, tells producers that he’s looking for someone that he can share “all my excitements with.” (He admits he has a “weakness for brunettes.”) Madison, 27, in Tampa, Florida, has around 40 American Girl dolls—which she calls her “comfort objects”—and says she wants to find “my person.” And though I have zero dolls, I can relate.
This show emphasizes the ways in which adults with autism are like the rest of us. Yes, most of us don’t yawn uncontrollably on a speed date, or wear two sets of headphones during dinner to drown out distracting background noises. But like the show’s cast, we all know what it’s like to feel awkward before meeting a setup and to go anyway because ultimately we want someone to share our excitements with. We get nervous with the characters; we understand their disappointments. We identify with both their parents’ impatience and their hope.