Exploring Autism Stereotypes in Popular Culture

In 'Autistic-Coded Representation and Autism Stereotypes,' Martin Brick examines how popular culture shapes societal views on disability. He analyzes characters in film, television, and literature either identified or speculated to have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Brick discusses four stereotypes of disabled characters: victims, heroes, villains, and fools. He argues that these portrayals have historically depicted disabled individuals as burdens to society, leading to their stigmatization. Using Lennie from John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men' as an example, Brick suggests that such characters serve to 'other' those perceived as cognitively impaired, reinforcing harmful societal narratives.