In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, hosts Dr. Angela Kingdon and Matt Lowry, LPP dive into Netflix’s hit series Wednesday and the debate over whether the character authentically represents Autistic culture.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• The Autistic-coded traits Wednesday displays—flat affect, dislike of touch, focused interests, and social rejection—and why they don’t add up to authentic representation.
• How Wednesday reflects an allistic perspective of autism, using coding and tropes instead of casting Autistic actors.
• Comparisons to other caricatured Autistic-coded roles like Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory) and the problem of “Autistic face.”
• Why the show’s arc of “fixing” Wednesday to be more socially acceptable undermines genuine Autistic identity.
• How physical attractiveness and conventional storytelling influence audience acceptance of disabled-coded characters.
• Why some Autistic viewers may still connect with Wednesday, even if the portrayal isn’t fully authentic.

Resources:

• HERE WE WOE I’m neurodivergent and here’s my issue with Netflix’s Wednesday
• 15 Ways Wednesday Addams is Cool and Autistic
• Wednesday's neurodivergent coding is both good and bad
• As more women than ever are diagnosed with ADHD and autism, here's why neurodivergent characters like Wednesday Addams are so important
• Autistic Connections Facebook Group
• Demystifying The Autism Spectrum & Autistic People Classes
• Maisie Soetantyo

Related Episodes:

Sherlock is Autistic

Doctor Who is Autistic

Tim Burton is Autistic

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🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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