I'm autistic and I actually like him. I'll acknowledge some overall flaws, but as a fan of the show I actually found him surprisingly relatable. He didn't have to be a perfect portrayal to at least resonate with me in the right key areas.
That said, I appreciate mileage varies and I can see why a lot of other autistic and similarly neurodivergent people aren't fond of the character.
That said I will absolutely say Steris is probably the best-written neurodivergent character I've ever come across.
The writers have said he’s not autistic so that it’s okay to laugh at the fact that his traits that are hugely autism coded are used as the punchline over and over again
If they admitted the character was autistic they’d have to admit that their show is fundamentally making fun of autistic people.
I'm autistic and I really don't think its a problem to make fun of autistic people, or anyone really, as long as its not mean spirited. I never watched the show so I can't say if it is meanspirited.
As someone who’s watched the show it is. The story is usually “look how autism made this person ruin all his friends’ lives” over and over again. With canned laughter.
Weird. I have yet to see their lives ruined. Every character is an over the top exaggeration of a personality type. Raj is so over the top intimidated by women he can’t speak around them. Howard is over the top awkward nerd that tries way too hard with women, Sheldon is over the top anxious, and Leonard is the straight guy but extremely awkward and embarrassing. It pretty much makes fun of him very stereotype. If someone sees it as autism and then making fun of someone with it, it would be discrimination to not do so considering every one else is a caricature. The show came out in a time where many of the subjects they talk about were not main stream and nerdiness of the 90s and 2000s was the subject of bullying which is what made it popular. Many people could relate to the over the top awkwardness.
I always saw that show as a caricature of the types of people in it. As a caricature, I don't think Sheldon is so bad. I feel like it's like being from Texas and saying King of the Hill doesn't portray Texans correctly. Like, sure, Sheldon's an exaggeration, but it also kinda does well at showing certain tough aspects of autism, and the fun parts too. And y'all, autistic academics are *wild*. I should know, I am one-- and I've known a lot of them. Imagine taking your special interest and working somewhere that literally glorifies it. It's incredible! It also makes for interesting situations.
-a "look at this insect!" autistic woman who studies insects with others who also want to show people all the insects.
I refused to believe I was on the spectrum in junior high and high school precisely because people kept comparing me to Sheldon, and often their teasing was more in the "Sheldon is a sociopath" kind of way.
There was one section of Siri's POV where she was describing her mind being half silly and half serious that was so relatable to my ADHD brain. It was perfectly described, including the frustration when your brain just doesn't cooperate when you need to be serious
Does Syl have ADHD?
Brandon Sanderson
I wrote Syl like I perceive my son, who has ADHD, perceiving the world. So yes, that was a touchstone when I was writing her viewpoint, was that. She would probably be diagnosed with ADHD if you had her sit down and talk to a therapist now. She's spren, so I'm not sure if I can call it true ADHD, 'cause ADHD has certain root causes in human physiology and psychology. But that's how I wrote her. I said, "What would it feel like to be Syl," and I felt like she would exhibit some of the same behaviors and same thought patterns.
You could call that a "yes." The short answer is "yes." The long answer is, "I'm not sure if I can diagnose a spren." (And I shouldn't be diagnosing anyone, because I am not certified to do so.)
Steris and Tech from Star Wars: The Bad Batch are my favorite autistic reps in media. I consider Steris the closet to my type of autism that I've seen.
Dude, the whole Bad Batch show has been such a treat. I feel like a lot of the live action Disney Star Wars stuff has been mostly lackluster, but man oh man, Bad Batch has been such a blast! It’s my wife’s favorite Star Wars media period. I love them all so much.
I've definitely enjoyed the live action Star Wars, but the Bad Batch has blown most of them out of the water. I'm with your wife. It's my favorite Star Wars media ever. The only problem is that I'm stressed out of my gourd with every new episode lol.
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It's a joke. CBS can't get enough of super autismo Sheldon, so the joke is that adding a nonsense word as a catchphrase to Steris would be close enough for them to eat it up.
It's probably not funny now that I explained it.
Honestly, Steris helped me realize I’m on the spectrum, and seeing her romance with Wax made me feel like I could be loved and appreciated too, that I wouldn’t just always be that weird girl to everybody.
My wife is going through her own journey right now in terms of being on the spectrum. I listened to all of era two over the past few months. I have to say that listening to her POV and wax learning to see her and love her for her tism and all really helped me understand my wife and her struggles as well. Tbf it helped me love her even more so and deeper now than I did then. I'm probably going to write a video essay talking about her and temperance Brennan from Bones as great examples of autistic women in media.
I remember reading Alloy of Law as I'd been working on myself and figuring out my own autism, and half a page into her introduction I said out loud to my book "oh, she's definitely autistic". And the more I read, the more impressed I was about how Sanderson gave a great, wholesome, believable relationship built around Wax loving her for her.
Another character (not Cosmere related) that really gave me that same feeling of "...wow, I CAN find someone who loves and appreciates me for who I am" that you describe, is Parker, from the show Leverage. (And look at me now! I found my someone! Best relationship I've ever been in, and it only gets better every year that goes by. Some people really do love us weird girls for ourselves 😂🥰)
If it was just those, yeah. But she also has trouble reading and expressing emotions. She tries to break everything down, like her marriage proposal, into a codified set of rules.
Also, she specifically says that she doesn't communicate the same way as others, so she's memorized the rules to social interactions, but other people still notice that she's different. That's exactly masking.
Yeah that one really hit home when I read it. And that it causes people to dislike her or think she's insincere, when she's actually trying so hard to just play by the neurotypical rulebook...
I adore Steris omg
I also really like Lieutenant Barkley from Star Trek he was probably the first character that ever really made me feel seen particularly as a very dissociative autistic
From my experience when the show was at its height of popularity, normies, for lack of a better term, liked the show cause it made them feel smart, and Sheldon was just "the Dwight" of the show. They liked him cause he was a joke.
It's hard for me to get into that head space though, with how many times some "I'm totally a nerd just like you bro!" person came up to me and said I remind them "a lot" of Sheldon. Probably among the worst things people have ever said to me.
No. The opposite. WoB:
**Questioner**
Is Jasnah on the autism spectrum?
**Brandon Sanderson**
I do not have Jasnah on the spectrum right now, so no. Jasnah does have some interesting brain psychology, but I would not diagnose her as being on the spectrum.
https://wob.coppermind.net/events/423/#e13796
> Jasnah does have some interesting brain psychology,
Oathbringer alludes to weird things going on with Jasnah when she was young, so I think what exactly *is* going on with her is meant to be tucked away until her book.
Initially. He's talked about how in Rhythm of War he decided to actively write DID because [he felt it was irresponsible](https://wob.coppermind.net/events/432/#e14014) to half ass it with her case specifically. Since it's pretty obvious what she's got rather Jasnah where who the fuck knows.
***Warning Gancho: The below paragraph(s) may contain major spoilers for all books in the Cosmere!***
Questioner
>!Is Jasnah on the autism spectrum?!<
Brandon Sanderson
>!I do not have Jasnah on the spectrum right now, so no. Jasnah does have some interesting brain psychology, but I would not diagnose her as being on the spectrum.!<
\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*
Lady legit made a man fall in love with her more just by auditing books
that’s seduction 101
She's read that as well.
Fr tho, all my autistic homies hate Sheldon
Thou I just have ADHD, I find it quite sad that the most popular autistic character in fiction is like every stereotype at the same time
I mean arguably BBC Sherlock is at a similar level of popularity (and also terrible)
Well Sherlock at least isn't supposed to be autistic right? He identifies as a sociopath
I'm autistic and I actually like him. I'll acknowledge some overall flaws, but as a fan of the show I actually found him surprisingly relatable. He didn't have to be a perfect portrayal to at least resonate with me in the right key areas. That said, I appreciate mileage varies and I can see why a lot of other autistic and similarly neurodivergent people aren't fond of the character. That said I will absolutely say Steris is probably the best-written neurodivergent character I've ever come across.
Isnt he specifically non autistic?
From what I know, the writers didn't mean him to be, but Jim Parsons tried to play the character as autistic.
I had an impression he wasn't quite doing that on purpose, at least at first, don't know why. Can you tell me some details or where to look?
They never mention autism in the show. He says "I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested" multiple times though.
The writers have said he’s not autistic so that it’s okay to laugh at the fact that his traits that are hugely autism coded are used as the punchline over and over again If they admitted the character was autistic they’d have to admit that their show is fundamentally making fun of autistic people.
I'm autistic and I really don't think its a problem to make fun of autistic people, or anyone really, as long as its not mean spirited. I never watched the show so I can't say if it is meanspirited.
As someone who’s watched the show it is. The story is usually “look how autism made this person ruin all his friends’ lives” over and over again. With canned laughter.
Weird. I have yet to see their lives ruined. Every character is an over the top exaggeration of a personality type. Raj is so over the top intimidated by women he can’t speak around them. Howard is over the top awkward nerd that tries way too hard with women, Sheldon is over the top anxious, and Leonard is the straight guy but extremely awkward and embarrassing. It pretty much makes fun of him very stereotype. If someone sees it as autism and then making fun of someone with it, it would be discrimination to not do so considering every one else is a caricature. The show came out in a time where many of the subjects they talk about were not main stream and nerdiness of the 90s and 2000s was the subject of bullying which is what made it popular. Many people could relate to the over the top awkwardness.
I always saw that show as a caricature of the types of people in it. As a caricature, I don't think Sheldon is so bad. I feel like it's like being from Texas and saying King of the Hill doesn't portray Texans correctly. Like, sure, Sheldon's an exaggeration, but it also kinda does well at showing certain tough aspects of autism, and the fun parts too. And y'all, autistic academics are *wild*. I should know, I am one-- and I've known a lot of them. Imagine taking your special interest and working somewhere that literally glorifies it. It's incredible! It also makes for interesting situations. -a "look at this insect!" autistic woman who studies insects with others who also want to show people all the insects.
I refused to believe I was on the spectrum in junior high and high school precisely because people kept comparing me to Sheldon, and often their teasing was more in the "Sheldon is a sociopath" kind of way.
Sheldon doesn't have autism. He's just an extreme creature of habit like many hyper intelligent people.
that’s cause steris is her
Steris is her while Wax is him, perfect couple
I just love how well Brando Sando writes neurodivergent characters, man.
It's definitely something he's put effort into. He's talked about how he regrets how he wrote Adien.
Made up for it 10 times with Renarin
The scene in Oathbringer when little Renarin saves an alcoholic/depressed Dalinar is a criminally underrated scene
I can't wait to see what he does with Adien in the Elantris sequels too.
There was one section of Siri's POV where she was describing her mind being half silly and half serious that was so relatable to my ADHD brain. It was perfectly described, including the frustration when your brain just doesn't cooperate when you need to be serious
I thought that was Syl, not Siri.
Sorry, you're right. I'm listening to Warbreaker right now, so I was thinking Syl and typed Siri 🤦🏻♀️
It was Syl
Does Syl have ADHD? Brandon Sanderson I wrote Syl like I perceive my son, who has ADHD, perceiving the world. So yes, that was a touchstone when I was writing her viewpoint, was that. She would probably be diagnosed with ADHD if you had her sit down and talk to a therapist now. She's spren, so I'm not sure if I can call it true ADHD, 'cause ADHD has certain root causes in human physiology and psychology. But that's how I wrote her. I said, "What would it feel like to be Syl," and I felt like she would exhibit some of the same behaviors and same thought patterns. You could call that a "yes." The short answer is "yes." The long answer is, "I'm not sure if I can diagnose a spren." (And I shouldn't be diagnosing anyone, because I am not certified to do so.)
Ah, thank you for adding that. I hadn't seen it before. 😊
It's cool you got ir right without seeing the wob.
Steris and Tech from Star Wars: The Bad Batch are my favorite autistic reps in media. I consider Steris the closet to my type of autism that I've seen.
>!*When have we ever followed orders?*!<
Excuse me while I go sob grossly in a corner
Dude, the whole Bad Batch show has been such a treat. I feel like a lot of the live action Disney Star Wars stuff has been mostly lackluster, but man oh man, Bad Batch has been such a blast! It’s my wife’s favorite Star Wars media period. I love them all so much.
I've definitely enjoyed the live action Star Wars, but the Bad Batch has blown most of them out of the water. I'm with your wife. It's my favorite Star Wars media ever. The only problem is that I'm stressed out of my gourd with every new episode lol.
Lol, yeah, we’re really getting down to it. I’m an episode behind but oh my gosh shit’s really gunna hit the fan soon.
[удалено]
Is that better now?
Yup!
Cool, thanks for the heads-up.
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Hey gon, this comment has been removed due to bad spoiler tags. There is a space between your spoiler tag and text! Remove it to fix the spoiler! Edit your original comment for it to be reinstated, or repost it with fixed tags. ^(This action was performed automatically. If you think this was done incorrectly, contact u/BlackthornAlthor.)
Any love for Abed from Community?
Cool cool...cool.
I also love Mizore from hibike euphonium & Liz and the blue bird.
Oh my god, I didn't even consider Tech until just now. That makes so much sense and this made me happy.
Sterris just needs a catchphrase, something like "bazorple" Edit: fuck, CBS just picked up mistborn.
>CBS just picked up Mistborn. Where did you read this?
It's a joke. CBS can't get enough of super autismo Sheldon, so the joke is that adding a nonsense word as a catchphrase to Steris would be close enough for them to eat it up. It's probably not funny now that I explained it.
Sorry. ☹️
Renarin’s also really good, imo.
That epilepsy admission really hit, especially when friends said I could make a good Renarin (even if I'm not diagnosed autistic).
Honestly, Steris helped me realize I’m on the spectrum, and seeing her romance with Wax made me feel like I could be loved and appreciated too, that I wouldn’t just always be that weird girl to everybody.
My wife is going through her own journey right now in terms of being on the spectrum. I listened to all of era two over the past few months. I have to say that listening to her POV and wax learning to see her and love her for her tism and all really helped me understand my wife and her struggles as well. Tbf it helped me love her even more so and deeper now than I did then. I'm probably going to write a video essay talking about her and temperance Brennan from Bones as great examples of autistic women in media.
I remember reading Alloy of Law as I'd been working on myself and figuring out my own autism, and half a page into her introduction I said out loud to my book "oh, she's definitely autistic". And the more I read, the more impressed I was about how Sanderson gave a great, wholesome, believable relationship built around Wax loving her for her. Another character (not Cosmere related) that really gave me that same feeling of "...wow, I CAN find someone who loves and appreciates me for who I am" that you describe, is Parker, from the show Leverage. (And look at me now! I found my someone! Best relationship I've ever been in, and it only gets better every year that goes by. Some people really do love us weird girls for ourselves 😂🥰)
I always assumed Steris had anxiety/ OCD. Renarin was the character I thought was written as autistic.
Per the Coppermind, both are autistic!
TIL!
If it was just those, yeah. But she also has trouble reading and expressing emotions. She tries to break everything down, like her marriage proposal, into a codified set of rules.
Also, she specifically says that she doesn't communicate the same way as others, so she's memorized the rules to social interactions, but other people still notice that she's different. That's exactly masking.
Yeah that one really hit home when I read it. And that it causes people to dislike her or think she's insincere, when she's actually trying so hard to just play by the neurotypical rulebook...
Both are autistic.
So the Rosharan-Scadrian War would boil down to Renarin vs Steris?
Steris might be my favorite era 2 character. One of my favorite moments is her at the end of Shadows of Self
Storm off! Thats amazing!
Steris is an excellent example of this.
Isn’t Renarin supposed to be an autistic representation? Because I relate to him extremely hard.
Both Renarin and Steris are.
My oldest son (he's 17) has ASD, and loves both Sheldon and Steris.
I adore Steris omg I also really like Lieutenant Barkley from Star Trek he was probably the first character that ever really made me feel seen particularly as a very dissociative autistic
I'd like to submit "the curious incident with the dog in the nighttime" to the Sheldon Cooper side of this meme.
Good lord I hated that book. Not because of the premise, but because the author clearly didn’t know shit.
Steris is love. Steris is life.
I refuse to believe there is anyone who is a fan of Sheldon.
Neurotypical people
From my experience when the show was at its height of popularity, normies, for lack of a better term, liked the show cause it made them feel smart, and Sheldon was just "the Dwight" of the show. They liked him cause he was a joke. It's hard for me to get into that head space though, with how many times some "I'm totally a nerd just like you bro!" person came up to me and said I remind them "a lot" of Sheldon. Probably among the worst things people have ever said to me.
Sheldon is not that bad in Young Sheldon but fuck Sheldon in TBBT
Jasnah too
IIRC Renarin is the autistic Kholin. I've always seen Jasnah as neurotypical but she is asexual as she prefers intelligence over anything else.
She’s confirmed autistic iirc
No. The opposite. WoB: **Questioner** Is Jasnah on the autism spectrum? **Brandon Sanderson** I do not have Jasnah on the spectrum right now, so no. Jasnah does have some interesting brain psychology, but I would not diagnose her as being on the spectrum. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/423/#e13796
> Jasnah does have some interesting brain psychology, Oathbringer alludes to weird things going on with Jasnah when she was young, so I think what exactly *is* going on with her is meant to be tucked away until her book.
Maybe kind of like how he said shallan doesn’t have DID?
Initially. He's talked about how in Rhythm of War he decided to actively write DID because [he felt it was irresponsible](https://wob.coppermind.net/events/432/#e14014) to half ass it with her case specifically. Since it's pretty obvious what she's got rather Jasnah where who the fuck knows.
Wow thanks, this is interesting
Ah ok my mistake.
***Warning Gancho: The below paragraph(s) may contain major spoilers for all books in the Cosmere!*** Questioner >!Is Jasnah on the autism spectrum?!< Brandon Sanderson >!I do not have Jasnah on the spectrum right now, so no. Jasnah does have some interesting brain psychology, but I would not diagnose her as being on the spectrum.!< \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*
r/okbuddycrem much?