Autistic podcast hosts, Dr. Angela Lauria and Matt Lowry, LPP, discusses the TV show Bob's Burgers and how the show and its character represent Autistic culture.
They go through the main characters like Bob, Linda (the parents), Tina, Gene, Louise, (the children) and Teddy and analyze their behaviors, interests, speech patterns, and social interactions that resonate with Autistic culture and experiences.
For example, Tina’s Autistic accent, people pleasing, difficulty speaking, and passionate interest in horses reflect common Autistic traits in girls. Gene's deep need for musical expression as well as his echolalia, speaks to many Autistic people, especially those who are sensory seeking.
“But many of his plot lines revolve around wanting to do self-expression and being frustrated that people don't understand the way he expresses himself.”—Matt
Louise, who is perhaps the least Autistic-coded of the characters, still demonstrates PDA (Pervasive Drive for Autonomy), monotropic focus, and the Autistic desire to wear the same—sometimes “quirky”—clothes every day.
(For the superfans out there: Yes, Matt gets a little caught up in the excitement of info dumping and calls Louise, ‘Tina’—it happens! TACP is dedicated to AUTHENTIC Autistic representation and this is an excellent example of how Autistics can forget things that allistics think we ‘should’ remember, especially when routines are off and social obligations are high—such as during the holiday season, when this episode was recorded. Autistics forgetting things isn’t a sign that we ‘don’t care’—Matt clearly cares a great deal about the show and its characters. It’s just a sign that we’re dealing with a lot at the moment and could use a little extra understanding and acceptance. #AutisticCultureCatch).
They go on to discuss Autistic stereotypes versus humanized, nuanced portrayals in media. The hosts believe the creator intentionally includes Autistic characters based on his previous shows.
Matt and Angela highlight relatable Autistic experiences like special interests, social differences, meltdowns, and how the Belcher family handles life. They feel the show normalizes Autistic traits.
A: And also, so great, like not stereotyping because there are all these different types of people just showing how diverse (Autistic) people are.
M: If an uninformed person wanted to make a character Autistic, they would be like Sheldon from Big Bang Theory and just take some tropes and some stereotypes, throw them together and call it a day. But again, this makes a much more humanized view of us.
Overall, they examine how Bob's Burgers provides representation and relatable characters that many in the Autistic community connect with. The hosts agree the show resonates as a sitcom about Autistic characters in an Autistic family.
Angela shares about a viral discussion that got started because of an online review. In the comments, tell us which Autistic strengths make us naturally exceptional reviewers and what YOU would be especially good at reviewing.
Article: Autistic Representation in Bob’s Burgers (2011): Give ‘em something shiitake about
Article: Roland the Farter
Twitter/X link: Keith Lee
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Bob's Burgers is Autistic (Episode 45)