Grey's Anatomy introduces an Asperger's doctor

[beatzero]

Believe me, I'm not a fan of primetime TV. My mother is, though, and it shows: our TV, a 42" plasma, can be seen throughout half the house and heard through all of it. I just happened to be walking by the great glowing rectangular behemoth while Grey's Anatomy was on, and I notice one of the doctors. (Our friend Wikipedia says her name is Dr. Virginia Dixon, if you're curious. Mary McDonnell plays her.)

She's awkward, brutally honest, has relative disregard for her patients' spiritual beliefs, talks pedantically enough to give Ben Stein a run for his money, and yet is a genius at heart surgery. I'm sure the writers spent plenty of quality time with the DSM (and nothing else) to try to put the character together, so the portrayal ends up being so unrealistic I can't help but laugh at her. In a mere five seconds I had her diagnosis: Hollywood Asperger's.

I turned to my mother, saying, "What is she supposed to be, autistic?"

"Actually, yeah," she said. "And I know full well that Asperger's people don't act like that, but it's nice for people to see that autistic people can succeed in life."

I still thought it was funny in a campy way. On the show's writers blog's comments, a few Aspies and parents of Aspies showed up. Some were proud of the character. Some were offended. Most of the feedback in general was about the other characters' B.S. relationships, though.

So, if you keep up with Grey's, tell me what you think of Dixon: a baby step towards more positive portrayals of autistics, or another in a long line of flops?

[Sophist]

Hehe, "Hollywood Asperger's".

[adhocisadirtyword]

I happened to catch an episode of this show on Thursday - just to see if the character showed up. Well she did and was all kind's of "Hollywood Aspie." Straight down to the rocking at the end of the show when she was filling out paperwork.

Of course, then they thought it would be good for her to negotiate a higher salary - something I find to be one of the most terrifying aspects of any interviewing process. She did it so easily, like it was nothing. Boy, they got that wrong.

I think you're right, beatzero. It sounds like they created her out of the DSM without doing any other research whatsoever. The whole lack of empathy thing was present throughout and drove me nuts.

And on a completely unrelated note about this show - aren't these various doctors afraid of STDs? The show might as well be filming an orgy over there.

I vote for another in a long line of flops. I haven't seen too many "diagnosed" TV or movie characters who seem to fit Asperger's well. The only one I can think of right now was from this old Canadian TV show called Regenesis. The show got bad in the third season though and we stopped watching it, but the person who played the character did a pretty good job with it. There's been a few characters on other shows which are made to be Aspie-like, but never formally stated, and I've tended to like those portrayals. Big Bang Theory is an awesome show and has a character like that in it. It's more about the humor, than the reality of it, but they do an overall good job with it.

No matter what, it's always going to be over-dramatized in Hollywood - I just wish they wouldn't take everything from the DSM so literal and extreme like they did on Grey's Anatomy.

[beatzero]

This is how medical dramas research every condition on their show, though: they look at a giant book of everything that could possibly go wrong with people. They don't have time to take an in-depth look at the lives of real people who suffer from broken legs or obscure tumors, let alone . Just goes to show you that people still think (for better or worse) Asperger's can be treated like a disease.

Also, my mom has tried desperately to get me to watch Big Bang Theory, but I'm really not a sitcom guy. "Come watch! Come watch!" she says.

"No, Ma, I have homework."

[adhocisadirtyword]

Dude - Big Bang Theory is an awesome show. I don't think you'd be disappointed - especially because you just ended your post with the line, "No, Ma,..." Reminds me so much of Howard.

It's not a typical sitcom. And I think it to be one of the only bright spots in any of the TV that I watch anymore. It is totally worth the 30 minutes.

This is how medical dramas research every condition on their show, though: they look at a giant book of everything that could possibly go wrong with people. They don't have time to take an in-depth look at the lives of real people who suffer from broken legs or obscure tumors, let alone . Just goes to show you that people still think (for better or worse) Asperger's can be treated like a disease.

True.

[SomethingElse]

My brother loves 'Big Bang Theory'. I've liked what I've seen but haven't really watched it much. I'm terrible at working out when things are on. Should be as simple as looking at the clock but somehow I always manage to forget to check the time and channel when I stumble across something like that.

[Noctivagus]

I haven't seen too many "diagnosed" TV or movie characters who seem to fit Asperger's well.

Try and catch the movie 'Snowcake' with Sigorney Weaver playing HFA... I love that movie

[Noctivagus]

...I'm really not a sitcom guy.

I'm with you on that BZ. Especially when it comes to American Sitcoms...

Of the British ones, only really 'Dad's Army', 'One Foot in the Grave', 'Red Dwarf' and 'Are You Being Served' appeal.

[adhocisadirtyword]

I haven't seen too many "diagnosed" TV or movie characters who seem to fit Asperger's well.

Try and catch the movie 'Snowcake' with Sigorney Weaver playing HFA... I love that movie

Yeah - I generally don't comment on it to avoid sounding negative, but I disliked the movie unfortunately. I really wanted to like it, but I just didn't.

I normally like Sigourney Weaver, but her acting in that role just didn't work for me.

I'm picky I guess.

[adhocisadirtyword]

...I'm really not a sitcom guy.

I'm with you on that BZ. Especially when it comes to American Sitcoms...

Of the British ones, only really 'Dad's Army', 'One Foot in the Grave', 'Red Dwarf' and 'Are You Being Served' appeal.

Have you seen Big Bang Theory? Not every American show is bad.

They tend to cancel the ones that aren't crap, given, but there's a few good ones out there. I'm personally a fan of BBT.

[Noctivagus]

Not every American show is bad.

No its not just an anti-American thing... I'm not anti-American. Its just that I do not like their sitcoms (As a child I liked the early series of 'Happy Days' before the utterly stupid Chachi appeared, and perhaps 'The Wonder Years' if I had to stretch... but I wouldn't go out of my way to watch them today, unlike the British ones I mentioned above)... I'm very keen on several American TV series... 'Babylon 5' being my most number one ever on TV - I watch it through from beginning to end at least once each year.

I suppose if 'The Simpsons' is counted as a sitcom...

[adhocisadirtyword]

As I said though, BBT isn't a typical sitcom. It is nothing like the stereotypical vision one gets of a sitcom.

And, yes, The Simpsons count. In all of its short-eating glory.

[Noctivagus]

And, yes, The Simpsons count. In all of its short-eating glory.

Oh dear. I think I am in danger now of developing a bit of a cow in the face of Bart's advice to the contrary

[adhocisadirtyword]

And, yes, The Simpsons count. In all of its short-eating glory.

Oh dear. I think I am in danger now of developing a bit of a cow in the face of Bart's advice to the contrary

At least it isn't a lot of a cow. That could be painful.

[Noctivagus]

And, yes, The Simpsons count. In all of its short-eating glory.

Oh dear. I think I am in danger now of developing a bit of a cow in the face of Bart's advice to the contrary

At least it isn't a lot of a cow. That could be painful.

lol