An Autistic Onion-ite in Afghanistan

Get a load of this video, from The Onion. I’ve never heard of Michael Falk before. I don’t even know if he is genuinely autistic or if he’s an actor. If the latter, then hes’s very good. He’s got all the ASD stuff down:

• No eye contact

• Quirky mannerisms

• Oddly inflected voice

• Literal interpretation of figurative language

• Irrational reliance on logic

Not only does the video show many aspects of the autism spectrum; it’s a hoot! Enjoy!

1 thought on “An Autistic Onion-ite in Afghanistan

  1. Well, folks. It turns out I was right about the acting. The guy’s real name is John Cariani (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137121/).

    Turns out also that some people in the ASD community take offense at his portrayal (http://thautcast.com/drupal5/content/ifc-and-onion-make-fun-people-autism). I guess I understand, but at the same time I like to think we’re coming closer to a tipping point, where autism is well-known enough to merit satire. That is, after all, one of the highest forms of affirmation!

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