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For those who don’t know, Sia (the musician) released the trailer for a film called Music yesterday, that she directed.
It’s about an autistic girl named Music, who is played by... Maddie Ziegler??
A neurotypical actor, playing a nonspeaking autistic character.
It’s about an autistic girl named Music, who is played by... Maddie Ziegler??
A neurotypical actor, playing a nonspeaking autistic character.
In the trailer, Ziegler is seen imitating autistic body language and facial expressions.
It feels like a slap to the face, to so many autistic people who naturally move in similar ways.
Neurotypical people think they can just try on our natural body language as a costume?
It feels like a slap to the face, to so many autistic people who naturally move in similar ways.
Neurotypical people think they can just try on our natural body language as a costume?
It’s inauthentic, and deeply unsettling.
Watching a neurotypical make those movements and facial expressions just reminds me of all the times neurotypical people in my life have mockingly imitated my own stims, or those of other autistic people.
It’s so wrong.
Watching a neurotypical make those movements and facial expressions just reminds me of all the times neurotypical people in my life have mockingly imitated my own stims, or those of other autistic people.
It’s so wrong.
Sia is going to profit from this. Maddie Ziegler is going to profit from this. What about autistic people?
There’s nothing autistic people are gaining from this, except dehumanization.
There are so many ready & willing autistic actors who could have filled this role. But no.
There’s nothing autistic people are gaining from this, except dehumanization.
There are so many ready & willing autistic actors who could have filled this role. But no.
The cherry on top of all this was Sia’s response to an autistic person explaining the harm caused by this casting decision.
Sia said, “Maybe you’re just a bad actor.”
Sia said, “Maybe you’re just a bad actor.”
Autism is not a costume. It’s not a fun little dress-up game. My neurology and body language is integral to who I am.
I’ve had a really difficult week already, with two meltdowns.
This film trivializes the difficulty of my lived experience as an autistic person.
So I’m livid.
I’ve had a really difficult week already, with two meltdowns.
This film trivializes the difficulty of my lived experience as an autistic person.
So I’m livid.
This is another example in the long line of films made about autistic people, without autistic people.
It’s part of a painful history I had hoped would stay in the past.
But the impersonation of autistic people for profit is something alive and well in the year 2020.
It’s part of a painful history I had hoped would stay in the past.
But the impersonation of autistic people for profit is something alive and well in the year 2020.
Autistic people have to fight to be taken seriously every day.
We get fired from jobs, bullied on school playgrounds, and shut out of mainstream education for the way our body language & communication is interpreted.
All for NTs to try on our mannerisms and profit from it.
We get fired from jobs, bullied on school playgrounds, and shut out of mainstream education for the way our body language & communication is interpreted.
All for NTs to try on our mannerisms and profit from it.
There’s not much else for me to say. This is sad, and disappointing.
And I’m really angry about it.
There’s a petition going around to try and stop the release of the film. Sign that if you want.
But most importantly, amplify autistic voices.
#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs
And I’m really angry about it.
There’s a petition going around to try and stop the release of the film. Sign that if you want.
But most importantly, amplify autistic voices.
#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs
