1. Autism and Poor Things: the autistic woman’s coming of age story

Explicit content warning

03/29/24 • 34 min

I know I’m not the only one who immediately read Bella Baxter as autistic! In this episode I explore all the ways I took Poor Things to be an allegory for autistic womens’ coming of age. There will be spoilers.

For those of you who don't know (get to know! Watch it, it's fabulous): 'Poor Things' is a movie about a woman "brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist. She runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation." Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Tony McNamara, starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, and Jerrod Carmichael. It wont 4 Oscars at the Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

02:16 Exploring Autistic Traits Through Bella's Journey

06:24 Naivety and Sincerity

18:08 “Polite Society” and Ridiculous Social Norms

21:35 Difficulty Navigating Friendships and Relationships

25:35 Hyperfixations and Sexuality

26:57 Challenging Gender Norms and Societal Expectations

32:02 Concluding Thoughts on 'Poor Things' and Its Impact

Please leave a review, it would mean the world to me and help other autistic folks find my podcast!

Check out my other podcast: https://linktr.ee/mukundwa_

Join my Patreon: https://patreon.com/autisticasfuck

Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/autisticasfpodcast

Find a therapist or counsellor: https://ndtherapists.com and https://neurodivergentpractitioners.org/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

02:16 Exploring Autistic Traits Through Bella's Journey

06:24 Naivety and Sincerity

18:08 “Polite Society” and Ridiculous Social Norms

21:35 Difficulty Navigating Friendships and Relationships

25:35 Hyperfixations and Sexuality

26:57 Challenging Gender Norms and Societal Expectations

32:02 Concluding Thoughts on 'Poor Things' and Its Impact

Please leave a review, it would mean the world to me and help other autistic folks find my podcast!

Check out my other podcast: https://linktr.ee/mukundwa_

Join my Patreon: https://patreon.com/autisticasfuck

Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/autisticasfpodcast

Find a therapist or counsellor: https://ndtherapists.com and https://neurodivergentpractitioners.org/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Trailer: Welcome to Autistic As F*ck!

Welcome to Autistic As F*ck! This is not your typical autism podcast. I created this show so girls and gays like me wouldn't feel so alone in their journey of understanding their brain. I will be sharing my lived experience as it pertains to autism and my identity intersections. I won't share research studies, this isn't a teachable moment as much as a witnessing. You are welcome here to listen, cackle and commiserate.

Please leave a review wherever you get podcasts so other autistic folks can find this show

Join my Free Patron for exclusive content and virtual hangouts: https://patreon.com/autisticasfuck

Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/autisticasfpodcast

Chit chat on Discord: https://discord.gg/s4R8u2Ra

Hang out on IG: @autisticasfpodcast

Hang out on Tik Tok: @autisticasfpodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

2. Autism and: bad dating advice, whitewashing and transitioning to adulthood

This episode flits between several topics that all tie together quite nicely: bad dating advice, Dune 2 (spoilers) and its representation of black and brown people, racism and the genocide in Palestine, strong sense of justice, the pain of being perceived and navigating social media hierarchy, the lack of resources for autistic adults, whitewashing of history through film and television

TRIGGER WARNING: I use the word s*icide

Here are the time stamps:

02:19 News flash, autistic kids grow up! And adult autism is underrepresented in terms of resources.

03:12 Navigating Life's Contradictions: Childhood Lessons vs Adult Realities

08:43 Neurotypical dating advice will ruin you

12:05 The Need for Autistic Adult Resources and Community

15:56 The pains of being perceived on social media

18:28 Autistic trait - a strong sense of justice

20:00 The media's obsession with showing POC brutalized

21:00 Whitewashing of history through film and television

Please leave a review on Apple podcasts so that other late-diagnosers can find the show

Check out my other podcast: https://linktr.ee/mukundwa_