EP 67: THE LAST ACCOUNTANT
Added 2025-01-11 04:41:03 +0000 UTCThis episode is a bit more serious; you'd never think a Ben Affleck movie would kick us into such a heavy gear, but here we are. We discuss good vs. bad representation in film (what even is representation anyways?) and the upsetting history of autism and how it is portrayed.
Recommended reading: Asperger's Children by Edith Schiffer, Autism and Gender by Jordynn Jack
Comments
actually cant stress enough how interested i am in these thoughts and this research
mollie
2025-02-14 19:30:18 +0000 UTCalex i am autistic and i supremely enjoyed every moment of this. i look forward to what you write in the future on this subject and would be deeply interested in hearing your process and research as you go along
mollie
2025-02-14 19:22:21 +0000 UTCI tend to be very enthusiastic about neurodiversity and this episode has helped me understand more of the baggage that comes with autism as a label specifically as opposed to something like adhd which is often seen as “cute and quirky” (which is also a harmful stereotype)
Sher
2025-02-11 19:00:52 +0000 UTCI’m a speech therapist with adhd who works in early intervention with many autistic children. I really enjoy hearing your perspective and the history that has been sanitized throughout the course of my education. Would love to hear more, keep it up!
Sher
2025-02-11 18:58:09 +0000 UTCMe confusing the accountant with the secretary for half the pod
Allie
2025-02-01 19:01:30 +0000 UTCThe neurotypicality discourse is literally what I have to fight with day-in day-out since my diagnosis. A part of self-acceptance is battling that fasistic urge to fit in and damn it's easy to kick into a person that doesn't fit in just for not fitting in. Alex's perspective is so validating in that non-cringe way that is usually so difficult to find. Much love from dr. Poop
george
2025-01-29 12:01:24 +0000 UTCno wonder i've really enjoyed this podcast the hosts are a trans woman and an autistic person. i love your interactions and listening to an actual couple just talk about things is really enjoyable. keep doing your thang🫶
Anne
2025-01-24 05:54:25 +0000 UTCi'm so glad you guys addressed the lack of support after diagnosis, i live in the uk and was genuinely horrified at the lack of any support here after i was diagnosed. we do have a system called camhs (child and adolescent mental health service) that is part of the nhs that was established to provide care and diagnosis for children and teens- however in practice it was more like a random guy you see once every few months who tried to attribute all of my mental health conditions with my gender. as for adults there is nothing if you're not on antidepressants or any other meds, trying to get any sort of therapy is like puling teeth from how long the waiting lists are. i have no idea how bad it is over the pond.
Moss
2025-01-21 01:44:31 +0000 UTCi'm so happy you guys covered autism, i was also diagnosed in my youth (around 16) like Alex but was on a waiting list for years- of course back then it was 'asperges' which i'm glad we've distanced from as a society. i completely understand how strange people view you once they know you're autistic, its so depressingly infantilising how the everyday person views us. I remember in college having a helper teacher (as part of my ehcp) who treated me with kid gloves the whole time and being passive aggressively teased and mocked by my neurotypical classmates who acted as though i was stupid- even though i was at the top of the class. it really doesn't matter how much you appeal to the neurotypical mind- they will always view us as the 'outsiders'- thats why i only talk to autistic people exclusively.
Moss
2025-01-21 00:51:50 +0000 UTCits kinda hard to lose a screener. dw
dykeney houston
2025-01-20 18:48:21 +0000 UTCNo you actually NEED to watch the social network. it’s one of those movies that’s just important (and good i fear). esp w zuckfuck being all over the women-hating media rn. Please watch it yall 🙏🏾
dykeney houston
2025-01-20 18:47:15 +0000 UTCI knew there was a reason why I vibed with Alex 😭 I'm black and autistic I'm still waiting on my professional diagnosis. Culturally speaking a lot of black POC people were forced to mask as children. I can remember a few times as a child when I wanted to stim or I was very eccentric and be intimidated into quieting down. Which is why it can be hard to get a professional diagnosis when you're a person who isn't a white cis man or a white person in general. There someone manner factors at play. I love how you and Kay speak . I am so up for Alex going deeply into his thoughts in regards to autism. and I'm so glad I found you both. 🩷
MB98
2025-01-20 15:16:47 +0000 UTCalex changing my life a little with the barrier thing
sofia
2025-01-16 16:44:50 +0000 UTCyall are sooooooo sooooo….. i fucking love listening to you talk and it is so special to find truth such as yours. god. please don’t ever say we don’t enjoy the more serious episodes because you SPIT. every time and you know it
sky
2025-01-15 23:55:23 +0000 UTCI need you guys to talk about some David Lynch
Blythe
2025-01-15 14:47:29 +0000 UTCYes true detective season one ugh there will never be anything like it again
Blythe
2025-01-15 14:45:54 +0000 UTCThis was such an interesting and amazing episode! After your analysis of the accountant, I’m curious if y’all have read the girl with the dragon tattoo, and have any thoughts about the character Lisbeth Salander. I personally have criticisms of how she’s written, but I got sucked into those books for a minute and found her to be a fascinating character who has interesting ways of responding to oppressive systems.
Candy
2025-01-15 00:26:16 +0000 UTCSuch a beautiful and well spoken episode! As someone who’s been questioning for a while whether I’m on the spectrum or not, Alex saying to play those cards close to your chest felt very reassuring. Thank you for this episode and all the others, I look forward to them always❤️
Dia
2025-01-13 23:28:48 +0000 UTCthanks for talking about this. my older brother is on the spectrum and it’s difficult for people to understand. since lockdown people have been throwing the word autism to try and “justify” why they’re socially awkward… like bro you’re just awkward and that’s OKAY
benjamoom
2025-01-13 21:23:52 +0000 UTCi think i saw the first half of the accountant but im literally going to go home and watch it again TONIGHT
Gabbi Saunders
2025-01-13 16:14:58 +0000 UTCshitting pissing screaming crying
mollie
2025-01-13 00:08:45 +0000 UTCthis was a really fantastic episode, would love to hear more from alex on this topic and can’t wait to read some of your writing
Nate B
2025-01-12 21:18:49 +0000 UTCi'm diagnosed with both BPD and autism and this made me feel seen in such a profound way - alex you have articulated so many things i've been feeling my whole life but never tried to put words to. i'm eternally grateful for y'all's podcast and for your openness about these topics
elise
2025-01-12 20:20:55 +0000 UTCgreat commentary guys, alex u are extremely smart
connor
2025-01-12 20:05:57 +0000 UTCTruly a masterpiece of an episode. I know I'll be relistening to this one so many times. Thank you guys. Your discussion on autism just blew my mind, that was very profound
feelitbreak
2025-01-12 03:18:56 +0000 UTCI’m so happy you guys addressed how autism is often demonized in media and thank you Alex for being so open about his experience. It seemed like you guys were weary about opening that convo but I’m so happy someone finally addressed it especially in this manner!! You guys are awesome, can’t wait for the future of the pod 💕
Nooneomo
2025-01-11 23:15:17 +0000 UTCalso as someone who is autistic and has worked in the autism/ disability world for nearly a decade there’s so many nuances and pockets that the general public will never understand and it’s one of the most frustrating things. to the point where i wish i didn’t know as much as i do lolol
K
2025-01-11 19:43:24 +0000 UTCESPECIALLY the bpd/ asd conversation I wrote my grad school thesis on it and everything you’ve said is on the nose and so important/ misunderstood
K
2025-01-11 19:24:43 +0000 UTCTy for the ASD conversation it really means sm 💕
K
2025-01-11 19:21:17 +0000 UTCBig fan of more serious episodes
babybash
2025-01-11 16:32:17 +0000 UTCAs I listen more to the episode, I am so thankful Alex has a voice on this podcast. He is the autistic representation we’ve been needing as a community!!!!
Lauryn S
2025-01-11 16:12:41 +0000 UTCAs one of your autistic listeners, this was such a silly great episode and I love great autistic representation in Ben Affleck. Also, I’ve always said Ben Affleck is autistic coded in real life TBH HE WRITES LETTERS TO PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE
Lauryn S
2025-01-11 16:07:45 +0000 UTCI love when you guys review movies. It's an added bonus to the podcast cuz afterwards I go watch them and usually love them. You both have shared some of your personal lives on the last episode and this current one and I really appreciate that. Especially the topic of ASD. Alex's perspective is so enlightening and I loved him touching on the history of it all. My son and dad are both possibly on the spectrum. I haven't gotten my son diagnosed yet but I gotta get a move on it. I hate that my son has to grow a tough skin to appease society. You're right, it's not fair though. He has to overcome so much adversity just because people lack empathy. My dad was non verbal until he was about 8-9 (similar to my son), he was in special education and had to overcome so much adversity being a kid with developmental delays in the south, in the 60's. He looked at me & my kids recently and said "I wasn't supposed to be the one that made it and look, now I have all of this". He has no family left, his brothers never went on to have families. He has told me horror stories of the healthcare and school system at the time. Anyway, sorry for the long comment. I just really appreciated these last two episodes more than usual! Thanks for sharing *Editing: I just got to about 1:45 in, thank you for this advice/insight. What's crazy is that I have a BPD diagnosis but I don't resonate with it and people can't even tell I have it. Favorite episode so far.
flyingnightrats
2025-01-11 15:49:49 +0000 UTCi will say there is a beginning shift of autistic researchers trying to reclaim the narrative about us and address the ableism that is so rampant in the field of autism research but it is truly such a steep uphill climb and ultimately the amount of ‘resources’ we have for autistic children and for autistic adults is so abysmal it does me real psychic damage dwelling on it for too long. i’ve experienced being a researcher and observing clinically how autism diagnosis happens and determining diagnostic criteria is so so dependent on how the test proctor perceives your responses…i’m personally focused on now being a counselor with serving the autistic community in mind but basically all that to say yes get into it
naomi
2025-01-11 07:08:41 +0000 UTCI'm so thankful for this episode 💖 Autism and Gender is an amazing read, I'm glad to hear you also read it, I'll have to check out the other book you recommended. My dad, one of my brothers, and I all are diagnosed with autism and my mom was definitely one of those moms who wanted to "cure" us. She always told me to "act normal" and would tell me to lie about specific aspects of my personality or circumstances to family members and friends so they "would think i was normal." She would always speak over me, my brother, and my dad because she was/is embarassed by the way we interact with other people. It took until i was out of my parents house for me to start to feel like I am "normal" or "okay" without intensely masking— I'm 28 now and in therapy for depersonalization as a result of the intense erasure of my entire person that my parents encouraged in me. Shoutout to Alex and thanks to both of you for voicing your perspectives and educating your audience on this subject. Sometimes it's really nice to hear that it's okay not only to just be who you are but that it's okay to be angry about the way the world treats us. I sometimes feel bad or misunderstood for not fully identifying with the word/label "autism", so hearing your perspective was really nice. Sorry if this was rambley or unclear, but thank you💖
soph
2025-01-11 05:49:54 +0000 UTCas a fellow autist pleaseeeeeeeeee talk your shit alex
naomi
2025-01-11 05:48:09 +0000 UTCI look forward to your uploads every time thank you for your public service
tommy
2025-01-11 04:43:25 +0000 UTC
