Date of Award

5-2023

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

Communication Studies and Philosophy

Abstract

For decades, Autistic people have been portrayed in the media through dehumanizing stereotypes such as the robot, the superhuman savant, and the empty shell. Through these stereotypes, Autistic people are construed as non-human, above-human, and sub-human but never as human beings with complexity, authenticity, and dignity. In addition to being stereotypical, depictions of Autistic people have historically featured white and male characters, a longstanding pattern that erases Autistic women and people of color, among others. In 2022, however, Netflix’s spinoff series of The Addams Family, Wednesday, brought to the screen one of the very first autistic-coded women of color—its titular character Wednesday Addams. Because she embodies a stereotypical role called the female detective, Wednesday reinforces the autism stereotypes embedded in the female detective’s two main traits: emotionally disconnected (the robot) and intellectually superior (the superhuman savant). However, because Wednesday is a female and Latina autistic-coded character, the intersectional facets of her identity signal the beginning of more diverse representations for Autistic people. This study is an analysis of Wednesday as a character, the autism stereotypes she embodies through her role as a female detective, and the intersectional facets of her identity for an understanding of this character’s significant contributions to autism representation.

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Faculty Mentor

Jason Gilmore

Departmental Honors Advisor

Sydney O’Shay