TikTok's Worst Comedian is Coming for Autism.

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Try Akiflow today! Get 30% off for 12 months by heading to akiflow.com/imautisticnowwhat. Take control of your schedule and boost your productivity with time-blocking 🚀 If you enjoyed this video, you might like this one…We NEED to Discuss the Autism Speaks Rebrand Attempt.: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4W0iqiYmdGFaJY Super excited to hear your thoughts. Is this inclusion or is it punching down? Is it laziness? And why does he have to bring it back to autism every two minutes? 😅 Hope you’re having a good summer 💛 See you very soon!

[@bungwohlio]

Do you have OF?

[@turtleanton6539]

Good vid3o.

[@XeroElken]

I was going to try akiflow until I saw the how much it cost per-month. $34 a month without the promo is too expensive for my needs. I’ll stick to the wall of alarms on my phone.

[@ChangEAreYouWatching2]

my home smells frsh like wet cat and dog

[@kaelandin]

@@bungwohlio no

[@Gothofasaia]

jokes about disabilities are always funnier when they’re made by disabled people because they humour their experience and symptom instead of making the same 3 stereotypical jokes

[@otlychniychelovek]

As a person who jokes about his physical and mental disabilities way too much, I totally agree with you

[@Korihor666]

Agreed

[@KathrynTheUnicorn]

this is so true!! there's also a comedian named Daniel Sloss who has some of my favorite disability jokes he makes about his sister because the punchline is so clearly the audience's discomfort with disability and NOT his loved one who has a disability

[@Mitsuna]

Big agree

[@GweenOfTea]

Huge agree, we’re not afraid to take potshots at our own disabilities or symptoms while everyone else who doesn’t quite understand disabled people’s views on their own disabilities have to make half-jokes that are more just praise than a joke or the same joke over and over 🤣🤣 There was a video I saw once of a man filming his daughter playing on a bounce house, he said to his wife “There’s no need to be upset, you can jump on it too if you want!” And turns the camera to her and she’s in a wheelchair, she herself laughs at the joke! But in the comments, everyone who isn’t in a wheelchair or his wife are mad and posting hateful comments 😭

[@harrietwindebank6051]

The comedian asked for people with autistic children. Did it occur to him that there may be autistic people in the audience? Would he have asked the same questions of an autistic person directly?

[@ErebosGR]

Probably he's one of those people who think that children "outgrow" autism, similarly erroneously as children with ADHD.

[@kina8575]

Chances are massive that many people would be on the spectrum in the audience. It shows even more that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about

[@doodleplayer4014]

​@@ErebosGR Yeah, or he knows that autistic adults exist, but in his head, when he pictures "person with autism" he thinks of a small white boy and kind of assumes that all autistic people look like that.

[@eesamees]

half the reason is probably because he must've already had the "grow up to rob a casino" joke prepared. literally ripped off from the plot of Rain Man rofl

[@HeatherLandex]

He's jusy demonstrating ignorance. Like most people.

[@probsnooneyouknowtbh3712]

"Autistic people are angels who fell from heaven." So... demons? 🤣 That is hilarious.

[@Misharr86]

Speaking purely for myself, that checks out 🤣

[@fraktaalimuoto]

Hahaha. Makes me think of one of my favourite songs: "Oh there's a hole up in the sky from where the angels fall To bring us sword and sire children that grow up too tall Oh there's a hole down in the ground where all the dead men go Down purgatory's highways they gun their souls" -Errata Stigmata, by the Finnish death rock legend Babylon Whores

[@miamazingness]

Bahahahahha!!! that did not occur to me

[@dovakhiinmaster2967]

YUP Exactly my thoughts x.x Like come dude, really?

[@theveganduolingobird7349]

Fuck yea me and the autistic homies are descendants of lucifer

[@Morrislover.they.xem.]

The whole “god makes disabled people good at stuff to make up for their disability thing” pisses me off so much. We don’t need to be exceptional at anything to justify existing. To any disabled people: you deserve to just be able to live. You don’t have to justify your existence by being good at something. You deserve to be here because you are a human being. No one should have to do something society deems useful for people to deem you worthy, because being a person is enough 🫶

[@Virtualblueart]

Worse, it's a way to kind of erase any hardships you might suffer because your mind works different.

[@AmberAmber]

100%. Additionally I resent the whole deity presupposition & "even·ing out" cos it's quite privileged - "god" lets 25,000 ppl die daily from hunger. Kids don't even out when they get cancer. I DEF didn't feel evened-out when my Tourette's & Autism were treated as demons by churches.

[@QUEERVEEART]

it's also such a capitalist mindset. i'm sick of the idea that we need to be productive to deserve good things. we are human BEings not human DOings

[@AmberAmber]

@@QUEERVEEART 💯🫂❤️

[@eatmyshorts8406]

thats the same thing about those anti bullying videos they made us watch in school, like "hey don’t bully people because they may be extremely good at something that could be of use to you later”. um??? can i not just exist in peace without having to justify it with some special ass talent?

[@orangutansoda]

My favourite part of being an Educator who is Autistic is when a kiddo’s parent says to me “I’m sorry, He’s… autistic.” and i get to go “Oh okay! I am too!” and see their reaction. Most of the time parents look at me like i’m joking or crazy. But my goal is to normalize it. I think as a child, when you’re autistic your parents can worry that you’re going to be a bad adult or something. But i like to be the example of You can’t tell someone is autistic and they are just as capable as functioning in life even if they need a bit of help. I also like to tell the kiddos too because i think being proud of being Autistic can really help them. I wasn’t diagnosed as a kid but i definitely felt super left out and weird. Being able to find joy in the weirdness has helped me thrive.

[@Ebzy96]

be my son's class teacher thank you

[@Brainsafterbreakfast]

It’s great that you do that! There are also a lot of parents who hide their child’s autism diagnosis from them because they don’t want to make them feel “weird” or “less than”. That was my experience, but maybe if parents saw that there were positive autistic role models, we wouldn’t have so much stigma in the way of finding out who we are

[@Respectable_Username]

Massive kudos to you! And also, I wish I could see the expression on the parents faces when you told them that 😂 Thank you for tearing down the barriers of ignorance, both through this, and also through just literally being a teacher where replacing ignorance with knowledge is what you do ❤

[@kstar1489]

It’s ok to not be “as functioning”

[@bluegirl278]

@kstar1489 of course, it’s just that a lot of people don’t realize that you can be “high functioning” and they stereotype super noticeable autism or autistic people needing large amounts of help all throughout life

[@hannahgreaney7305]

I don't like that he asks the crowd specifically "does anyone have an autistic child?" instead of "is anyone here autistic?" as if he either doesn't think autistic adults exist and like comedy, or he doesn't want to talk to an actually autistic person.

[@Virtualblueart]

Because we can BITE back with scathing sarcasm or actual good jokes. Most of us have grotten good at humor, unlike this bully.

[@MELEMADE338]

@@Virtualbluearteveryone has good humour wym

[@kuki2800]

@@MELEMADE338 obviously not this dude lol

[@pemanilnoob]

@@VirtualblueartI have a crippling case of eternal sarcastic voice when I talk in English, so yeah, definitely

[@Agnes_B96]

Great point

[@haunted7937]

The thing I find messed up is that he joked about committing domestic violence in order to attract a male audience

[@AutomaticDuck300]

It’s not even an original joke

[@neehaa]

my thing is, what does that say about men that matt rife thinks a DV joke will appeal to them?? if i was a man i’d be so insulted

[@onceuponamelody]

I guess he got tired of his audience being full of beautiful women? 🤔

[@Sylvainjose-satoyumiyato]

​@neehaa I am a guy and I was insulted that he thought I'd like that 😭

[@kina8575]

It ticked me off so much and it’s weird how he got plastic surgery and keeps talking about how he looks

[@a_little_cat_123]

I'm personally 200% on the autism spectrum, I have double the autism

[@beccasflyingrainbow7886]

XD

[@AndrewWilsonOz]

This is how you make an Autism joke. It's positive, affirming, and funny, without punching down. :)

[@Virtualblueart]

Hey,no fair, leave some 'tism for the rest of us.

[@M4TEO888]

nuh uhh im 300% bro

[@naomiparsons462]

Each time you get vaccinated you gain percentiles

[@miriammiko22]

My fave autistic joke is that it's like being French, you speak the language, live in France, have French customs but you can't call yourself French until you've been diagnosed by an Englishman.

[@AnotherQueer]

And then when you finally think you’ve learned how things work, they decide that no, that word is no longer a masculine word, and suddenly, you don’t understand French, again.

[@SpecialBlanket]

LOL!

[@claritybadb]

That's brilliant

[@Spectralyzed]

Something I've taken to heart that my parents taught us as kids was "If the joke isn't funny to the person it's about, it isn't funny." And I feel like that really applies here; Are people without Autism allowed to make jokes about Autism? I'd say absolutely. What truly matters is whether or not the joke _includes_ the people it's about rather than alienating them. Essentially the difference between "laughing at/laughing with". There has to be a level of respect for the person or group the joke is about, otherwise it's just bullying.

[@Kwadratura]

What if one autistic say a joke about autism that offend other autistic?

[@DeadVoxel]

​@@Kwadratura tbf, can't please everyone. Autistic people still have their own individual reactions and opinions, and they can find the joke offensive even if it comes from an autistic person. But it's still more likely that said person is joking about it because of their own experience and because it relates to them, unless they have internalized ableism. Still more appropriate because they at least understand what it's like, while jokes like these coming from an allistic person can sound rude and almost mocking, as if they're making fun of it, since they don't understand how it feels, therefore there's nothing THEY can joke about as it isn't their own experience

[@Rayvn7]

Ah, exactly like these jokes did! Not sure how "whether or not the jokes are funny" is relevant to this complaint video LITERALLY AT ALL (because, you know, it isn't).

[@bzz_bee]

As an autistic person, I find jokes about autism by autistic comedians hilarious because they actually understand and what they are joking about. Non-disabled comedians can joke about people's disabilies, without harmful stereotypes and dehumization. Matt's jokes relies too much on that. I think the jokes can be fine if he employs people's advice and critiques and actually makes an effort to avoid harmful stereotypes and dehumanizing!

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Yes, you're right! I'm sure it can be done by non-disabled comedians if they are more knowledgeable 😊

[@joevictor53]

100% agree. Certain comedians can joke about other communities like black people or trans people or disabled people without belonging to them but it's because they respect them enough to educate themselves and the jokes don't feel like they're punching down. Other comedians just use assumptions, stereotypes and misinformation to make people in those groups the butt of the joke in an insulting way. Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais are the perfect examples of this when they go after trans people. They regularly say stuff that's not true but just misinformation spread by bigots to get a cheap laugh at the expense of trans people

[@TheAndrewj96]

Shane Gillis has jokes about his uncle with Down syndrome that are surprisingly tasteful and clearly come from a place of love for the guy.

[@BlueRidgeBubble]

I am on the spectrum. I think the Internet has trained you to think about this stuff too much. Has this become your focus? Ultimately unhealthy.

[@threestans9096]

@@imautisticnowwhatyou dont get to gatekeep knowledge.

[@theraggingscorpion]

My superpower is being a hater

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Valid

[@pemanilnoob]

I fucking love that, I want that on my wall, I want that on every wall

[@dinogrl4102]

real

[@ObtuseRubberGoose628]

This is basically me also. I'm an excellent hater.

[@romyjane17]

Do you know the evilautism subreddit? I think you’ll like it there

[@SomethingWellesian]

4:58 “What’s he good at?” “He’s hyperlexic.” “What’s that mean?” “He’s good with numbers, shapes, colours.” “Cool well here’s the punchline that I would have said no matter what your answer was.” What an improviser. Wow.

[@2Minsky]

To be fair punchline was about playing in the casino, which kind of works when considering numbers, shapes and colours, as well as Rainman, It is still based on stereotypes and not particularily good, but it is not irrelevant to the conversation, however limited it was.

[@ErebosGR]

@@2Minsky That's not what hyperlexia is, which is the ability to decode writing (i.e. learn letters, numbers, words) at a higher level than their current reading comprehension level.

[@Agnes_B96]

@@ErebosGRyes I thought the same. That is npt what hyperlexia is.. even his own mom doesn’t know. 😢

[@rahbeeuh]

​@@ErebosGRyeah I don't think that mom knew what she was talkin' bout or maybe she was nervous idk.

[@chelseacheckington7421]

I have a theory. I wonder if maybe he knew enough about autism to know we have special interests, but he didn't know enough about autism to word it correctly and thought of special interests as a thing we're "good at" rather than a thing we are highly interested in. I see how someone could misunderstand that if they're just aware that autistic people will often have a lot of knowledge about a specific subject, but there's some ignorance as well with not knowing the terminology to discuss this concept.

[@amberr3662]

"how far are you on the spectrum" Personally, I'm on the most intense part of the infrared spectrum

[@anushreemishra1355]

As a physics student who is possibly autistic (waiting for an assessment rip) I will definitely use this in the future

[@sophlamppost]

Including disabled people in crowd work is supposed to mean that you don’t avoid disabled people, not that you don’t avoid the topic of disability. You can make fun of someone’s profession, style, hobbies, etc, regardless of if they’re in a wheelchair or something. Making fun of someone because they’re in a wheelchair is punching down

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Exactly - doesn't have to be about the disability!

[@clicheguevara5282]

If that's true, then why are there so many videos of disabled people at a comedy shows - who are laughing harder than everyone else at the jokes about disabilities??? Why have I seen so many disabled people on Cloud 9 after their favorite comedian just roasted them? Why have I seen so many videos of disabled people in the front row _begging_ the comedian to roast them?? Where are there actual disabled comedians who joke almost exclusively about their disabilities?? ...Like Fiona Cauley or Josh Blue. "Punching down" implies that disabled people are beneath us and need to be coddled. The concept of "punching down" itself is infantilizing and demeaning. I find it far, far more insulting to disabled people than any joke could ever be. Most disabled people just want to be treated like a normal person and feel included in social activities. As an autistic person and comedy fan, I absolutely LOVE that autism is being joked about more and more by comedians. ...even if some of the jokes are ignorant or miss the mark. Big deal. If a comedian offends you or doesn't make you laugh, watch a different comedian. It's really easy.

[@Misharr86]

@@clicheguevara5282 Actually it is a big deal when it comes from a place of ignorance. When it's furthering already deeply entrenched stereotypes. True, I don't have to watch but I DO have to live with the consequences of other people watching. In this case, another generation or two of people believing autism is like rainman. 66 million people subbed to the living embodiment of 'you don't look autistic - you're nothing like my little cousin.' Maybe that's fine by you but I think it's unhelpful. Also, if you want to be 'treated like a normal person' (nice phrasing btw), then I can't fathom why you'd want to be roasted SPECIFICIALLY for a disability. Something that literally can't happen to a 'normal person'. If being roasted solely for being autistic is all I can hope for as 'being included' then sorry but I think I can do better.

[@MrAllGamesAllDay]

@@clicheguevara5282And if that comment bothered you, don’t respond. See how this logic failed yet?

[@queereden]

​@@clicheguevara5282 allistics aren't gonna fuck you honey

[@Hunterofartemischildofhades]

Unfortunately, i feellike matt's part of the comedy genre of 'have as much shock factor as possible via, being as offensive as possible, and if peopel complain, call them crybabies'

[@jasminaj3682]

Right?! It’s not comedy

[@Virtualblueart]

Sounds likeva bully to me.

[@digiscream]

Indeed, that's his usual approach. And yet...he clearly tried (as much as he could) _not_ to do that when it came to autism. That sort of suggests that he might see jokes about autistic people as being over the line...which I find interesting.

[@amberr3662]

That's literally the perfect description of a toxic friend I dropped months ago lmao

[@thefuturist8864]

@@jasminaj3682It *is* comedy. It’s just not the kind of thing that you would prefer to experience. That’s fine, as no-one is forcing you to see it. However, just as no-one should force you to do something you don’t wish to, neither should someone prevent someone else from doing what they want if what they want to do doesn’t stand to inhibit the liberty of another.

[@swissarmyknight4306]

"Netflix Comedy Special" is apparently shorthand for "We're platforming the worst people we can find to make fun of minority groups".

[@ErebosGR]

💯 Netflix has lost the plot.

[@amberr3662]

I do like Taylor Tomlinson though

[@SaltierMermaid]

Hannah Gadsby is an amazing Autistic comedian with Netflix specials that are must watches

[@paigebowen2031]

​@@amberr3662was about to say taylor Tomlinson is dope tho

[@SpoiltLittlePrincess]

Please watch Fern Brady and James Acaster if you want to see autistic British comedians. They're hilarious and also have a lot of YT content. Brady's been talking about her experience as an autistic woman a lot as well.

[@twixieshores]

I know this was a tiny point of tue video, but it's something that really grinds my gears. Allistic people claiming that low support needs autistic individuals are somehow less on the spectrum is just proof that you've never spent time with a low support needs person who wasn't masking. When I was younger, my meltdowns were horrible. I freaked out in crowds. But if you never saw those moments, I would have just been weird. That said, in my regular day to day, I could mask well enough that my meltdowns only happened at home unless we were on vacation, so to most people, I was just a little bit weird. But no, I had serious struggles and the fact that I was able to suffer in silence until it was "convenient" doesn't make me less autistic

[@GoldenCephalus]

I agree with you. I'm really interested in when you said you have meltdowns on vacation because I've always felt really overwhelmed when I'm away and feel so much closer to a meltdown and am so much more sensitive when I'm on holiday with my family. What makes you more likely to have a meltdown on holiday?

[@twixieshores]

@susieramsey8408 So, I've gotten much better about it, mainly through going on holiday by myself and learning to have to deal with issues. But there are several issues. 1) having my plans changed. This is still really annoying to me, but if I'm by myself, I can deal with it much easier as I make backup plans in advance just in case. 2) the weather. Especially heat & humidity. 3) trying to do too many things in a day without a break. 4) massive crowds Family trips to Disney World were definitely a pain, even though the parks are lovely when I'm able to do things at my pace and look for lower crowd areas of the parks

[@karenholmes6565]

It is frustrating because the entire point of ABA therapy is to help autistic kids mask their autism. So once they are taught to do that their therapy is considered successful. Autistic kids are taught how to stuff all of their sensory issues and overload deep and to manage to seem as normal as possible, which then gets them labeled as being "less on the spectrum", and that leads to less accommodation. It is a vicious cycle. Girls are better at teaching ourselves to mask, which is why we aren't spotted in the first place, so by the very nature of how autism is viewed by the outside those of us that struggle the most are helped the least, because we've learned how to suck it up more successfully. What allistics do not understand is that we take psychic damage from the effort. And it is accumulative.

[@ЛукВарёный]

Same. But I couldn’t even have them at home because my mother didn’t like it😢

[@LunarWind99]

This was me too 💔

[@o.m9514]

When he tests the water by having a laugh about domestic abuse, he reminded me of men that “test thee waters” by “lightly” abusing them so that he sees if he can get away with continuously abusing you in the future.

[@ZeonGenesis]

So true. "Negging" is a very good term to be aware about in the dating world.

[@Brandon-1996]

Or it's just a stupid joke that does not imply consent with the actions he was joking about.

[@IamEL1979]

Ok ​@@Brandon-1996

[@Nugget_0verlord]

I think he addressed the parents of autistic kids because 1. The idea that only kids can be neurodivergent, as if it dissappears the day we turn 18 smh, and 2. People are generally more sympathetic to the struggles parents face rather than their autistic kids [imo it comes from a place of seeing autism as lesser than, if not downright non-human]

[@simonprentice8478]

I agree with all of this but in addition, he might have assumed that autistic adults wouldn’t have been at his show because they won’t be mature enough or smart enough to understand his content or not independent enough to go

[@Gladissims]

​@@simonprentice8478 Well... that's a really ignorant and condescending way of viewing people with autism.

[@mynameisreallycool1]

Very true, especially the latter. It's kind of disgusting that people treat autistic kids, or just kids who struggle in any way in general, as nothing but a "burden" to the parents, or they act as if the parents are the ones suffering the most or are the only ones who suffer, while people ignore the actual autistic child. "These poor parents!" What about the kids who are actually suffering with the disorder though? Are we gonna ignore their feelings, like they're just somehow not human? It's like looking at a mom with a child who's deaf or uses a wheelchair and saying, "Oh, that poor mom! It must be hard having a deaf child or a child who can't walk!" without also acknowledging the actual kid who has the disability and undoubtedly has it worse than the parents. It just sounds so stupid.

[@mynameisreallycool1]

​@@Gladissims True, but we all know that being ignorant and condescending is on brand for Matt, so it wouldn't be surprising if that was one of the reasons.

[@AnxiousGary]

Oooh the video is exactly 30 minutes

[@imautisticnowwhat]

I was quite pleased by that too 😂

[@matthewdancz9152]

So satisfying, now that it has been pointed out.

[@AndromedatheBasshead]

This is as satisfying as when you're buying something and the dollar amount is a perfect whole number :)

[@susceptibIe]

I’m glad it made me eased

[@staeriix]

yay

[@MishaStaggs]

I once had a teacher ask me how autistic my child was. I looked at them very confused, then asked how human are you? Same difference. Requested my daughter go to a different school and it was granted. Happened in 2019.

[@nicolemelo8994]

Autism is a spectrum, the human species isn't. As far as I'm aware, there's no human hybrids out there. Unless you mean "humanity" as in, empathy.

[@werbnaright5012]

@@nicolemelo8994 I disagree. I consider many neanderthal types to be less than human.

[@KANNIXING]

@@nicolemelo8994are you stupid? The spectrum has nothing to do with how autistic you are. It's about how much support you need. So just like saying ‘how human are you?’ is dumb as hell, asking ‘how autistic are you’ is also super fucking dumb. No autistic person is more or less autistic than the next. They just have different symptoms that require different levels of support.

[@otlychniychelovek]

​@@nicolemelo8994 Yeah, autism is a spectrum, but you can't be more or less autistic. Just like you can't be more or less human

[@scorpionic-night]

Lol how old was the teacher? That's just ignorance from their side.

[@Cue_suffering]

As someone who has two autistic siblings, i find the first video rlly weird to just ask someone about "how far on the spectrum they are".

[@Agnes_B96]

Escpecially because the spectrum is not a line..

[@_Iemonboy.]

This, my little sibling is autistic and defining them just by a nonexistent line feels weird. There's so much more to them, why don't you ask about that instead? Also, EMU PFP HI!!

[@Cue_suffering]

@@_Iemonboy. PREACH!!!!!!! (Hi, tsukasa pfp!!!!!)

[@TheWatchersMeteorite]

me personally i fell off the far end and am now eternally falling in the autism void

[@gamerish2729]

While I agree I do think there is some difference. Like me and my brother are both autistic. Yes I struggle but I was able to get married have kids and have a life with some support like my service dog and therapist. My brother is unable to do any of that. Completely non verbal and can't even take care of himself. Needs constant caregiver at all times of the day/night or he will hurt himself. He gave himself brain damage and made himself blind from being left alone once. He needs a TON more care then I needed. I struggled in school but he couldn't even go to school he had to go to a hospital school so he had nurses there every day. He doesn't understand English or any language for that matter only a few words here and there like cookie or hungry. So I feel there should be something to use for him. He's basically a 2 year old in a 26 year old body. And it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon.

[@MrAndywills]

When they say “autistic people are angels who fell from heaven” are they saying we’re like Lucifer, the original fallen angel?

[@jackpijjin4088]

It really shows they're using "churchisms" to get likes from old grannies.

[@DeadVoxel]

I hope it's like Lucifer from the Netflix series then... At least he's fun and charismatic

[@MrAndywills]

@@DeadVoxel Have to say "EXACTLY!" in the style of Lucifer when Trixie first asks him "like the Devil?"

[@DeadVoxel]

@@MrAndywills haha, yep!

[@eliannafreely5725]

Meg, this comedian telling the crowd that if they don't want to laugh at his sexist joke then they aren't fun enough is manipulative of everyone and also an additional sexist statement (Be a fun girl, don't complain, smile honey). "Testing the waters". What waters, exactly? Not anywhere I would want to swim. This is why I like James Acaster. His humor is always kind. He has a whole bit on lazy comedians that want permission for their ugliness in the guise of being edgy.

[@alanguest1979]

I've encountered many bullies who said "sorry" for what they've done, only to do exactly the same thing five minutes later! I also can't stand those commedians who whip up controversy in order to get publicity.

[@progamndocoisas4407]

this happened to me friday! Why they even say sorry?

[@whitedragonzerureusu4480]

Have you tried telling the teacher or your parents? tell the nicest and most caring teacher you know about it. If they keep getting away by saying sorry then get a small recording device and hide it somewhere in your clothes to record them and what they say to you. They can't escape that kind of evidence when they keep coming back to harass you. They won't learn compassion or learn empathy unless they learn some sort of pain or humiliation themselves. You could use that listening device as self-defence. Just make sure you don't tell the bullies you are using a listening device. Keep it hidden until you talk to someone you know you can trust and show them what's on it to do something about it

[@Mintounette]

I am 31 and in the process of getting my ADHD, Autism and CPTSD diagnosed and treated. I cannot stress enough how validating your videos has been for me. A lot of the things I struggle to verbalise, comes up in a lot of these videos and it's such a dream come true to not feel alone anymore. Thank you for always supplying amazing content and videos. Best of luck moving !

[@beccasflyingrainbow7886]

Good job 👍

[@Hauntsu]

I’m 17 and have been dealing with many people not believing me when I say “I’m autistic”. Getting a diagnosis where I live as someone who masks well would do more harm than good. I completely agree-this channel has made me feel like I can be person instead of a stereotype, needing to prove myself, or being judged for something I can’t control. Here I am just normal-and also happen to be autistic.

[@Banjadu]

Going from my experience having autism, autism is NOT a superpower. It's a disability, and it makes life quite a bit more difficult in some areas

[@Boooo]

The problem with "making fun of everyone equally" is that not all groups of people are treated equally, so I feel like it can easily just be an excuse to be able to make bigoted jokes along with the usual jokes about average people that would be made regardless

[@marielaberge8236]

Plus, comedians that claim they are making bigoted jokes for the sake of equality never bring that same energy to those who discriminate against those same minority groups, so it's disingenuous to try to deflect criticism by pretending that making bigoted jokes is a matter of principle

[@mynameisreallycool1]

That's true. Obviously making fun of neurological people for being neurotypical is not going to hurt the same way as making fun of an autistic people for being autistic, because nobody out there is bullying and discriminating against people for being neurotypical the way people do to autistic people. Neurotypical people don't have a history of being bullied for being so, so they won't get hurt by neurotypical people jokes or take them seriously.

[@mynameisreallycool1]

​​@@marielaberge8236 Good point. It's less, "I make fun of everyone equally." and more, "I make fun of all marginalized groups, that I'm not a part of, equally, but I shy away from making fun of people who have more privilege due to race, economic status, sexuality, etc., because I'm a coward."

[@keldencowan]

The difference between joking and bullying is whether the person being joked about is laughing too.

[@stephe1506]

Not even then necessarily, because a lot of people learned to laugh stuff off as a coping mechanism from a young age bc they weren't afforded healthy boundaries by peers or guardians

[@WaffleSalad]

For sure, except in a situation like this I feel the person is always expected to laugh even if they’re uncomfortable. Laughing will get this situation over with faster so in a peer pressure situation you can’t necessarily follow that rule of thumb

[@Kwadratura]

So you can't really predict it

[@LemonHIVE]

@Kwadratura All you have to do is not be an asshole

[@Funeral_Mannequin]

I think it more depends on intent.

[@gin2943]

I saw Hannah Gadsby live recently and told my friend "I should get a discount for being autistic and non-binary... Wait, that's probably most of the audience."

[@thefuturist8864]

Gadsby’s a good example of a comedian who isn’t for everyone, yet isn’t any less of a comedian because of this. I don’t like her material, and have never found her funny, but many would disagree, which is fine. Such is the beauty of genuine diversity.

[@Rayvn7]

That makes absolutely no sense. By definition, majority of ACTUALLY autistic people are LESS bigoted then the general population. So they would therefore of course AVOID someone as terrible comedically as Hannah Gadsby, as well as the term "nonbinary". In general, autistic people would be MORE aware that physical traits like gender are literally always irrelevant except in physical encounters such as helping in defense possibly if someone is badly physically attacking someone - and even with that ACTUAL difference a lot of autistic people probably wouldn't be "aware" of it as in thinking of it in their daily lives, unless it's because they were getting a degree to be a physician or because they have heard about it due to listening to politics! Let alone thinking that "females are required to" do anything whatsoever which is requirement before anyone thinks it is possible to "be a different gender even though you do in fact have a penis and XY chromosomes and are not a hermaphrodite"!

[@confusedlizard]

I’m not sure I’m comfortable with terms like savant and genius around 7:30 - as a “music savant” autistic who grew up to be an autistic adult with an engineering job who’s just really, really good at musical instruments on the side, the concept feels very reductive and patronizing and overlooks the breadth of autistic symptoms in favor of a single marketable skill. Additionally it’s used most often for autistic men, and while autistic women may present the same level of skill it’s not taken as seriously or fostered at the same level. I do not personally consider myself a savant the way those around me did, I just find it easier to communicate with my harp than with my words, and being seen as such has only been a hindrance to my ability to cope with my other symptoms. tl;dr autistic “savant” folks struggle with the same issues as every autistic person does and causes need for accommodations to be overlooked in favor of skill level.

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Thank you for sharing this - great points! 💛

[@evarinagarmguardian113]

I kinda relate here. I've been told by my mother and grandmother that I'm a "savant" at sewing because I'm really good at it. Sure, I am good at it, but I'm no savant. To me, it implies that my current level is the best I'll be when I know there's more complicated sewing techniques I have yet to learn. It also feels dismissive of the level of work I put in to get to where I am now.

[@FrozEnbyWolf150]

Exactly this. It discounts the sheer amount of hard work and dedication you have to put into developing your skills, not to mention how you need to be provided with the time, resources, and support from those around you. Not everyone has these things. Imagine how many undiscovered talented people were never given the same opportunities.

[@rosesareblue610]

23:17 "Which I'm told is a good way to look" IS SO REAL 😭 as someone on the spectrum I've never understood "conventionally attractive" people lol

[@DeadVoxel]

For real. Especially when it's a pretty average, basic beauty standard... Like, why is it even a standard in the first place? And why do we not strive for uniqueness and individuality? There's more beauty in looking like yourself than in fitting into a mold of what is considered "conventionally attractive" Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't get why people say that about him? He doesn't look bad of course. But there's nothing that makes him specifically stand out enough to make him "conventionally attractive" either? He just looks like an average human to me, I don't see a difference between how he looks and how everybody else looks

[@TheLexikitty]

As a blind person I’ve always stuck to “I can make jokes about being blind, it’s one of the few upsides” kind of mantra, same for AuDHD, even though I rarely make jokes about it anyway.

[@froggy8714]

Didn’t expect to see Lexi here

[@chobies5383]

Lucky, you can also make trans jokes and tech related jokes

[@danieladamczyk4024]

Do you see the problem with that?

[@TheLexikitty]

@@danieladamczyk4024 nah I don’t see much tbh

[@Mockingdragon]

I really gotta wonder what Rife's reaction would have been if the answer to "does anyone have any autistic kids" was "I'm autistic myself, actually." Or if he just assumes it's something that happens to kids and then....?

[@Willow0.o]

yup, can't wait for someone to call him out for using offensive/outdated language, too

[@Mockingdragon]

The other thing that makes comedy from an actual disabled person better is that it can be more specific. Specificity is the key to making things funny and relatable. "Oh he's really got it" does not get half the laugh as "Superman telling you about 1960s beat poetry" because one is vague and one is so specific you know it has to be real.

[@Willow0.o]

@@Mockingdragon This 100%

[@werbnaright5012]

The Paralympics have a social media director who makes a tonne of content that sits on the edge of going too far for some people. It's another good one to look at for a video.

[@danielaasti]

YES, Everytime I see one of those tik toks from that account I'm left so confused that that's the official one.

[@Damanios]

I don’t think Matt Rife has the mental capacity to be more nuanced, so should we hold that against him? At least he has a ‘superpower’ of being considered funny by a lot of people to compensate.

[@AtoZDesign]

It looks like diagnosing people might be his specialist subject.

[@gracelewis6071]

😂

[@EmotionalSupportChaosDemon]

He's considered conventionally attractive, which means a lot of what he says doesn't have to be funny because he's ✨a pretty boy ✨ 😆I love that though, such a spicy burn ✨

[@Misharr86]

That's savage and I love it.

[@DeadVoxel]

@@EmotionalSupportChaosDemon the funny thing is, I personally don't necessarily understand why he's even considered conventionally attractive. It's not to say that he isn't, as I believe that everyone is attractive in their own unique ways. However, it feels as if he's had work done on his face, maybe some sort of face lift or botox. I could be wrong, but if my assumption is correct, then he pretty much just made himself look conventionally attractive on purpose, artificially. Which is even worse in this case... Even if this is how he looks naturally, I still can never understand why people get a pass for their wrongdoings just because they're considered attractive. Appearances don't justify or excuse actions

[@Yuffie13]

I can't speak for physically disabled folks (because I'm not), but if I were in their position and he called me "sweetie" and asked "what happened" to me and made jokes about me, I'd be like, "Dude, don't use me for inspo-p0rn." But then again, as an autistic person, the whole "working the crowd" thing gives me the ick to begin with. Also, this guy just reminds me of people you used to be friends with in school (or wherever else - church, sports teams, etc.) but you now realize are really very toxic and were probably only friends with you to look good to others. He also kind of reminds me of Shane Gillis, the guy who got fired from Saturday Night Live, then came back to host and made a bunch of off-colour jokes about his niece with Down Syndrome in his monologue. Also, Fern Brady is awesome 😄

[@DeadVoxel]

These kinds of nicknames just feel uncomfortable and infantilizing, coming from a stranger. I totally agree with your comment, especially the working with the crowd giving an ick

[@alexandriak7991]

As someone who is physically disabled, I wouldn't appreciate those phrases/terms. Sweetie sounds patronizing, and I always get uncomfortable when someone asks me 'what happened', 'what did you do to yourself', and 'what's wrong with you' because I was simply just essentially born with my disability.

[@liam.is.online5709]

It’s one thing to include everyone in roasts despite disability (obviously so long as everyone’s comfortable), but the “roasts” for disabled people are just shit everyone’s heard a hundred times before. It’s just lame and unoriginal.

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Yeah, I think the worst thing is that it’s boring

[@DeadVoxel]

Honestly, why even roast someone's disability? That just seems really low. Unless it's between really good friends, or between people who are all disabled. Otherwise it comes off as making fun of something they can't control or change. If you don't know how to make a joke about disability sound respectful or actually funny, you're better off if you just avoid joking about it, imo

[@kierstenburtz8442]

I think what people don't get is that while people with disabilities do want to be included and "made fun of just like everyone else", there is a difference between making fun of someone with a disability and making fun of someone *for* their disability. You can include disabled people in your comedy without punching down. That's what Matt just doesn't get.

[@juliaboskamp9666]

That guy is digging his grave even deeper so people won't forget about him.

[@MWear-x8t]

My husband who loves me very much and has taken the time to learn all about autism, told me a really funny autism joke. It would have been offensive and insulting if it had not come from someone who cared about me. I can't even repeat it, unless you know the person you are telling it to, some jokes are better left unsaid. I wish I could tell it, I know some of you would laugh, but others would be pissed.

[@blue.is.typing...]

I get that, lol. My husband jokes about my autism all the time. From anyone else it would be offensive but he’s the most supportive, amazing person, and he knows so much about ASD (mostly because he’s listened to me rant for hours lmao) that it’s hilarious to me instead of upsetting. But yeah, some jokes are inside jokes for a reason ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ If he were to say that stuff in public I would be embarrassed and a lot of people would probably think he was an asshole.

[@Laranimates]

12:48 My background is Turkish, and growing up, I always heard the term "özürlü" being used to refer to disabled people. Özürlü is also the word for... apologetic... which is pretty condescending. 🤡 Recently, people have switched over to the term "engelli", meaning "[person with a] barrier" which I actually like more than "disabled" in the English language, as "engelli" can be more easily interpreted to mean that the person has barriers enforced on them by society. I just wish the country had better ways of actually accommodating for disabled people and breaking down said barriers so none of their cultural language, as much as they try to adapt/modernize it, would have to sound condescending to us upon considering the context of how we get treated.

[@zyxxyzify]

I’m certain the word özür is used not as apologetic (the first meaning of the word) but as “fault”. Özür means faulty. Which makes it even worse in my opinion.

[@Laranimates]

@@zyxxyzify Yeah, in the contexts that I heard "özür" being used (whether it was to refer to disability or not), there was always some sort of implicit intention of excuse (and it didn't help for disabled people back when "özürlü was in use that "I'm sorry", being an everyday phrase, translates to "özür dilerim" 💀).

[@chelledoggo]

This guy gives off the vibe of someone who'd like a facebook post that says "everyone's a little autistic."

[@LulaHarmony]

Painting autistic people’s talents/skills as “making up” for their autism is so incredibly patronising and insulting. Why does it have to be a superpower or a tragedy? Why can’t it just be an accepted part of who they are. My kid is incredibly clever and hyperlexic and it would really irritate me if someone said to me it was in some way to make up for his autism. I have disabilities myself (ADHD and hearing loss) and I think it absolutely can be joked about, but it’s important to understand what you’re joking about, which is why the comedians with lived experience tend to tell better jokes. And also lets just try and make sure it’s actually funny! Having a very smart verbal 4 year old- do you know how many people make jokes comparing him to Young Sheldon/Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory. My kid also has a special interest in flags. Yes I know. “Fun with Flags”. Sheldon. I’ve heard. Ha ha. 😐

[@DeadVoxel]

If autistic people are making up for their autism with their talents/skills, doesn't that mean the allistics that say this should also be making up for something? Oh, I don't know, maybe their skills should be making up for how insensitive or ableist they are? Or for their lack of common sense? For their lack of respect? Because this is just a ridiculous statement, and they should apply it to themselves too if they request that of autistic people Showering autistic people with stereotypes just isn't funny, especially when it comes to comparing said autistic people with the most stereotypical, popularized autistic characters that aren't even the best representation at that. At least it would be nicer to compare based off of personality, not based off of the pure fact that they're autistic

[@thename6879]

As an autist, comedy/jokes is one of the only ways I’ve felt comfortable talking to people close to me about the challenges I’ve had. I think that trying to prevent people from making jokes about disabilities just make disabled people feel more isolated and different. That said, when jokes are coming from a person like Matt Rife who clearly doesn’t care about the lives of disabled people, they come off as bad, not because comedy about disabilities is always bad ( although it often is) but just because he’s a lame person.

[@Korihor666]

I use jokes in a similar way where I say things like “as an autistic person I’m legally required to like trains and be exactly like your 6 year old cousin who also has autism” as a bit of dark humor about how misunderstood autism really is. I know this isn’t my original joke so I know others use humor in the same way sometimes. The difference for me between a good autism joke and a bad one is who ends up being the butt of it. Punching up vs down sort of thing.

[@ЛукВарёный]

“When a disadvantaged person jokes about their misfortune- it’s a joke; when another person makes such joke- it’s mockery” Is a great rule of thumb to navigate such situations

[@thename6879]

@@ЛукВарёный this is oftentimes true, but I’d say that sometimes jokes, especially if they’re coming from a person who knows about autism, and is a kinder person, jokes can be a way of demonstrating understanding / empathy.

[@derunfassbarebielecki]

Purpose also plays a major role. People arent laughing at his jokes, because they think they're funny, they laugh because he satisfies their superiority complex. Its basically like rich people making jokes about the poor, to just feel a bit more superior. Kicking down to forget the perception of their own worthlessness.

[@pemanilnoob]

I feel he’s less making a joke from an idea, and more forcing a joke where there is none

[@gabrielboudjema4076]

as someone who is not autistic or on the spectrum of autsim if Matt Rife doesn't have any haters I'm dead.

[@ЛукВарёный]

Yes, he’s the definition of grifting

[@thesevenkingswelove9554]

I still dont know how he doesn't have haters.. Like he even jokes about assaulting a woman whose autistic..

[@derunfassbarebielecki]

I think the issue with this guy is, that he's so unfunny, people who would care, couldn't care less about his existence. I think there is a generational problem too, I'm Gen Z and most of us (at least where I live) have no interest in comedy, because the scene is so dull right now, even TikTok brainrot is more entertaining, so most of us dont consume any standard comedy.

[@ErebosGR]

@@ЛукВарёный He's more like the definition of a bully. Did people already forget that he ridiculed a 6-year-old boy online because his mom had an OnlyFans account?

[@coolchameleon21]

same

[@hydraian]

"...less fortunate" I got Gelinda singing popular in my head now.

[@imautisticnowwhat]

Now I do too!

[@hydraian]

@@imautisticnowwhat Sorry

[@its_heeho]

With how Matt describes being autistic, it sounds like allocating stats in an RPG. "Hmm yeah I'm gonna put 5 points into dexterity"

[@thatonepossum5766]

Honestly that’s how I like to refer to my autism. While most people have a roughly even stat distribution, I’m min-maxed, meaning I have maximum skills in a particular part of the game, while minimizing attributes to other things. Which isn’t meant to be the whole “autism is a superpower” or “every autistic person has this one gift” thing. I just mean I have a lot of points in memory, baking, and animal studies, and not enough points in math, sleeping at a reasonable time, eating normal foods, talking on the phone, etc.

[@its_heeho]

@@thatonepossum5766 Yeah, I just got that crazy high luck stat

[@ArgyleDinosaur]

Can we go back to people calling other people sunshine? Don't call me "love" "sweetie" "baby" "sister" none of that. Just call me sunshine.

[@heloisaalvesrocha]

you are my sunshine my only sunshine

[@erinbathie-moore8478]

You make me happy When skies are grey

[@ShadoeLandman]

I actually hate being called sunshine because it feels like someone is judging me and because i don’t feel like sunshine. It feels like when men tell me to smile; no, I’m not smiling, you’re being sexist, and I don’t smile on command when I don’t feel like it. I grew up being taught my thoughts and feelings are invalid and a hindrance to others. I wish I could be happy with sunshine, but it hurts and makes me anxious and angry. Sweetie isn’t too bad because I’m southern enough that men and women say it to women and women say it to men. Baby and love are wholly unacceptable and I’ve gotten to the point I will tell someone how I feel about it. If people are going to hate me anyway, I might as well give them a reason.

[@trala8911]

I tend to call people chicken, or chick. Chick is to me a non-binary term, because when chickens are babies we don’t know or distinguish their genders, they’re all just chicks. I’m someone who can’t help but use pet names and such, people are always bab, hon, chook, sweetie, doot, etc. But my main one is chicken/chick.

[@ToothpasteIsGettingExpensive]

@@heloisaalvesrochaI’d love to to be a fly on the wall of this seemingly very unhealthy one sided relationship between you and your sunshine!

[@rainbowseven666]

I'm an example. I'm autistic and I don't have a big talent for anything

[@wessltov]

From what I've experienced and seen, it's less about talent and more about fixating on something to the point of specializing in it. You may find your potential in the future

[@Morrislover.they.xem.]

Dw dude, you’re still 100% valid no matter what Matt says :3

[@rainbowseven666]

@@wessltov I don't know. Maybe

[@rainbowseven666]

@@Morrislover.they.xem. I know

[@heatherrae901]

I have a talent for avoiding social situations but other than that, I’m pretty basic at things.

[@woofexe4050]

I just want you to know you making these videos really makes me feel like maybe one day I'll be able to as well. I have a slew of mental health issues and I am also autistic, it can be very overwhelming and feel like I'll never be able to make videos or art; though, your videos have helped me feel that that's not the case. One day I'll make something I can be proud of and share it with anyone willing to listen and maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get to have a great community like you one day 💙

[@keith720]

I hope you get there, you have my support!

[@thetonytaye]

Oh god is that fking Matt Rife??

[@Shidarezakura3]

My "superpower" is being unable to make phone calls... Wait, that's not a superpower...? What did I get then?? Can someone call Matt Rife and ask him for me?

[@mikaylaeager7942]

That “a bear” response from that girl with one arm definitely sounds like that lie you have on hand when a stranger asks “what happened to you?”

[@stephenie44]

In America, “handicap” is disliked by disability advocates, but still standard in American vocabulary, and used by the government and businesses without causing a stir. Most people just don’t know the origin and meaning of the word, aside from being synonymous with “disabled” or “wheelchair user”.

[@FirstnameLastname-jd4uq]

What’s the origin of the word

[@stephenie44]

@@FirstnameLastname-jd4uq a psychical impairment, which implies they’re weak or damaged in some way. Similar to how autistic people prefer a neurodiversity lens for understanding autism, instead of a pathologized view of impairments and deficits, many people with physical disabilities would rather we have less ableist expectations about what a body should or shouldn’t be able to do. Just because you use a wheelchair doesn’t mean you’re weak or missing something. It can just mean you have a spinal cord injury (or whatever the cause). The term handicapped comes from sport terminology. It’s used to add an advantage to a weaker competitor to level the playing field.

[@jackpijjin4088]

I mean... I get what you're saying, but personally (so literally just me; not trying to claim you're wrong) I find my... issues to be a handicap. I'm slow to understand speech for example, or depression and anxiety decide they're not going to give me peace on some day and it affects my output. I process commands and tasks differently and that makes it very difficult to work with someone who doesn't really "get" how I work like my dad does. Language is kind of evolving in a really weird way, honestly.

[@FirstnameLastname-jd4uq]

@@stephenie44 oh ok thank you

[@stephenie44]

@@jackpijjin4088 that’s totally fair! I personally like the term disability, it feels more apt and versatile to me. It includes things from the social and medical model of disability, which doesn’t put all of the focus on me being someone who just can’t function normally. But also, it encompasses how my depression can be mild (annoying but I can basically function), as well as completely disabling (cannot do the simplest thing).

[@RB-zk8vk]

As a therapist, one of our intake questions is about strengths. You'd be surprised how many parents struggle to identify their kid's strengths. I'm glad that mom didn't struggle at all.

[@Alexis-lt3zy]

I think abled people can joke about disabled people, just as cis people can joke about trans people... but most people who aren't part of those groups dont understand being trans or disabled enough to joke about it without being offensive

[@Leena79]

I had been recently diagnosed when Hannah Gadsby's Netflix special, Douglas, first came out. It is to this day my favourite comedy special ever, because I found it hilarious and so relatable. Matt Rife, on the other hand, is really not my cup of tea. I was never seriously bullied as a kid, but I have enough of experiences of being the target of mean comments from "pretty people" to dislike Rife's style of comedy. He just really rubs me the wrong way, and that domestic violence joke is just beyond distasteful. I guess I'm glad someone feels seen by his jokes, clearly he's doing something right if he's getting more specials - but I'm not planning on watching them. I also immediately feel annoyed with this talk about god evening out things. I've felt the need to compensate for what I've considered my flaws for my entire life, because I felt I wasn't good enough if I didn't do whatever people asked me to do - and many have, probably unintentionally, taken advantage of that. I don't feel like I have a superpower, but now, being in my 40s, I feel I've spent most of my life trying to fit in and failing. And even if I can joke about myself and my quirks in safe company, I don't want to hear someone, who doesn't have the experience or the empathy to understand what being less than, joke about it. Also, I use the emojis 🥰🥹 when I see a silly dog being adorable. Not for describing autism. (Sorry for the rant. I've had a headache all day.😬)

[@AstridSouthSea]

I like your rant. It was a good rant. Sorry for your headache, I hope it goes away soon.

[@Willow0.o]

The thing that I hate is that many times when there's been an autistic person on Britain's Got Talent or whatever, they always try to make out that autism is their "superpower"- which only enforces this myth, spreading it to such a huge audience who most likely take that statement and run with it..

[@DeadVoxel]

Damn, I guess struggling to get by in life is a superpower now. Not to say it doesn't have positive traits, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows either, it doesn't make me superhuman, nor does it make me shoot lasers from my eyeballs. It just seems weird to me, like what makes it a superpower?? Usually superpowers are meant to give you a huge advantage, or mainly bring a positive outcome. I definitely can't call my experience in life positive, lmao. But after all, it's just me being a human, having human experiences. I have both positive and negative traits, so does everyone else Honestly, overall TV shows like these just aren't the best thing to look up to, it's such a shame that the audience gets influenced like this. It's all just a show, none of it is real, it's just glorification for the sake of wow-factor

[@Willow0.o]

@@DeadVoxel Absolutely, couldn't've said it better myself

[@willow6184]

i have seen autistic comedian that maden special green light and red light stickers for crowdwork, most of her audience are autistic and disable and she made special things to acomodate all people that would like to come. it was so nice to see that she worked for her fans to feel the most comfortable they can be. sending love to all

[@Schnitzel_schultz]

when you talked about people thinking that all autistic people are really skilled in one area and how it's only like 10% really helped because, for me, I'm feeling like I need to have one when people ask, and I just say that I haven't thought about it but deep down I feel disappointed in myself for not being as smart. my disability is hidden so when people find out it's the first question asked.

[@DeadVoxel]

I feel like overall it's such an insensitive question to ask, it's like they expect that said skill will somehow "make up" for autism. As if they refuse to accept that a person can just be autistic, without any superhuman qualities or traits. That's just the idea that movies and media tends to enforce, it's never true to real life. It's a walking stereotype of an autistic person, that they have to be a "savant", or a genius, or a wunderkind, or anything like that. A lot of allistics are not really skilled in anything, most don't even really have any hobbies they pursue (and if they do, sometimes those are the hobbies that don't involve their own personal skill. For example, they can be interested in learning about a sport, but not actually have any skill or experience with said sport). So why should autistic people be expected to be super skilled geniuses? If anything the allistics that ask this should be geniuses as well if they set such expectations, no? Skill is subjective, and is a ridiculous thing to judge someone for. You don't have to be super skilled in anything, what matters is that you're proud of your own achievements, and nobody can dictate how you should live your life and what you should be good at. Besides, there will always be something you're good at, it doesn't have to be one specific thing, it can be multiple things at once. It doesn't mean you have to be extremely skilled at it, but you can for example be good at cooking, teaching, music, art, ANYTHING It doesn't make someone less smart. "Smartness" is just as subjective as skill. Society is what chooses the definition of "smart", and as learnt from experience, never blindly listen to what society has to say, especially if it's meant to be degrading. Listen to yourself, and find your own definition of "smart". Because at the end of the day, it's all about what makes you feel great about yourself, and how you see yourself. Live comfortably, and live for yourself. If you're satisfied with your skills, it shouldn't matter what people have to say about them. Either way, as humans we always tend to improve at what we do, whether it's intentional or not. You don't owe anyone a justification for your existence

[@niesolonykotlecik]

God made my disabled, but thankfully he gave me the knowleage of Disney Ducks lore to balance things out

[@DeadVoxel]

With great power comes great responsibility, use your knowledge wisely or the balance will be swayed 💪

[@smolexfundie6458]

I wasn’t washing the dishes 😂 I was washing a pile of rocks to paint, but I still felt called out ❤

[@imautisticnowwhat]

That sounds more fun!

[@vulcanfeline]

definitely more fun. i love the way the colors come out on wet rocks. i even discovered a fossil silhouette on a rock i was washing once

[@smolexfundie6458]

@@vulcanfelineI would love for that to happen! how exciting! ❤ I paint prehistoric animals on my rocks. I only have one fossil I have found(a tooth of some kind of herbivore) but I hope to find more!

[@raydientSkeleton]

"it evens ot out" ah yes. Because my ability to pick up any frabric/string craft and be good at it very quickly, definitely makes up for the fact that i struggle to function at my real person job or even out in the world in general.

[@DeadVoxel]

Literally this Like how are my drawing skills going to help me in life when I struggle to even do the most basic tasks around the house, or when I struggle to communicate with anyone outside of my friend circle / family 😭 Am I going to paint myself a new brain or what

[@raskbell]

Definitely Fern Brady or comedians like her. She's has the experience, life details to really make funny jokes that aren't just cheap stereotypes.

[@thefuturist8864]

Good point, but we should ask why there are people making ‘cheap stereotypes’ in the first place. Ignorance, *genuine* ignorance, isn’t chosen; people don’t know what they don’t know, and the way to change this isn’t to pick out a comedian and moan about his material. The way we change it is by actively campaigning for better education about autism (and neurodiversity in general).

[@clicheguevara5282]

Some of my all time favorite jokes about autism were written by neurotypical comedians...

[@rahbeeuh]

Tried to look her up here. She doesn't have a KZbin channel?

[@flicnerdy4385]

​@@rahbeeuhshe's more of a traditional UK comedian on TV. She was the first openly autistic competitor on Taskmaster UK if you want to look that up? :)

[@rahbeeuh]

@@flicnerdy4385 thanks. I'll look it up. I may have seen it in passing but I'll give it watch. Thanks again

[@squirrelsinmykoolaid]

Late dx AuDHD person here that used to be in a comedy group. Anyone who is making negative jokes about marginalized groups they don't belong to is 100% punching down, and this dude fits that description. I have a particular disdain for punch down comedy because it is so cheap and lazy. You don't need to be creative to make jokes about people that society already thinks are inherently deficient because those jokes have already been told. Punch down comedy just reinforces the status quo and relies on shock value. For me, the mark of a good comedian is one that can get laughs without oppressing other people. You can still be raunchy and controversial without punching down. Rife's jokes about disabled folks can be boiled down to, "hehe disabled people are weird". Very childish and unimpressive.

[@rahbeeuh]

Hey it's you again 😅👋🏾 I dislike Rife's "comedy" outside of some of his crowd work and I can barely tolerate that. Anyhoo, agree with you here @squirrelsinmykoolaid

[@squirrelsinmykoolaid]

​@@rahbeeuhHey! I have my reply notifications turned off so I haven't seen the other video you may have replied to my comment on 😅 I think this might be my sign that I comment too much on YT videos lol

[@Brandon-1996]

One problem with that, is who defines "marginalized"? The radical left seems to define it as anyone who is not a "chishet white able-bodied man". (And then replace "man" with "penis-having person", but you get my point, right?)

[@Brandon-1996]

One of the problems with that is who gets to say who is "marginalized"? The radical left seems to define it as anyone who is not a "chishet white able-bodied man". And then replace "man" with "X-having person", but you get my point, right?

[@rahbeeuh]

@@Brandon-1996 it's no problem at all when y'know what it means to be marginalized. It's quite different from someone who isn't. I, a Black woman, am marginalized and I may not have had the words to describe what it was early on but I learnt. I didn't choose marginalization. The moment my race and gender were put on my birth certificate made that choice for me.

[@asterismos5451]

There is a compilation on here somewhere of a comedian interacting with people with Tourette's syndrome and I found that absolutely hilarious. What seems to have happened there is he had one clip go somewhat viral and word got around to people who had met at a "Tourette's camp" in Australia and so a bunch of the people who had gone there made an effort to show up to his shows and those interactions made it to the compilation. So clearly the people themselves really enjoyed the interactions and basically the humour is more "what are some things that have happened because of your disability, that from your perspective, have been funny?" and "this is a hard thing to live with sometimes but a lot of the time it's also just really silly." The fact that the people involved are clearly fully aware of how their Tourette's can be funny and are happy to laugh about it with everyone helps, if it were just the comedian being like "this thing that makes your life difficult is funny to me actually," that would be less fun. He's not punching down, more giving them space to share what they find funny about their disabilities and I appreciate that.

[@crazydicelady6117]

I've been told by my family that my "superpower" is that I can learn songs instantly just by hearing them once, but they're so wrong. I can learn songs quickly, but there are a lot of factors that go into it. There have been so many times where they've wanted me to learn a song and I was just so embarrassed/anxious/frozen. The "superpower" rhetoric is so much more harmful than helpful in my opinion. Ironically it's only recently that I brought up that I suspected that I was autistic.

[@capellamorel]

18:43 i can confirm (at least in the east coast) that we call things like disability accessible parking “handicap parking.” it’s a pretty normal thing for us to say, but it’s good to know that in some places it’s not, thanks!

[@claramarie7923]

Yeah in my experience (also East Coast) “handicapped” is not an acceptable term if you’re referring to a person or group of people, but it’s somewhat okay for inanimate objects; the parking spots are called “handicapped spots.”

[@Widdekuu91]

I have autism and as long as something painful, sad or stereotypical is not being rammed in your face, I am up for jokes. The autistic suffering shouldn't be the butt of it though, and they need to read the room. For example someone joking about how I likely have fun stories, but won't bother telling them, because they aren't about my obsession-subject, is a dig and a compliment at the same time. But if someone ends with: And that is why you are all so alone and have no friends. Because nobody can handle your difficult ass." then you have left the funny area and you are just bullying.

[@chillinvillain7800]

i think another point about the crowd work is, while yes you can expect to be picked from the crowd in any comedy show, disabled people already feel like they're made to be spectacles and pointing it out the way he does sort of enforces that

[@purplebushie]

Hi! I’m physically disabled I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user from the United States and I’m also autistic and OCD and ADHD and a bunch of other things so many I sound like a fake person but! As a wheelchair user from the USA I can say that calling people “handicapped” or saying “handicap” is offensive however “handicapped seating/parking” is different since that’s technically what it’s called. I’d prefer if you & everyone else _didn’t_ say that, but I won’t be upset or assume harmful intent if you do. I _do_ take a huge issue with the word “cripple” I don’t mind when people call things that are debilitating to them “crippling” but NEVER CALL A PERSON A CRIPPLE! I also hate “wheelchair bound” or referring to people as their mobility aids (“the chair”/“the wheelchair”) but I do appreciate people acknowledging my wheelchair and helping me out when I can’t reach things or struggle with doors as I often do. But please call me “the one _in_ the wheelchair” if you don’t know my name and it’s the only way to differentiate me! I hope this helps, I love your videos Meg they’ve been very helpful for me ❤

[@purplebushie]

The clip of him armchair diagnosing a stranger’s child with autism is cringe because he’s not autistic but I can’t lie that I joke that people who display traits in a way that I relate to are possibly neurodivergent. I wouldn’t push it that far though, I mostly talk about people like Meg White and how cool it is that people like her so much when she barely talks and gets in her own world while drumming. I think based on that clip if I had made an autism joke to that dad and got shut down that hard I’d probably blurt out something like “Well how do you know? You don’t know, he could be, don’t just shut it down” but that’s not from a standpoint of _wanting_ the kid to be autistic and more from the position of knowing what it’s like to be raised by people who don’t want to admit there’s anything different about me and shutting down my attempts to get support. I get defensive about it really easy.

[@purplebushie]

That Scottish comedian was wonderful. One of the things I’m autistic about is accents so I couldn’t stop going “weruld” over and over as a stim while watching the video.

[@Willow0.o]

Hey, thanks for explaining this, it cleared a few things up for me! One question if you don't mind: you said "I don’t mind when people call things that are debilitating to them “crippling”"- I have used the phrase "crippling anxiety" to describe my social anxiety a few times, and wanted to check that this isn't offensive? If it is offensive I will stop ofc, but I've only used it as an adjective in this context

[@purplebushie]

@@Willow0.o I don’t personally take issue with it as I’m very aware that depression and anxiety are quite literally crippling in some circumstances. That being said, some members of the community do take issue with it, so if you want to play it safe I would probably say “debilitating” instead.

[@purplebushie]

@@Willow0.o Also I don’t mind questions at all, no worries!

[@tiny.kawaii]

You won't believe how often someone tells me "get well" - I'm in a wheelchair, not sick. "What happened to you?" is difficult for me to answer - I have two options: to tell them the truth (long story) or to deflect the question. I have children, people even asked me how I delivered them. I'm always too baffled to answer such a private questions.

[@thegooddoctor4353]

The "super powers" thing is what always gets me. What those people don't realize is some of those "super powers" can cause us lots of anxiety and even things more drastic. Myself, I love love LOVE music. I would shrivel up and die without it!! Listening to music, writing music, playing music. But then Mr. Imposter Syndrome pops in and goes "Hey! You're not allowed to be good at songwriting! You only took one music theory class in high school. You simply cannot be good at something without years of college. And then guess how I feel about my "super power"? I start not wanting it. Stop enjoying my favorite artists as much. Definitely stop writing bc it's against some rule to be naturally talented. And I'm not even that good at it. So yeah, "super power"? Bs.

[@DeadVoxel]

You can't pick and choose what you're naturally talented at. If you have a talent for something, it's better to embrace it than to bury it. It means you have a good ear for music, understanding of it, you have a unique predisposition, and it's not for nothing. If you enjoy it, then it's your call. You don't need years of college to just enjoy music and improve yourself. You can learn all of these things all on your own. Music is art, and while art may have fundamentals, it doesn't mean that you have to restrict yourself, art has to come from your heart. Experimenting, researching, studying, all of these are key to improvement. And they don't have to come from some fancy professional school. It's there to help you, yes, maybe just to give you a diploma or something of that sort. But it's not a necessity. Passion is all that matters here. As long as you have passion for something, you WILL be good at it, and you will improve. All you need to do is to pursue that passion Besides, talent is subjective. It's more of a predisposition than a "talent". You can't just finesse a medium the minute you're born. Everything takes practice. Every skill For instance, I'm an artist. I'd say I'm heavily predispositioned to art, and it's the medium I understand and can feel the most, I express myself through art, and I'm extremely passionate about seeing other artists, I'm passionate about learning art, studying it, analyzing art. I've been drawing for years now, I'd go as far as saying since childhood. For over a decade probably. And I'm still not a master at it, and I'm not a professional. I've learnt art all by myself, never needed a tutor or a college, or a school to help me. Is it my "superpower" in a sense? Yes. Am I really skilled at it after all of these years? No. But I don't care if I'm not good enough, I'll keep improving and I'll keep doing it, because I enjoy it Just because I'm autistic, and just because I'm good at art, doesn't mean it's a superpower in a literal sense, nor does it mean that it's something that "makes up" for my autism, or that it's not stressful. It can be, perfectionism and art block are a serious struggle, and there are many more layers of anxiety to it, but I will keep doing it regardless because art is a part of who I am With all of that being said, do what makes you happy. Enjoy it for yourself. It doesn't have to make up for anything, nor do you have to justify to yourself that you're "worthy" of it. If you have such a passion for music, it's there for a reason. It's not a superpower, and it doesn't have to be. Superpowers aren't real. We're all just human, with our strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the day, there are no rules to "talents". All that matters is to do it because it brings you joy

[@thegooddoctor4353]

@@DeadVoxel Thank you so much! The advice is great! I just have what I call "down days" when the depression bit of my brain decides to get uppity with me. I plan on putting music on Soundcloud soon, wish me luck!

[@DeadVoxel]

@@thegooddoctor4353 I totally get that, I have the same issue Good luck with your music!

[@Mitsuna]

"evening things out" is such a weird thing to say... it's crazy to me that people can't just accept people just existing as they are instead we have to have something to "make up for it"... the clip you added from Fern Brady summed things up super well! there's a million and one things and experiences you could make witty comedy about but instead to just zone in on disability over and over and over again in the most stereotypical way when you yourself do not have a disability is kind of weird to me... :/ bringing it up so much in the podcast too when it wasn't even relevant to the conversation or brought up by the parent of the child is also very odd

[@DeadVoxel]

Right? I mean, I can say that I'm clumsy (I struggle with my motor skills a lot, most likely dyspraxia. At least I know it has something to do with my autism diagnosis), but I make up for it with my quick reaction, meaning I can quickly catch something if I drop it, for example. That doesn't mean it evens out my autism itself 😭 That's such a weird take overall, as obviously everyone has weaknesses and strengths. Just because I'm autistic doesn't mean that my positive traits have to make up for something??? They're just... there. Neither does my autism make me worse or less fortunate than other people, on the contrary I'm quite happy because it's who I am. Why should anyone treat autism as something they have to "even out"?

[@Mitsuna]

@@DeadVoxel Exactly!! Everyone has weaknesses and strengths just as you say, and that's regardless of having a disability or not, everyone has these. It makes zero sense 😞

[@DeadVoxel]

@@Mitsuna people just treat others as "lesser" because they themselves think they're the pinnacle of "normal" and "correct". Nobody is truly "normal", let's be real. There's no such thing as "normal" They just think that they're automatically better because they're not autistic and don't have the "weakness" we do, meaning disability. Therefore they don't have to make up for anything, by their logic. They just feel like they're naturally superior ig, so they only demand that from us, but never from themselves or from other allistic people

[@erikdaniels0n]

Why? Why did Netflix allow him to do another special??? The DV joke should’ve been enough to kill his career. But Netflix keeps giving Dave Chappel a platform to spew transphobic bullshit so I can’t say I’m surprised

[@AutomaticDuck300]

I’m not offended by the joke. I’m offended that it’s not original. People have been making that joke for years.

[@thefuturist8864]

@@AutomaticDuck300yours is a far better reason for criticising a comedian.

[@clicheguevara5282]

The DV joke was SUPPOSED to get him "cancelled" - because that's the quickest way to boost a comedy career right now. Comedians have been doing this for a couple years now that the general public doesn't really take "cancel culture" seriously anymore. Literally everyone in the comedy world knew exactly what he was doing and all made fun of him for it at the time. You fell for a basic marketing tactic and an old dumb "street joke" that's been around since before I was even born. This is the perfect example of someone getting played by "The Streisand Effect" and rage bait. The best possible thing people could have done was ignore him. Getting all triggered and putting his name in the news cycle is EXACTLY what he wanted. Lmao

[@queereden]

​@@thefuturist8864fart noise

[@Theantinarc]

Because lots of men love DV jokes. This is why DV still exists.

[@ixiai8294]

I remember seeing a few of his jokes featured in one of your videos ("5 Signs of Autism You're Probably Wrong About") and I was glad to see someone making fun of all the cliché assumptions about people on the spectrum. It's such a shame to see the full picture. We, as a society, really need comedians to joke about disabilities to make everyone human. To level the field. To remember we're all just humans with strengths and weaknesses. This is the exact opposite. This is not uniting us all as humans. This is just dividing, using stale clichés. Such a great chance to educate the public... completely wasted. What a shame. Anyways, I don't comment often, so I'll take this opportunity to thank you for making us all less alone with your videos :-)

[@imautisticnowwhat]

I love your line about making everyone human 💛 Thank you so much for being here and taking the time to comment!

[@ixiai8294]

@@imautisticnowwhat Sorry if this is the dumbest thing you'll ever read this year... I edited my comment to fix a typo and it deleted the little heart you put and now I feel sorry for this. I know I'm being a bit childish but it's the one childish thing per year I allow myself :-/

[@naomiparsons462]

​@@ixiai8294it's not dumb, It'd upset me if that happened

[@colourriot3520]

He can't have it both ways. He loves and supports and thinks autistic people are blessed and then he insults people by saying they need special need helmets. Its the type of love and acceptance that comes without and real introspection, research or empathizing that results in microaggressions and furthering stereotypes. Like learning someone is veitnamese and telling them you love pho. And religious perspectives on disability are so broken and harmful which doesn't help his perspective at all.

[@DeadVoxel]

It feels very pretentious. Similar to how companies change their logo during pride month, then get rid of it once it ends, and don't actually make any effort to support or help queer people I'm willing to say it's possible that maybe he does genuinely believe he's being supportive, but he either doesn't understand that his jokes are ableist, or he does it on purpose for the "shock factor" (which isn't even shock at this point, it's just disappointing and unoriginal)

[@alyssapinon9670]

Honestly the helmet joke was a macro aggression

[@jamiebarr6442]

watching matt rife as a physically disabled autistic is a wild experience. i immediately felt off with his first joke when he asked, "are there any parents with autistic children here?" as if he thinks only children can be autistic and that he only wants to hear about autism through perspectives that aren't our own. it heavily emphasizes that parents with autistic children are the ones to be listened to (and even sympathized with) instead of actual autistic people. it's comes off as quite dehumanizing and diminutive of our voices. also, the idea that autistic people are only "good" for society when we have something amazing that counteracts our autism is so insanely ableist; it's awful. we do not need to be good at anything for us to be just as human and appreciated as anyone else in society. nobody makes this argument about people who aren't disabled. if an allistic person doesn't have a crazy skill, then they can still be a cool person that is appreciated, yet with autism, if we don't have something we're great at, then we're seen as less than human. it's also really rude to people who may not have one thing they're really good at, even though nobody needs to be great at one thing to be a person who's appreciated. it's so weird. it's like they don't see us as actual people, and instead as theories to speculate on the philosophy of people, like we're mind games they find fun to think over instead of actual people who are probably sitting in the room, watching his comedy special. we're treated like a story of a cryptid where you can find a moral lesson about "overcoming strifes" at the end of it instead of us just being people. i hate his stuff about how "god made autistic people so good at things to counteract the bad parts". like, first of all, what's the joke in this? i think he believes the idea of just talking about autistic people is the joke itself because autism is funny to him. and then the idea that we need something to counter and balance out or autism is extremely ableist. autistic people are great simply because we are our autistic selves. and people like to call autism a superpower to try and mitigate the damage they think the label autistic does to someone. in their fear that people would think they see autism as bad, they overcorrect themselves to make it something crazy awesome when it's just a disability. it's just a part of ourselves like any other thing can be. i really liked what that autistic comedian said about how people should just see it as something neutral, like any other descriptors should be. whilst i don't have down syndrome, his joke about the person who does has it was awful and extremely offensive. the fact he jokes about beating up the guy is awful. also, joking about the fact that he doesn't have sex did not come off as him saying all disabled people are asexual (which would still be offensive to disabled and asexual people (i say as someone who is ace)) to me, as you interpreted it. instead, i took it as him saying that disabled people don't know how to have sex, can't have it due to how our bodies work, and/or that we can't have sex because no one wants to have sex with us. whatever interpretation he meant, it came off as both extremely infantalizing and offensive. he's really just an asshole. and then as a physically disabled cane-user, his stuff about physically disabled people is wild. the term handicap is most always seen as offensive and outdated, though people who are older seem to use it more (as it used to be seen as the better term for disabled, i assume). using handicap instead of disabled implies that disabled is a dirty word that shouldn't be said. i compare it to people using asperger's or "on the spectrum" (i have my own problems with that phrase) instead of just saying autistic, thus implying autism is a dirty or offensive term. also, about him asking about people's disabilities in the crowd: it is odd and intrusive. the way he asks it is probably the best i've heard it asked before; however, it's still none of his business, especially not in the middle of an audience of hundreds. nobody there needs to know their business other than themself. also, asking, "what happened?" can be a very inaccurate and even annoying question for a good amount of disabled people who didn't have anything happened to them because they were born disabled or they have a chronic illness that simply affects them or they didn't have what he's looking for which is an accident. a lot of people use mobility aids not because of an accident and assuming so ignores the fact that a lot of people were just born disabled. it shows his ignorance. either way, he doesn't need to be asking any disabled person, accident or not, why they're disabled and what happened. it's not his business. this goes to any abled (or disabled) folk who's reading this: don't ask random people u've never met before why they're disabled. they'll share that with you when they're comfortable, but before that it's none of ur business. also, this is just a pet peeve of mine, but i hate being asked that question because then i feel the need to give a long-winded rant about my disabilities that i know the person i'm explaining to won't at all understand (many of my disorders include "big science words"), won't care, and/or won't believe me, so that question annoys the hell out of me. him using the term cripple absolutely tracks with everything i know about him. i'm not surprised he used a slur against physically disabled people at all. this is honestly why cripplepunk is a think (really a big "fuck you" to people like him). overall, i do not like this man at all. i already didn't like him after i heard about his domestic violence jokes (which was fucking awful holy shit). i did not realize he was also an ableist piece of shit, but that does track. i hope his comedy career crashes and burns.

[@kirrathenerd8614]

The best quote i’ve heard about comedy is something Stavros said: No topic is off limits in comedy but it’s got to be a damn good joke in order to fly

[@ChangEAreYouWatching2]

updattte: i got another cat, now i have 2 cats and a dog

[@OdinsSage]

"Handicapped" is the term often used in America. Like wheelchair accessible parking is called the "handicap space" and wheelchair accessible bathroom stalls are "the handicap stall", etc

[@OdinsSage]

I'll note - I'm AuDHD with some reoccurring physical disabilities, I live in America, and I prefer "disability"/"disabled" over "handicapped".

[@eden.nd.]

I'm a wheelchair user and if a comedian asked me what happened I'd just say the most absurd lie I could think of. I wouldn't mind being roasted but it's a weird ass question! I'd also show him up if he said I won't stand for something bc despite having a spinal cord injury I am ambulatory!

[@bedhead-studio]

now that would be funny

[@jackiejormpjomp]

Great content as always Meg! I think it would be really cool if you made a 10-20 min video with some basic info that we could share with friends and family to help dispel stereotypes and myths about autism. For example, misconceptions about the word spectrum, the various strengths and challenges that autistics can experience, what masking is and why it is detrimental to autistic people, etc.

[@juliefore]

I don’t cope well with people “roasting” me. Too much painful experience with that.

[@Mindy_T]

I don’t find him funny 😐 am I the only one? I don’t find comedians funny, in general… probably it’s just me not understanding jokes. My kind of humor is more stupid, I laugh at slapstick and sarcasm in an intelligent way. The only comedian I really like was Jeff Dunham, the ventriloquist.

[@ЛукВарёный]

I get you! I love “stupid” jokes too. Modern comedy feels more like monologue-ing life stories to people (and it’s not a bad thing just how i feel)

[@latifx3944]

Jeff Dunham 😂😂😂. I loved the mustard gas joke with Walter I personally love Gabriel Iglesias, he has never once failed to make me laugh!

[@Agnes_B96]

I don’t find him funny either

[@Hellenen]

Nope, not funny at all

[@DeadVoxel]

Strong agree here I feel like part of it is that most comedians' jokes are either pretty stereotypical, or quite outdated and don't match with the current generation's (Gen Z) humor. Even for other generations I'm sure it's not funny. There just isn't anything "humorous", the jokes feel stiff and plastic, as well as very forced in a sense. It's normal for comedians to have written or prepared jokes in advance, obviously. But you can notice when someone is very passionate about it, especially because they genuinely put a lot of thought into their jokes and don't just throw around stereotypes and topics that have been brought up time and time again to the point where it got unoriginal and repetitive. This guy seems to follow some kind of template for his jokes, which all seem to be about 3 subjects: women, disability, and autism. Which just got old at this point

[@youngbreadyart]

notice how he didn’t ask in his most popular tiktok “are any of you autistic”. I think it says all we need to know already. as we aren’t capable of attending any shows and events.

[@DeadVoxel]

Also because we can't speak for ourselves /s On a more serious note, not to mention he's essentially making autistic children the target of his jokes, instead of joking about adults, which is honestly even worse. Why bring someone else's children into this?

[@youngbreadyart]

@@DeadVoxel i see a lot of cases when autistic children are considered less sensitive topic because “there’s still hope they will grow normal”….

[@DeadVoxel]

​@@youngbreadyart wildest statement I've ever heard. Sorry bud (whoever says this), can't outgrow autism. Also hate the idea of how being autistic is considered bad or undesireable. Why? Just because you refuse to learn about your child and therefore lack the necessary communication and understanding? Or because you simply refuse to acknowledge that your child is as normal as everybody else and that you are brainwashed to the core with stereotypes and false narratives about autism? It's how their brain developed. It cannot and will not change, because there's nothing to "change to" to begin with. Their brain was never neurotypical in the first place, so how do people think it's going to happen? Also I'd say it's quite the contrary: autistic children are more of a sensitive topic because they are more subject to bullying, mocking, misunderstanding, and growing in fear of their autistic traits. They will just grow up masking, which never gets rid of autism. It's only an illusion to the outside world. So who even thinks it's a good idea to put a vulnerable, growing child in place under the spotlight of ableist jokes and videos of their meltdowns???? They're just going to grow up broken if they even stumble upon that on the internet, knowing that their life was pretty much made public without their consent. Or, people might be making fun of them, or call them misbehaved, or anything of that sort. Autistic or not, children deserve privacy, and should never be the subject of adults' jokes (P.S. the "you" isn't addressed to you, but to those people who genuinely believe that autistic children will grow "normal")

[@DeadVoxel]

@@youngbreadyart ah, for some reason my reply disappeared, or at least I'm not able to see it. Let me know if you're able to! If not, I'll send it again with some adjustments. I assume it got filtered out or something

[@youngbreadyart]

@@DeadVoxel oh no, I can’t see it either. 😭

[@DollyAnna]

I feel like this guy is using the guise of "Oh, nobody's exempt from my humour, I'm so inclusive" to hide the fact that actually he is just a narrow-minded bully who knows very little about disabilities. Maybe I'm "too sensitive", but I don't find him funny at all. I prefer more intelligent humour🤣

[@ARWiccagirl]

As a person with autism because I’m very high functioning a lot of people when they hear that I’m autistic they’re like “oh but you don’t look autistic!”and I’m sitting here like what does autistic look like because I don’t get it

[@sarahjane1975]

Might I suggest otters being goofy as an endroll credit video. Love your work!

[@LuanMerlin]

I'm autistic and have no particular special talents, only some very strong interests that I usually can't pursue because I'm chronically exhausted from existing in a world made for neurotypicals.

[@tahliafg]

as an autistic person, i love listening to your videos while i do housework. Thank you! 😊💕

[@KineticKiwi13]

Your insights and ability to consider all points of view, while still making a strong argument, are goals 🙌 It really helps me reconsider my "all or nothing" tendencies, and also, helps me have really productive conversations with others that end up changing minds. These videos help me so much as a teacher who works with those with Autism/ADHD, so thank you!!

[@Jason_not_dead_Todd]

When I started using my cane at school because of multiple reasons I got asked “what happened” so many times and it was frustrating.

[@DeadVoxel]

Curiosity is a natural human trait, sure, but people need to know when to control it. It's really invasive to ask someone what happened, especially if it's something the person doesn't want to talk about. I feel like offering help (if you see the person struggling, that is) is much better than showering the person with questions about it, correct me if I'm wrong!

[@Silverware22]

People who need to abuse the shock factor to be funny are not funny. People who need to insult others to be funny are not funny. That man is not funny.

[@chaosful8533]

if you want a comedian that imo is very inclusive, and has AMAZING crowdwork yet somehow is never truly offensive you should check out some of Jessica Kirson's shorts. At first i was like are these okay jokes, but the more I watched the more I realized, she will always redirect jokes to herself if she notices someone is uncomfortable and she lightens up on people. There was one video with a couple and he didn't say he was autistic, but it seems like he probably is, and she still made jokes with him, but when he took everything very literally she lightened up a little. She is freaking crazy and a lot to take in, but I love her and her comedy for it lol

[@PapsIGuess31]

I’m autistic and have savant syndrome and I’m just… so tired of only being allowed to exist because I can be of use to people. Because something about me ‘makes up’ for my autistic qualities.

[@DeadVoxel]

It's crazy how people think they can order others around like a tool just because said person is exceptionally good at something. Like, do you even see them as a human??? I'm sorry to hear that. You don't owe anyone anything, this is yours and your trait alone. It just goes to show how hypocritical people are. If they only accept autistic people with "superpowers" to "make up" for their autism, then why should they even deserve to take advantage of said "superpower" in the first place? They've got nothing to do with it, and it isn't their own Your autistic qualities deserve way more attention, as those are what make you the person you are If people don't appreciate your other qualities, then it honestly isn't worth the time or effort to deal with them

[@ericxb]

love your communication style and energy, thank you for this video. also laughed out loud at: "...which i'm told is a good way to look."