Today is Autistic Pride Day, which brings up an issue that goes through this fandom on occasion: Is Daria a high-functioning autistic person? There was considerable debate about this on PPMB about 3.5 years ago. You can decide if this issue is worth revisiting.
Daria fan artist, fanfic writer, and webmistress Kemical Reaxion has agreed to answer questions posed to her by the fandom. Go to either SFMB or PPMB for details. Give her lots to write about!
Brother Grimace is asking for feedback on his Defender Ring article on DariaWiki. Go for it.
FF.net
- Daria: The Door to Safety Is Shut, by MrPowerpuff (COMPLETE!): "With your high intelligence and my Leadership…we can rule this forsaken world and achieve prosperity!!"
- Daria: The Two Equals, by MrPowerpuff (Part 1): Beginning the sequel to "The Door to Safety Is Shut," with more on Novus Vita.
- Daria vs. Abraham Lincoln, by Smileyfax (Part 2): Daria talks to her shrink about her new friend in this fastinating AU.
- Falling Into College, Year 4: Run It Up the Mast, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): Editors have bad days like everyone else, only sometimes worse.
6 comments:
I've known quite a few autistics, as there seems to be an epidemic of Ausberger's and similar diseases in the Twin Cities. Daria in no way matches the profile of any of these people except for a high intelligence. Also, an autistic would not be observational - the nature of the disease isn't just being antisocial, it's not really realizing or being able to consider other people are there when they are, and right in front of you. Another person in physical form is abstraction. Daria clearly disliked people, and for that, she was engaged enough to acknowledge them as real to her.
I've known autistic people and have trouble seeing Daria as one of them. Her problem is carrying around an enormous load of unresolved anger, plus being a major introvert. Her connection with her emotional side is poor, too.
Possibly suffers from antisocial personality disorder which explains the (in every aspect of her life) anxiety. A lack of empathy definitely but her sarcasm was life. The people of LAWNDALE didn't get her. She was born alienated. That's a lot of loneliness & time in books. This girl's brilliant for sure.
I actually think it's possible that Daria is autistic. I'm a woman with autism, and it tends to present in us differently than men. What I often hear is "You don't seem autistic!" I wasn't diagnosed until age 30.
I know how to pretend around other people, but it's exhausting. For a long time I thought it was just introversion and anxiety.
One part of having high functioning autism is the profound feeling of loneliness that comes from not connecting with other people, and wondering what's wrong with you for not connecting.
When I meet a person who "gets" me we tend to be very close, much like Daria and Jane.
Another sign is sensory overload, or just sensitivity in general. I'm sure there are other examples, but she reacts poorly to certain physical things that other people can tolerate, like her piercings or contact lenses. She hides in a dark box for comfort, and people with autism tend to be very nostalgic and comforted by things like that.
Speaking in monotone and dressing unusually can also be an indication.
I suppose no one can say for sure, but to me it seems very possible.
I forgot to add that one of the reasons it can be missed in women is because we tend to have more developed language centers- meaning that some autistic people can have an aptitude for writing when social conversions are difficult.
I agree with you as my teen daughter was diagnosed with Aspergers a few years ago and reminds me very much of Daria! My daughter just started watching it recently. I hear it often “she doesn’t seem autistic”. She has masked it for so long and mimics social cues from her peers. It is exhausting for her. She is very lonely and depressed because she cannot connect with others socially, and is very negative like Daria. She had a close friend before who also “got her” but it has ended. I’m sure she is very interested in watching Daria because she can relate to her.
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