i've written about the film napoleon dynamite in the context of asperger's before, and since this whole flurry of concern surrounding my little boy's specific diagnosis came about, i have been itching to watch the film again, not least because i love it. but then i love any film which has awkward silences and superlative styling. speaking of which, this tattoo is by a man called brad bako, who definately has some sweet special skills.
it turned out my copy of the dvd was scratched (yet another possession sacrificed to my children's campaign of unknowing destruction), so i had to put that little urge on hold until it i saw it was on tv last night, so of course i had to put my busy social life on hold and watch it. i love a bit of gentle, dysfunctional comedy, me, so it made orange juice come out of my nose about three times.
anyway, i thought i should rethink my previous diagnosis (because i'm, like, such an expert) because of napoleon's habit of telling fantastical lies in the hope that he will win respect. for example, in one scene, napoleon tells a bunch of jocks in the gym changing rooms that he spent the summer in alaska hunting wolverines with a 12 guage because they were attacking his cousins. genius, but this didn't quite chime with the aspie profile i had in my head. thinking about it more, i am totally wrong, and i have already experienced examples of this behaviour. not from my son, although he does love to cast himself in the hero role quite dramatically, but elsewhere. anyway, i took my lil' theories to the internet, and it turns out i was right in the first place.
here's a link to a paper published on psychiatryonline.org, some of which i have pasted below-
anyway, i thought i should rethink my previous diagnosis (because i'm, like, such an expert) because of napoleon's habit of telling fantastical lies in the hope that he will win respect. for example, in one scene, napoleon tells a bunch of jocks in the gym changing rooms that he spent the summer in alaska hunting wolverines with a 12 guage because they were attacking his cousins. genius, but this didn't quite chime with the aspie profile i had in my head. thinking about it more, i am totally wrong, and i have already experienced examples of this behaviour. not from my son, although he does love to cast himself in the hero role quite dramatically, but elsewhere. anyway, i took my lil' theories to the internet, and it turns out i was right in the first place.
here's a link to a paper published on psychiatryonline.org, some of which i have pasted below-
Napoleon Dynamite is the unexpectedly critically acclaimed movie from 2004 that became an instant cult classic. It is also, however, something of a psychiatric conundrum. The film calls into question poignant issues that psychiatrists grapple with daily. As observers of human behavior, we must consider why unexpectedly successful cultural phenomena so powerfully capture the public’s psyche. This question is ideally suited for the psychological examination of Napoleon’s immense popularity. In addition, it is clear from the very beginning of the film that Napoleon is not like other teenagers. He is awkward, frequently misses clear social cues, and seems developmentally delayed both emotionally and perhaps cognitively. One could easily entertain the diagnosis of Asperger’s spectrum disorder in trying to make sense of Napoleon’s challenges. And yet, inherent in most conceptualizations of Asperger’s-like syndromes is the assumption that those who suffer from the disorder are bothered by their lack of social connectedness and that those who spend time with Asperger’s sufferers are equally bothered by their strange behavior.
this paper would seem to identify and address the apparent dychotomy of the film's popularity when asperger's is generally regarded as very much an "outsider" condition. interestingly, in response to this paper, also on psychiatryonline.org, i found this. bow to your sen-sei.-
Few things I consider myself an expert of, but the recent analysis of "Napoleon Dynamite"... is one of them. That is because I am Napoleon; not the Napoleon, but a Napoleon (there is more than one of us). I grew up on the borders of Preston, Idaho, and I dare declare I am the only Napoleon to have become a psychiatrist... The "cool" kids label the "geeks," but tell me again, who calls it a disorder? If you had treated me the way suggested in the article, I would have become abnormal. Proof: my mother, a daughter of the founders of Preston, does not get Napoleon. He is just a nice boy, and the story is boring to her because it is about every day life!... I suggest you put down your DSM sometime and pick up the local newspaper, visit the local church or relic hall (there’s a great one in Franklin), meet the family, read the local history, and learn about ancestors and traditions before you go calling someone’s behavior an illness; because one day the Asperger’s geeks may be labeling your lifestyle a disorder.
that last line is kind of beautiful.
this paper would seem to identify and address the apparent dychotomy of the film's popularity when asperger's is generally regarded as very much an "outsider" condition. interestingly, in response to this paper, also on psychiatryonline.org, i found this. bow to your sen-sei.-
Few things I consider myself an expert of, but the recent analysis of "Napoleon Dynamite"... is one of them. That is because I am Napoleon; not the Napoleon, but a Napoleon (there is more than one of us). I grew up on the borders of Preston, Idaho, and I dare declare I am the only Napoleon to have become a psychiatrist... The "cool" kids label the "geeks," but tell me again, who calls it a disorder? If you had treated me the way suggested in the article, I would have become abnormal. Proof: my mother, a daughter of the founders of Preston, does not get Napoleon. He is just a nice boy, and the story is boring to her because it is about every day life!... I suggest you put down your DSM sometime and pick up the local newspaper, visit the local church or relic hall (there’s a great one in Franklin), meet the family, read the local history, and learn about ancestors and traditions before you go calling someone’s behavior an illness; because one day the Asperger’s geeks may be labeling your lifestyle a disorder.
that last line is kind of beautiful.
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