Sia's Music: The Trap of Symbolic Autistic Representation
Added 2021-02-23 16:00:03 +0000 UTCSia's recently directorial debut Music has received a ton of critism from the autistic community and has been critically reviled... yet was also nominated for two Golden Globes, including Best Comedy. Considering the very wide reception of the film, let's take a nuanced look on the controversies around the film.
Comments
Yes, they are incredibly horrid, I only showed the least bad of all of them.
Jessie Earl
2021-02-25 08:33:35 +0000 UTCThanks Rachel <3 <3 <3 Yeah, sadly it's a whole film getting accolades
Jessie Earl
2021-02-24 21:32:31 +0000 UTCExcellent analysis - I hadn't realized this was a feature film rather than a music video, so it's sadly going to reach an even broader audience with its misinformation. Glad your voice is here to push back against it <3
2021-02-24 18:13:25 +0000 UTCAnd in another way Rain Man comes to mind: as the latter wasn't about Raymond but rather about Charlie, 'Music' is about Kazu. So this is yet another movie using the cliché of a neuroatypical person as a prop for neurotypical people to feel better about themselves. Maybe it isn't surprising after all Sia collaborated with Autism Speaks, as this is an org routinely talking over autistic people and centering caregivers instead.
Hannah F.
2021-02-24 10:24:26 +0000 UTCThis film has not been released where I live, thanks for the warning. Especially the restraining bit triggered some bad memories for me.
Martien. van den Berg
2021-02-23 22:22:29 +0000 UTCI found just what I've seen offensive. I didn't see the movie, don't plan to, so thanks Jesse for doing that for us. Sia could have made a beautiful movie that not only honored autistic people but still kept to her vision. Sia is an amazing talent, but this is just short sighted, narcissistic, and just lazy. Something that Jesse didn't mention; I don't believe she hired an autistic actor in the beginning, but if she did and the actress did voice those concerns about the environment being stressful. Oh, idk, change the environment? That is what it is to be accommodating. That is an autistic persons biggest struggle, accomodations. Our environment disables us more than anything else. This is just said, every way you look at it.
2021-02-23 19:09:17 +0000 UTCApparently I have been living under a rock of blessed ignorance. I had never even heard of 'Music' until now... and now I wish I still hadn't. 😶 (Also, am I the only one getting extreme Rain Man vibes upon seing Maddie's performance? 🤔) Aaaaand of course Sia even worked with ABA-advocating Autism Speaks on this. Holy heck.
Hannah F.
2021-02-23 18:26:54 +0000 UTC
