A writer at Spiked says the disgraced Neil Gaiman has tried to use autism as a shield for his terrible (alleged) behavior, and explains why this can’t be considered acceptable as a defense:
What connects author Neil Gaiman, rapper Kanye West and broadcaster Gregg Wallace? Firstly, they’re all men who have allegedly behaved in – shall we say – socially unacceptable ways. Gaiman was accused of sexual misconduct towards a number of women last year, as was Wallace. West, meanwhile, has found himself embroiled in a seemingly endless string of controversies.
The second similarity is that these men seem to be claiming that autism is partially to blame for their behaviour. Wallace tried to argue that his sexually inappropriate conduct towards his female coworkers was a result of his undiagnosed autism. Similarly, one of Gaiman’s alleged victims claimed that the author blamed his autism for not recognising her ‘body language and social cues’. West has also suggested that autism was behind his anti-Semitic outbursts and erratic behaviour.
It is entirely plausible that Gaiman, Wallace and West do indeed have autism. It is primarily a communication and sensory disorder that causes those with it – like myself – to process the social and sensual world differently from most other people. While there are some common denominators, the condition manifests itself differently from person to person, with no real textbook example. Many autists are non-verbal, fidget uncontrollably and struggle with eye contact. Others have difficulties with friendships, small talk and romantic relationships. Autism can vary wildly in how severely it impacts someone’s life, but most people diagnosed are still able to function normally as part of society.
Crucially, when you’re autistic, you often don’t naturally intuit what is and isn’t acceptable, culturally and socially. You might not know how to time a joke, how to network for your career or how to navigate a conversation without inadvertently interrupting or offending someone.
The reality is that society is designed for non-autistic (or neurotypical) people, as they make up the majority of our world. As a result, autistic people can often come across as anti-social, simply when they’re being themselves. I have been guilty of this many times, for which I have always sincerely apologised. An apology may not always feel fair, given that an autistic person’s anti-social actions are usually unintentional. But life isn’t fair. Everyone, autistic or otherwise, is battling their own exclusive obstacles. Such obstacles might help to explain poor behaviour, but they are never excuses for them.
Correct.
Similar points can be made about drug abuse, which can send a person into even more of an insane state than alcohol, but even drugs and alcohol cannot serve as an excuse for serious offenses. That Gaiman would rely on such a shoddy excuse to evade responsibilities is despicable, and the same goes for the other two men mentioned.
Report New Allegations About Neil Gaiman More Alarming than Previous Reports
On a related note, regarding Gaiman’s ex-wife, the Boston Globe reported that one of Amanda Palmer’s performances to held in Brooklyn has been cancelled due to complaints about what role she played in this whole embarrassment:
A Brooklyn concert venue has cancelled a scheduled performance by Amanda Palmer after receiving complaints, including one from a woman who has alleged she was sexually assaulted by Palmer’s ex-husband, the celebrated science-fiction writer Neil Gaiman.
[…] In an email to Globe on Saturday, De Archuleta confirmed that Palmer’s show at the nonprofit performance space is off. “Once the leadership and Board of Trustees of the non-profit organization became aware of the complex situation surrounding the artist, the Board decided not to move forward with the show,” De Archuleta wrote.
[…] The Gaiman accuser who urged National Sawdust to rescind its invitation to Palmer is included in both the podcast and the New York magazine story. In an email to the venue, the woman wrote: “I’d like to register a huge complaint that you are hosting an Amanda Palmer show at your beautiful venue…She is currently involved in a civil suit that credibly implicates her as a sex trafficker. Her values seem unaligned with the values of National Sawdust. And by allowing her a platform to amplify her voice, you would be simultaneously alienating and silencing the voices of her many, many victims.”
Through her publicist, Dini von Mueffling, Palmer issued a statement to the Globe on Saturday, saying that the canceled show will now be held at City Winery New York City. (“I can confirm we have offered our stage for her art,” City Winery CEO Michael Dorf wrote in an email.)
Though a different venue’s hosting Palmer, this makes clear even her career’s beginning to collapse as a result of her negligence in Gaiman’s sexual abuse scandal.
Also of interest, though reported last month, is the following news from Cheat Sheet, which talks about both the disgraced TV, film and comics writer Joss Whedon, and the late actress Michelle Trachtenberg, who sadly passed away too young, and what the former wasn’t allowed to do with the latter:
Joss Whedon created the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, starring, among others, Michelle Trachtenberg. The Avengers director and Harriet the Spy actor began working together when she was just a teenager, shifting from kid roles to more grown-up fare. However, Whedon’s behavior on set proved an issue for Trachtenberg. In fact, she stated he wasn’t allowed to be alone with her while filming.
[…] So, what happened all those years ago, resulting in people keeping Whedon away from Trachtenberg? Though it’s not clear, fans have their assumptions.
Trachtenberg’s Buffy co-star, Charisma Carpenter, issued allegations against Whedon in 2021. Gellar supported her on social media. Trachtenberg then shared Gellar’s post but added her thoughts.
Gellar wrote she wanted to get away from being “forever associated with the name Joss Whedon.” She added, “I stand with all survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out.”
Trachtenberg reposted Gellar’s statement. She wrote she was now “brave enough” to share her story, which “must be known.” Though the actor didn’t get into details, she cited Whedon’s “not appropriate behavior.” Trachtenberg added, “There was a rule [saying] he’s not allowed in a room alone with Michelle again.” Given that Buffy ended many years ago, Trachtenberg carried her feelings about Whedon around for a long time without saying anything. Although her statements seem vague, they are powerful. And still others have come forward.
Yes, and at least 2 other aforementioned figures, Gal Gadot and Ray Fisher, spoke out against him (and if memory serves, the latter took issue with Geoff Johns to boot). But it’s eyebrow raising a policy was put in place prohibiting Whedon from being alone with even the star of the show. To date, I haven’t heard of any reports as to whether Whedon committed acts as bad as Harvey Weinstein did, but based on these recent revelations, I’ve got a very bad feeling that one day, much more dark revelations will be made about Buffy’s creator that’ll really cast a black cloud over the franchise.
Let’s also recall the Buffy comics once emphasized abortion, and back in 1997, Whedon was the screenwriter for Alien: Resurrection, which I vaguely recall reading an op-ed about from National Review at the time by the late film critic John Simon, that said the film’s scene depicting Ellen Ripley’s clone ridding a monster birthed from a Xenomorph queen was as close to an abortion scene as one could get in the movie theaters. Well that’s got to be telling a bit more about Whedon’s terrible political outlook. This is exactly why the less movie screenplays about abortion, the better.
Related Director Joss Whedon Proves He’s Still an Insufferable A-hole
And with this, we learn more about what’s wrong with all these once highly revered figures on the pop culture scene that explains further why they won’t be remembered fondly in years to come.
Originally published here.
English (US) · 