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| The awesome Danny Pudi plays Abed. |
So, I'm a big fan of "Community," right? I love it more than is probably natural to love a television show. I would totally marry it and have its babies, if the technology existed. (Get on that, scientists.) That being said, I have a particular affinity for the character of Abed. To anyone not familiar with the show (and you should be ashamed,) Abed is a member of a study group at a community college. Hilarity ensues. That's really all you need to know. But Abed is different. I don't think it's ever actually said straight out, but Abed is on the spectrum. But the thing that's so great about this character and this show is that Abed is freaking awesome. He's not only one of the group, he is arguably the coolest of the cool kids. His obsession with television and his odd social mannerisms are neither focused on nor avoided. He's just Abed, and that's how he is. He has a best friend. He has a love life. He goes to college. Personally, these are all things that I worry about for my son, so I love seeing this. Some of Abed's meltdowns are even shown, but in a positive light (as positive as a meltdown can be.) The point is, Abed is not portrayed as a freak or a savant with seemingly magical powers. He's just a dude who happens to have some issues, much like every other person on the face of the earth. I have no idea whether the character of Abed was envisioned in this way, but I think that it's a very powerful thing to see on television. This character and this television show are exactly what I think of when I hear the term "autism acceptance." Abed isn't the autistic character, he's a character who happens to be autistic. And while that may seem like a slight distinction, trust me when I say that it couldn't be bigger if it tried.
