I recently read these three articles:
https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/autism-spectrum-humor/
I keep returning to the topic of autistic humour. I am always fascinated with what other autistic people find funny and if any are writing or performing humour – and, if so, what type. I’m always on the lookout for more evidence that autistic people do have a sense of humour. Of course, there are exceptional examples like Dan Aykroyd, Hannah Gadsby, Robert White, and Jerry Seinfeld. But for the most part, lack of humour is yet another misconception we suffer through.
Specifically, the question remains: do other autistic people have the same sense of humour as me? These articles suggest that, for the most part, yes it is true – there are commonalities. As mentioned in the articles, I too have a very dry delivery and a love of random thoughts and red herrings. People often don’t know if I am joking not; some say they do not get the joke until days later, then started laughing. I also love satire. This goes back to my early love of cartoons like Roger Ramjet, James Hound and Bullwinkle and Rocky. Soon I was hooked on Get Smart, Saturday Night Live (the classic lineup) and finally the zenith – SCTV; I loved it so much friends and I did something called “Cassette Comedy” were we mimicked their sketches, crouched around my old tape recorder.
I think my fascination with autism and humour stems from a strong desire to connect and feel part of a community, via taste in humour. I’ve often said that sense of humour is deeply personal and defines us, more so than taste in music. If anything, these articles, and the excellent reviews of my humorous book, have nudged me a little closer towards that goal.
“laughing buddha” by kate nev is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Trapped on a rock floating in space 