Jayo
Phoenix
Joined: Feb 01, 2011
Posts: 505
|
 Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:21 pm Post subject: dealing with the "rain man" slur |
 |
|
question for fellow aspies...
has anyone got the "rain man" slur before? and if so how did you deal with it? 
I got it on two occasions, both at past jobs. one was through behind-the-back gossip - which in part prompted me to get properly diagnosed, b/c the comment didn't make much sense - the other was direct when I made a pedantic comment during a more facetious discussion among peers. 
either time, I didn't express my disgust or say that it was inappropriate just like a racial remark. trouble is, I'd presume that most of the people making such slurs have never heard of Aspergers so they'd probably be confounded if you told them it was a slur.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
Delphiki
Launchie
Joined: Apr 15, 2012
Age: 23
Posts: 1350
Location: My own version of reality
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:24 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I actually got called it a few days ago, but not in a mean way. To get a price check on something I memorized the upc (a heavy bag had holes in it and I didn't have a pen and paper). my coworker was just saying the remark as- nice memory
Last edited by Delphiki on Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:33 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
mike_br
Sea Gull
Joined: Apr 23, 2012
Posts: 202
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I did. Just shrugged. Better than be called brainless. Some of us ARE different, so... |
|
| Back to top |
|
Guineapigged
Velociraptor
Joined: Sep 17, 2011
Age: 21
Posts: 410
Location: UK
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:28 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I got called "Forrest Gump" once ... I didn't know what it meant at the time. I just carried on walking, thinking "WTF is a forest gump?"
When I got home I googled it and it suddenly made sense. I actually thought it was kind of funny that I ended up having to research an insult in order for me to realise it was an insult. Kudos to the people who said it to me - it's much more creative than "spaz" or "retard".  |
|
| Back to top |
|
SyphonFilter
Phoenix
Joined: Feb 08, 2011
Posts: 2072
Location: Seattle, WA
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I've gotten that Rainman stuff from my peers. It bothered me at first, but now I go along with it. Now when someone tells me I'm acting like Rainman, I proceed to act more autistic than I really am. Gets some laughs out of everyone (including myself). At least people don't use "retarded" and "Rainman" in the same sentence. Then I might really be offended. |
|
| Back to top |
|
jetbuilder
Phoenix
Joined: Feb 24, 2012
Age: 28
Posts: 739
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I got called that a couple weeks ago when someone said they couldn't remember pi past 3 digits.
I said it out loud real fast to 29 digits. I just got blank stares and someone said "Okay, we know who the rainman in the shop is now." I didn't get it at first because I haven't seen that movie since I was a kid.
(Anytime someone mentions pi or (even pie) I at least say it in my head, if not out loud. It's just automatic.)
_________________
“Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.”
---- Stephen Chbosky
|
|
| Back to top |
|
Dillogic
you know how it goes
Joined: Nov 25, 2011
Posts: 3293
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Rain Man is cool though. |
|
| Back to top |
|
the_beautiful_mess
Snowy Owl
Joined: Feb 15, 2012
Posts: 149
Location: UK
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I get the Rainman reference every now and then. I still haven't watched the film. I should sometime. I can't be sure, but I don't think it's really an insult, so I say, unless it's said so it's meant to offend, then ignore it.
_________________
'I may not amount to much, but at least I am unique.' ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau
'I sometimes go to my own little world, but that's okay, they know me there.' ~ Joel Hodgson |
|
| Back to top |
|
bnky
Velociraptor
Joined: Nov 20, 2011
Posts: 479
Location: Kent, England
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I got this a couple of months ago. I had to ask what he meant  He said something about the movie... which made NO sense to me as I haven't seen the movie. I'd heard of it when it came out but didn't see it because I've always assumed it was about a guy who makes it rain (like the Rain Queen, or rain dancing )
I googled it and discovered that it was actually about a guy called Raymond (?) who someone called Rainman for some reason. I also read that the character had Savant Syndrome or possibly Fragile X... which I don't have so I was just confused until a friend explained it a few days later
Next time it happens I'll be informed enough to know that they might be trying to be funny or rude or whatever |
|
| Back to top |
|
bluedog
Emu Egg
Joined: Apr 08, 2010
Posts: 8
Location: Down the road from Chicago
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| jetbuilder wrote: | I got called that a couple weeks ago when someone said they couldn't remember pi past 3 digits.
I said it out loud real fast to 29 digits. I just got blank stares and someone said "Okay, we know who the rainman in the shop is now." I didn't get it at first because I haven't seen that movie since I was a kid. |
LOL I was out to dinner with family recently and my niece told everyone that she had learned pi to 5 digits in school that day. I rattled off pi to 25 digits and everyone just stared at me. Ha ha, they all know I'm different. Didn't get called rain man, though.
I don't think of it as a slur. I call my daughter that sometimes, in fun, because she's been almost obsessed with a certain tv game show for about the last year. If we're not home to watch it, she'll always remember what time it is and that the show is on. |
|
| Back to top |
|
League_Girl
Proud mamma
Joined: Feb 05, 2010
Posts: 13481
Location: My house
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I am one of those people who uses it as a term and I use it on anyone. I once said in high school that lot of people have turned into Rain Man after 9/11 and I was referring to people who don't want to fly due to the terrorism incident. I was only talking about the movie character, not autism and I was only referring to him. But everyone in class just laughed because they all thought it was funny.
I have been compared to him however in high school and I told them "I don't have that good of memory."
I have called my first ex Rain Man once because he was being so stubborn about his trench coat and color of thread to fix it.
I have been compared to Forrest Gump once and it was by my last ex. I didn't let it bother me. I don't think he meant it as an insult. |
|
| Back to top |
|
bnky
Velociraptor
Joined: Nov 20, 2011
Posts: 479
Location: Kent, England
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| League_Girl wrote: | | I have been compared to Forrest Gump once and it was by my last ex. I didn't let it bother me. I don't think he meant it as an insult. |
Now, "Forest Gump" though I'd take as an insult... but only because Tom Hanks's head
looks to me like a jellybean |
|
| Back to top |
|
Dillogic
you know how it goes
Joined: Nov 25, 2011
Posts: 3293
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Forest Gump is awesome too.
I love the boot camp scenes (I like when he assembles the M-16 first, and the instructor calls him a genius or similar). |
|
| Back to top |
|
jetbuilder
Phoenix
Joined: Feb 24, 2012
Age: 28
Posts: 739
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:18 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Dillogic wrote: | Forest Gump is awesome too.
I love the boot camp scenes (I like when he assembles the M-16 first, and the instructor calls him a genius or similar). |
OMG, my drill instructor said the same thing to me when we were practicing m16 assembly! We did the whole dialog too!
I was by far the fastest one in my whole flight in m16 assembly 
_________________
“Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.”
---- Stephen Chbosky
|
|
| Back to top |
|
Sora
away away
Joined: Sep 16, 2006
Age: 25
Posts: 5645
Location: Europe
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:26 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Seemingly out of the blue, I got compared to the girl, Sally, from House of Cards and Zack from Bones. Interesting combination.
Connecting the film Rain Man with the topic of autism isn't so big in Germany.
_________________
Autism + ADHD
++++ no spell check when posting from my IPAD ++++
______
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett |
|
| Back to top |
|
