gregpolard wrote:FlexMyHead wrote:
What do you mean you "know" he's on the spectrum? Has it actually been confirmed? I've heard some people make those comments offhand for years but didn't think it was anything more than that.
You are 100% right for drawing attention to that, I don't actually know that. I will say that for part of my job (yes, I've somehow convinced people to pay me a living wage!) I am part of a team that collectively determines if children meet the criteria to be served under the ASD (Autism Spectrum Diagnosis) in the school setting. This is NOT a medical diagnosis and if found eligible, it just means that we feel the child displays (over a period of time in various settings) core features of ASD (Restrictive repetitive patterns of behavior, deficits in social communication and social interaction etc). However, we use ASD normed referenced rating scales, social & developmental history, interviews, observations, interactions etc. We don't base it on "Meh, he sounds like Rain Man" or "His lyrics are bit wonky". Again, this is not something out of the DSM 5 and actually they "got rid" of Asperger's, which is what I think most people think of when they think of a creative oddball that is quirky and odd. Sidebar: How strange is that...one day you could go and get a diagnosis and "be Aspergers" then wake up the next day and "just kidding, you are ASD, Asperger's don't exist anymore!".
So, anyway, yeah I shouldn't have said "I know" anything. Having said that, I've read countless interviews & watched numerous videos clips of him (there is one documentary in particular on youtube that I think is in 6 parts that has some pretty telling (imho) quotes and statements from him about life and how he sees himself and how he views and perceives interactions and so forth). So, in my semi-professional opinion based on a handful of clips that have been taken out of context and framed by an editor to tell a story that they want to tell, I'd say that, over an extended period of time, in numerous settings and various situations, he displays behaviors and attributes that some people who were diagnosed with what used to be called Asperger's also have displayed. So, basically, that counts for nothing.
Fuck, I think if you look at any person you can find something in the DSM they'd meet. As I tell parents, we are all have different levels of fucked-up ness, it's just that when that level starts to impact some aspect of our lives to a negative or harmful degree do we really need to see if it's something we need to address or remedy.
Anyway, I do think that there is sometimes a disconnect in what he says/how he says something that and how he perceives it. Most of the time I've agreed with what he says, heeven makes me laugh how ruthless he can be (stuff about meat is murder etc), it's just lately he has been in a different lane, but replace "meat is murder" with "kevin gave them want they wanted until they changed their minds" and it's kinda the same thing.
I think several punk rock famous people display ASD-ish traits in that they have a steadfast rigid approach that guides that to be who they are and because it's so unusual and unexpected for a person to stick to their guns, they really stand out. Even talking or explaining or breaking down a situation, they can do it almost a clinical way that makes sense but is often challenging to emulate as to be that convinced and determine is just hard to do.
God damn am I long winded.....