Amid Love on the Spectrum season three being a total hit for a lot of people, the Netflix show has actually been shrouded in negativity. From controversial comments, to backlash and problematic aspects, Love on the Spectrum still has people talking long after the episodes have aired. The show’s creator has spoken out about its controversial elements, and so have many of the show’s cast members.
Love on the Spectrum creator breaks his silence
As controversy began surrounding Love on the Spectrum, the show’s creator, Cian O’Clery, spoke out. He told Vanity Fair how the production team “care about the people on the show.”
When asked about how he produces a show that feels authentic to the lived experiences of the stars, he said: “The simple answer is that we care for the people we’re filming. We like them and we want what’s best for them. That’s always a part of everything we do. When you like the people you’re filming with, you respect them. You want them to be happy with the product at the end of the day.”
As the season three episodes came out, some of the Love on the Spectrum cast spoke out against RFK’s recent comments about autism. Cian said he was proud of the cast for doing so: “Good for them for speaking up. Obviously those comments are hurtful to some people. I think it’s great that people are turning to the cast from the series to be those voices of people who experienced this and who have the life experience to be able to speak to those things.”
Tanner’s mum voices her opinion
When it comes to Love on the Spectrum’s representation of the autistic community, the show came under fire for being potentially problematic.
Tanner’s mum, Nicci, addressed the criticism towards the show in an interview with TODAY, specifically towards the viewpoint that the show has an emphasis on those described as “high-functioning.”
She explained: “I want people to understand that Tanner hasn’t always looked or interacted the way he does now. It took decades of therapy to help him reach this point.
“And while Tanner is considered high-functioning, he has very significant challenges that become clear when you talk to him. That’s when you think, ‘Oh, OK, I understand why he doesn’t have a driver’s license.’”
Nicci added how she knows a lot of families in the autism community are “living an unbelievably hard reality,” as their children may never speak or live independently.
Kaelynn speaks out about Love on the Spectrum controversy
Another Love on the Spectrum cast member to speak about the show being potentially controversial was Kaelynn.
She appeared in season one and responded to claims made by viewers that Love on the Spectrum “infantilises” people with autism.
Other criticisms of the show included how it potentially promotes an ‘us and them’ viewpoint, separating people with autism from the rest of the world.
Speaking on the criticism, Kaelynn said: “There’s a lot of irony based on the fact that none of these critics have asked how the actual cast members have felt about our betrayal. Most of us are on social media and frequently talk about our experiences. You can’t hear us say that we enjoyed our time on the show, and then turn around and claim that we were actually treated like children… We just didn’t realise it.”
“To talk over the entire cast who all said we felt it was positive for us and claim we weren’t treated with dignity seems so hypocritical. That line of thinking in itself is way more infantilising than anything I ever encountered on the show. You can’t expect one series alone to represent all the nuances of autism. The producers of Love on the Spectrum understand the value of diverse casting.”
All in all, Kaelynn expressed how she was on board with the Love on the Spectrum producers, saying they “provide accurate information.”
She also said: “From my perspective, they’re leading the way for more autism representation on television.”
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