Autism Creature
The Autism Creature, or "TBH Creature", is an internet meme and symbol adopted by members of the autistic community as a signifier of Autistic joy.[1]
Origin
In December of 2020, Twitter @acmeiku posted the original iteration of the character,[2] captioned "TBH". On January 21, 2021, the same user posted the modern iteration of the image, with the caption "I'm playing Identity V, fancy a game?"[3]
Yippee
On December 16, 2020[4], a video was uploaded to YouTube[5] named "coca cola and fortnite youpiiii". The video is 11 seconds long, visually centered on an unopened bottle of Coca-Cola. In the background, a German child announces "Mein Gott Leute, meine Mama hat mir einfach erlaubt dass ich Cola trinken darf! Wie cool ist das bitte? Jetzt zocke ich Fortnite und trinke Cola! YIPPEE" which translates[6] to "My god, people! My mom just let me drink cola! How cool is that? Now I'm playing Fortnite and drinking cola! YIPPEE!".
On May 7th, 2022,[7] audio from the clip was added to a still image of the Autism Creature, resulting in a 2-second video in which the creature appears to yell "Yippee". This has become one of the most popular[8] renditions of the character.
Adoption by the Autistic Community
The image is recognized as representative of Autism due to its blank expression,[1][9] which is similar to the decreased frequency of facial expressions characteristic of Autism.[10]
The positive relationship with the autistic community may be due to the prevalence of symbols with connotations of "fixing" Autism,[11] as well as the lack of symbols chosen by autistic people.[8]
Controversy
Some members of the autistic community have criticized the meme for a variety of reasons. The creature's neutral and emotionless face has been considered a negative stereotype,[9] and it has been criticized as not being an accurate representation of the autistic community's diversity. The use of the term creature has also been described as dehumanizing.[12]
In addition, the character's popularity has led to images of it being used in merchandise, sometimes by non-autistic people. This has been criticized as commercial exploitation.[13]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "What is the Yippee/TBH Creature?". National Autism Resources. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ↑ "@acmeiku". Twitter.
- ↑ "@acmeiku". Twitter.
- ↑ "German Cola Kid / YIPPEE!". Know Your Meme. 2022-06-03. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ↑ Memes from Space 💫🌑 (2020-12-16). coca cola and fortnite youpiiii. Retrieved 2024-11-20 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "German Cola Kid / YIPPEE!". Know Your Meme. 2022-06-03. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ↑ Rhakjellg (2022-05-07). autism creature (yipee). Retrieved 2024-11-20 – via YouTube.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lessons in Meme Culture (2022-06-16). Why Does Tbh Say "YIPPEE!!"?. Retrieved 2024-11-20 – via YouTube.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Unraveling the Mystery: What Exactly is the Autism Creature?". www.yellowbusaba.com. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- ↑ Keating, Connor Tom; Cook, Jennifer Louise (2021-03-01). "Facial Expression Production and Recognition in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Shifting Landscape". Psychiatric Clinics of North America. Autism Spectrum Disorder Across the Lifespan Part II. 44 (1): 125–139. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2020.11.010. ISSN 0193-953X. PMID 33526234 Check
|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Autism, Altogether (2021-03-28). "Autism no puzzle, nothing wrong with us". Altogether Autism. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ↑ "What Is the Autism Creature (aka TBH, TBH Creature, Yippee)?". www.abacenters.com. 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- ↑ "What Is the Autism Creature (aka TBH Creature or Yippee)". www.abtaba.com. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
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