Autism Creature | |
---|---|
First appearance | Twitter post |
Created by | @acmeiku |
The Autism Creature, also known as the TBH Creature or Yippee, is a fictional creature from Internet memes originating in 2021. The character became popular with people on the autism spectrum online, becoming a symbol of the online autistic community.
In January 2021, the original drawing of the creature was shared on Twitter. [1] By 2022, it had gained substantial popularity on Tumblr, [2] and it had been nicknamed "Yippee" due to a meme video featuring the creature being blasted with confetti with a "yippee" soundbite playing. [3]
As the character grew in popularity, it gained traction among the autistic community. This association has been attributed to the fact that the creature has a neutral expression despite its whimsical nature, which may be relatable to some people who struggle to express emotions through facial expressions. [3] In addition, the Autism Creature has been used as a digital paper doll, with online users editing the original image to represent themselves. [2] In representing autism in a positive manner, some users consider the Autism Creature as a tool for promoting acceptance. [4]
In some memes, the Autism Creature has been depicted interacting with Ashbie Moon, another meme character with autism. [2]
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, [2] and it has been criticized as not being an accurate representation of the autistic community's diversity. [4] The use of the term "Creature" has also been described as dehumanizing. [5]
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. [4]
Category:Internet meme characters Category:Internet memes introduced in 2021 Category:Internet characters introduced in 2021 Category:Fictional animals Category:Fictional characters on the autism spectrum Category:Autism in the arts
Autism Creature | |
---|---|
First appearance | Twitter post |
Created by | @acmeiku |
The Autism Creature, also known as the TBH Creature or Yippee, is a fictional creature from Internet memes originating in 2021. The character became popular with people on the autism spectrum online, becoming a symbol of the online autistic community.
In January 2021, the original drawing of the creature was shared on Twitter. [1] By 2022, it had gained substantial popularity on Tumblr, [2] and it had been nicknamed "Yippee" due to a meme video featuring the creature being blasted with confetti with a "yippee" soundbite playing. [3]
As the character grew in popularity, it gained traction among the autistic community. This association has been attributed to the fact that the creature has a neutral expression despite its whimsical nature, which may be relatable to some people who struggle to express emotions through facial expressions. [3] In addition, the Autism Creature has been used as a digital paper doll, with online users editing the original image to represent themselves. [2] In representing autism in a positive manner, some users consider the Autism Creature as a tool for promoting acceptance. [4]
In some memes, the Autism Creature has been depicted interacting with Ashbie Moon, another meme character with autism. [2]
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, [2] and it has been criticized as not being an accurate representation of the autistic community's diversity. [4] The use of the term "Creature" has also been described as dehumanizing. [5]
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. [4]
Category:Internet meme characters Category:Internet memes introduced in 2021 Category:Internet characters introduced in 2021 Category:Fictional animals Category:Fictional characters on the autism spectrum Category:Autism in the arts