This is not drama. This is prompted by a tweet about someone saying they would write about how MCU!Loki works as a seamless late-autism diagnosis metaphor. But I totally agree! And I am looking forward to their essay.
Whereas the "inter-racial adoption" analogy has a lot of flaws on it, being that MCU Loki is played by a white actor (and other messy optics), the late-autism diagnosis analogy is FUCKING PERFECT. There's also a long tradition of autism analogies being about "different planets", "changelings", and "aliens", which Loki is in cannon.
And I think one of my first posts was a reblog on how he works perfectly as an analogy for the queer neurodivergent experience of feeling like you're unlovable for some elusive reason only you seem to be unaware of. But I am not sure if I should put it here because I am trying not to traumadump.
I know someone who was diagnosed as a toddler for autism but their parents were like "We won't tell them so that they're not hindered and don't feel different." That's basically Loki's whole ordeal.
Because people can somehow tell that you're different and they hate you for it. Your friends are never yours. They're the friends of whoever decided to tolerate you to make you into their little project only to toss you out once they get sick of you.
If you have neurotypical siblings, you constantly get compared to them because, 'Why can't you be like them!?" You feel like they are always expecting the worst from you.
You feel like you are actually a great liar, because you've had to pretend all your life. Everyone makes it clear that they can barely tolerate you. So you play it up to seem amusing and endearing and funny. This even works with Loki's skill set of illusions!
It's just so perfect.
