This week: On Authentic Representation Edited by: Kit  
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What's the character you most identify with? Why?
It's not always easy to find authentic representation of people like you. The media often get it wrong.
This week's Drama Newsletter is all about representation, with a special focus on age and illness.
Kit |
I’m at that age where many of the people around me are experiencing health problems – some worse than others. My dad is in recovery from his second battle with cancer, and has been diagnosed with Alzheimer disease. My mom has had her own battle with cancer and suffers from several chronic illnesses. Her current battle is with an issue in her arm and shoulder that causes such pain that she can barely move it, nor sleep, and not even the strongest painkillers are touching it. And it’s not just them – it seems as though when you get to a certain age many people begin to struggle with one problem or another. I’m one of them myself – I was pretty healthy for most of my life, rarely seeing the doctor, let alone the hospital. Didn’t need any medication. And then it was one thing after another and my life is quite different now.
I don’t often see this reflected in stories. Characters tend to be pretty healthy, or whatever condition they have is established fact when the story begins. Some exceptions are cancer or heart attacks, and whilst it is good that the reality of this is represented, there are so many other illnesses and conditions out there. There is misrepresentation as well. In Young Sheldon, Sheldon needs to have his gallbladder removed. The day after, he’s pretty much back to normal. Having had my gallbladder removed myself, that was sure not the case for me. I was in the hospital for about a week and then took several weeks to recover. To be fair, there were complications with my surgery which prolonged the healing process, but I still can’t imagine just springing back into action a day or two later.
Autism, too, is often misrepresented, or is very limited in its representation. The autistic spectrum is very broad, of course, and perhaps I shouldn’t really expect to see someone like me in stories or on television… but it isn’t just me. I know quite a few autistic people and we’re just nothing like what’s out there. The way we’re represented in the media doesn’t really help with the stigma that’s attached to us. I’m not a genius. I’m not violent. I’m not completely dysfunctional. I’m not rude. I’m not mysterious. I am perfectly capable of empathy, and love, and care. I’m a well-educated person in a happy marriage in a lovely countryside cottage who, okay, can be quite socially awkward and struggles with forming and maintaining friendships (but not because of rudeness). I also get very anxious in crowded places. Not the most interesting story, I suppose. But there are many of us out there.
And then, indeed, there are those aches and pains and troubles that come with getting older. There is some good representation. Grace and Frankie is a wonderful series about various aspects of getting older. It highlights the strengths of older people, as well as the vulnerabilities. The way you’re perceived and treated as you get older – you’re either invisible, or get spoken to and treated like you’re a child, no longer capable of rational thought, apparently, or of making your own decisions. I am not yet at that age myself, but I have seen it happen. My dad is beginning to experience it – with just having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s many health professionals are more likely to speak about him rather than to him, which is highly frustrating for him when he’s sat right there. He is only in a very early stage, thankfully, and whilst there is some forgetfulness, for example when doing his shopping, he’s perfectly capable of understanding exactly what’s going on.
We writers can be of help here. Whilst, naturally, our characters present themselves to us as they are, if there is room for a character with a health condition we can make it as authentic as we possibly can. Someone who just had their gallbladder removed doesn’t need to be back up and running the next day. It’s okay to recover. Being middle-aged does come with some issues for many people, though it certainly doesn’t mean less of a zest for life. Nor, for that matter, a lack of knowledge about technology – we’re often presented as having no clue about tech, but I’ve been on the Internet since the 90s – I know my stuff well enough! Authenticity matters. Voices of experience matter. So many stories are about younger people, as though life only happens when you’re in your 20s or 30s and sure, there’s a lot going on at that age but there’s just as much when you’re older than that, and it’s no less interesting.
Here is my appeal, then – you certainly don’t always have to write what you know, but if you have anything to share that’s not often seen out there, or not as realistic as you’d like, let’s write it. Let’s put it out there. Authentic representation can help people learn, and understand, and feel seen and heard.
Wishing you an excellent week,
Kit
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The Drama Newsletter Team
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Drama: August 20, 2025 Issue [#13301]
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