ADHD representation in media
Ever since my diagnosis two years ago, I have had this as an ongoing conversation with my family. I always felt like there was very little accurate representation of ADHD in media. The few examples I could always think of were either very loosely coded as ADHD, or extreme stereotypes. I want to crowdsource some examples of ADHD representation in media, both good and bad.
Doug from Up: This is a common one that comes up a lot. I think it’s a really poor example. The only ADHD symptom is the squirrel joke they use a handful of times. It’s also (for my presentation at least) extremely inaccurate. Random things I see will indeed distract me, but Doug can come back from the conversation without a missed step. I think this one is extra harmful because it gives a false sense of how the ADHD brain works.
Dory from Finding Nemo: This is another common one people bring up. Dory’s intrusive and impulsive thoughts are much more accurate to my presentation, so it’s an improvement from Doug. I don’t like that she is often portrayed as stupid or careless. I’m not against a character with those traits, but with so few examples of ADHD in media, I think people may think it comes from the ADHD.
Evelyn Wang from Everything Everywhere All At Once: This example showed up recently on my Internet searches. I want to rewatch it again with the context of ADHD. I feel like it is probably a decent representation, but I can’t say for sure without a rewatch.
Percy Jackson: This is the only one on my list that is explicitly diagnosed with ADHD (and dyslexia and other issues). I will give them kudos for the explicit diagnosis, but I don’t think it’s a good representation. ADHD seems to just mean that he is bad at school. It seems that it has no impact on Percy outside of that. For my particular case, I was quite good in school, so it is inaccurate for me. I would be interested to hear if other people resonate more with it. Dyslexia seems to come up more in the books, so it may be a better representation for that.
Todd from Bojack Horsemen: I saved my personal favorite for last. I first watched Bojack Horsemen before my diagnosis, and ADHD wasn’t really on my mind. After my diagnosis, I realized how good of a portrayal Todd is. As a bonus, it is the only portrayal I have heard of that includes hyper focus (When Todd hyper focuses on writing the rock opera, and then the hyper focus switches to a video game). With the exception of the rock opera, I think I have had the same exact scenario play out in my own life. I had something I wanted to do, was able to focus on it, but was stolen away into a video game hyper focus.
Are there any other examples you have found?
Here's someone that people may or may not expect: Leslie Knope.
That's right, the hyper-productive, hyper-motivated, hyper-organized Deputy Director of Parks & Recreation in Pawnee. She's not diagnosed, and no, I'm not just saying It's because she's energetic. I think her symptoms manifest in ways that are not completely obvious, and the way she manages them causes us to view them as strengths, not weaknesses.
Productivity
The thing about Leslie is that if something needs to be done, she does it immediately. Or maybe she's even already done it. If it's not something she can do immediately, she will instead focus her attention on creating massive lists, pegboards, and binders that cover every meticulous detail of that project.
She does this because her thoughts and ideas never stop. It's a never-ending train of "AND THIS— AND THIS— AND THIS— AND..." She's acting impulsively, because as many people with ADHD know, if you don't get an idea out of your body, its gone forever. Leslie's productivity is learned behavior.
And we see what happens when she gets stuck or the ideas stop flowing. She gets stressed, anxiety-ridden, and lashes out at the people she cares about. I'm going to try not to infer too much about Leslie's psyche in this post, but that could easily be rooted in an intense fear of failure (I mean, her mom worked in politics too, so its not that farfetched).
Organization
I touched on it a bit already with the lists and binders, but Leslie demonstrates a freakish compulsion with organization. We talked about how she manages projects already, having binders upon binders for projects that may never see the light of day (hyperfixation, anyone?), but she also has an uncanny ability to remember people's birthdays (or even holidays she makes up). She remembers strange little details about people, like their favorite whatever.
But she's not just "remembering" these things as if she just stores it all in her brains. We see all her calendars and notebooks and folders. She literally has dossiers on everyone she knows. I'm not inferring this either, she openly and explicitly states these things throughout the show.
You might think, "wouldn't that be a point against ADHD?" But I would argue against that. Nobody reaches this level of organization without a deep feeling that you need to do it. I don't think this is motivated by anxiety either. I think this is learned behavior, a result of Leslie creating an environment where she can thrive. She is this organized because she has to be if she wants to achieve her goals (which are lofty and many).
Emotional Regulation/Reactivity
Leslie cares deeply for her friends. It brings her to tears on multiple occasions, which often weirds them out. Her friends love her too, of course, but there's a certain level of sentimentality that Leslie has that isn't matched by any other character on the show, even her best friend Ann.
She is easily excitable and loud. She's always banging shit together and chanting and trying to get people on her level, which they never are. She is frequently told she is being annoying, there may even be an entire episode about it, but I can't find it right now.
Most of the trouble she gets into on the show is because she experiences some form of negative emotion, and then acts impulsively on it without thinking things through. For example, before her and Ben get together, they're working on a tiny park as their last project. They're about to get it over the finish line, and when Leslie Knope realizes this, she sabotages the entire thing because she wants to spend more time with Ben.
In closing, there is much more we could touch on, like Leslie's hyperactivity, but I think all the proof is there.
I think Leslie is ADHD even though she may not be an obvious example. I think this is because her symptoms manifest in ways that are counter to what people commonly perceive ADHD people to be.
There's a reason ADHD is so often misdiagnosed, or just missed altogether. There's a troubling habit of diagnosing based on the individual's behavior, rather than the internal mechanisms that drive that behavior. Leslie could easily be someone that was never diagnosed, because her coping habits are so contrary to stereotypical ADHD. We talk about things like obsession, compulsion, laziness, emotional reactivity. It's no wonder ADHD is often misdiagnosed (or comorbid with) depression, autism, bipolar, among others.
And Leslie is a positive role model to many people. They don't see the root of her behavior, just the outcomes. Everyone wants to be more organized, more motivated, and take more initiative. What everyone sometimes fails to see are the moments when Leslie is at her lowest, like when the town votes her out of City Council, and she becomes a disgusting slob the rest of the episode.
And there's my one last example. Leslie reaches her lowest point in that episode, but what happens? After some time passes, she bounces back astonishingly quickly. I believe ADHD people are among the most resilient types of people in the whole world, and just like with Leslie, its one of the positive aspects of ADHD that people rarely see.
About the organization, you reminded me about an early episode where they show you her house and it's an absolute mess. I think this supports your thesis, she focuses on other things.
Damn, I hope this is true! Unironically what I needed to see today as an ADHDer going through a hard time.
There's Jack on the kids show Bluey, who really resonated with me when I watched it with my kids. So much of it reminds me of growing up with ADHD, but a lot of it also applicable to my adult life. I've also go this internalized view of myself as this forgetful idiot and it has a very negative impact on my day-to-day life. It's such a hard thing to overcome, even when you know it's bullshit.
There's also Forrest on Carl The Collector. The show is centered around Carl, who is autistic, but a few of his friends are neurodivergent in other ways as well, so there's a lot of coverage there. Choosing to make the ADHD character a squirrel is a bit on the nose, and she's definitely more hyperactive than anything, but I'm happy to have representation all the same.
Just in general it's nice that my kids are growing up with shows that have ADHD representation in them. I had very little of that growing up and I felt very alone. And given that ADHD is thought to be hereditary, odds are pretty good at least one of them will be diagnosed.
It’s great to hear that modern kids shows have this representation! I am pretty sure I am not autistic myself, but as I understand it, autism has the same poor representation in media as ADHD. Do Carl and his friends have explicit diagnoses on the show? I don’t think that is essential, but it is pretty impressive if they did that.
They do, yes! Carl is frequently learning about himself and his autism and explaining it to his friends. For example, this is a synopsis from Wikipedia of an episode that really stuck out to me:
I myself don't have autism, and I don't really know what the "right" way to handle it in a kids show is, but all of it just seemed super wholesome and educational without shying away from how the difficulties Carl faces.
I don’t have autism either, so I can’t provide any more insight. I would be interested to hear from someone who does.
Based on that summary, it sounds pretty decent for representation. It’s at least teaching that some people are different from others, and that is out of their control. They should try to learn about themselves and others. If that is all it teaches, it’s still way better than the stuff I had as a kid (At least for representation).
Would you say it might be worth it to watch as an adult with no kids? Wikipedia says it targets ages 4-8, so I would guess not. I am still glad it exists though.
It's definitely very kid-oriented and lacking in humor that adults might find fun. But still, it's a charming little show though and I'm glad to have watched it with my kids because I've certainly learned a thing or two from it along with them
That lines up with my experience. It’s important to note that ADHD doesn’t affect long term memory, just short term working memory. If things end up in your long term memory, then you will never have trouble remembering it. Is just the short term memory that’s affected.
It’s also worth mentioning that medication can help significantly with that. Since I started medication, my working memory is way better. I don’t think it’s good compared to neurotypical people, but it’s way better than what I am used to. I use atomoxetine (straterra), which isn’t a stimulant. Therefore it doesn’t have any of the classic issues of ADHD medication. If you are hesitant to try stimulant medication, I highly recommend asking your doctor about it.
Yup, it's basically the same for me. I try to make sense of it by thinking of my brain as a computer (because that's what makes sense to me, I guess). If my memories are files, I'm great at creating those files, but the folder structure I use to organize/store them is awful. I've got redundant folders, I've got empty folders, I've got x20 nested folders ultimately containing a single file. It's a hot mess.
Ironically, I am very organized with my real computer file systems!
Bluey is a gem. It's so nice having a kids show that touches on such real themes in a thoughtful way, and is enjoyable to watch as an adult.
Self Representation:
Orthogonal: The best examples, I think, are content creators who themselves are diagnosed with ADHD (and other neurospiciness) talking about their conditions. Their other autobiographical videos also give excellent representation. This is esp true for hose who were diagnosed later in life. When they speak about their own experiences, they are talking from first person perspective, not a composit "representative".
Here's a few talking specifically about their ADHD, but their usual videos could also give a "yeah I thought so" feel for those who have ADHD.
Ice Cream Sandwich
JaydenAnimations
Hank Green
Erika Ishii on DropoutTV content (many clips free on YouTube). Very hyperactive side of things. See esp her interviews, don't have link on me.
Inadvertent creator self representation
You mentioned Michelle Yeoh's character, Evelyn Wang from EEAAO. Daniel Kwan has ADHD. From a Salon interview:
For me, it wasn't Evelyn's distractedness that gave it away, it was her trail of dead failed projects, and the multiverse where each version of her succeeded in tapping into just one of her diverse potential. Sometimes having that ADHD hyper focus can feel like a super power, where I'm so interested in something it comes easy like I'm The Chosen One for this endeavour/hobby. For two weeks. Then I slink back into being the worst version across the multiverse where I'm actually good at nothing, adding yet one more failed hobby.
I don't know that I've seen particularly good TV or movie representation. Yes I can laugh about things like Dory or Dug feeling relevant at times but neither are intended to be or are, good ADHD rep. I don't count them.
Deadpool has the diagnosis but it's only one of his many neurodivergences and other things he has going on. Characters like Evelyn or Julia (from Julia & Julia) are fine but aren't really rep of ADHD even if they speak to ADHDers.
The Doctor is possibly better rep - he often combines the distractibility/hyperactivity/impulsiveness/hyperfocus with the "I was able to use my personal expertise and connect the dots between two things I heard one time but it sort of snuck up on me" that I know I experience. He also needs to body double to get anything done. He's trash at being productive alone.
But he's also an alien with PTSD if we're diagnosing him, what even is neurodivergence for a Time Lord.
Book-wise I think Anne of Green Gables probably fits the bill, especially for a lot of women/girls with ADHD. Percy Jackson is the most explicit I've seen but I never really got into the books so I don't know how useful it is. Red White and Royal Blue has an ADHD main character, but I don't recall how the rep is.
I haven't read Cemetery Boys but it apparently has explicit rep and it's on my list.
IME it's almost never diagnosed in media and always hinted at, often with only the "hyperactive" stereotypes. Where I suspect we've seen it represented well is from people who have the neurotype even w/o the diagnosis, so that when they make representation that looks like themselves we're getting their experience with ADHD too.
Book-wise Anne of Green Gables was definitely the one that spoke most to me for sure, though they obviously don't have the label to apply to her. The types of mistakes Anne makes were very much the kinds I made (and still make), and especially when it comes to female characters I think there are precious few depictions that come close to being as accurate.
Note that I am biased though, as I've been compared to Anne in many ways and it's possible some of those similarities aren't ADHD-based. If we still had slates in school I absolutely would've cracked one over someone's head.
I also think much of my reading is in fantasy and so even when characters have the traits they're not going to have the diagnosis. Most of the time I will identify with a character but not actively identify ADHD because it's just so much a part of who I am and how I think. I mostly don't read with my work brain so I'm not looking for symptoms and such.
It's been ages since I've read the books, but do you think her kindres spirits are her way of identifying fellow neurospicy individuals ?
Huh, I don't know. I always interpreted that in a more "emulating what I've read about Adults in books" thing but it's also been a long time.
I'm not necessarily sure -- iirc it's her theatrical way of identifying people who she can form a real connection with. I think it might occasionally be a fellow neurospicy individual in the books, but more often than not it's just someone who is kind and not closed-minded.
Ooof.
Also Varrick from Avatar the Last Air Bender. He doesn't actually "do the thing" and heavily relies on ZhuLi to "do the thing" for him.
There's a short clip from Malcom in the Middle that I saw online a few years back that always stuck with me - link here. It's less than 60 seconds, but the feeling of getting distracted by something random in a project which leads to another, totally unrelated project really resonates.
While not traditional media (TV/streaming/etc.), I feel much more closely aligned with Adam Savage's persona. He put out solo, uncut VLOGs on his Tested YouTube channel during the pandemic through now. I had never seen anyone else cut off in the middle of their thought to pause, reframe, backtrack, or start over completely. It felt like looking in a mirror when he would hear something random in his shop and look away from the camera, head cocked, before coming back to the thought after a few seconds. Another mirror behavior was seeing him stop in the middle of a thought to go root around in his shop for something to support his thoughts and bolster his enthusiasm.
I found Savage's YouTube channel at a time where I had just started to wonder whether, as an adult, I might have ADHD (I do). He became an encouraging, positive role model in my adult life after having been a role model in my childhood when Mythbusters aired on TV. He conveys a joy, humor, enthusiasm, and excitement for the scientific method and creativity in general that I find inspiring.
Not sure if the definition of media extends to Social Media in this case, but I see plenty there.
...and if we're looking at the volume of social vs. traditional media consumed by today's audiences, it's arguable that social has a very big piece of the attention pie.