matthew, and watching supernatural tonight

[mickeym]

I tend, on a fairly regular basis, to forget (or just blank out, more likely) just how literal Matthew really can be. He does a lot better understanding stuff than he used to, so sometimes I forget.

Tonight was a shining example of my son's literalness:



So, the scene where the he-witch says, "I'm not quite done with you, Sam," and then claps three times? Yeah. As they're walking out of the building and Dean says, "I think he gave you the Clap," Matthew turns to me and asks, "what's that?"

So I said it's a nickname for syphillis, which is an STD. Cue him looking at me blankly, so I reiterated "STD", and then said it all out, "you know, sexually transmitted diseases?" Another blank look. I said "syphillis is an STD -- something that's transmitted when someone's having sex."

Matthew looks at me and says, "So Sam's going to have sex in this episode?"

*headdesk to infinity*

And it didn't seem to matter how many times I tried to explain it, he just. didn't. GET IT.

It wasn't until I (finally! DUH, Kim) said, "some diseases are transmitted through sexual contact -- and as a joke the witch gave Sam one of those diseases, with the joke being that he *didn't* have to have sex to get it."

Finally light dawns and he says Oh! That wasn't very cool. Then he looks at me and tells me it wasn't very funny, either. I didn't even bother trying to explain how the clapping = The Clap = moderately funny as a pun-sort of thing.

Ladies and gentlemen, the joy that is watching television with my kid. *collapses*

Comments

[roseganymede.livejournal.com]

Awww...But who can blame him for the confusion? Sam's been having a lot of sex these last few seasons! ;)

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

Heh. More than Dean, I think *g* But no, it wasn't that... exactly. It was just... not making the necessary translations, or something, in his brain. ARGH. I can't even articulate it exactly (though I'm sure you probably do know what I mean) -- because I'm neuro-typical, and he ISN'T, I don't always get why he doesn't get it.

As I said--he's a lot better about stuff than he used to be. I think back a few years, and man, it was *exhausting*!

[roseganymede.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm sure it must get frustrating! From my perspective, one moment like this is cute - and I'm sure sometimes they are for you too - but being understood is so important, and that's got to take a lot of work. But your son seems very smart and you are very loving, and vice versa, so it's a good match :)

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

He's a very smart kid, which is actually why I think it's such a challenge -- for both of us! -- at times. And when I go back and look at events like this (or some of the conversations he and I have had), yeah, they're cute. I'm usually laughing like a loon, LATER. *g*

*snugs you* Thank you :)

[iontas.livejournal.com]

And I laughed my head off! But as a kid I wouldn't have gotten it. Be glad he didn't (I think)!

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

Well, when I say 'kid' -- he's almost 15. Your average 15yr old probably would've :) But mine has Asperger's, and therefore isn't your average kid. Which is awesome most of the time, but also frustrating *g*

[pensnest]

If they don't get it, they *won't* get it. Your story seemed so familiar to me, though I can't recall the details of my Boy's sense-of-humour bafflement.

[call-me-loca.livejournal.com]

Alayna is the same way. I had a call from the school counsler one day because she told her teacher she didn't eat dinner the night before.

We had pankcakes, eggs and sausage. Breakfast food. I then also had to explain that if the question of 'bathtime' comes up, she takes showers. (She once told my mom the last time she took a bath was when she was 3, since she usually takes showers, but it still took my mom a second, lol)

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

YES! Exactly stuff like that. We don't have -- Matthew refuses to eat eggs, waffles, etc. -- for dinner, ever, because he's all, "that's breakfast food". *headdesk*

Makes life an exciting challenge, doesn't it? :)

[linda3m.livejournal.com]

Actually the clap is gonorrhea. Don't ask me why I know that.

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

LOLOL -- y'know, now that I think about it, I think I knew that, too. But whatever, it was still an STD *g* I got that part right! :)

[britomart-is.livejournal.com]

It's such a weird exercise to try to deconstruct humor! Kind of reminds you how arbitrary & bound by cultural memes it is!

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

But not just humor -- so many things just completely baffle him, because he's trying to take them literally, and just. *hands* I have a tendency now to deconstruct most things, and explain them in the simplest, most straight-forward way I can, because metaphors and so just fly riiiiiight over his head, bless him.

And hi *g* Obviously I didn't go to bed. *sigh*

[britomart-is.livejournal.com]

I didn't go to bed either! I drank lots of beer instead. Er.

[vickita.livejournal.com]

Oh, dude, I have a friend who is a 50 year-old woman, and I don't think she has Asperger's, but she is pretty much that literal. Remember the episode of "Buffy" where everyone was having the dreams? She kept asking, "But why [whatever]...?" and I'd say (again), "He's [she's] *dreaming*." She could. not. wrap her brain around it.

We will not discuss the time I tried to watch "Rocky Horror" with her. HEE.