“She’s Got Gaps, I’ve Got Gaps”: A Neurodiversity Reading of Rocky (1976)

Abstract

In 1998, Judy Singer coined the term neurodiversity to describe the variance in human neurology in a non-pathological way, countering the mainstream understanding of certain neurotypes as disordered. Two decades prior, Sylvester Stallone wrote and starred in Rocky, directed by John G. Avildsen. Rocky’s romance plot centers on two characters who not only can be read as neurodivergent, but whose neurodivergences are presented as non-pathological profiles of strengths and weaknesses. Rocky Balboa has some kind of intellectual disability, seemingly undiagnosed due to the access barriers of his lifelong poverty, as well as traits of attention-deficient/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Adrian, an extremely shy woman who works at the pet shop, can be understood as autistic, particularly in view of often-missed female presentations of autism. Further, their distinct neurodivergences are framed as compatible and mutually beneficial. Their relationship is portrayed in a way consistent with the neurodiversity paradigm, with Rocky and Adrian’s distinct neurotypes part of the natural variance within humanity.

Keywords:

• attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
• autism
• disability
• neurodiversity
• Rocky
• Sylvester Stallone

Notes

1 I am predominantly using identity-first, rather than person-first, language throughout this article (e.g., “autistic person” rather than “person with autism”). As Botha, Hanlon, and Williams outline, there is a strong preference against the “person with autism” formulation in the autistic community, who generally prefer “autistic person” or “person on the autism spectrum” (2). As they further note, the structure person “with + noun” (or noun-phrase) is commonly used for pathology and illness (2). Indeed, as Andrews et al. point out regarding the use of “with + noun” for disability generally, “No other diverse groups are described using people-first language” (237).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ciara Moloney

Ciara Moloney is a PhD candidate at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, supported by the Irish Research Council. Her research focuses on interculturalism and diaspora in Martin McDonagh’s work for stage and screen. She recently published an article on Martin Scorsese’s gangster films in the Journal of Film and Video, and has a forthcoming article on Alison Bechdel’s memoirs in the Journal of Modern Literature. Her film and television criticism has appeared in publications including Cineaste, Fangoria, Paste, and Current Affairs.