Why I love the Spymaster #105: He's a dancer!

Find my full series under the HELP I WUVS HIM tag.

The Spymaster is a notoriously unrestrained character. His repetitions [#31] show how use does not seem to think before he speaks, but in the very process of speaking. He seems to think by acting out his thoughts and emotions [#11: You can SEE his mind at work!]. Additionally, his gestures provide insight into his preoccupations [#12: His brainfingers!]. He involuntarily vibrates when he's angry [#2] and when he's happy [#104]. He rocks from side to side unselfconsciously when anticipating something [#14], flaps when happy [#78], and exhibits lots of movements associated with autistic stimming and ticcing [see #78 for an extensive list].

The Spymaster is also notorious for dancing, i.e., moving purposefully with rhythm and choreography. We have him intentionally twirling in Spyfall I, right after he says he controls everything:

We have another twirl in The Power of the Doctor when he explains to Thirteen that the CyberMasters and Daleks are his "fam:"

And then, of course, there's his actual dance party to Rasputin shortly afterward.

Saying that the Spymaster is a dancer is different from celebrating his nerdy dancing [#3] or his OMINOUS yet dweeby dancing [#69]. Both of those mini essays focus on instances of dancing, but this mini essay speaks more generally. "He's a dancer!" = The Spymaster likes dancing, and he's a dancer, insofar as a dancer is someone who makes art out of the body in motion.

I call him a dancer for the following reasons:

He already emanates his emotions through facial expression, hand gestures, and bodily movements, so dancing, an art about one's body in motion, has an understandable appeal to him.

Dance, like theater, is a performance art, calling on an audience to admire the dancer's beauty and physical prowess. This appeals to the Spymaster because he's an over-the-top performer who needs an audience and also because he considers himself beautiful.

We know he likes club music [#96: Further implications of the Rasputin song!], so Rasputin [Majestic remix] is probably not the only tune he likes to groove to.

While expressive, dancing is not the same as the Spymaster's sometimes involuntary physical expression of emotion that the Spymaster frequently has. Dancing involves intentional control of one's body, which speaks deeply to the Spymaster, who's constantly worrying that he has lost control.

Another reason for the Spymaster's fondness for dancing connects to his neurodeviance or neurodivergence [#47]. I imagine that the Spymaster may be frustrated on occasion with his involuntary or unconscious stimming/ticcing. The planned choreography of dancing may help him to feel more at home with himself and grounded. In fact, his overall serious expression and relatively restrained body language during the Rasputin dance indirectly suggest that his dance of intimidation may be successfully quieting his impulses of nervous energy.

And on that note, folks, I am taking a break. I have been inflicting HELP I WUVS HIM mini essays about the Spymaster onto a hapless public for two solid months now. I haven't run out of mini essays. I've just run out of motivation.

Possible future topics include American Gothic, the Spymaster's gender, the Spymaster in the short story "The Master and Margarita," detailed analysis of the seismology professor costume, "Did you know she used to be a man?", and more!

Also, if all three of my readers have any things that you love about the Spymaster, feel free to send them to me. Or if you notice interesting things about the character and you have your own interpretations, send them along too. I don't guarantee that I will use what you send, but I will credit and tag you if I do.

P.S. If you like the kind of Masterful humor abounding in these essays, check out my parody self-help book Your Villain & You. It features a LOT of characters who look suspiciously like the Spymaster!

@natalunasans @sclfmastery @timeladyjamie @whovianuncle @rowanthestrange

Let’s talk about the astounding similarities between cats and autistic people, and how we should make them the official autism mascot instead of that godawful puzzle piece

Oh man, now you’ve got me going!

Firstly, cats stim. They purr, swish their tails and knead their paws against pillows, blankets, and other soft things. Many cats actively seek out sensory experiences, like listening to birds singing, lying in a sunbeam, rolling against the grass, etc.

Cats have sensory sensitivities— many of them dislike walking on certain flooring, touching certain textures, and certain smells or sounds may make them anxious. Their fur is very sensitive, they can sense the lightest touch, or speck of lint, or dust and their skin will quiver until they can lick or rub it off. When they become overstimulated cats retreat into a small, dark place to recover.

Cats love routine. Many cats know the exact time that their owners wake up in the morning and will wake them. A cat with a routine is a happy cat— they love to have their meals or soft food on a schedule and will learn their owner’s schedule. Cats will become anxious when the schedule is disrupted or if their owner doesn’t follow their usual routine.

In the same vein cats are very wary and/or anxious when it comes to the introduction of new things or people into their environment. Cats require time and patience to get used to anything or anyone newly introduced. Cats also feel anxious when existing furniture is rearranged or when a new smell (like an air freshener) is introduced into the home.

Cats often have “special interests”, a particular activity or thing that they love and can spend hours enjoying. It could be playing with a particular toy, chewing on something, listening to the radio, or watching the clothes in the washing machine. My cat Kitty has a certain ball that she fixates on and will happily enjoy and obsess over for hours.

Finally, cats have a very distinct and subtle body language. The difference is particularly evident when compared with the exuberant, unsubtle dog. The slightest twitch of a tail or turn of the ears, the frequency and timing of blinks, and the positioning of the tail in relation to the body are all little movements that can express much. To the untrained eye it may appear as if a cat is bored, aloof, or unaware of its surroundings. But once you learn to recognize cat body language and understand cat communication, you’ll be amazed at the depth of emotion and how expressive your cat really is.

Yes, I think that cats have a lot in common with autistic people. And that’s wonderful!

also can I add to this:

cats like to show their affection just by sharing the same space. a cat will generally want to be in the same space as you, even if you’re not really interacting and are half way across the room. still hanging out! 

they don’t always want to be touched, and can be easily overstimulated by physical affection.

they don’t like to make eye contact.

their body language is often misinterpreted- and then they are blamed for it, or have negative motivations ascribed to it. a cat following you around is stalking you instead of wanting to hang out. a cat that doesn’t want to make eye contact with you is ignoring you instead of being polite. a cat that lashes out because it’s over stimulated, or you ignored their body language telling you to leave them alone is suddenly an asshole who hurt you for no reason.

I had this book as a child and I’m glad to see the comparison is so widely recognized too

I KEEP SAYING ALL CATS ARE AUTISTIC IM SO HAPPY THIS POST EXISTS PLEASE SOMEONE ARTISTIC MAKE A CAT WITH THE NEURODIVERGENT SYMBOL ON IT FOR AUTISM MASCOT :D

The book above has been updated to better align with the current understanding of autism as well!!

This is just a general reminder post that allistic or non-autistic stimmers are a vital, wonderful part of the stim community. You’re allowed to call your stimming “stimming”. You’re allowed to consider yourself stimmers. You’re allowed to access resources, use stim toys, stim in public and private, benefit from sales, interact with the community, learn from and/or teach other stimmers–in fact, you’re not just allowed, you’re strongly encouraged.

When folks ask me if they’re allowed to stim or consider their stimming “stimming”, my heart just about breaks. When people tell me that teachers and psychologists say they were told stimming is only for autistics or not for folks with mental illnesses, I honestly want to throw Tangles at the ableist arse who has denied a person free access to conversations and tools that might improve their lives or better cope with stressful or difficult circumstances.

I know that April tends to be heavy on the autism focus, something that spreads into stim spaces because a non-insignificant number of stimmers are autistic (myself included). In no way, though, does that mean allistic folks who stim are less important.

If vendors are having sales right now, allistic stimmers get to save money by purchasing discounted items. If folks are having stim toy giveaways and they have no “autistics-only” limitations on said giveaway, you absolutely get to enter. If you see blogs posting stim resources that are useful for you as well, you should reblog.

This is your space. This stimming community is for you. Come on in, sit down and play with us. Red is a pretty awesome colour, and there’s no reason autistics alone should get to enjoy it.

Sometimes stimming is a refuelling, like a hummingbird finding nectar after a journey over an ocean, movement reaching out through your body and nourishing it, quenching a thirst.

Sometimes stimming is a focusing, a balancing between two chasms, and sometimes a grounding, a compass returning you to your body, pointing you to your path.

Sometimes stimming is a fizz of joy, emotion spilling out as a flap, a spin, a jump, the body’s way of laughing, the body’s voice.

Sometimes stimming is a sanctuary, a rest from the pinpricking world, an oasis of peace in a sandstorm.

Sometimes stimming is a song with two voices, mind and body joined by a golden thread, a warm sea of sensation.

I might do a few more of these but less regularly. Here are all of them :)

joqatanarama

[drawing of a dark skinned person with half a head of dreadlocks, playing with a tangle toy. Text around their head reads, “Respect the Stim”]

allism-yells   via autisticadvocacy