Asperger's Are Us Explained

Asperger's Are Us
Active:	2010-2018, 2019-present
Genre:	Satire, surreal humor, puns
Current Members:	Tripp Carey (former member) Ethan Finlan Jack Hanke Noah Britton New Michael Ingemi

Asperger's Are Us is an American comedy troupe. They are the first comedy troupe consisting entirely of people with Asperger syndrome,^[1] though their shows do not reference autism at all.^[2]

Biography

Asperger's Are Us formed on the North Shore of Massachusetts in the summer of 2010 after New Michael Ingemi, Jack Hanke, and Ethan Finlan graduated from a summer camp where Noah Britton was their counselor.^[3]

They have performed over 150 original sketch comedy shows in ten countries^{[4] [5]} and have been interviewed many times by press around the world.^{[6] [7] [8]} They state that their name reflects their "Aspie style of humor, which focuses on dark absurdism and wordplay, which Aspies seem to enjoy a lot".^[2]

Examples of their humor include selling death certificates as tour merch "with blank spaces where we filled in the buyer's name, birthday, and cause of death," onstage haircuts from a randomly chosen audience member during several shows, real CPR training as an opening act at the Kennedy Center, reading an entire Wikipedia article out loud as part of a sketch, performing a puppet show explaining complex economic theory, calling Hawaiian hotels (via speakerphone onstage) to ask detailed questions about valet parking options, and having the audience vote for a specific total stranger in an online children's art competition^[9]

A Duplass Brothers Productions documentary about the troupe was released on Netflix in late 2016.^[10] A follow-up, On Tour with Asperger's Are Us, debuted on HBO on 30 April 2019.^{[11] [12]}

Asperger's Are Us disbanded in 2018, but reunited and continued to tour in 2019.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Asperger's Are Us. Facebook.com. Asperger’s Are Us. 2010. 30 June 2017.
2. Web site: https://www.facebook.com/aspergersareus/posts/1651650548181462?__xts__[0=68.ARB3PW0fRQCaCBykef2lCGoEOJjbuyUY9lWrFuQbkMZiZSrd0V8tynsIYlaDYpqbeWIUK9JU3yKew4sFyxF9Zx4VJOrbq92X_7Y-KtLp2GBNq_I-mladIoz1w1jD87n3Ye4Yc9hFx6MQeNi9rFazteY9aWQ5ApHFVZ8nuljbtfRpNqOUJymZ9Cv9bDHcyqAf5sFS5lpfvrciSrFkzjnXaNMrLAx-B1CL9yCwgoyYvlaCJS_p5FKsVWftOA-GSslvEazoDGq0IEj7lhHTkecIkjdPStKlKlO_eqC7gzqGX12aNvJ_Rxo_4Ae4SUHRGrPtOIIjqRIWH4jq0A9ONgVRjg&__tn__=-R Asperger's Are Us]. Facebook.com. Asperger’s Are Us. 2017. 6 April 2019.
3. News: Weintraub. Karen. Asperger's Are Us comedy troupe plays off their disability. USA Today. McLean, Va.. 13 April 2012. 30 June 2017.
4. Web site: Asperger's Are Us. Asperger’s Are Us. 23 October 2017.
5. Web site: Asperger's Are Us. Asperger’s Are Us. 11 June 2019.
6. Web site: Pfeiffer. Sacha. 'Asperger's Are Us' Adds Laughter To A Serious Condition. All Things Considered. Boston University. 2011. 30 June 2017.
7. Web site: Asperger's sketch troupe provides an atypical take on comedy . Boston Metro . Echo Media . https://archive.today/20120908062812/http://www.metro.us/boston/entertainment/article/1140149--asperger-s-sketch-troupe-provides-an-atypical-take-on-comedy . dead . 8 September 2012 . 25 May 2012 .
8. News: Smith. Jada F.. Asperger's Are Us Comedy Troupe Jokes About Everything but That. The New York Times. 15 July 2016. 30 June 2017.
9. Web site: Asperger's Are Us. Facebook.com. Asperger’s Are Us. 2020. 4 January 2022.
10. Web site: Evans. Greg. Netflix Nabs 'Asperger's Are Us' Documentary At SXSW. Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media, LLC. 2016. 30 June 2017.
11. Web site: HBO to Debut ON TOUR WITH ASPERGER'S ARE US. Broadway World. Wisdom Digital Media. 2019. 6 April 2019.
12. Web site: Documentary Series "On Tour with Asperger's Are Us," Following a Comedy Troupe of People with Asperger Syndrome on Their First Cross-Country Tour, Debuts April 30 on HBO. The Futon Critic. 9 April 2019.