April Fools — It’s “Autism Awareness Month” Again.
Filed Under (Activism, Autism and The Media, Autism and Vaccines, Critical Disability Studies) by Estee on 03-04-2009
April Fools of the month on Larry King tonight: Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey, Jerry Kartzinel and JB. Handley (of Generation Rescue) — yet again in the “name of autism” or to “wage a war” on it as it were, are STILL purporting their vaccine hypothesis — which, really, is no longer deserving of being in that category, since it has been disproven over and over again. The “bulking” of vaccines or the “schedule” — all of it — are, according to science, not the cause of autism. Yet science doesn’t seem to matter in all of this. People do not matter in all of this. Not the people who matter, anyway.
Jerry Lewis was recently heralded at the Academy Awards regarding his work “for” people with disabilities — a man who used these words in a recent response to criticism of his annual Muscular Dystrophy Telethon: “If it’s pity we’ll get money. . . . Pity? You don’t want to be pitied because you’re a cripple in a wheelchair? Stay in your house!”
Yes, a man who continuously spoke in derogatory terms about people with disabilities and dehumanized them stood proudly receiving his Oscar amidst the beautiful people at the awards. There was no mention on how the disability community for years has protested Mr. Lewis and his telethons. There was no reference to the pain and harm he has caused them. The fact that Lewis used the kids (they went from being “Jerry’s kids” to adults who turned up for those protests and were kicked out by Jerry) was veneered and forgotten with smiles and gowns. Celebrity trumps the hard work of science (when it works hard), dialogue, debate, justice and intellect. Celebrity fails to question more often than not as exhibited yet again by Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey.
I was somewhat relieved for a moment to see Carly, the fourteen-year-old non verbal autistic Toronto girl who types. She should have had more time on the the show along with other autistic individuals like her. I am always much more interested in hearing the perspectives about simply “being wired differently,” because it is in learning how people are wired differently where we can appreciate that people can take in the world and learn on many different planes. And if that can happen, people can also contribute to the world in different and more rewarding ways as well.
CNN has not yet taken the bull by the horn the way the CBC did in its show “Positively Autistic,” (see it on the side bar in this blog). CBC did not want non-autistic doctors talking or journalistic narration in order to trump what autistic people had to say about themselves because that was the point and it is too often overshadowed.
CNN ought to take its cue, at least from the perspective of that particular documentary, from the CBC and from autistic people. I have been thinking for so long now that as much as we have medical and health components dominating the news, we should have a show on how society views difference (which would include disability) and has medicalized people who are different from whatever norm has been established at any particular point in our history. What’s the purpose of information if we do not look at it through a variety of lenses? What’s the point of medical research if we do not apply any ethical standards or reflect continuously on what it means to be human?
I meandered the Autism Hub to see if anyone else has yet written anything on the torrid experience of watching these shameless celebrities sounding really idiotic, trying substantiate their claims with quacks who call themselves doctors, namely, the infamous Dr. Jerry Kartiznel who calls our children “soul-less.” Again, such programs revolving around “Autism Awareness Month” make me afraid.
But it’s a nervous kind of laughter. Autism Awareness Month simply reminds me every year that no matter what we do, no matter hard hard we work in trying to make people aware that autistic people are simply people, that IGNORANCE still SPEAKS loudly attempting to drown the real voices of autism.
While I am not autistic, I am a parent who will remain relentless in positioning myself against such ignorance.
ESTÉE KLAR
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
Writer/Curator/Founder of The Autism Acceptance Project. Lecturer on autism & the media, and parenting. Graduate student Critical Disability Studies, York University. I like to write about our journey, musings, attitudes towards autism.
“I meandered the Autism Hub to see if anyone else has yet written anything on the torrid experience of watching these shameless celebrities sounding really idiotic,”
I didn’t have an hour to burn tonight. I may peek at the transcripts tomorrow or the next day though. I am glad you took a little time to write about this.
Well I had an hour to burn. And burn is the right word for sure. Seven years into this and this stuff gets so tiring — this hype about autism, cures, “terrible disease” stuff, and quackery.
Has the CBC interviewed any of the autistic adults living in institutional care to get their thoughts? Or is the CBC aware of the existence of the more severely autistic who are unable to grant media interviews?
For that matter is Estee Klar aware of the existence of those severely affected by autistic disorder? If so who do you thin should speak on THEIR behalf? Surely not the highly articulate media regulars and political activists some of whom do not have autistic disorder diagnoses?
I tried to watch, I tried to keep an open mind…I turned it off right after I saw Carly. I was ready to beat my head against a brick wall…it wouldn’t have hurt as much as watching that show.
Oh, I blogged about it just now…
I actually can feel my blood boiling, I am so ticked
off.
I think we have to remain optimistic. I just wish we could find someone more open minded to promote a different perspective, ours, our children’s and the many, many, many autistic adults who don’t seem to get so much as a peep of air time.
Best wishes
Hi,
I did not see the show you are speaking about, but I received–and signed– a petition to allow Carly to speak on television about her experiences. I do not have Autism, but I have a brother on the spectrum (actually, he has Aspergers). I am currently doing as much research as possible into the view from the Autistic world–I believe acknowledging the differences in society is the only way to ensure fair judicial review. Just like it is proper to investigate different cultures, religions and historical perspectives, so to should we acknowledge the perspective from the Spectrum. Thank you for blogging about this. As a student studying Autism at a grad school level (not until the fall , however) I am thrilled to see a genuine attempt to uncover the mysteries…in a non clinical way. After all, rehabilitation is not a punitive measure, it’s the only way to ensure a fully functional society that utilizes ALL of its assets.
Be Well,
Alley
Harold,
In response to your comment, yes, most of these people interviewed have been institutionalized.
Yes, I like to be with all people, including “severely affected” people. I do not think the issue is who speaks on whose behalf in entirety. Of course we parents MUST work hard to advocate on behalf of our kids. But do we do this in absence of the entire disabled and autistic communities who offer a perspective by which we can learn and follow in order to create and achieve better options, services, education, accommodations, access for our children?
If you look on the CBC website, there are a few autistic individuals who are not “media regulars.”
I am finding it increasingly difficult to understand your point of view. I only see the ability for parents AND autistic folks to achieve more by becoming allies, not suggesting that there is a group of autistic individuals who are “against” you or your child.
[...] some of you may already know, “April” is “Autism” “Awareness” month. Whilst this is a “controversial” [...]
Yes that is why I find Jerry Lewis and Jenny McCarthy frustrating. Their attitudes about disability do not seem very helpful to disabled people. ><
Especially those vile statements Jerry Lewis made.
I just wanted to comment and thank you for this blog. I am getting my masters in ABA and and doing a research paper on the lack of a link between autism and vaccines, and it’s so refreshing to see a parent paying attention to science! I find it so disheartening to see scientists seen as just another opinion in a sea of voices. So thank you, and keep it up!