Dennis Leary is letting autism advocate Jenny McCarthy know, in no uncertain terms, that he will not be "the punching bag for autism" on E!'s Daily 10 tonight.  Apparently, Dennis became a "punching bag" when a chapter in his book addressed the issue of the diagnosis of autism.  (Jenny said Dennis is "obviously stupid" for what he wrote about autism.)

I
can guarantee you that Jenny McCarthy did not read the book and at this
point I refuse to continue to be the punching bag for autism because
I’m not even going to stand here on my own defense. I don’t think it’s
number four on the New York best sellers because people want to laugh at somebody who is making fun of autistic kids."

Okay.  So I guess Dennis is saying that he did not make fun of autistic kids, although he won't "stand here on my own defense."  Instead, Dennis explains why he did write the chapter on autism.

My
motivation, which I’ve said a million times, for writing the chapter
was because I have friends who have autistic children and I think it’s
ridiculous that there’s people out there who are bad parents and are
trying to solve the bad behavior of their spoiled brat children by
getting a low-level diagnosis. It’s true, if people don’t want to
believe it that’s fine, but that’s what I was writing about."

Umm, autism is no "low-level diagnosis," but I guess what he means is that people who are trying to attribute their children's behavioral problems to autism are misguided, not that autism is not serious.  I guess.  What do you think?

Either way, Dennis will take it no more!

'If you
want to continue to use me, people like Jenny McCarthy, to use me as a
punching bag, that’s fine, that’s up to you…. And so that is what I
really find astounding that people like Jenny McCarthy continue to say
that I said that, I never said it out loud, it’s not stated in the book.

Leary continues:  'And as a comedian I’ve been accused of many things, controversial yes, provocative yes, stupid no.' "

Well, are you convinced that Dennis never made fun of autistic children?  Has anyone read it?  If so, what impression did Dennis' chapter on autism make on you?

Photos by Wenn.com

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