Dennis Leary Fires Back At Jenny McCarthy On E!'s Daily 10
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
300 points
He's an idiot, he doesn't even know what he is talking about. He was on the View and other talk shows and he was indeed making fun of it.
8980 points
I have read this book (HILARIOUS) and I am a mother of a teenager with Asperger's (which is an autism spectrum disorder) and I wanted to say that I did not think in ANY way that he was being out of line in his book. His book is soo funny and really does make you sit back and think about how stupid people can be or become about certain things... I only wish I could be as outspoken as he is about MY opinions..lol
If Jenny had taken 2 seconds to think about what he said she would have realised that he was actually supporting families who genuinely have autism in the family. He is criticising people who get a diagnosis of autism to excuse their own poor parenting - he is NOT saying that poor parenting causes autism. People who do that take up resources that should be made available for genuine sufferers, and cast doubt on the credibility of a diagnosis of autism. Autism has a broad spectrum so low level is an appropriate phrase. Dennis is well known for using provocative language to make his point.
45337 points
Well said. I appreciate that.
Excellently said, and completely true. Thank you. I was going to say basically the same thing, but you've said it already. :)
I agree that Dennis was not making fun of people who have autism, he was poking fun at parents who don't take responsibility for poor parenting.
Autism (any form, including Asperger's Syndrome) is a very serious diagnosis, though. There's nothing low-level about a pervasive developmental disorder. Some forms of autism are less/more severe than others, like any other illness, but a pervasive developmental disorder is EXTREMELY serious in any form. Vera is right about that!
I haven't read it and I wouldn't say that he's the most sensitive man in the world, but I think I understand what he's saying. It's kind of like people who have their children diagnised with ADD/ADHD to excuse their children's behavioral/emotional problems or why they do poorly in school. It's easier to get blame a disease than it is to take responsibility.
I hope you aren't implying that ADD/ADHD is not a true disorder. That would be just what Mr. Leary is being accused of. Just a different disorder. One that is just as misunderstood and socially ridiculed.
I don't think that's what she is saying at all! RE-read her comment. She is saying that poor parenting some times leads to parents saying or getting a diagnosis that their kid has ADD/ADHD because it's easier to blame a disease than it is themselves for the way their child is acting. Everyone knows ADD/ADHD is real, but I think that people get the disease and bad behavior and bad parenting skills misdiagnosed. That's what is book is talking about also, although I haven't read the book yet.
970 points
i teach children who have autism and i took absolutely no offense to what he was saying. all he was pointing out was that autism (and more recently asperger's) has become the disability du jour just like adhd was and add before that. i completely agree with him because i have personally dealt with parents that are eager to label their children with a disability when there is none in order to gain special services or affirmation that their child is special. what i do have a problem with is jenny mccarthy. she represents a smaller sect of people who encounter the autism spectrum. she constantly refers to the fact that her son was 'cured' of his autism and his treatment is a gluten-free diet. there is no cure nor treatment for autism. her public statements (and the fact that she is a c-list celeb with an a-list boyfriend) only falsely inform people who have no connections to the world of autism or the truth of disorder. sometimes i wish SHE would shut her mouth. she is beautiful though! :)
Totally agree with you 100%.
Well, I totally disagree with you! My son, now 11, was diagnosed with autism at age 2-1/2. Through several years of biomedical interventions (including a gluten-free/casein-free diet), he is no longer medically or educationally qualified for the diagnosis of autism. When we removed dairy from his diet, he spoke a 3-word phrase after two years of silence (he stopped talking after a round of vaccinations, the silence was deafening for a year-and-a-half before this dietary intervention). The science behind the diet is: undigested or partially digested gluten and casein (wheat and dairy) proteins make their way into the child's bloodstream, acting as opiates and attaching to speech and communications receptors in the brain. I would hate to have such a close-minded person as a teacher -- who didn't believe in autism recovery, sorry. The proof is growing -- our kids can and do recover -- check out some of the recovered kids stories here: www.generationrescue.org
970 points
well it's a good thing you're not my student then! i hope i'm not going to far by assuming that you know that autism is a developmental disorder therefore the intake of food to the bloodstream has nothing to do with the development of most parts of the brain! and i found it interesting that you contradicted yourself in your response. i have read research that you are talking about when you referred to the disability placed on the communication receptors in the brain from a gluten and dairy. what it says is that it prohibits children from being able to understand communication going on in the world and be unable to produce it. therefore for your son to be able to speak a 3-word phrase would be unlikely because of that fact. a child that has had trouble with a communication receptor would be like a baby who is beginning to talk and would not be able to string words into phrases. there is no miracle cure for autism, especially dietary modifications.
Well I am REALLY happy to not be a child of Autism with YOU as my parent! You obviously are totally ignorant if you don't think food affects behavior. Why don't you go without eating for 3 days and see if it affects your behavior or hey why don't you eat 10 tablespoons of sugar and we will see if that affects your behavior. Simple logic would tell you otherwise. As far a medically based evidence well DUH there are plenty of medical studies that show that food is connected to behavior.
You OBVIOUSLY either don't have a child with autism or you are one of those parents who never gave the diet a chance. The diet is in no way harmful so why someone wouldn't try it is beyond me. The diet has been nothing short of a miracle for my 21 mo old son.
Honestly, I think that Dennis Leary is confusing autism and ADHD. There's no medication for autism, not even if it's on the "soft" end of the spectrum (aspberger's, etc.) nor does it make children misbehave. ADHD, on the other hand is certainly over diagnosed and treated with meds. All children who are treated for ADHD (whether they have it or not) change their personalities with meds.
MY BFFs son is a high functioning autistic child. He takes medication every day. Not to "cure" his autism, but to help him with his symptoms.
ADHD does not make children "misbehave" any more than autism does. Do autistic children behave in such a way that is socially normal? No, they do not. Children with ADHD do not always behave in ways that are socially normal either. Both autism and ADHD are disorders characterized by behaviors that are not normal. A child with ADHD deserves just as much understanding, care, and help as a child with autism. I have a child with the disorder, and I would go to the ends of the earth to help her. The last thing we need is for people to propagate the myth that it's just a "bad behaving" kid. She wants to be normal, too. Let's give all children born with a slap from nature a fighting chance. The deck is already stacked against them.
The meds are a way to help the child behave in the way they would if they didn't have the disorder. If you want to look at it as changing their personality, then go ahead, but the change is just showing the world who they really are. It helps to diminish the symptoms and allow them to lead a more productive and healthy life. Yes, I did say healthy.
Or masking who they really are. Who are you to decide who a person is? There are some Autistic individuals who may not be able to talk to you or even look you in the eye but they can type what they think and feel. Many of them would tell YOU that they don't appreciate being treated like a symptom in need of a cure. Parents who act like this aren't mourning their child but rather mourning the child they wanted.
Helping a child reach THEIR potential is one thing. Treating them like something LESS than is another.
That isn't quite true. They do prescribe antidepressants and the like to Autistic children to "calm" them down.
Jenny McCarthy is a worthless s l u t who exploits her child for the fame it brings her.
300 points
Vera, it sounds like you don't buy it. He actually worded it weirdly but it makes sense. A lot of parents try to get diagnosis of ADD, ADHD, autism to find some medicine induced way to avoid doing the nitty gritty of parenting. This does not conclude that anyone who does indeed suffer from those conditions is a fake. It simply means, those conditions can be exploted by people who do not have the time or inclination to look into their children's actual problems. Jenny Mccarthy, on the other hand, promotes no vaccinations. There is still no proven direct link between autism and vaccinations and she is promoting this possibly lethal philosophy to anyone who will listen. Denis leary is just expressing a very valid opinion.
Uh, Vera, what do you really know about autism, anyway??? Asperger's is definitely a low-level diagnosis, and it's a favorite for every parent who has a kid (usually a boy) who has not developed the necessary social skills to survive in a normal classroom setting, or is unable to get along with his peers. Dennis Leary is 100% right, but people just don't want to hear it. It's much easier to get a diagnosis like that, and get "therapy" and other special perks and passes at school, than to deal with the fact that you are failing at parenting and taking the easy way out, rather than imposing discipline and consequences. It's teaching kids that the system can and will be bent to suit THEM, rather than the fact that they have to learn to go along and get along in the world.
Asperger's is a mild form of autism, NOT a low-level diagnosis. ANY form of autism, a pervasive developmental disorder, is serious. Period.
What you're describing (not developing the necessary social skills) is social anxiety (which is often confused for asperger's these days- the difference is whether or not there are accompanying cognitive distortions, like obsessions with schedules or difficulty distinguishing facial expressions).
And Vera didn't say anything about aspergers or the seriousness of autism, she just summarized Dennis Leary's comments.
As the mom of an Autistic son - Dennis Leary is ok with me. I know parents who have abused the fact that Autism is a spectrum disorder. He's right - just like anything else - those who cheat ruin it for those who don't.
300 points
I have not read the book, nor do I have a child that is Autistic. But I don't think Dennis Leary is stupid. If what he's saying is true, that could be applied to many things: Autism, ADD, etc. Many parents blame their childrens' behavioral problems on some sort of disorder/disease. Just discipline your kids! I know he's a comedian & that comedians sometimes say things that might be offensive, but I don't think it [this chapter of his book] could've gotten through editing, etc., w/o him putting a lot of thought into what he was saying.
785 points
First of all, saying..."I like autistic kids...my friend has one"...is kind of like saying..."I'm not racist...I have a friend that's black." Second of all, I have a child with aspergers syndrome. The difference between an autistic child and a child with aspergers is that a child with aspergers has a higher verbal IQ. That's pretty much it. Some children have more severe cases of autism...but there isn't a "huge" difference so saying aspergers is a "low-leverl" or "soft-end" diagnosis is without merit. And yes, sometimes medication is prescribed for children with aspergers. A lot of children with aspergers also have ADHD so sometimes a medication is prescribed for that. Also, sometimes, they prescribe anti-depressants because dealing with aspergers or autism and carrying the strain of being different every day can sometimes lead a child into depression. There is no autism or aspergers pill though. People don't take their kids into the doctor and say.."My kid has autism...Give me a pill"...because there isn't one and to even suggest something like that is ridiculous.
970 points
i get what you're saying, but there is a big difference between autism and asperger's. the greatest of these differences is in the language development. children with asperger's aren't as greatly affected. to say that it all comes down to verbal IQ is very wrong. i have done lots of testing for ieps on students of both disorders and have seen students with autism with IQs as high as 150 and students with asperger's with scores in the 80s. the stuff about the medication took the words right out of my mouth though! :)
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