Not quite sure how I missed this one, either.
Although it does oversimplify matters Jenny McCarthy, saying we shouldn't listen to her because she's a former Playboy Bunny. I honestly don't care what her background is -- I would listen to her whether she was actively filming porn, or a Christian homeschooler -- if she was able to discuss vaccines intelligently.
Instead she keeps changing her story about what effects she thinks vaccines had on her son, uses her professional performing skills to milk testimonials while attacking scientists and doctors on camera (and if you haven't seen her in action, I strongly recommend clicking that second link), argues against toxins in vaccines while rhapsodizing about Botox, and has poured her considerable passion and power into compromising public health.
I don't think she's an evil person, but I do think she's a credulous person, a passionately misguided person, and given her influence on other credulous and passionately misguided people, a dangerous person. I think she is a skilled performer rather than a skilled thinker.
She can still redeem herself, if starts learning from her mistakes instead of rewriting them -- her audience will stick with her, may even like her better, as they did with Angelina Jolie when she reinvented herself, and flipped from blood-vial wearing "whore" to UNICEF-ambassador "madonna."
Our society needs to value children's health over celebrity hubris.
Please do forward this video along.
One thing refutes her statements without anyone opening their mouths - the fact Autism existed long before vaccinations were created.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole vaccine debate has taken energy away from finding out what IS causing the increase in autism rates over the last 10 years or so. Why have the rate of allergies and autoimmune diseases also gone up during this time? I do think something in the environment is causing this, but all the energy has been wasted on the vaccine debate.
ReplyDeleteI have such overwhelming respect for you and the way you think and express yourself on this topic. As the mother of an autistic child, I get asked (or told) about Jenny McCarthy all the time and I never know what to say. I just don't take her seriously and I am so instantly fatigued when her name comes up in conversation, that I typically just shut down. I love that you well know, can eloquently express, and easily cite back-up info for the reasons you take issue with her. It's a talent, a skill, a determination...whatever...it's something I don't have myself and I really appreciate it in you.
ReplyDelete-Becky D
It is possible that you could be the credulous, passionately misguided person.
ReplyDeleteRo & Cheryl, I would really love to see Ms. McCarthy put her energies into something more across-the-board helpful to the autism community, like Holly Robinson Peete does with her fundraising, My Brother Charlie book, and foundation. And she still may. That's my hope.
ReplyDeleteBecky, we are all here to learn from each other, and then share what we've learned. But thanks for writing such nice things.
I particularly liked your comment that she is a "skilled performer rather than a skilled thinker". That seems to pinpoint the issue I have with a lot of celebrities taking on issues. While we, as a society, are compelled to listen to celebrities as performers, and possibly respect their work as actresses, we must be careful to differentiate their work with their personal passions. While Jenny McCarthy may be passionate in an attempt to help her son, she is like many other moms, struggling to find the answers. I don't believe she is such a skilled thinker to HAVE the answers, and I wish that in her attempts to explore reasoning, she wouldn't claim to know what is not scientifically proven.
ReplyDeleteYes Anonymous that is entirely possible although she is too ignorant and blind to see it.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI believe that as a parent you have the right to raise your child(ren) as you so choose. And if that means that you choose not to vaccinate them that is your decision you have the ability to weigh the risks with the information that you have and make the appopreate decision for you and your family. Irregardless if your child has Autism, ADHD (as my son does), or anything else. I believe that eveything should be looked at, and reviewed, and updated as things are discovered. As such things were termed so much diffrently (fifty years, one hundred years ago plus) in the past so all any of us ask is do your research and find out what what is the truth. Every kid is unique.