Comments on: Acceptance and Surrender, says Jenny

By: hj

hj — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:10:30 +0000

Good comments/thoughts Regan and siliconmom. I can’t help but think her guilt is over something deeper and more personal — but something she can’t admit publicly and she’s instead projecting that guilt onto vaccines … which is an easy scapegoat and an attention-grabber.

[I did see the show yesterday, btw. Appallingly bad, imo. Disjointed. Reminded me of the 80s New Age stuff in LA -- poorly re-hashed. I found what Oprah said to Monica's husband, about Monica, in the worst possible form. But then Oprah thinks she's above manners].

By: siliconmom

siliconmom — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:07:05 +0000

I think her guilt stems from the fact that she believes that vaccinations cause autism and had she done more research (i.e. been a better, more responsible mother) Evan could have avoided autism all together.

[Is the public going to be forced to move through every thought and emotion Jenny has? Each stage?]

Well, yes, because Ms. McCarthy is used to doing things in a public manner. The good that may come out of it is that eventually people will be able to watch her public journey and realize, along with her, how fallacious her beliefs ultimately have been.

It would be nice if she could come to that conclusion sooner or later, for her son’s sake, but things have to work through in their own time.

By: Regan

Regan — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:57:02 +0000

Is the public going to be forced to move through every thought and emotion Jenny has? Each stage?

I guess time will tell, but we will probably be going through this stage as long as the book promotion continues through the beginning of next month since I received an email on the media schedule.

By: hj

hj — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:07:33 +0000

Is the public going to be forced to move through every thought and emotion Jenny has? Each stage? Like she’s the first to experience this….Tiresome.

By: ASDmomNC

ASDmomNC — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:34:41 +0000

Gah, does she feel guilty for “giving” her son blond hair? Does she feel guilty for “giving” her son his nose/eyes/anything else that physically resembles her? Because if she feels guilty for “giving” her son autism, she’d better hop on board the guilt train for the rest of that stuff, too.

By: Robin H. Morris

Robin H. Morris — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:06:33 +0000

“Sentimentalizing”, interesting and generous word, Kristina.
Jenny McCarthy is a showman. This was my response
“It almost seemed trite when Monica, the mother amputee was describing her journey that Jenny interjected her own battle, as if they were synonymous. I say this knowing the perils of autism, and I don’t even have a “recovered” child.
I simply don’t get it. What I do know is that we as human beings recognize tragedy and count our blessings in the face of adversity. My grandmother always said that “in the end, if all of our laundry was placed in a pile everyone would pull in their own”.
Jenny McCarthy, ever the performer, was audibly heard telling Jim Carey when he came on stage that she wanted the “middle seat” between he and Oprah. Center stage is a great spot. She sold herself as a beauty on Oprah, a beauty with a “recovered autistic son”, a superstar boyfriend, and a new book to boot.”

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:46:34 +0000

Yes—-there’s no, for me questioning the courage of the other mother.

McCarthy’s saying that she felt sad about not being able to caress her child — keeping in mind that she seems to be hugging her son on the cover of her book —- was a not-surprising statement, in accurately speaking for mothers “within the autism community.”

I kept thinking about Monica and the disability community—-McCarthy’s presentation of her veered, also not surprisingly, on the sentimentalizing.

By: jypsy

jypsy — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:05:30 +0000

Ms. McCarthy also said that acceptance doesn’t mean doing nothing.

She also said she still feels some guilt for giving her son autism.

There were a few interesting statements made (and more of the same stuff we’re used to). It was rather appalling to see her use her “mother warrior” branding to try to draw a parallel between herself and the other guest mom.

By: siliconmom

siliconmom — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:49:36 +0000

I’m glad that Ms. McCarthy has been affected by meeting this incredible woman and I hope that this experience will lead her towards acceptance of her son for who he is – an autistic individual – and the fact that autism is not something you can “cure”.

One thing I’d like to know: Where are the thousands of children who have been cured by biomedical intervention, as Ms. McCarthy claims? Just curious, because I haven’t run in to any lately. Maybe what she should do is organize a march on the CDC offices in Atlanta with all of these children and their families. Then the CDC and AAP would have to acknowledge them.

By: Phil Schwarz

Phil Schwarz — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 05:11:03 +0000

Acceptance is not surrender.
It’s learning to leverage what is, into what can be, rather than focusing on what isn’t.