Why We’re Not Watching Larry King Live Tonight
December 20, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
We do not, as I’ve noted from time to time, have a TV set—a fact which, when I happened to mention it to my students a while back, completely shocked them. “What do you do?” they sputtered. The class was my Elementary Latin class and it was one of those “teachable moments” when I could have launched into a discussion about “how did the Romans spend their free time” and “what about those giadiator fights.” It was the week before exams and we had so much to review and so I let the moment past, and got back to the fourth conjugation of verbs.
Apparently I’d made an impression on my students, as they brought up the not-having-a-tv business a couple of times (mostly, I suspect, to avoid having to think about that inevitable entity, the Final Exam). “I have to have TV,” one student commented. And another: “Dr. Chew, doesn’t your son want it?”
My answer further confounded things. Charlie, as I’ve noted before, is not a TV watcher or, for that matter, a video watched, or a player of video games, or a player of computer games, or a user of the computer in general. I guess it is a sort of a stereotype or autism myth, or possibly even an autism reality, that autistic children like all things electronic. (We know a boy who, in his earlier childhood, had a total fascination with electric cords and outlets: Oh yes, dangerous!) Charlie appears to be in the (very) (small) percentage of children to confute the stereotype.
Charlie usually tells me “I need a break” after a maximum five minutes at the computer and, in the good old days when we had a TV set and cable (because we actually do own a TV set, but have not bothered to get cable), Charlie mostly liked to watch videos. Not just any videos, of course, but about 4 or 5 certain ones of The Purple One, and a few select Wiggles ones too. An attempt to switch to DVDs was only partially successful, Charlie having an unshakeable preference for the larger rectangular objects with that visible strip of tape (Charlie having a longstanding preference also for cassette tapes, but that’s another story). By the time we cancelled Comcast, the only thing that was being watched on the TV was some ESPN by Jim and Charlie glancing occasionally on.
All of this is to say that I am indeed going to miss seeing Jenny McCarthy, in her capacity as Generation Rescue spokesperson, on Larry King Live tonight. Having, as you may also know, written kind of a lot about McCarthy and her stance about, or rather against, vaccines, I kind of have a feeling that I’ve some idea of what she’ll be saying. Courtesy of my email inbox, I’ve been sent a summary of the show:
…….hear the facts tomorrow night as Larry King asks the tough questions on:
* How to vaccinate while lowing [sic] the risk of children getting autism
* How to effectively treat and prevent autism, ADHD and other neurological disorders and chronic illness
In-ter-est-ing. Sounds like there’ll be some references to how a parent can change the schedule of vaccines (despite the fact that vaccines don’t cause autism). Also, sounds like Generation Rescue is extending its concerns/campaign/rescue operations beyond autism, to ADHD and “other neurological disorders and chronic illness.”
Though what if autism, ADHD, “other neurological disorders and chronic illness,” still exist even after vaccine schedules are changed? What’s to be done—change the schedule again? Admit that vaccines have been, and are becoming, a sort of sideshow in the larger discussion about autism, and a topic for TV talk shows and celebrity magazines—-something that distracts us from the really pressing, urgent questions and concerns regarding autistic children and adults, like how to create and maintain good schools with good services, trained aides and staff and therapists, jobs that draw on people’s talents and choices for housing, and much more?
Whatever gets talked about on Larry King Live tonight, I suspect it won’t be enough to convince me to call up Comcast so we can watch TV.
You’ve hit it right on the head there Kristina.
“urgent questions and concerns regarding autistic children and adults, like how to create and maintain good schools with good services, trained aides and staff and therapists”
This nonsense about mercury poisoning and vaccines infecting people with Autism distracts everyone from what is really needed in terms of early diagnosis; as much possible evidence based intervention and true supports for families of children with autism.
And I can’t help but wonder it parents didn’t feel like they were treading water without knowing exactly how deep it is; they wouldnt be so eager to grab onto whatever flotsam and jetsam of quack cures and faith remedies float past, while the sharks of blame swim around their ankles, attracted by the smell of class action and legal redress.
Make people feel secure in their children’s education and life enhancing therapy. Make them feel secure that their child will grow up to have an excellent quality of life with unlimited potential; independent of their parents; And then they might feel like they could stop treading water, touch the bottom and come ashore safely.
And as for our “leaky gut”?
Isn’t our gut supposed to leak? isnt that how the nutrients get into our blood? Oh me and my crazy notions from Yr 11 Biology class.
And doesnt everyone have a bit of mercury in their body? I mean, isnt that what comes from being top of the food chain and living in the 21st Century?
I guess I won’t be downloading any clips of Larry King either. Unless it is the Bee Larry King from Bee Movie; That I believe in.
xx
I’ve never been able to take JM seriously enough to watch her anywhere, but I find it a little amusing that the summary of the show said:
“hear the facts tomorrow night as Larry King asks the tough questions on…”
I take the idea of King asking tough questions about as seriously as I take Jenny.
Apparently the show’s been postponed/rescheduled so none of us, with a TV or without, will be having to see McCarthy and hear about the whole vaccine thing.
I know we do not see eye to eye all the time but this is an opportunity to spell out the needs of families dealing with autism. I hope you will join me and help get the word out for Tuesdays discussion. I want all views represented. Thanks.
I have volunteered to be moderator and host for the Obama-Biden Tansition Project Autism Health Care Community Discussion. There is a very limited time to make and impact on this discussion. I came up with hosting a Autism Health Twitter day to have a discussion with all stakeholders. We will have a great day because the word is out. You could help us make it a impactful day to parents by helping us get the word out. Please if you could post anything about Autism and Healthcare then mention Autism Health Care twitter day on Dec 23 all day. I would really appreciate it.
Thanks,
Tim
Press Release:
Autism and Healthcare twitter day December 23rd all day #HHS Tom Daschle invited Tanners Dad / Tim Welsh will be the Autism / Healthcare Community Discussion Host and Moderator. Sign onto twitter. Search for #HHS and post your comments and answers to questions.
No prizes no games no tinsel Just a conversation for families fighting for children with Autism. Be There Tues Dec 23 ALL DAY Obama wants to know.
http://www.causecast.org/member/tanners-dad
Regards,
Tim
TimWelsh/TannersDad
Autism Advocate
http://www.causecast.org/member/tanners-dad
http://twitter.com/TannersDad
http://www.linkedin.com/in/tannersdadtimwelsh
Tim
Daschle didn’t ‘invite’ you to do anything. As I understand it anyone can set up one of these things. So yours will be the green our vaccines, seven steps to successful chelation or whatever makes a bunch of anti vaxxers happy.
In the interests of honesty, it would be helpful if you would have something in writing warning the unwary that this program is anti-vaccine.
@Tanners Dad, I’m hoping the discussion can focus on the need for education, schools, respite, long-term needs like housing and employment, and, too, insurance and health care, and the day to day needs of individuals.
Glad not to hear Jenny on my tv, plus my son likes several shows at night. Last month one AM I still had tv on and walked into the room to hear Jenny tell Kelly on Regis & Kelly that her son can remember being autistic. I am so tired of her and how media thinks she has all the answers.
http://www.stopjenny.com is where to go
Re @TannerDad – he constantly uses the message Autism hurts which I find offensive and insulting. He did some post making it seem I was for Jenny and Autism Speaks and had to defend my beliefs on autism twitter day.
I need to prepare for the ITP that comes at 14 in CA and federal at 16 and look to the future for my 12 and 13 year old – who turns 14 in March, his voice is changing now too.
Kristina,
About the cancellation,
As Will Durst would say, : Oh, ddaarrnn.
Happy Holidays.
Our house too shuns TV. We still have one as a relic of when we allowed our (autistic 3yo) son to watch his videos, but as a budgetary measure, canceled the cable-TV feed. There was a time he started to obsess on the videos at the expense of learning play-skills, so we cut that “fat and empty calories” out of his sensory diet before he became “developmentally obese.”
At work people still ask if I watched this-or-that last night. I usually respond, “I don’t get TV.” When ask for clarification, sometimes I kid down the alternate interpretation as “it’s just too incomprehensible.”
In the interest of Honesty your statements are hurtful. This should be a day to do exactly what what Kristina says…
focus on the need for education, schools, respite, long-term needs like housing and employment, and, too, insurance and health care, and the day to day needs of individuals.
Bonnie Autism Hurts is not a vaccine reference. I see my son in pain and frustration with no help. I pray for one day we can get along. On the first Autism Twitter day I wrote to others direct messages to tell this was not the place and time. I will do that if anyone gets on that soap box. Trust me I do not want a world without vaccines. I have never even thought about going down the chelation path. I look forward to amazing day of potential change.
As an adult with a diagnosis of atypical autism,I always thought the argument vaccines caused autism was a crock of bull.Now that said,I do not think it is all that wise an idea to give babies as young as two months old,or a child who has been recently been sick,four or five vaccines at a time. An argument can easily be made for this causing medical problems,at least in the short term.I am also aware of children with preexisting immune problems who have gotten very sick from vaccines,that would be safe for normal kids.This,I believe represents one extreme,with Jenny McCarthy,and her ilk,at the other.There needs to be some sort of middle ground.More babies should be routinely tested for immune disease,to see if they can handle the vaccine load.Perhaps children should not be vaccinated at all in the first eight months or so of life,and then get only one vaccine a month thereafter.
How much of this is due to parents dumping the babies in day care,as soon as possible,with the day care provider demanding the baby has all of the vaccines ?
The vaccine issue is not going to go away,no matter how many studies are done to the contrary.Wouldn’t be a lot better for the Jenny McCarthys of this world to urge people to donate as much money as possible,so we can find all of the actual causes of of autism?
No,the antivaccine fear mongering could not exist,with the intellectually lazy American’s desperate need for a one-size-fits-all solution for each problem,regardless of if it’s the correct answer or not.
Why did LKL cancel her appearance anyway? Was there really that much pressure on them to do it, from email and phone protests ?I may have a reason to have more faith in America’s collective intelligence than I thought.
Oh and I have not owned a TV since 2001.If there is something I REALLY want to watch,I look for places,where I can watch or download it,even if it takes a few months to turn up.