So, apparently Jenny McCarthy's kid never had autism in the first place

[Axiom_Blade]

New Report Says: Jenny McCarthy's Son May Not Have Had Autism After All

After years of speaking publicly about her belief that MMR shots (immunization for measles, mumps, and rubella) caused her son to suffer from autism, Jenny McCarthy now faces the reality that her 7-year-old son Evan — who no longer shows any signs of autism — may likely have lived with completely different illness.

A new article in Time magazine — which Jenny was interviewed for — suggests Evan suffers from Landau-Kleffner syndrome, “a rare childhood neurological disorder that can also result in speech impairment and possible long-term neurological damage.”

However, this won't stop her from speaking out, of course!

though her son may never have had autism, Jenny insists, “I’ll continue to be the voice” of the disorder.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

This is nearly four year old news.

 

[alfaniner]

Still, it may be news to some of us. I refused to watch the show that had her on New Year's Eve. Her horrible influence still lingers.

 

[CNY_Dave]

news to me!

 

[smartcooky]

News to me too.

I had no idea who the hell Jenny McCarthy was?

 

[Brainiac]

I never understood why so many people put so much faith in medical advice from a person whose only credentials were that she was a Playboy playmate and a celebrity.

 

[LibraryLady]

News to me too.

I had no idea who the hell Jenny McCarthy was?

She encourages dangerous behavior. See here.

 

[ThunderChunky]

I remember her claiming she had healed her son's autism and was promoting chelation therapy and other nonsense.

 

[Monketi Ghost]

I never understood why so many people put so much faith in medical advice from a person whose only credentials were that she was a Playboy playmate and a celebrity.

The state of punditry:
Intelligent and know what you're talking about? *bzzt!* Next, please.

Empty headed but you can fill up a sweater? Hired!

 

[Axiom_Blade]

You really have to be a piece of work to have the CDC declare you “a menace to public health.”

 

[blutoski]

I never understood why so many people put so much faith in medical advice from a person whose only credentials were that she was a Playboy playmate and a celebrity.

I was trying to figure this out, but I think it's more complicated than that. When I discuss these topics, none of the healthfraud fans really say that McCarthy's word was convincing in and of itself.

McCarthy's role seems to be to act as an advocate and ask people to 'think for themselves' and consult research via Googleversity... which is why I concentrate on this, as I try to distinguish her advice from, say, James Randi or Penn&Teller or Mythbusters who are also unqualified celebrities using their fame as a platform to promote unconventional scientific opinions.

 

[dudalb]

I never understood why so many people put so much faith in medical advice from a person whose only credentials were that she was a Playboy playmate and a celebrity.

Sadly, some people totally lose their reasoning ability when a pretty face and a nice set of mammery glands are involved......

 

[smartcooky]

I try to distinguish her advice from, say, James Randi or Penn&Teller or Mythbusters who are also unqualified celebrities using their fame as a platform to promote unconventional scientific opinions.

I wouldn't include Mythbusters in this as far as calling them "unqualified". Jamie Hyneman is a very experienced special effects engineer, with a degree in Engineering.

Likewise for Adam Savage. He may not have a formal qualification, but 30 years of direct involvement in his field gives him the advantage of coming from a position of knowing what he is talking about. Savage is a prominent skeptic, and a has been a frequent speaker at The Amazing Meeting.

 

[blutoski]

I wouldn't include Mythbusters in this as far as calling them "unqualified". Jamie Hyneman is a very experienced special effects engineer, with a degree in Engineering.

I guess I meant qualifications in science, which seems to be a lot of what they claim to be teaching.

(Recent joke from Community: "I can't just stand up here and act funny and say I'm teaching. I'm not Mythbusters.")

Likewise for Adam Savage. He may not have a formal qualification, but 30 years of direct involvement in his field gives him the advantage of coming from a position of knowing what he is talking about. Savage is a prominent skeptic, and a has been a frequent speaker at The Amazing Meeting.

So are P&T, which is my point... skeptics have our own Jenny McCarthys and a lack of insight about it.

I would point out that they are experts in stunts and special effects, not science. But I can see how Mythbusters is on the edge, as most of their science claims are uncontroversial. I am perfectly willing to deduct them from the list based on that.

 

[Robrob]

McCarthy's role seems to be to act as an advocate and ask people to 'think for themselves' and consult research via Googleversity... which is why I concentrate on this, as I try to distinguish her advice from, say, James Randi or Penn&Teller or Mythbusters who are also unqualified celebrities using their fame as a platform to promote unconventional scientific opinions.

AFAIK, Mythbusters supports their opinions with actual experiments?

 

[wardenclyffe]

http://jennymccarthybodycount.com/Jenny_McCarthy_Body_Count/Whats_The_Harm.html

In case you haven't seen this site before.

Ward

 

[Axiom_Blade]

So are P&T, which is my point... skeptics have our own Jenny McCarthys and a lack of insight about it.

The difference is that P&T have much better evidence (usually) to back themselves up.

 

[tyr_13]

I was trying to figure this out, but I think it's more complicated than that. When I discuss these topics, none of the healthfraud fans really say that McCarthy's word was convincing in and of itself.

McCarthy's role seems to be to act as an advocate and ask people to 'think for themselves' and consult research via Googleversity... which is why I concentrate on this, as I try to distinguish her advice from, say, James Randi or Penn&Teller or Mythbusters who are also unqualified celebrities using their fame as a platform to promote unconventional scientific opinions.

Her advice is faulty far, far more often than any of the others you list to be completely wrong likely as a result of her not applying skeptical inquiry or valid reasoning, instead embracing many fallacies, while the rest use some combination of critical thinking, skeptical inquiry, scientific reasoning, and direct experimentation.

I know you're skeptical of skeptics but in a game of 'one of these things is not like the other' being incredibly wrong a lot should be an easy one to spot.

 

[BenBurch]

Sadly, some people totally lose their reasoning ability when a pretty face and a nice set of mammery glands are involved......

But... how does Jenny McCarthy do it then???

 

[abaddon]

But... how does Jenny McCarthy do it then???

Hur, hur, hur