Jenny McCarthy has landed the big one. From now on she will be rich and will be given some sort of honorary title. No, minion wouldn't be a good title. Jenny has become the latest person to be blessed by Oprah and will soon have her own television show, magazine and Dr. Phil's sweet affection. Following in the footsteps of Phil and Rachael Ray, Jenny was signed to a deal by Harpo which should make her a billionaire sometime in the next year, give Jim Carrey a sidekick job if he can't get work, and give her an hour everyday to talk about how vaccines are ruining the world.
I'm happy for her. I didn't realize she was mogul material, but she certainly works her butt off, is funny and has written some best selling books so she does fit into the mold of an Oprahinion. Kind of a mashup with Oprah and minion. No? I will work on it. How about just onion? The magazine Onion might get mad though.
Jenny's first assignment was a blog on Oprah's website. Next week she will have her own television show. Probably in two weeks her own magazine and sometime in the next month or so she will be given a country. A small one to start.
you forgot ugly dr. oz. he is getting his own show.
ReplyDeletethis is a deal that is too good to pass up. kudos to her. i, too, would try to hop on oprah's ship if i could.
I say good for her. Whatever your views on vaccines, Jenny McCarthy has certainly promoted discussion. Parents are at least asking questions.
ReplyDeletePorn star to Oprah star. Can't say she is stupid. Also can't say I like anything she does.
ReplyDeleteWell Oprah likes enabling cult members to spread the word. Jenny is a devout follower of some crazy chick. Damn I can't remember the name right now. Don't even get me started on her lies regarding vaccines.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how I feel about this. Yes, I like that she is passionate about autism awareness, but I don't think she's speaking with 100% accuracy. She is funny and I liked reading her pregnancy book when I was pregnant, but there's just something very offputting about her as a talk show host/future mogul.
ReplyDeleteP.S. does anyone else remember her infamous Candies ad?
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ReplyDeleteAnonMom, I had forgotten about that until you mentioned it. She was pretty gross back then (still is?).
ReplyDeleteYet, I've liked her since the "Singled Out" days on MTV.
I don't think Oprah would let "her people" have their own magazine. What if. god forbid, it sold more than her magazine. Can't let that happen.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely watch a Dr. Oz show. He does an excellent job of breaking down the medical jargon for those of us who are not in the profession.
GMAFB. She has spread so much false information about autism and vaccines and now she's suckered in junk science lover Oprah. I hope Amanda Peet is the first guest.
ReplyDelete@littleoleme: tunnelvision much?
ReplyDeleteI know three people with autistic children and of the three, two say their kids first exhibited signs of autism after their vaccinations. Would it stop me from vaccinating my child? No, but if you care to educate yourself with an actual person's genuine experiences in this regard, it's hard to ignore the correlation. Also, changes in diet (free from additives, chemicals and in two cases, gluten) have had massive positive changes on all three kids' progress. Just sayin'.
Not an Oprah fanatic, but I will admit to liking most of her 'offspring' with the exception of Dr.Phil. Most of the time, her shows are about the 'real people' and she promotes discussion in a world of reality/dancing/singing/housewifing/batcheloretting/top modeling idiots.
Oh, and Dr.Oz rocks.
Okay, this REALLY pisses me off. Jenny McCarthy has completely ignored the large, nearly conclusive body of evidence that strongly suggests NO link between vaccines and autism. She has done HUGE harm by convincing many parents to not vaccinate their children.
ReplyDeleteShe's a superstitious, vacuous woman, and now she has an even higher platform from which to spew her ignorant pseudo-scientific blather.
The few shreds of respect I still had for Oprah have now dissolved completely.
Kat, your post is exactly what the kind of misinformation I'm talking about.
ReplyDeleteOkay kids, all together now, repeat after me:
Correlations does not equal causation.
Kat, you forgot Oprah dove into reality tv with the Big Give show.
ReplyDeleteTHAT was a complete joke!
She is trying to advocate the development of vaccines without certain additives though, she's not just saying "don't vaccinate your kids". I really don't know much about the subject though.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time with this woman. I think she is really intelligent but something about the way she talks just drives me nuts. Just...please...slow down...take a breath...now answer the question.
Enty, don't you mean, "Jenny has become the latest person to be blessed by THE Oprah?" (There can be only one...)
ReplyDeleteSide me with those are becoming increasingly annoyed with what I call the "Hollywood scientific community." Many of these people couldn't pass basic biology in high school, yet are now "experts" on whatever topic chooses their fancy - many times without benefit of any real scientific backup. I realize that Jenny McCarthy has a personal interest in the vaccination question, but that personal stake does not make her an expert. People that buy into these causes based on the expertise of an actor/actress/entertainer are fools.
You're right figgy, one cannot conclude that smoke always means fire. It could mean...I don't know, instaneous combustion? Someone thinking really hard? Like I said, I personally know parents of children who genuinely have autism and THEY feel like there is something very fishy about it all. Whether or not it's true remains to be seen, but as no one knows what the causes are, it seems wise to keep the experiences of others close. And diet definitely has something to do with it, too. I've seen the effects of McDonald's on one eighteen-year-old with Asperger's firsthand and it was telling. Autism is exploding, particularly in males, and the reasons why are, in my opinion, rooted in something environmental.
ReplyDeleteIs Jenny McCarthy an expert? Hardly, but at least she's trying to explore the causes and possible solutions, and she's getting people talking. I think her passion is admirable, frankly.
Harriet, I wish Jenny would read up on the facts; "those additives," e.g., thimerosol, have already (years ago) been removed from vaccines.
ReplyDelete@ not on my dollar
ReplyDeleteYeah, I don't quite know what the show was all about. I tried to watch it and just found myself getting annoyed. I'm with you on that one.
Enty, how about Oprinion? Kinda sounds like it's Oprah's OPINION, too, dontcha think? ;)
ReplyDeleteFiggy, you took the words out of my mouth. Correlation does not equal causation. It makes me really mad to hear illinformed people like Jenny make huge assumptions about vaccines causing autism. The fact is we just don't know what causes autism. It's frustrating to see vaccines, which have saved countless lives the world over, being singled out as the cause for all our kids problems. Leave it to old 'Opi' to give credibility to such foolish 'junk science'. You have to take everything Oprah promotes with a grain of salt, because for her, it's not about helping people, as much as it is about helping her wallet.
ReplyDeleteI say "Mini-Oh" for Minions of Oprah.
ReplyDeleteI lol at Babs use of "Hollywood scientific community." EXACTLY. Jenny McCarthy has chosen to ignore years and years of research that shows that vaccines and the solutions in which they're mixed do not cause autism, nor are even correlated statistically. Just because I eat pickles and then get a bloody nose doesn't mean that the pickle caused the bloody nose (unless, of course, I stuck the pickle up my nose like an idiot). Now if 100,000 people ate a pickle and then got a bloody nose, there would be a correlation.
How many kids a year get vaccines and DON'T get autism? Now that's the correlation!
All that said, McCarthy is just livin' la Vida Hollywood, so she has no idea that she's taken an idiotic stance on a world health topic. ANd at least she's funny. That's more than I can say for Denise Richards, Eva Longoria and Jessica Simpson.
I'm with you, Figgy. Because of her comments SO many parents are not researching themselves to come to their own conclusions and instread have relied on this twit to convince them not to vaccinate their kids. Now, measles are on the rise. Measles which can leave you blind, and a male sterile. I do NOT believe that there is a link between vaccines and Autism. I've spent hours and hours researching this, asking questions and just being a nuisance to any health care professional who i come across. I too have come across parents who are convinced that their kids became autistic overnight from the MMR jab. But if, like with Jenny, you scratch the surface you soon find out that the children were exhibiting autistic traits before the vaccine, the parent just hadn't recognized them yet (Jenny shot herself in the foot when she was describing Evan before the shot - he exhibited classic autism traits yet she just thought they were quirky not autism, but she still blames the vaccine). I think parents are desperate to blame something, but thr truth is noone is to blame, it's just a very sad occurance.
ReplyDeleteI have 2boys and even though they are not autistic i have them on a gluten free diet. Reason being is that my husband is Ceoliac and it's just easier for the whole family if we ate totally gluten free. I have to say that their behaviour off gluten is significantly different to the occasions when they have gluten. I thnk gluten free diet is beneficial to everyone, not just autistic kids.
One last point re Jenny: the biggest bullshit she's ever come out with is saying that her son is cured of autism. Does. Not. Happen. Why is Oprah giving this hugely irresponsible person a show????
Kat, I can sympathize with the parents who are worried when the first signs of autism appear immediately after a round of vaccinations.
ReplyDeleteBut that's why we cannot rely on anecdotal (like, cousin-of-a-friend stories) evidence for conclusions. Only the examination of several large-scale studies (i.e., a meta-analysis) can hope to uncover whether or not there is a causal relationship.
And here's the thing: meta-analyses of methodologically rigorous studies HAVE been done. And the conclusion is that there is NO causal relationship between immunizations and autism.
Food? Maybe, I don't know anything about that. With all the crap that's in our food now (especially animal products) it wouldn't surprise me.
Oprah is guilty of pushing junk science and giving idiots air time. She should be ashamed of herself. She did it with scaring everyone about how AIDS was going to kill us now and now she's doing it with the this idiot McCarthy.
ReplyDelete"...and Dr. Phil's sweet affection."
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like one of the levels of hell.
Thanks, figgy,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you that people shouldn't put stock in what a celebrity says, as well as the idea that it's a mistake to believe the stories of what a friend of a friend has gone through. Of the three people I know with autistic kids, two are very, very close to me, as are their children, and while I don't know what kind of relationship exists between vaccinations and the onset of austism, I do wholeheartedly encourage any investigation into it. Like with drugs, if you have a predisposition toward some kind of mental illness i.e schizophrenia, drug use is very often a trigger. Basically, what I'm getting at is that if a kid is born with a predisposition toward autism, isn't it at least possible that a vaccine which is relatively harmless to the majority of the population could serve as a catalyst?
I don't know, I'm not a doctor, and I totally understand the opinions of everyone here who don't think there's a relationship between the two. I'm just not closing the door completely, yet.
I find Jenny McCarthy's anointing as a bestselling autism diagnostician and the next Oprinion (Thank you, cageykiwi!) even more loathesome than the entitlements bestowed on idiot celebrities whose, er, literary gifts qualify them for publishing contracts as novelists (e.g. Nicole Richie) and children's book authors.
ReplyDeleteGee Kat, by looking at the other responses I guess I'm not the only one here with tunnel vision. And I'm curious; do I have this ocular problem because my view differs from yours?
ReplyDeleteStill trying to find that crazy belief Jenny McC subscribes to.
Here it is! She calls herself an Indigo mom.
Indigo children is a concept developed by Nancy Anne Tappe describing children who are alleged to possess special traits or abilities. Beliefs about indigo children range from their being the next stage in human evolution, possessing paranormal abilities such as telepathy, to the belief that they are simply more empathetic and creative than their non-indigo peers. There is no science or studies that give credibility to the existence or traits of indigo children. Many children labeled "indigo" are diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Skeptics suggest that the indigo phenomenon is due to parents preferring to believe their children are special, rather than having a medical diagnosis which implies damage or imperfection. Also criticized are the traits used to describe children, which have been compared to the Forer effect - so vague as to be able to apply to anyone.
The concept was initially developed in the 1970s, gaining popular interest with the publication of a series of books in the late 1990s and the release of several films in the following decade. A variety of books, conferences and related materials have been created surrounding the idea of indigo children, which have been criticized for a means of making money off of credulous parents.
Here's more - this relates to what she believes. Btw - the site is now children of the new earth or something like that.
ReplyDeleteFollowing a link in the Jenny McCarthy blurb, I jumped over to IndigoMoms.com - "hosted" by Jenny - an online community forged to support and educate those who believe that they, and/or their kids, are Indigos or Crystals, which are defined as: awakened and enlightened Master Souls who carry with them Divine wisdom and Universal Truths. They are here as a soul group to share their gifts, insights, and vision, which help to energetically shift the Earth’s frequency, as well as, raise the consciousness of all of humanity. They are the Trailblazers, and Spiritual Warriors, who are here to breakdown and remove old paradigm systems and beliefs, which no longer serve the greater good. They are the reminders of who we are and from where we came."
It seems to me that Jenny already has a huge negative rating, even if a few people do love her - a lot like Hilary Clinton during the election.
ReplyDeleteSeems odd to me that Oprah didn't look at that when planning a talk show.
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ReplyDeleteNutty,
ReplyDeleteOprah is all about ratings which equal money in her pocket. There are a lot of people who find Dr. Phil annoying but that doesn't effect his ratings or Oprah's pocketbook.
I'm sure Oprah has already tested Jenny's ratings and obviously it has a positive effect on the Mighty O's purse.
Yeah, I agree with you Nutty - is she aware of how many people actually dislike McCarthy?
ReplyDeleteAnd what really makes me angry is when people talk about how they FEEL is if though their kids became autistic with the shot. I dont care what you FEEL happened, unless you are a doctor and you can prove a causation, what you are really doing is feeding into an epidemic that will kill children. Yes, kill them. There was a reason for why these vaccines were manufactured, and by taking your kids out of those programs (without any proof that they are harmful!) you are putting the community at large at risk.
The diagnostic criterion for autism has changed over the years. This has increased the number of diagnoses as there is a broader range of behaviors included in the autism spectrum.
ReplyDeleteThe age of the onset of autistic symptoms coincides with the age in which the suspected vaccines are given.
Changes in diet, the use of supplements, and various therapies are helpful to some autistic children.
None of this means that autism is caused by vaccines. The original British study on which most of these claims are based was found to methodologically flawed.
@littleoleme
ReplyDeleteI used the term 'tunnelvision' in reference to your first post which was kind of acerbic and lacking sensitivity. I respect everyone's differing opinions, yours included, and I haven't outright said I believe vaccinations are the cause of autism, because I don't. Sure, many opinions expressed here are largely in opposition to the interpretations of McCarthy's theories and I can't say for certain what I think of them, but I do think it's worth investigating.
I think it's great that people are willing to surf the net, copy and paste information, but living it, or seeing how others are dealing with it firsthand is probably a more reasonable method for arriving at a decision. Obviously, this issue will cause an emotional reaction in people, but it doesn't seem prudent to use words like 'cult' or 'crazy' or 'lie' to get a point across. I guess that was what I was referring to, though it may have been unfair of me to infer that you aren't openminded, in fact, if anything it shows your passion. At the end of the day, everyone probably just wants the same thing: an understanding about what autism is and how to deal with it.
As for Oprah's people checking things out before going ahead with Jenny's deal, obviously this was intensely researched. Oprah, no matter what anyone else thinks of her, is not stupid. As much as I loathe Dr.Phil, he's doing pretty well as is Rachael Ray. Somebody must be watching.
Peace.
i have no real opinion but what you all seem to be forgetting is before Jenny, NO ONE really talked about autism. You may not agree with her but you have to give props to her for shining a light, ANY light on it, when no one would touch it before in Holloywood.
ReplyDeletei'm looking at you Travolta.
Kat, you said I had tunnel vision because you don't like me saying she is a liar. I say she is one because of the twisted information she dishes out and the effed up beliefs she witholds. It is this believe that absolves her of any "responsibilty" for the heatlh of her child.
ReplyDeleteHer misleading and misinforming the public is cruel and deliberate and as someone else here wrote we haven't seen certain illnesses in children for years because of vaccines.
So I'm so sorry if I wasn't nicer about my distaste for Jenny McCarthy. Next time I'll be as thoughtful as she is when I make my comments.
As for me copying and pasting from the web, yeah I did. Because I want people to know what J.M's head space is. It's like telling everyone what Tom Cruise believes in so people can understand where he really comes from when he says post depression can be treated with exercise and vitamins.
Both are incredibly ill informed people who are guiding people towards to lies and misconceptions and possible in the long run heartache.
If that makes my comments acerbic, so be it.
Had to get back to work so sorry my last couple of sentences are full of errors everyone.
ReplyDeleteOprah + Minion = Opinion?
ReplyDeleteEveryone around her seems to have one. Whether or not they are right is another story, and people have to do more research and decide for themselves.
Thanks for the info on the Indigo kids. I'd heard the term, but was pretty vague on the concept. Two words: What. Next.
ReplyDeleteHaving now wiped the tears of combined laughter + dismay from my eyes, allow me to recommend a site that I think is helpful when examining any extraordinary-sounding claim: www.skeptic.com
Here's more Indigo fun
ReplyDeletehttp://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=273543875186010416
The for the Skeptic site! It's very interesting.
I love that place, too. They have a pretty awesome podcast as well - speaking of which, have you guys seen that the TED speakers can now be downloaded as podcasts? they have a huge number of speakers, in different areas of expertice, but they all share fascinating stories.
ReplyDeletelittleoleme, no, I don't like anyone calling someone a liar if they're not, by definition, lying. How can she be lying if she believes what she's saying? That's just stupid.
ReplyDeleteAs Jax said, at least she's talking about it and by extension, getting other people to talk. Thinking might be good, too.
You know what Kat, as you said, we can all have our own opinions. I think she's a wretched, cult belonging, I'm-not-even-going-to-bother-telling-have-the-truth liar.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, someone may have said something along the lines of "well at least it's got people talking about autism." True. But it also has many people falsely believing there is a cure for autism. That's a lie and it is harmful and hurtful. I believe she is doing much more harm than good.
I did it again! Oy!
ReplyDeleteHalf the truth not have the truth.
Sheesh, get back to work LOM.
and not talking about any facet of autism makes it appear shameful and something to be hidden or embarassed about.
ReplyDeleteeveryone has their opinions on how to best raise their children, I say let them have at it.
if i had an autistic child i'd want ALL THE INFO i could find to best decide what worked for me and my child,not what the majority deems acceptible. autism seesm to have about a million variables per case, so how can we be so vain to think we have all the answers?
IMO.
If I have heard Ms. McCarthy correctly on her many TV appearances she doesn't promote no vaccines
ReplyDeleteshe advocates waitng until the little things are a bit older and can handle the multitude of shots that invade their little bodies too early for them to handle. I agree with her.
Thanks Cheryl; I was reading through all the comments wondering to myself why the points you made had not yet been brought up.
ReplyDeleteAs to JM, I think she is passionate and clearly believes that her opinions are well-informed. That doesn't make her an expert though and frankly I wouldn't hold her opinion any higher than I would any random mom's. Actually I'd probably think less of it, since she lives in LA and is primarily a comedienne/actress/model (and not a very good one at that IMO).
As to Oprah, Gross. Does anyone actually like this woman anymore? I quit even randomly tuning in years ago when I happened to randomly check in on three or four consecutive days, and every single one was about some wacked-out sexual problem/issue. Her stance was that we needed to accept that these problems were widespread, normal and should be included. I don't recall exactly what issues they were but they were along the lines of something you'd see on Maury Povich. What galled me was her tone...Mama Oprah out to save us from ourselves. Gag. She may be shrewd and business-savvy but I find what comes out of her mouth to be utterly stupid.
B626 - the problem with waiting is that we now live in a daycare culture where instead of kids spending the bulk of their time insulated in their families as their immune system develops, they're put in close quarters with usually 20-30 kids. A 2 year old is gonna have a damned hard time fighting off measles or whooping cough.
ReplyDeleteAs a future medical professional, I just want to say, kudos CDAN for being informed!
Also, if you don't vaccinate your kid, you can be tried for murder. It's true - I saw it on Law & Order. ;)
ReplyDeleteI prefer the term "Winfrite" (or Winfright) myself.
ReplyDeleteSo Jenny's an Indigo Winfrite?