Denis Leary Responds to Criticism

Denis Leary has made a statement in answer to the uproar of a couple of sentences from his book.  Here it is:

NEW YORK, Oct 15, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Denis Leary issued the following statement today in response to comments about his new book, "Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid."

The people who are criticizing the "Autism Schmautism" chapter in my new book "Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid" clearly have not read it.

Or if they have, they missed the sections I thought made my feelings about autism very clear: that I not only support the current rational approaches to the diagnoses and treatment of real autism but have witnessed it firsthand while watching very dear old friends raise a functioning autistic child.

The point of the chapter is not that autism doesn't exist -- it obviously does -- and I have nothing but admiration and respect for parents dealing with the issue, including the ones I know.

The bulk of the chapter deals with grown men who are either self- diagnosing themselves with low-level offshoots of the disease or wishing they could as a way to explain their failed careers and troublesome progeny.

Of course, this entire misunderstanding can be easily avoided simply by doing one thing -- reading the book.

Taking one or two sentences out of context -- especially when it involves an entire chapter devoted to the subject -- is unfair and ill-advised.

Too often in this country, everything gets reduced to simple sound bites and very very often those sound bites are not truly representative of an author or artist's point of view.

Please give me the benefit of the doubt by reading all of what I wrote before attacking me.

SOURCE Denis Leary
Copyright (C) 2008 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/denis-leary-statement-autism-comments/story.aspx?guid=%7B97656085-7FB9-4CCA-BC37-A76239D5D1A8%7D&dist=hppr

Comments

[J]

I agree that his tone was mean-spirited. However, I also agree that autism spectrum labels are slapped on WAY too many people. After further online reading I might be willing to give this "Asperger's" thing the benefit of the doubt a little bit, but 1 in 150? Denis Leary has somewhat of a point if that many kids are labeled! Have you read the so-called criteria? A lot of that stuff is just positive stuff twisted around or harmless quirks. Maybe some people don't want to be pathologized for being different. Maybe some WANT to be different and don't feel like outcasts just because they meet with a fair amount of disapproval. Even if someone does feel like an outcast for not "fitting in" that doesn't make the person mildly autistic. I don't think your kid is mildly autistic for hogging the shower when someone else is in a hurry, for taking "too much" of an interest in one thing, for having mannerisms that are a bit quirky, or even being somewhat socially awkward.
That said, sorry about the challenges faced by those genuinely touched by autism.

[Twyla]

Sean, Leary's point does not seem to be related at all to what you said.

You said that there are environmental toxins which could be triggering autism, resulting in a big increase in the rate of autism.

Leary said, "There is a huge boom in autism right now because inattentive mothers and competitive dads want an explanation for why their dumb-ass kids can't compete academically, so they throw money into the happy laps of shrinks . . . to get back diagnoses that help explain away the deficiencies of their junior morons. I don't give a [bleep] what these crackerjack whack jobs tell you - yer kid is NOT autistic. He's just stupid. Or lazy. Or both."

Being affected by environmental toxins is not the same as being stupid and/or lazy. And an actual increase in autism is not the same as parents throwing money at shrinks to get fake diagnoses.

[Sean]

I think this whole thing has been blown out of proportion; the attack on Leary, that is. I have a niece and nephew (brother & sister no less...)who have Autism and I agree with Leary that many people are looking for a "medical out" as to why they (or their children) are not performing up to standards...GET REAL AMERICA....one of the main reasons we are having the issues we have is due to the fact we as a nation are over medicating, overdoing, (over everything actually..).I believe firmly the meteoric rise for this disease is due to the fact we live in one of the most polluted
yet sterile environments on Earth. We are subjected daily to poisons that we would never consider getting near our pets or even our plants; yet we ingest or breathe them constantly.

I see what my brother & his wife have suffered through, including the strain it has put on their marriage. Autism was never this "common" 20-30 years ago. Yet I now can name at minimum 8 (eight) people who have a family member who has some form of Autism.

Leary's point is very much based on what I just outlined here; before condemming, please get all the facts.

[sdtech]

What? Read Autism Schmautism Chapter?!? You should be so lucky. This vicious verbal attack on our children and grandchildren that already suffer so much is bully behavior and cowardice for profit. We need to always be watchful for this type of evil and the harm it presents.

This sick behavior reminds us how lucky we are to be able to express our compassion, love, and humanity to our children and grandchildren - and - to be rewarded by their expressions of joy.

[samaxtics]

To all the Leary defenders,

This from an interview with Leary in November’s Vanity Fair:

Another chapter is titled “Autism Shamautism.”
"
Which is my favorite chapter."
I see vigilante autism woman Jenny McCarthy picketing your book tour.

"Great. That would be really good for me. It will help sell more books."
http://tinyurl.com/4wjjet

Notice he doesn’t explain that he is talking about grown men and not about parents like JM who do have a child with autism. Of course he’ll just whinge that this was also taken out of context. I could be giving Leary too much credit but the way I see it, writing and including that chapter in his book and then supplying that excerpt ahead of the release date was absolutely calculated to increase sales. Leary, you are a despicable wanker for trying to profit off the backs of our or any children.

[nikki]

I have read most of the comments left here about the statements and the apology from Denis Leary and to be quite honest with all of you, I think in one respect he was correct when he said " his words were taken out of context". The written word is very hard to comprehend in comparison to the spoken word, that is why two different people can read the same book and get different stories out of it. I think if he want to be completely understood he should make a copy of that chapter available to the public. I have an Autistic child and it is very hard to deal with. All the conflicting stories and information out there, it is very confusing to sort out what is real and what is a hoax.
I totally get the, "your lazy, stupid or both" comment. We all want an excuse for why our children do the things they do or are the way they are, but very rarely do most people get that explanation.
I personally didn't get an offended effect out of what he said, then again I read between the lines and I could be wrong, but all the Micheal Savage's, Denis Leary's, Amanda Peet's and whom ever else in the spotlight that wants to bash Autism and their families will not change the fact that it still exist. At the end of the day there will still be families out there across the country dealing with this on a daily basis no matter what they say or do.
SO WHO CARES WHAT THEY THINK! Anyone with an Autistic child knows the score, that education is the only way to deal with these people and if that don't work then, hit them where it really hurts, the BANK ACCOUNT. By simply banning these people that are in the public eye, that THINK they know what they are talking about then it will seriously hurt their income and maybe they will get a clue!!!
If Denis Leary really wants to know what real Autism looks like he should visit a home with an Autistic child and then run his mouth. It may very well be a different story that he is writing about then.

[jill]

i WAS a huge dennis leary fan, but now i will not be watching ruscue me next season. i am hurt. i am hnot only hurt by the words he said but also by the fact that he may have done this on purpose as a publicity stunt! you have lost a loyal fan and i'm sure many more!

[SAHDinPA]

When someone calls my autistic son a stupid, lazy, dumb-ass moron how can I "take that out of context"?

[Kim Davis]

If Dennis Leary were sincere in his apology and explanation, he would post a copy of the chapter in question, so we can all see for ourselves.

Since he is asking us to read something that isn't even out yet, and he's failed to make the chapter public, I cynically have to conclude that when he says "read the chapter" he means "buy my book".

Which means he's trying to make a buck off the people he's hurt. It's like sticking a knife in someone's back then charging them to remove it.

[Karen McDowell]

Just to add credence to the "self-promotion" angle, I looked on three different online shopping sites and the book isn't being released until November 18. Does anyone know the original source of these excerpts? I have little doubt that it was actually done by someone with an interest in promoting the book to create controversy and buzz leading up to its release, since we're all now being challenged to read something we don't even have access to yet.

[TR]

After reading all the posted comments i see that everyone, well almost everyone feels the same as me. This to me is UNBELIEVABLE, that someone famous will use the hardships that my son and our community go through every day to his advantage to sell his crappy book, when he mentions the people that he knows who deal with our "issues" - how much does he know, does he know how me and my wife feel every day knowing that there is a huge chance that my son will never experience life like its meant to be experienced, i mean everything that life has to offer EVERYTHING. Although we will adapt. Does he know that our children did nothing to deserve this, none of us did all we wanted to do is bring life into this world and protect them. F###in doctors, F###in pharmacists. Mr Leary, you absolutely suck, you have no idea what we experience with our issues. I am proud of my son and i am deeply saddened that thing are the way they are and it does not help when public figures use our community instead of doing good.
You Mr. Leary, whether you care or not have just lost a family of fans who will extend your comments and context to them who will in turn do the same to their family and friends

[Harry Hofherr]

Sign Lady,

I think Leary is a total asshole for even putting autism in a book meant to piss people off. He's just another wannabe taking cheap shots. I agree that life with autism is tougher than the wannabe's can ever imagine. I've been at this for a long time now.

I also realize the ND's are a tiny part of the spectrum, but they can be very annoying at times. Kind of like a zit on your nose the morning of a job interview. My point was simply that Leary's apology read like he was referring to them, and if that, in any way, annoys the ND's it will put a smile on my face.

[Robin Broyles]

At first I was outraged when I read the comments, and I was one of the many angry moms who wrote emails to Michael Savage and asked our local radio station to take action against him. But after reading the response from Mr. Oleary, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt; he's right that just taking one quote out of context is not enough to condemn him. I would have to read his book and place the comments in context.

[NB]

Okay...Leary says...

"The bulk of the chapter deals with grown men who are either self- diagnosing themselves with low-level offshoots of the disease or wishing they could as a way to explain their failed careers and troublesome progeny."

But, here's what he said that we are all ticked off about...

"There is a huge boom in autism right now because inattentive mothers and competitive dads want an explanation for why their dumb-ass kids can't compete academically, so they throw money into the happy laps of shrinks . . . to get back diagnoses that help explain away the deficiencies of their junior morons. I don't give a [bleep] what these crackerjack whack jobs tell you - yer kid is NOT autistic. He's just stupid. Or lazy. Or both."

This is specifically talking about kids. OUR kids. OR did I miss something here??

Leary, you are scum. Post your Autism chapter online so we can all read it. But you won't because you and your book have more of this type in it and we won't read it.

And you won't make any money...

[CooperHawkes]

As a longtime fan, I'll take your challenge Mr. Leary. I'll read your chapter at the bookstore without purchasing of course.

[Jenny]

Sure... if he posts the chapter for free. Why should I pay to read his crap just so I can be more pissed off.

No thanks Denis... and I hope you friends raising that autistic child disown you.

Dipsh*t.

[notimeforreading]

Reading? What's reading? That went out the window with movies and cooking and seeing my friends for a drink. Because between juggling therapists appointments and going to the opening of my son's amazing school tonight, and feeding him the right foods and trying to get him to go to sleep so we don't get the call to come back home, THERE IS NO TIME TO READ. And if there ever is time, I won't be reading Denis Leary's DOPEY DUM DUM book on dumb America. I am surrounded by ignorance every day thank you.

[G Cooke]

Denis,

Only someone who works in La-La Land, could equate autism with adult males. Get a reality check, autism harms 1 in 150 children. Your name has been added to my list of Hollywood elites that will never see a cent of my money. In a phase that you are apparently comfortable with F**K OFF.

[sign lady]

Harry,
The ND crowd is such a small fraction of adults on the spectrum. They only seem to exist online.

Leary and Savage's rants are making life more difficult for people who need to disclose their ASD diagnosis to an employer, a colleague, a teacher, a neighbor... you name it. And life is difficult enough.

[Maria Dwyer]

Friends, please see this for what it is. Denis Leary is using this as an opportunity to sell books. He's advising us to BUY his book, read the chapter in question and then we'll understand. This is a game to him designed to line his pockets at our expense. Let's be sure to reach out to all friends and family and make sure NO ONE connected to the autism community buys this hunk of crap. Then we win.

[A Stupid Lazy Parent]

Denis can still kiss my ass. Its like me writting something racial about someone and then saying "Its ok averyone because I am friends with that person" ....BullShit! Denis... I can forgive you as long as you become a spokesperson for Autism.

[paul]

My initial reaction after reading the book excerpt was one of extreme anger. In addition to being a parent of a 4 year old diagnosed with autism, I am also acquainted with one of Leary's friends and was well on my way to attacking Leary through him. But, the comments just didn't make sense. So, after taking a few minutes to reconsider my view of the situation I read this statement from Leary this morning and decided to reread the excerpt from the point he was claiming to make.

Now, I think perhaps these statements are being taken completely the wrong way, Denis has always been supportive of the Autism community. I now think that maybe somewhere in his head he feels like families are using a true and very real disorder to incorrectly excuse their own issues which, in his mind, are unrelated to Autism.

I for one am going to cool my jets for a few day and keep my own biases aside until I can read the book, and hopefully hear more from Denis on this. Remember, our goals as parents should be to teach understanding and acceptance. Leary is clearly coming out and saying that what was written wasn't intended in the context it is now being taken. Shouldn't that mean more? Consider this - more people are going to read his quote - "I have nothing but admiration and respect for parents dealing with the issue, including the ones I know," than will read the actual book!

[ObjectiveAutismDad]

"Out of context"??? Because most of the chapter is about grown men??? So why does the quoted section explicitly refer to kids??? What BS. I'm going to go out of my way to find this book at the bookstore and library and accidentally misplace it in the travel section under Kazakhstan.

[Lisa Brown]

Shame on you Denis. We live in Worcester and my brother is a Worcester Firefigher. Do you think kids and relatives of fire fighters in Worcester are immune from Autism? If you think we actually make up Autism please, please come to visit my sons school the next time you are in Worcester. Its on Main St. not far from the Webster Sq. fire station you support. You can get a first hand look at the junior morons you target in your book. And you can meet a few of the inattentive mothers that have dedicated their lives to helping these kids.

[Kristi]

Someone asked how Palin is supposed to be knowledgeable on autism when her son has Downs, not autism. Her sisters child has autism. I don't know if this is her neice or nephew.

[shellie]

Dennis Leary, you arrogant and ignorant SOB!
You, along with Amanda Peet and Mike Savage have not a clue about the Autism Spectrum Disorder and its causes. It's called a SPECTRUM for a reason, by the way! Go read a book on this debilitating disorder before you open up your mouth. Your comments are hateful and disrespectful to the families working hard and spending loads of personal income to help their children learn how to function in our society.

[curt linderman sr]

As I stated yesterday on my Autism One Radio show, why don't you, Dennis, come over to my house, and after I beat the living crap out of you in my yard for the moronic and insensitive words that basically called my son a moron, you can lick your wounds and spend a week in my world. Unlike your idiot show, there are no stunt doubles in the world of autism....so come prepared.
I AM SICK AND TIRED OF PLAYING NICE WITH IDIOTS LIKE YOU!

[Harry Hofherr]

Okay, I'm not a big fan of his nor am I defending him, but when he says; "The bulk of the chapter deals with grown men who are either self- diagnosing themselves with low-level offshoots of the disease or wishing they could as a way to explain their failed careers and troublesome progeny." I get the sense that he's taking aim at the ND crowd. And honestly, that makes me smile.

[Tanners Dad]

I for one have mixed emotions. Yes their comments were hurtful. I can not comprehend the ignorance in 2008. History will look back on this and say what barbarians. There is no justification for this treatment of the meekest of the meek.

There is a promise to the world... That we will not let the holocaust happen again. Well wake up people. A group gets segregated. A group gets ridiculed. A group gets poisoned. A group gets all sorts of stupid tests done to them. People die. People die. Children die. Children are guinea pigs. The world suffers and should be embarrassed by lack of alarm.

I thought this post would be about our freedoms. The more I read the comments I was to hurt to go that direction. The holocaust reference is not to be taken lightly. We are witnessing the death/loss of a generation. 1 in 6 of our children now have cognitive delays. Something is rotten in Denmark, Boise, Muscatine, Chicago, and Wasilla. In tears for our kids....

http://www.causecast.org/member/tanners-dad

[Gayle]

I'll betcha his "dear old friends" with the "functioning autistic child" won't be his friends after reading his book!

Twyla - You are way too funny! I think you would be a much funnier comedian than this guy.

[Dana Read]

Is there some secret "fake" autistics society that we're unaware of? Why all of his rage over people using autism as an excuse for their failures? This is made up BS and gives people a pass to bully kids and adults who are different. It's still disgusting. However, I will read his chapter. I'm not going to buy the book but I'll sit down in Barnes and Noble and read it before I pass further judgement.

[htbenz]

Angela:

Good point, Jenny McCarthy put out a whole chapter from her book:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/story?id=5878229&page=1

Why doesn't Denis Leary put his Autism chapter out on the web?

[sleeplessmom]

I used to be a fan of Denis Leary, no longer! Rush, Michael, Amanda, and now Denis! Oh, yes, we can add Gov. Sarah Palin to this group too! For someone who has an infant with down syndrome, yes, not autism! Two very different disorders. How is she a "so called" expert in autism? May I also ask, because she is out campaigning, is she really spending the time with her child? I think we all know the answer to that!

[Twyla]

Denis Leary, you're a f**king idiot.

If that sounds harsh, it's only because my words are being taken out of context.

[Give me a break!]

"Or if they have, they missed the sections I thought made my feelings about autism very clear: that I not only support the current rational approaches to the diagnoses and treatment of real autism but have witnessed it firsthand while watching very dear old friends raise a functioning autistic child."

Please let us know what the current rational approaches to autism are. Its a shame your book didn't elaborate on those. Might that have been an example of your service to the autism community?

Or does service to the autism community come in the form of bashing the kids and the parents? Now that's the package we are accustomed to - the pediatricians, the AAP, the CDC, the NDs, Amanda Peet, the Mike Savages, and now you. Oh by the way, seemingly Sarah Palin knows all about autism too. That is the latest soundbite.

[Garbo]

Oh, what a d**k. Gee, let my publicist put this inflamatory B.S. I wrote on Page Six so that everyone will take it out of context and we can reap the whirlwind of publicity for my otherwise moribund book. Puhleez. How stoopid duz he think we iz? Yeah mon. I'm sure you're down with biomed and the struggle vs. the CDC and AAP and FDA. This is just your double secret reverse psychology way of showing it.

[Kerbob1]

http://kerboblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-do-you-boycott-denis-leary.html

[Angela Warner]

Well, Well, Well...

If that is really what it's all about Denis, don't you think you should have made the entire chapter available to the autism community to read for free???

If I was a published author whose writing cost a price, my ethics and moral obligation would have caused me to do exactly that. Share my "work" for free to the community in particular for whom I caused pain.

It appears that the statement of Mrs. Kim Stagliano were dead on accurate. If they weren't then I challenge you to release the chapter in it's entirety to the public, free of charge. You might vindicate not only yourself, but the community that you hurt with your words; children impacted by autism, and their parents who fight so hard on so many different levels to help them recover!

I know that's what I'll be looking for. Otherwise I'm writing you off as a kook and maybe a crook.

[Laura]

While I appreciate that words can be taken out of context, his response regarding grown men does nothing to explain his thoughts on "dumb ass" kids and inattentive mothers/competitive fathers. Puh-leez Mr. Leary. Not buying it. Context or not.

[sdtech]

Regarding “Please give me the benefit of the doubt by reading all of what I wrote before attacking me.”

Someone else already read this book. Unless they misquoted it, then his words are an attack and affront to children desperately in need. Such a despicable statement cannot be dismissed and forgotten.

But no one is beyond redemption. He could donate all proceeds of the book to autism research and advocacy, join others on talk shows to promote vaccine safety, and learn about autism and the courageous stories of family members living with autism daily. And maybe then he could write a decent and caring book.

[Josh]

Can anyone who has the book confirm this? Was it taken out of context?

I'm going out tomorrow. I may hit up a bookstore and thumb through the chapter... I'm a fast reader... and come back with my take.

[Jeanne]

Bullshit. Oops.. can you say that on this channel?

Someone wants to sell books.

[Ginger Taylor]

So we should purchase your book to find out which of us you actually are insulting? Right.

How 'bout you send us a copy of the chapter.

[Fielding J. Hurst]

I think the key element in this apology is "read my book". I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but I've already deleted Rescue Me from the DVR playlist.

"dumb-ass kids", "deficiencies of their junior morons", "yer kid is NOT autistic", "There is a huge boom in autism right now because of inattentive mothers and competitive dads".

I get what he is trying to say in his comments on the uproar, but he is still speaking in absolutes, which is also "is unfair and ill-advised."

I assume that he is talk about Aspergers when he says "grown men who are either self- diagnosing themselves with low-level offshoots of the disease." It just so happens that there really are a lot of people with Aspergers who grew up unaware exactly why they where they way they were. Denis, please read Look Me in the Eye (http://jerobison.blogspot.com/)and you will see how unfair you are being to real people with these real issues all in the name of making fun of some fakers. Like many people his age, Robison grew up unaware that he had Asperger's Syndrome.

I would love to have Denis come stay with me for a week. Maybe if he's lucky, my daughter could fake a seizure for him too since we are one of the lucky 1/4 to 1/3 of cases with seizures.

Drop me a line, Denis,(http://autismparents.net) and we'll make room for you in the spare bedroom.

FJH

[Kasey]

Yanno Denis......I still think I 'll pass on future seasons of rescue me. I think you are now trying to cover your ass!