Jerry Seinfeld Confronted by Autistic Self Advocate

Jerry Seinfeld was the headliner at the 2009 Concert for Autism Speaks. Hours before the show, an autistic self advocate, opposed to the stigmatizing message broadcast to the public by Autism Speaks, including "I Am Autism", "Autism Everyday" and other PSA's and literature asks Jerry Seinfeld not to support stigmatization.

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Nonprofits & Activism

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• autism

[Rikamaru2323]

Speak for yourself....asperger's is nothing compared to classic autism...at least you CAN speak...my son is classically autistic, and when I hear aspies compare the issues they face to the issues of truly autistic people, it makes me angry. Autism Speaks is an organization that has raised more awareness about autism that any other in the past. Now when my 8 year old son has a tantrum in the store, people are much kinder.

[AutisticsSpeak]

My son has autistic disorder as well and you are correct, the two are in some ways not similar. I'm glad you get some understanding when your child has an overload in a public space. I however, have never experienced such an enlightened public and my son is in a constant wave of discrimination. I'm not happy with the negative portrayal of autistic children by AS. I have a child with autistic disorder and he is far more nuanced than AutSpeaks presents.

[Rikamaru2323]

the only way to enlighten the public is by telling them your son in autistic during a meltdown...THEN they are more understanding....most people anyway.....my point was that AS put autism on the map....before that, the only reference was Rain Man..Autism speaks tends to portray the more affected children, like my son, because lets face it, the high functioning, aspie types ARE much more functional, and have a better chance of living a somewhat normal life. You have aspergers, and you have a son

[AutisticsSpeak]

Yes, they are more understanding in a pity sort of way. Autism Speaks didn't put autism on the map, they rather exploited it as the cause du jour today. Autism was huge in the 50s-60s in mainstream media, died down again in the 70's-90's and has picked up again in the 2000's. Now they are stigmatizing my son and I think disability awareness can be raised without that. See the Uk's NAS. Even Autism Speaks UK has distanced itself from the ads from Aut. Spks. US.

[treitmaniac]

It seems like he was told to "Just ignore the Protesters" and this was the result.

[AutisticsSpeak]

This was 3 hours before the protest and outside the stage entrance. I don't think AS knew about the protests when this video was being shot.

[BaltoLoneWoolf]

@admmak,

Having autism/Asperger's or any mental disorder does not mean you don't understand what people are saying or we can't have our feelings hurt over what they say. I find it stupid that people can't take the time to know what autism really is, and not just immediately assume that because they have a mental handicap, they are retarded. You guys have time to look at a "sneezing panda", but not research a little about things you don't really know. NT's. *rolls eyes*

[aspie182]

@gullwing14 Do not worry, gullwing. One day one of Hans Asperger's "kids" will invent a device that enables the user to make a target experience the same psychological and emotional pain they feel on a daily basis, and a lot of ignorant little normies will be checking out very soon thereafter.

[aspie182]

You know, when I was a little boy, I thought that certain celebrities were "the shit", so to speak. But as a man, I have learned just how incredibly ignorant they frequently are, and how ignorant a lot of people who support them are. In my teens, Seinfeld's show made me think "what an ignorant, normalistic little asshole". If nothing else, this video irrefutably confirms what I was thinking.

[aspie182]

@Rikamaru2323 Divisionists like you are not part of the solution, you are a big, big part of the problem.

Autism Speaks has not done a thing to raise awareness of anything. They are fearmongers, and in the eyes of many who have been diagnosed after suffering PTSD symptoms due to a lifetime of abuse, no better than the Ku Klux Klan. Jerry Seinfeld can eat my filth.

[admmak]

@gullwing14 no, you don't have asperger's... if you had it you wouldn't be able to understand seinfeld and you wouldn't be hurt by this

[gunmoon2]

@foresam

Fuck you foreskin!

[gullwing14]

I also have Asperger's Syndrome (and don't any of you say it's not real autism!) and Seinfeld is my favorite show, and to see this really hurts me.

[Burtonnut]

What a jerk! Why would he support Autism Speaks?

[Stephie2007]

REALLY JERRY REALLY??!!? Fine no laughs for you! you S.O.B!

[LthrnZack]

Jerry Seinfeld can go suck shit through a fucking tube.