Denis Leary responds to critics of his Autism writings

**Honey** · October 18th, 2008, 11:55 PM

Denis Leary says he's been misquoted and misunderstood.

The comic actor sparked a firestorm of criticism, even among his Hollywood colleagues, for a passage in his new book Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid saying that autism diagnoses "help explain away the deficiencies of (parents') junior morons."

"The point of the chapter is not that autism doesn't exist – it obviously does," Leary, 51, says in a statement. He says his beef is 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 the Rescue Me star's explanation didn't stop the attacks.

"If he was trying to be funny, he failed miserably," says actress Holly Robinson Peete, whose son Rodney, 10, has autism. "If he was trying to sound informed, he came off as ignorant."

The chapter, which Leary called "Autism Schmautism," also provoked advocacy group Autism United to call for a book boycott and a picket outside Leary's Nov. 12 appearance in Boston.

Autism activist Jenny McCarthy tells Access Hollywood that Leary is "obviously stupid," but not worth getting upset over.

Denis Leary Responds to Critics of His Autism Writings - Denis Leary : People.com

**Corsair** · October 19th, 2008, 12:18 AM

Jenny said it best, but I still want to kick him in the nuts. ADD/ADHD overdiagnosed? Probably. Autism, not a diagnosis any parent I know accepted with ease or looked for. The parents I know, hoped it WASN'T and took a while to accept it. Including me.

**Dahli** · October 19th, 2008, 12:31 AM

Robinson said more that was good

"I feel like like autism is just not a good punch line and Denis Leary should know better. It's not funny," Peete told Usmagazine.com at the High School Musical 3 premiere in L.A. on Thursday.
The issue is a personal one for Peete: her son Rodney, 10, has autism.
"It's not funny," Peete said. "I remember what Chris Rock said when Michael Richards had his issue saying the N word; he said the real problem was that he wasn't funny. To me, Leary is a funny guy but he
had a real big misstep with this one."

**AgentOrange** · October 19th, 2008, 01:20 AM

"My comments about those dumb kids and their lazy parents was taken totally out of context." Just like Sarah Bernhardt and gang rape. Well they were both heavily nuanced statements.

Maybe his next target could be dyslexics?? Child So Stupid She Sees Letters Backwards | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Anyone remember that guy who got booted off of Big Brother after he said his big ambition with the prize money was 'to open a hair salon for retards, so they could get it together'? Anyone think that Leary's comments are actually fairly common opinion of the 'don't say out loud' variety??

**McJag** · October 19th, 2008, 07:19 AM

At least he has been feeling the heat.

**katerpillar** · October 19th, 2008, 11:08 AM

My opinion is still the same. He's still a douchebag, who should have shut the fuck up instead of saying stupid crap.

Funny he should be ranting about grown men with failed careers doing desperate and pathetic things...

**Lobelia** · October 19th, 2008, 11:11 AM

It's always annoying when people who aren't qualify to diagnose anything say that something is overdiagnosed.

**irishpig** · October 19th, 2008, 06:35 PM

Oy. I know I'm going to catch crap for this, but...

He said he was talking about all the spoiled Hollywood men, who have decided they have a medical condition, but have never been diagnosed. I totally know the type, so do you...they couldn't possibly be bored like the rest of us in a meeting, because of their superior intellect, so they must be ADD. All those who never take responsibility for their actions... they don't act like pretentious douchbags because they are pretentious douchbags, but because they have (insert current medical condition in the news.) No, they didn't bother getting a doctor to diagnose them...they are so smart they know more than the doctor anyway. I don't think he was talking about children and families struggling with a real medical condition, and really, people who claim a condition to excuse their douchbaggery do more damage to the PR for that disease than Leary has done. And Jenny, many autism families aren't big fans of yours either, claiming you have cured your child thru diet while their child is still locked up inside themselves, no matter what they try. Many don't believe your child had autism, just severe food allergies with symptoms that mimic autism.

**irishpig** · October 19th, 2008, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by katerpillar

Funny he should be ranting about grown men with failed careers doing desperate and pathetic things...

He stars in and is the creator and a writer for Rescue Me, one of the best shows on TV. That show has been nominated for Emmys and Golden Globes, among other awards, every year it's been on, and he has been nominated as an actor and director and writer for Rescue Me. His career is far from failed. He also does a TON of charity work, and raises money for families of firefighters who have died in the line of duty.

**Lobelia** · October 19th, 2008, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by irishpig

He said he was talking about all the spoiled Hollywood men, who have decided they have a medical condition, but have never been diagnosed. I totally know the type, so do you...they couldn't possibly be bored like the rest of us in a meeting, because of their superior intellect, so they must be ADD. All those who never take responsibility for their actions... they don't act like pretentious douchbags because they are pretentious douchbags, but because they have (insert current medical condition in the news.) No, they didn't bother getting a doctor to diagnose them...they are so smart they know more than the doctor anyway. I don't think he was talking about children and families struggling with a real medical condition, and really, people who claim a condition to excuse their douchbaggery do more damage to the PR for that disease than Leary has done. And Jenny, many autism families aren't big fans of yours either, claiming you have cured your child thru diet while their child is still locked up inside themselves, no matter what they try. Many don't believe your child had autism, just severe food allergies with symptoms that mimic autism.

I understand your point, but the people you're describing haven't been diagnosed by a qualified person. Maybe I should re-read Leary's statement (memory's not so good, must have ADHD

) but people who diagnose themselves in order to make excuses are a separate issue from people who have been diagnosed by a professional. To which was he originally referring? The quote above talks about self-diagnosing...

**Just Kill Me** · October 20th, 2008, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by Honey

Denis Leary says he's been misquoted and misunderstood.

The comic actor sparked a firestorm of criticism, even among his Hollywood colleagues, for a passage in his new book Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid saying that autism diagnoses "help explain away the deficiencies of (parents') junior morons."

"The point of the chapter is not that autism doesn't exist – it obviously does," Leary, 51, says in a statement. He says his beef is 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 the Rescue Me star's explanation didn't stop the attacks.

"If he was trying to be funny, he failed miserably," says actress Holly Robinson Peete, whose son Rodney, 10, has autism. "If he was trying to sound informed, he came off as ignorant."

The chapter, which Leary called "Autism Schmautism," also provoked advocacy group Autism United to call for a book boycott and a picket outside Leary's Nov. 12 appearance in Boston.

Autism activist Jenny McCarthy tells Access Hollywood that Leary is "obviously stupid," but not worth getting upset over.

Denis Leary Responds to Critics of His Autism Writings - Denis Leary : People.com

There are plenty of people claiming to have aspergers now; maybe some of them are just assholes.

**venue_26** · October 20th, 2008, 04:01 PM

I don't know who told him or his wife they could write. I spend a non-fundable 2 days reading his useless wife's book "Outakes from a Marriage" and seriously want to shoot myself now.