Parenthood (TV Show) Gives Free Publicity to Autism Speaks

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I used to like this show a lot until they started giving free publicity for autism speaks (May 18, 2010 episode 'Team Braveman'). Now I will never watch this show again.

Yeah that was disappointing for sure.

Be sure to email the network through their website and tell them you're bailing on the show and why.

I actually saw your comment on Hulu after I ranted about myself

I'll probably still watch it in the hopes that the writers become less A-holey. I doubt it, so we'll see. We should all write a massive complaint to the writers.

Unfortunately I made an ass out of myself by finding the april fools article on wrongplanet.net buying Autism Speaks and reposting thinking it was real. I decided to just leave it alone. I did however, post about it on NBC.com's parenthood discussion.

I also mentioned that they went way over the top with the kid. I have never seen an aspergers kid as bratty as the character in that show (and I have met several, as well as being one myself at one time). It's things like that that give us a social stigma. It's hard enough to be social without a stigma attached to us.

I will never watch a show that gives publicity to charlatans like Autism Speaks. I am tired of people trying to exploit us and I am not one to be trifled with.

One other thing, that episode was 99% arguing between the characters. Hearing people argue really freaks me out.

That's very disappointing.

It was inevitable that the Bravermans would walk to support Autism Speaks. Parenthood is on NBC. Bob Wright, founder of Autism Speaks, is the chairman and CEO of NBC. Who else would the Bravermans support? What other organization would an NBC show support? I'm not saying it's right, it's just inevitable.

I already didn't like the shows portrayal of Aspergers but still watched in hopes it would get better. But now I WLL NEVER AGAIN WATCH THIS SHOW!

OH NO!! !! !

I hate TV.

Brats aren't born, they're made. It's obvious that Adam and his wife in the show spoil their kids, so they feel totally deserving of everything. My mom's attitude when my brother and I were growing up was "deal with it." So we did. We dealt with it. We figured stuff out. They're chauffeuring their son around life, and he's never going to figure out how to do it himself.

I was quite disappointed myself. I really liked Parenthood. I still like the show overall, though last night's episode is my least favorite episode by quite a large margin. Like another poster here, I was also stressed by the way the characters were screaming at each other through a significant chunk of the episode. However, that was a minor annoyance. It was the positive portrayal of Autism Speaks that really made me cringe. I think the part that bugged me most was the part where Max accepted that ridiculous trophy, and he was so happy and excited. Autism Speaks would like to wipe people like him off the face of the Earth. I know that the show is fiction, but I was deeply disturbed by this kid getting so into this event, oblivious to the fact that he's supporting an organization that's working toward the obliteration of his kind. I imagine that ten or fifteen years down the road, a real child in Max's position would look back on that time in his life with a great deal of anger and regret.
I'm going to keep watching the show for now. Autism Speaks isn't making any profit from my watching the show after all, and as I said before, I like the show for the most part. Even so, one thing that has continually bugged me is the way characters speak of Max's AS in hushed voices, using a variety of euphemisms, as if he's suffering from some dreadful disease. <sigh> I really hope to see some changes in the family's attitude toward this condition, but I suspect that's not very likely.

I've been noticing for a while on this forum (WrongPlanet in general) that there is a lot of dislike/hate for Autism Speaks, but I've never been able to determine exactly why. Is there another thread or anything someone can link me to that goes into detail about why it is a "bad" organization?

They call the company Autism Speaks but not a single person with Autism/Aspergers or any spectrum related disorder has any part in the company. And they relentlessly push for a "cure" without realizing the fact that we don't want to be "cured"

I don't want to hijack the thread, but is that really all? I'm sure there are many (including myself) who would give just about anything for a cure.

Why would you want to be a "normal" person I myself don't want to be like everyone else I take pride in my differences as do the majority of the members of the site. I guess I respect your opinion of wanting a cure but don't agree with it.