Boycott Autism Speaks

Post Reply New Topic

You can correct me if I am wrong I believe I only wrote "Satanic Entity" once in relation to the possible future beliefs of politicians and the public. In regards to Autism Speaks I wrote "Satanic like entity" "Satanic/Religious metaphors". They want contributions from all people not just Christians so they would not use specific Christian references. Using metaphors is a common marketing technique. You are being too literal

So, in other words.. it's only you who refers to Autism Speaks' marketing as being satanic when it does not in fact contain a single religious christian or satanic reference.

What if I can't improve it? What if I tried to improve it and I failed? What if I tried over and over again and I failed anyway?
I tried to improve my lack of organization, my awful short-term memory and other stuff, but I failed. They sure have improved since I was a child but they aren't improved enough yet to allow me to be completely independent.
I know a cure isn't coming soon and I don't think that by the time I'm still alive they're going to find one. I'll try to improve, I have improved some things and I hope I will improve more, but it's not like I can solve my problems just by willforce.

I do not know if they are wasting all of their money on nothing. That seems unlikely, but people do waste a lot of time and energy barking up the wrong tree, which could be happening to some degree here and to some degree there, and I think is the case.:



II think this comment is too black and white, as is the idea of finding a cure (which idea implies the functioning of any human being as he exists in present time is entirely neurological.

http://www.stammering.org/conf09_neurol.html

http://www.stammering.org/conf09_neurol.html

are you saying it's ok to say you want your kid dead?????? that's a threat and she should be in jail for saying that.

You can't now, but maybe some day, genetics are far from written in stone these days, they can do all kinds of things (I know about this, my sister is a genetic scientist). I have a feeling someday they will at the least figure out how to divert it. I think it will come to that before aborting autistic fetuses.

Autism Speaks is doing some research on the brain now. They might end up benefitting somebody.

Anyway, I think the help that we need is understanding from society, but how are we going to ever get society to not go after the "other"? That's practically a tenant of all societies?

I didn't watch those videos, but they sound awful. Poor little kids.

anyone who wants to give a like and share and invite: https://www.facebook.com/boycottautismspeaksnow

I never said they did use exact words and explained why it would be poor marketing for them to do so. If you do not see the satanic like or satanic metaphors/euphemisms in their language you don't see it. I am not saying they are satanists or the marketing is satanic. I am saying they are using these satanic metaphors to describe Autism in order to create fear for the purpose of fundraising.

I suspect must people here would not see it what is being done here because people on the spectrum tend to take things literally and do not see the big picture. I can see these things not because I am a better person or less effected but because I have taken Continuing education courses on the topic of how marketing is done, read up on the topic and even interned at a marketing research company for a spell.

I see it:-)

It is obvious you didn't mean they are literally satanists, but the way you expressed this concept obviously did not go over big here, as many cannot (yet) understand that. The video is kind of lame, isn't it? It was not at all well thought out. It is not giving a comprehensive approach, and is bound to cause some kind of reaction, even a backlash..I actually think a different approach could get them a lot more money:-) and give them and society in general a lot more understanding.

Imo you should be trying to communicate with them rather than trying to boycott them.

Last edited by littlebee on 27 Dec 2013, 3:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

..or you have a special interest in hating on Autism Speaks and view anything they say or do through the paradigm that they're "Satanic," in the nature of the way they go about things & that's why you perceive their message as "Satanic."

I have a business school education & plenty of marketing experience. Yes, they're doing the classic "marketing by fear," but there is absolutely nothing about those ads that even remotely references religion, Christianity, Satan or Satanism etc. I mention Christianity over Satanism because Satanic people do not worship Satan, in fact they don't even believe he ever existed. Satanists essentially worship themselves and are completely self serving people, believing that they are responsible for their own success in life and have no responsibility to please or worship any higher being and simply go about their lives doing what they see best for them and their families with no regard for rules imposed by higher powers that they do not believe even exist. They adopted the use of the image of Satan from Christians in order to mock Christians' belief in God & Satan.

So, if anything, Autism Speaks' personification of Autism as something of a "bad," entity isn't Satanic at all - it's Christian - and it could be said that they're borrowing from the book of fear marketing used by the Roman Catholic Church to make people fearful & tithe their money. However, I see it as just very basic textbook marketing by fear vs. anything to do with any religious beliefs - since there is no mention of any religious beliefs or characters. Otherwise one could stretch religious overtones onto anything and everything and claim that anything said to be bad is automatically "the work of the Devil," and anything said to be good is automatically, "God's work," and really I can only see that being someone's perception if they're deeply religious and allow those paradigms to be the ones through which they perceive the world. Or perhaps if they're Autistic with a special interest in seeing things black and white, good & evil, Satan & God, and like to apply the, "Satan card," to things they don't like.

Goldfish, their way of looking at autism n this video is just kind of over-polarized and naive, as imo, is yours and a lot of people's. They need someone to work with them in regard to their video making whose understanding is more comprehensive, but probably they are so busy taking care of autistic children it is all kind of confusing and they don't have time to do that. This comment is not intended to be sarcastic but literal.

Their video is a bit cliche and cheesy, but it's MARKETING.. it's intended to be a bit over the top in order to elicit an emotional response from the viewer & in turn solicit a monetary donation. If advertisements for anything were produced to be true to life and realistic, they would be boring as every day life and not create the intended result of people buying whatever it is they're selling. Perhaps it's yours and others' Autism traits that doesn't allow you to see and realize this.

Actually I DO realize its a marketing approach because its obvious.What's your point anyway?

There's wrong thinking portrayed in that video, and this sets a tone which is I presume what people are objecting to.. Do you want to talk about marketing or do want to talk about understanding autism from many different angles so that the understanding is more comprehensive and can actually touch and help autistic people? Do you realize that some of the people who participated in the making of that video are reading this or they will be? They are not over there. They are here.

I see what you are talking about, but what does this Satan and Christian stuff have to do with anything?

We agree it' is basic fear marketing and the Roman Catholic advertising analogy is not a bad one (Cults use religious metaphors). But I never said Autism Speaks is Satanic or the marketing is satanic. "Real Satanists" may worship themselves but the public perception of Satan is pretty similar to the Autism Character portrayed in the advertisement and that is what they are trying to invoke.

You can't negate everything we say just because we are autistic. My ideas may be false because of Autistic traits, My ideas may be true because I think differently because of my Autism, or my ideas may have nothing to do with autism but come from my background, experiences, education etc.

We are drifting away from my main point whatever the intent they are playing with fire, they are overlooking the possible consequences. They are doing that in my view in part because of zealousness. Some people do think their autistic kids are possessed and this will validate it for some of them. In the future when a cure is found the idea that Autism is Satan, bogeyman, or just evil takes hold the stigma against us will only grow. By refusing a treatment or advocating refusing a cure will be reason enough to deem me a danger to myself and society or possessed. Autism Speaks may or not support this but the lawmakers might.

My point is that it's a short marketing clip. It's not a comprehensive "what is Autism," documentary. I don't get why people here are getting their panties all twisted up in a bunch because Autism Speaks has selected the most dramatic bits of life with Autism that they could jam into a short commercial & used it to market their cause.

I also don't disagree with the content of the video(s). It's not completely comprehensive of Autism, but none of it is untrue, either. It is what it is and I understand full well that they've portrayed Autism by it's most marketable traits in order to solicit donations. It's a means to an end and the end justifies the means. I don't see that they've done anything particularly wrong with either video, and I don't find them offensive.

So what if people who participated in the making of those videos are here? Of what relevance is that to anything?

Further, I'm the one who asked what this Satanic/Christian stuff has to do with anything - I'm not the one who said this was Satanic. Ask ASPartOfMe to try to explain him/herself on that one. They're the poster who said Autism Speaks is a Satanic Entity/portraying Autism as such.

People have repeatedly tried including John Elder Robinson and failed. The video and other tactics while provoking a backlash has done well for them to the tune of $48 million in 2011 the 19th largest in the US that year thttp://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/14/ch ... H0337.html http://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/14/200 ... _rank.html

As to what will work maybe nothing, they are too big, to powerful, have the support of too many celebrities, it's founder well known and regarded the circles of power. But even though the odds against us are overwhelming we have to at least try fight them or not enable them.