[ SECRET POST #3396 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3396 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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[Robert DeNiro]


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 015 secrets from Secret Submission Post #485.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Is De Niro an anti-vaxxer? Probably not.
Is he extremely anti-censorship? Yes. It's the only thing that explains what he said, IMHO.

[(Anonymous)]

It's not censorship to call out bullshit beliefs that are killing people.

[(Anonymous)]

True, but trying to sort through information about vaccines and autism when you're not scientifically trained to do so can be a total migraine, to say the least. If DeNiro wasn't perfectly well informed about the latest scientific verdict against vaccines causing autism, I personally wouldn't blame him, I'd just be upset that he didn't know any better.

[(Anonymous)]

But it's not like this super-obscure stuff. The Wakefield debacle is extremely widely reported mainstream news. You don't need to go digging or need specialist training to understand "Fraud" and "Struck Off" and "No evidence".

What's at issue here to me is that he intervened in the programming of this festival - something which he had never done before - to push his own personal hobby-horse. It happened to be vaccination, but it could have been chemtrails or Roswell or some other hooey. By doing this, he undermined the integrity of the festival and the people who work hard to programme it. It makes it look like all you need to do to get your film in is to make nice to Bob and get him to over-ride the selection process.

[(Anonymous)]

I'd say it's DeNiro's responsibility to not promote stuff he doesn't know about. He's a grown man, after all, and rich. If he doesn't want to do the research himself, he could hire an army of scientists to check and see if Wakefield is legit. But you see, he wouldn't even have to do that. All he'd have to do is google the guy's name, Wakefield is a famous fraud. In the area of anti-vaxx, he's THE famous fraud. This isn't "the latest scientific verdict", it's the only credible scientific verdict and it has been for decades.

[(Anonymous)]

trying to sort through information about vaccines and autism when you're not scientifically trained to do so can be a total migraine

Not really. All medical personnel say "have your vaccines, have them on time" (unless there is a serious medical issue). Internet whackos say "No, get measles, it will make you stronger!"

[(Anonymous)]

Maybe I'm unclear in what I was trying to say. A few years back, some people were trying to figure out if this unusual vaccination theory actually held any water. Of course, we all now know that it didn't.

If I had to make some assumptions about what DeNiro might have heard about autism and supposed causes of autism, I would sadly look at the magazine rack at my local Barnes and Noble and pick out the small number of magazines aimed at parents of autistic children. I would then point out the numerous ads and articles that imply that autism might be caused by poor diet, heavy metal contamination, vaccines ( still that stupid theory won't die ), artificial dyes, etc., etc. I would then look at the shelves that hold the parenting books for caretakers and parents of autistic children. Anti-vaxxers are given as much shelf space as anybody else who claims they know what is necessary to raise healthy autistic children. There is even a book out that claims that all autistic children are secretly psychic - I kid you not. Point is, until all of these quack types stop publishing, I am going to assume that some foolish people read this stuff and unfortunately believe in it. And this may include Mr. DeNiro. Being rich and/or famous is no guarantee that a person couldn't get suckered into buying the anti-vaxxer credo.

Since DeNiro did eventually decide not to push the film after consulting with some experts, it is my hope that he learned better.

[(Anonymous)]

There are a LOT of people who prey on parents of autistic kids. Autism Speaks promotes the 'It MIGHT be vaccines!' for example, and sadly that scam has a lot of support from people who don't know any better.

At least the vaccination thing is slightly, slightly, less horrifying than the groups that promote bleach enemas to 'cleanse' out the autism.

[(Anonymous)]

At least the vaccination thing is slightly, slightly, less horrifying than the groups that promote bleach enemas to 'cleanse' out the autism

what the fuck???

[(Anonymous)]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-33079776

I wish I was exaggerating there

[(Anonymous)]

different anon

I think I'm going to be utterly sick

[(Anonymous)]

what the actual fuck?

[(Anonymous)]

Holy crap, that's seriously a thing?

What the hell?

[(Anonymous)]

It's not anti-censorship to NOT want to spread false medical information, though. Look at it this way-- it would be highly irresponsible of me to claim that rubbing toads on your junk will cure cancer. I'm not a doctor, I've done no studies that support this. If people were desperate enough to believe me, my misinformation could end up killing people who rub toads on their junk instead of seeing a real doctor and getting chemo.

Not giving me a wide platform from which I could spread my false information isn't censorship. It'd be not allowing someone to yell 'fire' in a crowded building when there is no fire.