Oh fuck off, TV.
Feb. 15th, 2010 09:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
logansrogueYou know, John Deed isn't high quality TV at the best of times, and now it's tackling the "Immunisation means AUTISM" issue.
Which is making me clench my teeth for various reasons. First of all, they have a black actress playing the emotionally fraught mother trying to stop their child from having their shots. Which is pretty bizarre, because the most vocal anti-immunisation people I've seen have all been rich white women. I'm not saying it's impossible that black women could have this view on the issue, it's just that the actress they chose is odd to me because it's not representative of the usual section of society that I've seen complain about vaccinations. That's all I'm going to say on the race issue since I don't feel comfortable going into it, I'm just pointing it out. (I'm worried I'll represent it badly).
Then there's the "Big Pharma" angle, which I'm really uncomfortable with. I know large pharmaceutical companies can be less than scrupulous, and downright evil, but in this particular issue, there is more than money at stake. There are children's lives, so I'm really, really leery about using the issue for drama value and forwarding pernicious narratives and myths about immunisation. I'm leery about this being seen as a David and Goliath issue. It's not.
Of course, if anyone wants to disagree with me, I've got a whole bunch of photos of me at 3 suffering from the measles. I'm in tears! It's painful! Really, it'll be fun! (Mum lagged with the immunisations with us kids, and she did regret that, as did I!)
ETA: John Deed is such a fucking stupid show.
Which is making me clench my teeth for various reasons. First of all, they have a black actress playing the emotionally fraught mother trying to stop their child from having their shots. Which is pretty bizarre, because the most vocal anti-immunisation people I've seen have all been rich white women. I'm not saying it's impossible that black women could have this view on the issue, it's just that the actress they chose is odd to me because it's not representative of the usual section of society that I've seen complain about vaccinations. That's all I'm going to say on the race issue since I don't feel comfortable going into it, I'm just pointing it out. (I'm worried I'll represent it badly).
Then there's the "Big Pharma" angle, which I'm really uncomfortable with. I know large pharmaceutical companies can be less than scrupulous, and downright evil, but in this particular issue, there is more than money at stake. There are children's lives, so I'm really, really leery about using the issue for drama value and forwarding pernicious narratives and myths about immunisation. I'm leery about this being seen as a David and Goliath issue. It's not.
Of course, if anyone wants to disagree with me, I've got a whole bunch of photos of me at 3 suffering from the measles. I'm in tears! It's painful! Really, it'll be fun! (Mum lagged with the immunisations with us kids, and she did regret that, as did I!)
ETA: John Deed is such a fucking stupid show.
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(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-15 01:17 pm (UTC)I've had whooping cough and every time I had a coughing fit I was terrified that I'd never be able to breathe again.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-15 01:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-15 01:34 pm (UTC)