Media Coverage reflecting epilepsy

[Belinda5000]

Dutch Mom,

I'm fine just sore from yesterday.

I didn't think you'd do it on purpose.

Belinda

[Dutch mom]

Hi Belinda,

The Epilepsy Fund did send me this message back (Google translation Dutch-English):

Thank you for your mail to the editors and to us. Indeed, we were not aware of this link. We want to emphasize that the link in the poster with these flashy images has absolutely nothing to do with our campaign! We trust that this link in the poster will be removed because we obviously know that some people with epilepsy can get a seizure by flashing images. We are confident that the link will refer again just to our site www.epilepsie.nl.

Also from the National Epilepsy Fund in advance thanks!

I feel so bad and guitly Belinda, that you got this seizure, allthough I didn't post this link on purpose. I do hope your bad experience will help to prevent others to get one.

[jgbmartin]

I have sent several emails to the report on local news that cover health issues...she seems very disinterested in reporting on it....so I switch new channels.

[haird18]

Since I've done so much advocacy work. I 've learned alot of public speaking. And how to approach news media. And I still belong to an organization that has taught me public speaking.

[Belinda5000]

Hi Belinda,

The Epilepsy Fund did send me this message back (Google translation Dutch-English):



I feel so bad and guitly Belinda, that you got this seizure, allthough I didn't post this link on purpose. I do hope your bad experience will help to prevent others to get one.

HI Dutch mom,I
ve checked out the link.

Belinda

[alivenwell]

There must be a trend with cartoonists. Dilbert published today's comic strip comparing one person's current job as a similar situation to dung beetles attracted to an epileptic cow. Although the last block of the comic stated it was kind of a disturbing statement, it still made me think this was just one more way to laugh at epilepsy (sigh... once again).

Maybe I'm just too uptight about this. It seemed too coincidental with the MAD Magazine.

And I would think that Scott Adams would be more sensitive to a disability because he was unable to speak due to a vocal chord issue for a while.

dilbert.com has it. Hard to believe, but there it is in the web and newspapers across the USA. Must be his exercise to have freedom of speech (even if he had no voice for a while!).

[Bernard]

[brain]

I actually went over there and was able to read
it just fine without any translator, in fact, I was translating
it into English.

Danke!

I need to freshen up my Norwegian/Swede/Danish
(their accents are different a little bit but not too much).

--------------------------------------------

BUT I GET SICK AND TIRED of people who pokes fun
at others ~ no matter WHAT IT IS; but lately it seems
to be EPILEPSY. And this isn't the proper media attention
that we NEED nor WANT!

We need to get the RIGHT information in and instead
they're making a "laughingstock" out of Epilepsy and it's
NOT funny!

[alivenwell]

I'm taking note of the sponsors of the various negative media and banning their products. For any TV shows that are informative, I will make a note of their positive impact.

Diversity (multi-cultural, handicapped, etc.) is the future trend.

I believe in karma. They WILL get it back in some form. I'm starting the karma. I'm not buying any Dilbert books, calendars, or other related products. I'm not buying anything from Circuit City or future MAD Magazines at all either. There were no public apologies, so these people seem to be wimps. WIMPS! Wimpy wimps!

[skillefer]

Just my two cents.....but I think that the only way businesses are going to take epilepsy seriously, is if it hits them in the wallet when they poke fun of it. For example, calling to cancel your newspaper subscription and stating that the reason you are is due to the incredibly crass nature of the cartoon or whatever that they printed. After all, in a recent CDC study of 19 states, they found that 1 in 100 adults had epilepsy. That means we are NOT a small minority that can be picked on or poked fun of with immunity.

[santaclaus]

Somethign interesting about the Mad magazine article:

I wanted to share that the President of the EFA wrote the magazine a letter, and I believe Mad Magazine apologized for the comic (they said they were making fun of Circuit City, not us) For their apology, and the letter that was written, I believe it is posted in the e-communities in the advocacy thread. ITs funny, but I received a lot of heat from people for complaining that the comic was offensive.

Now, does this make Mad magazine in the clear, or should we expect more from them? I mean, I can apologize in an email, no problem. But what kind of change will an apology bring on ( I love to bring up Al Roker in this type of situation. Since nothing happened, Jewel said something offensive about epilepsy on another NBC station, and we are forced to listen)

I hope that Mad magazine runs a retraction, and explains the proper way to handle a seizure ( no bite sticks). Sure, maybe it is not their job to educate, but it is not their job to help spread a myth that causes many of us to have problems.

[RobinN]

Makes me want to throw up... what some people think is funny.

[santaclaus]

Robin, people think it is funny because they don't know any better. My point for three years has been that the American public is not inhumane, and if they knew about us, they would not be laughing.

The year 2008, the American public does not find AIDS funny, yet in the 80's, there were many AIDS jokes ( one about losing weight I never understood in school) It took effort, and a great awareness campaign, to get the public to understand that no, it was not just a gay disease, and second, they are people too. I always credit the Real World on Mtv, when they had Pedro on. One guy educated America's youths with that show, and I can't stress enough how much of an impact that one man, on that one show, had.

Now, obviously epilepsy is not AIDS, but I still think we need to use these models as a way to help ourselves out. Why not get someone on TV and show what life with epilepsy is? And I am not talking about some silly soap opera. I am talking about a "reality" show that we could control, and that would help end many stereotypes.

[alivenwell]

I really wish the news media would have jumped on these various types of media that were offensive. Look at how they really got after Imus for his offensive remarks. Al Sharpton jumped on that one really fast.

Here's another good one: They have a new car called the 'Aura'. I recently bought a car, and did not get that one purely out of principle.

[Loudmouth]

over in England we have an awful advert for 'heat magazine' which pictures a woman lying on the ground muttering, then when a copy of her 'favourite magazine' is held in front of her, she miraculously recovers. I HATE THIS ADVERT! As if we don't get enough stupidity from others about epilepsy, now people will think that we will be fine if they wave a magazine under our noses??!!

[Brainskip]

Apparently, the Epilespy Foundation has sent a letter to MAD magazine. This was reported in the EFA forums. No details on what the letter said.

I had just read about this the other day and noticed a thread at the EFA that is showing a response from Mad Magazine. They sent the EFA an apology.

Here is a link to that thread http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/ef...&enterthread=y

[haird18]

I have seen in these dumb cartoons for adults like "Family Guy" and several other cartoons I feel like they are making fun of epilepsy quite often on FOX, Comedy Network, and , Cartoon Network at night called Adult Swim. They make fun of all people with epilepsy plus other people with disabilities!
David

[salright2baredneck]

And then they wonder why society is so messed up.

[santaclaus]

I have decided to wear my full SAnta Claus suit to the beach tennis tournament this weekend ( in Long Beach, NY if anyone is interested) I know this will get some attention, and I hope it lands me a job. I have no idea if this will work, but I am pretty desperate, and wearing this suit is natural to me. I am also hoping to film a couple of short clips ( I have no camera, and will hope someone will stick it on you tube for me) that will include the need for more awareness to our illness.

Now, before people get the wrong idea that I am a nice guy, I just want to share with you what I have to say in some clips. For one thing, I need to talk about the boycott of Aruba, and how silly it is. This was the media that called for starvation of children, and since I want to use the media for good, I want to ask if the boycott can be over with.

Another thing I will be doing is asking Black Leaders to have a debate with me over the fact that Al Roker's comment was a lot worse than Don Imus's comment. This is something that might make some people feel uncomfortable, but could benefit us in the long run. When Al Sharpton has a debate, it is televised, and this could be be some good press for the epilepsy movement ( by the way, I could hold my own in a debate with anyone, especially on this topic)

I have felt all along that Santa Claus could make a great difference, and I have had the desire to change the world. Well, we will see after this weekend if I am up to the task, and if anyone will give me a shot.

[alivenwell]

Santaclaus, I hope you do not get overheated in that suit. Obviously you would not get sunburn. It would defeat the purpose you are trying to make if you are dehydrated or do not look well. Sports drinks with electrolytes and no caffeine may help your health if the appropriate amount is consumed.

From studying advertising and consumer psychology, marketing usually aims for a specific audience. Some ads will have a wide variety of nationalities for both men and women. Some ads will only have a specific group or age so that they catch the brief attention of the audience in a 3 minute ad. Store shelves will often put items that they really want to sell at a consumer's eye level so they make more profit.

They often put a friendly pet on the ad to briefly condition the audience that their product is good.

The trick here is to convince an audience that epilepsy needs to be seen in a non-discriminatory manner.