why does he have the need to make a spectacle of him self by not taking his medication and allowing the physical symptoms of his illness to show?

So people can see the effects of the disease.

I think that he's incredibly brave for not taking his meds and taping a commercial when his shaking is at it's worst (I too believe that he probably didn't take his meds for a couple of days prior to shooting).  Parkinsons is a terrible disease, and he wanted to show people what it had done to him.   Appearing to have very few tremors isn't going to spur people into voting for stem-cell research, now is it?  Appearing as he did, flailing and shaking away...well, that's a powerful sight, one that will make people think twice before voting 'no'.

I don't think he made a spectacle of himself at all, and I certainly don't think that he's pandering to the worst in humanity.  If anything, he's appealing to people's better sides.  People who really couldn't give a fuck about stem-cells are likely to see that commercial, see MJF appearing as a mere shadow of his former self, and think to themselves 'that could be me'...which might lead to them actually giving a fuck about stem-cells and what they can do (they're also probably thinking 'what the fuck happened to him? What's this Parkinson's disease all about?'...which isn't exactly a bad thing either)

Never underestimate the apathy of the American public...it sometimes takes a shock like this commercial delivers to make people sit up and take notice, and whoever made this commercial knows that.

To me the point isn't that Michael J. Fox skips a few treatments to show the sad realities of his condition, but that he is willing to use them for purely political posturing.  It is just another example of the liberal formula:

1: Come up with an emotional argument for an issue

2: Find a poster child for the emotional argument

3: Accuse anyone who disagrees with the poster child of being heartless or callous

4: repeat 3 as often as possible.

 

MJF is telling people that the democrats he's stumping for are the only hope for people like himself.  He doesn't seem to care that HIS OWN foundation has given a lot in grants to funding research for Parkinson's that has nothing to do with Stem Cells (fetal or adult).  His ads lump fetal and adult stem cell research together, even though the ban on federal funding is ONLY for fetal stem cells.  They even make it sound like the republicans have banned stem cell research... all of which MJK knows are false.

The most interesting detail about MJF though is his own decision to become a US citizen.  I mean, isn't Canada the champion of socialized medicine AND fetal stemcell research?  Wouldn't he have been better off under the care of a socialized medical system than coming here, with our uncaring, cold corperate system of healthcare? ;~D

To me the point isn't that Michael J. Fox skips a few treatments to show the sad realities of his condition, but that he is willing to use them for purely political posturing. It is just another example of the liberal formula: 1: Come up with an emotional argument for an issue 2: Find a poster child for the emotional argument 3: Accuse anyone who disagrees with the poster child of being heartless or callous 4: repeat 3 as often as possible.

   Exactly


From what I understand there has been more successes with "adult" stem cell than the embroyonic research being done. There's even a woman walking around in Portugal as a result of this treatment and is a walking talking testimony to ASC. Why aren't we hearing more about "adult" stem cell? Seems as tho it's all about killing more babies.

Come up with an emotional argument for an issue

You don't think this IS an emotional issue?

"You don't think this IS an emotional issue?"

So the quasi-Liberal front can pull heartstrings, play on fear, and sting the conscience wantonly when it suits them, but when their opponents do it... it is manipulative and mean spirited fear mongering? I could have sworn over the last eight years I'd heard time and again how it was cheap and tawdry to appeal to people on a base emotional level, and yet when it serves a pet project of the opposition they indignantly defend it.

I don't think Michael J. Fox was doing it in bad spirit. I think he was trying to make a point, just like the Christians who show pictures of dead fetuses and pro-choice people who talk about women dying in alleys and people fighting third world poverty constantly bombard us with starving children. The problem is that one side is allowed to do it and the other isn't.

When one side does it they are oversimplifying a complex issue that deserves more than just an emotional reaction. When the other side does it they are showing "reality". Come on...

The worst part about the ad for me is that it's totally untrue.

There is a HUGE difference between something being illegal and the government simply not paying for research.

I have a moral objection to the government paying for the research of any disease. That is something private industry should be investigating.

Good point Draginol. If the companies doing the research think there is potential - they'll jump on it.
It's interesting - there was no federal funding - Bush signed for funding - Bush is evil because the government is spending more.

I heard a blurb that a politition said an embryo isn't fertilized.
Hello - basic high school biology? Do you think these guys even bother to checkout some simple facts?

It appears than many of you are a bit uninformed about parkinson's and the medication used to treat it.

Not taking medication for parkinson's actually makes you more rigid, it does not exaggerate the effects. Medications that are used to treat the disease are actually what causes the exaggerated movement.

Wow. Wow.

I think it is sad that a person such as Michael J Fox would parade himself around like a drooling sickly just to help democrats.

...a drooling sickly...

I would have hoped you'd have been as roundly bashed for this as for imagining PayPal was persecuting you for being hispanic. Instead I find the bashing going the other direction. This frankly astounds me.

I don't know what to say about this. I do know when I heard Rush Limbaugh going off about it I thought, "What a pathetic waste of human flesh you are."

It appears than many of you are a bit uninformed about parkinson's and the medication used to treat it. Not taking medication for parkinson's actually makes you more rigid, it does not exaggerate the effects. Medications that are used to treat the disease are actually what causes the exaggerated movement.

Well, it's Michael J. Fox himself who admits to going off his meds a few days before an appearance, so it's not any of us saying so, it's him.

"Not taking medication for parkinson's actually makes you more rigid, it does not exaggerate the effects. Medications that are used to treat the disease are actually what causes the exaggerated movement."

Odd then when he was on the actor's studio he had to take a break to take a pill and wait for it to kick in so the jerking would stop. It did, too. I think you're thinking of people in the "Awakenings"-like state of the disease.

It appears than many of you are a bit uninformed about parkinson's and the medication used to treat it. Not taking medication for parkinson's actually makes you more rigid, it does not exaggerate the effects. Medications that are used to treat the disease are actually what causes the exaggerated movement.

Actually it appears that "you're" the one that "doesn't" know much about Parkinson's.
Thiis is from the "National Nuerological Center for Disorders and Stroke.

Link

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE? Often, the first symptom of Parkinson's disease is tremor (trembling or shaking) of a limb, especially when the body is at rest. The tremor often begins on one side of the body, frequently in one hand. Other common symptoms include slow movement (bradykinesia), an inability to move (akinesia), rigid limbs, a shuffling gait, and a stooped posture. People with Parkinson's disease often show reduced facial expressions and speak in a soft voice. Occasionally, the disease also causes depression, personality changes, dementia, sleep disturbances, speech impairments, or sexual difficulties. The severity of Parkinson's symptoms tends to worsen over time.

or from the Mayo Clinic:

Signs and symptoms The earliest symptom of Parkinson's disease can be as subtle as an arm that doesn't swing when you walk, a mild tremor in the fingers of one hand or soft, mumbling speech that's difficult to understand. You may lack energy, feel depressed or have trouble sleeping. Or you may notice that it takes you longer to shower, shave, eat or do other routine tasks. Other signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease may include: Tremor. This often starts with a slight shaking in your hand or even one finger. Sometimes hand tremor causes a back-and-forth rubbing of your thumb and forefinger known as pill-rolling. Tremor may also develop in your legs. These signs may occur on one or both sides of your body and may be more noticeable when you're under stress. Although tremor can be very distressing, it's usually not disabling and often disappears when you're sleeping. Many people with Parkinson's disease do not experience substantial tremor.

I think the difference is in the tactics. Michael J. Fox was more dignified and less in-your- face than anti-abortionists. He was not on the street being loud and obnoxious to passersby, nor was he holding a sign with a picture on it disgusting enough to make someone throw up.