Occasionally I'll have a look at the stats for my blogarithm and I still get most hits from people who have searched for 'Ricky Gervais and ME /CFS'. In terms of this year's health progress, my rant in January (one month into Mickel Therapy) and follow up here and here - seems such a long time ago. I was so offended by Ricky's ME-is-for-weaklings routine. Now, in a strange way, I'm not at all. It's like when people make religious jokes and the religious people get outraged and those with less attachment to any religion see it as 'quite funny, actually' without it being too malicious. If a religion is strong or true enough it should be able to withstand a bit of satire.
As for Ricky's routine, I don't feel the need to take up a defensive position any more. People can and do laugh at everything and anything. It's a relief when life isn't a series of battles and defences. Defending takes up so much mental energy....energy that could be used to get out and look at trees instead. Oh, how I love those autumn trees.
-C
7 comments:
Hey C, I think you are possibly less offended by Mr Gervais because you are in a good phase now and feeling considerably stronger, which is great . . . still, i think those PWME who are having horribly limited lives would not be able to adopt the position of being able to laugh it off. His joke was actually quite funny, but only if you know the truth of the illness - the danger with his humour is he could easily perpetuate 'untruths' (I think I made that word up) about ME. I am just so chilled by the recent NICE guidelines.
Have a great time seeing your wee nieces. My nephews are visiting end month, can't wait!
Dear Ciara,
Your absolutely right, defending costs too much of our precious energy.
TC
Dr Speedy
Have you been reading Byron Katie again, Ciara? :-) I've just finished her second book.
Totally unrelated, but i'm trying to spread the word of the film Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle. It's a gaelic film which is being shown in Cineworld cinemas around Scotland.
You might have heard the big hoo-haa about it not getting an oscar nod by bafta in the foreign film section.
well, i'm telling everyone i know to go watch it, and even though i don't know you - GO WATCH IT.
Ta for comments all.
Hi Murdoness - I saw Seachd in a preview...guess you liked it more than me :-) What's gaelic for 'each to their own'?
-C
To be fair about Seachd, i may have been slightly biased, seeing as things in Gaelic TV and Film have thusfar been rather terrible (in part thanks to me, i was a writer on a Gaelic comedy series) so when something half decent came along i was pretty buzzed about it!
Regarding Ricky Gervais, i was at the live show in Glasgow, enjoyed it, and bought the subsequent dvd last week.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=71k8Ifp-sjQ
This is the bit that you have been talking about on here, and i must say that he has at least inserted a disclaimer of some sorts, and even (almost) an apology. Shows that a letter can go a long way.
At least with the DVD, which will probably reach a wider audience, and which will be on TV in a few years time, he admits his mistake, explains some things about ME which he has obviously since learnt but continues with the skit in an almost identical fashion.
Also, "gach fear a-reir a bheachd fhein" is the Gaelic for "each to their own".
Nice to meet you by the way.
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