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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Entertainment/culture Medicine Popular culture Quackery Television

Did Larry King learn his lesson?

As much as I’d love to take credit, the postponement of the appearance of Jenny McCarthy and J.B. Handley on Larry King Live! originally scheduled for last night had nothing to do with me. Really. The cancellation was apparently announced shortly after my post appeared, leaving no time for it to have had an effect. Heck, for all I know the cancellation had occurred before I posted and I just hadn’t noticed.

Despite all the insinuations of dire conspiracies in the comments of the Age of Autism post on the cancellation, it’s far more likely that Larry King probably just didn’t want to work on the Saturday before Christmas than that big pharma stretched out its dark arm and crushed this “threat” to its dominance. Of course, that Larry King substituted a rerun with that queen of breast cancer, “bioidentical hormone,” and now stem cell woo, Suzanne Somers, strongly implies that no lesson has been learned. On the other hand, perhaps Somers’ substitution for Jenny McCarthy is an unintentional admission that both are boosting equally bogus medical information and even outright quackery.

In any case, since the antivaccine side is no doubt deluging Larry King’s guests e-mail with complaints and requests that McCarthy and Handley be rescheduled, I thought I should do my little part and request my readers to join in on the reality-based side and either (1) request that no guests pushing antivaccination nonsense and autism quackery be given a forum to promote their views; (2) that reality-based celebrities like Amanda Peet be invited instead; or (3) both. Send your e-mails to Larry King Guests.

By Orac

Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.

That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)

DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.

To contact Orac: [email protected]

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