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Katie Wright: Doonesbury's Misogynistic Cheap Shot Against Jenny McCarthy

Jenny-mccarthy-med-new Managing Editor's Note: It's a sad irony that Gary Trudeau's wife Jane Pauley worked for NBC for many years. Would Trudeau have taken such a cheap misogynistic shot at Katie? And Jenny was in the hospital tending to Evan during a bout of seizures when the barftoon ran. A low, callous and highly "un-progressive" gesture on the part of Trudeau.

By Katie Wright

Gary Trudeau recently took a cheap shot at a single Mom who cares for her recovered, yet chronically ill, son. When this Mom is not with her son she can be found donating almost all her time and energy towards helping other ASD families in need. When is the last time Gary Trudeau fielded phone calls from broke ASD families and offered them tangible assistance? When the last time Gary Trudeau went to an autism conference and was mobbed for 5 hours by crying moms sharing stories of their sick autistic children? When was the last time Gary Trudeau spend Valentine’s Day in the hospital with his small son after he suffered a series of seizures? When was the last time Gary Trudeau heard his child spontaneously speak- today- yesterday? For me it was 2004, just prior to a series of adverse vaccine reactions that took away his voice.

Jenny McCarthy’s “crime” is advocating for objective vaccine safety research. Guess what Gary? Millions of American parents want objective vaccine safety research too. Safe vaccines are their number one health care priority. Gary, get ready to write a million more dumb cartoons. But I guess that is your specialty anyway?

When Trudeau is ridiculing Moms of sick kids with autism is he also making fun of our children’s chronic illnesses or does he doubt their existence? What are Trudeau’s credentials on the subject? Is he a parent of an ASD child-no, is he a doctor-no, is he a special Ed teacher-no, is he a medical researcher- and no to that too. Trudeau special autism expertise is the result of his long history as a… cartoonist? Gary Trudeau is a grown man who sits all day behind a table drawing stick figures with pencils and magic markers. From this lofty perch Trudeau has chosen to sit in judgment of millions of families he does not know and pain he cannot understand.

Guess what Gary? Your cartoon was inaccurate, offensive and unfunny. But that isn’t even the real issue, “Doonesbury” never was funny, the problem was that you mocked a Mom and her autistic son because you believe you “know” better why her child is autistic. When you took on Jenny McCarthy you took on all of us. We all have similar stories and we all have children who suffered horrific reactions to multiple vaccinations.  Apparently Gary Trudeau finds that amusing. Gary I challenge you meet with us. Step away from the magic marker table, Gary. Come out of hiding and tell us why you know our children better than their parents and how you became such an autism causation expert.

Katie Wright is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism



If the best argument the pro-vaccine has is one of personal attacks, then they don't have much of an argument, do they!?

A congressionally-protected billion dollar racket, like the vaccine industry has become, is sure to attract many defenders (or Judas's?) from every aspect of society (like flies on shit? Oops, that's a personal attack too, sorry, it's hard), until that unlawful liability protection law, the NCVI Act of 1986, is dead and buried.


Dear Jenny, and anyone else..... Take this opportunity to ask Trudoeau this...
Dear Mr. Trudoeau,
Thank you for bringing to light the controversy surrounding so many ill children today. Since you seem to know so much,,, perhaps you can help us. We have been searching for the study that proves the that multiple vaccines given at one time is safe. So far, we have not been able to identify it. Since you know so much... perhaps you know where it is. Could you please ask your friends to find it and share it with us. To date, they have not been able to share any studies of this kind. If you are not sure what I am talking about... you need to ask this of the vaccines companies.... Show me the studies where you took all the vaccines given at each vaccine appointment,,, did thorough prevaccine health screens including blood and tissue samples,,, shot the kids with the all the vaccines,, and then tested the children again in the same fashion a few months later to see how their health was after all those shots. It is a common sense sort of study, that seems to be absent. There would be no harm in doing this test, since vaccine companies are always telling us that this is a safe practice. Won't you ask them to prove it to us.. That's all.. Show us the study........ since you are so smart.


After reading a bit about Trudeau, I found an article in Rollingstones. When he ventured to Kuwait, visiting the troops with Col Bill Nash. When Col Nash offered Trudeau to play with all their military toys, he said lastly, I want you to go sit and visit with the troops.
Trudeau got an eye opening view, unlike what he was putting in his comic strip.

Autism awareness is next month. How about inviting Trudeau over to our homes to see how it is to raise a autistic child, the full range; toddler- adulthood.

Where's the Chelating Kid?

Bring back the Chelating Kid :)



Gary represents the typical uninformed consumer with little education less motivation to be educated and a great desire to believe thatthe US government, like any other government can be bought and paid off like some cheap whores on a street corner named disease infested.

Trudeau's blind faith in this completely corrupted system is almost child like as he has stuck his head in the sand AND IS JOCKEYING FOR the ultimate position of ignorance with a bunch of other idiots with what appears to be a billion other people or vaccines monkeys and ex crack/heroin addicts like seth mnookin(pronounced MONKEY)

Do not sweat Gary he is simply another useful idiot and when it is all said and done and the truth comes out as it trully will he will say "well who knew?"

We knew Gary we knew.


Cherry Sperlin Misra

Friends, why are you bashing Trudeau like this? For years he has been pointing out the hypocrisies of our government, its institutions, big business, military, politicians. In fact- the same kind of people that set up the process by which your kids were damaged, and the process by which you get so little assistance or compensation. Now he made a mistake- so correct him. I suggest that he would get a whole lot more comic strips out of the doctors and medical system. How about the comment of some days back- " Gee what a coincidence!" - with regard to autism- He could spend months doing strips on that. In fact, maybe we should do it ourselves . I had been thinking to suggest to Kim that we have a cartoon fest on AOA with all of the dark autism humour.

Cherry Sperlin Misra

Dont get too angry with Trudeau, friends. This is a message for us - That we need to get the message out about what autism really is. We need books with the truth, not pictures of cute little kids who look normal. We need to write accounts for the media. We need to educate the doctors- Yes the doctors. On one occasion I was telling my doctor daughter about two fully autistic kids in my school. John- largely non verbal at age four who licked any dirty place outside my school. Shivam, largely non verbal, hyperactive, who could vanish from the park at top speed. On one particular day, John had done something new and Shivam had suddenly turned his head, saw me , rushed to me, gave me a strange, odd hug briefly and ran off. The other teachers were open mouthed to see this. So... I told my daughter about the two incidents, and she blurted out, "See! These kids arent autistic !" Now, what this tells you is that this is what the doctors are talking about in the cafeteria- all the kids who arent autistic and yet get labelled as autistic. And why do they say this? The majority of doctors in a hospital are NOT pediatricians. They may never have seen an autistic child . While we were in a park in the U.S. one day, my daughter pointed out a boy that she had heard was autistic. He probably was; he was happily running across the park with a stiff back and elbows held back. I had the impression that this was the only autistic child that my daughter may have seen.
Now look at a photo of the Minimata parents, walking grimly with photos of their dead children and spouses. Trudeau wouldnt poke fun at that..


Oh I forgot to add maybe contacting the Foundation can assist those wanting to leave a message for Gary Trudeau.
518.891.3080 in Saranac, NY.


What a cheap shot, is an understatement. As it turns out Trudeau Foundation's quest is to develop more vaccines; Flu Vax for one. Don't mess with his mercury.
Trudeau is threatened by Yuppie Moran's; as Trudeau followers refer to antivaccine parents.
Just once I would like to see a handful of these folks, have a severely autistic child and then see what they do.
But in a second I retract that, I could not wish that on a child to be in a home with such a disgusting evil soul.
Who is Trudeau paying to publish is dull comic's? So its open advertising for him.
Probably an old college roomate of Offit's as well.

Sarah L'Heureux

I guess when you've made a successful career out of being clever and arch, there comes a time when your ego is so swollen that you can no longer see that you have become cruel and opportunistic. Who is laughing when the pain of autism becomes grist for the satirical mill? When a warrior mom is discredited for her beauty? Who finds this entertaining?

John Stone


Yes, I agree it was a cheap shot and did him no credit.

John Stone

I, personally, doubt whether there was any great plot behind this. I suspect prejudice, intellectual laziness and a vague proprietorial feeling over the vaccine business.


John..... Sure he is...Anyone who takes money for making fun of sick kids is a loser. I pray he has a change of heart.

One wonders...

If one wishes to make money as a writer, and probably as a cartoonist, there are two options: write the truth and/or satirize the truth and earn a rather limited amount. Or...write /create cartoons for those with money and your earnings could be quite impressive.

I learned where the money in writing really exists when I read the book "Blinded by the Right." Million dollar book advances to a young rather inexperienced authorwilling to write what his funders wanted based on the information they provided. (Shades of Mnookin.) When he got older, more experienced and started doing a bit of investigation on his own and reaching independent conclusions, he changed his views a bit. No surprise...the funding for his writing evaporated rather quickly.

Does Pharma now control what comics get run in many newspapers? Were Trudeau's comic strip contracts about to expire?

Or did Trudeau just swallow the big hungry lie without doing any of his own investigation? There does seem to be a precedent for such behavior on his part.

Birgit Calhoun

There is a larger issue here. In the past Trudeau has hit the nail right on the head. In this case, he couldn't have helped but bloody his thumb while trying to nail. The real problem is that Garry Trudeau lacks the proper background to comment on the subject. Same as Seth Mnookin who used that cartoon in his website. These two people are too dumb to know better; they think they are on the right track. And then one day it hits home: "There actually is a problem with vaccines." They will be locked into their position, and they will have found the point of no return. That's life. It would be nice to know who is paying the two.


His cartoon just wasn't funny and it was misogynistic.


No, Trudeau has played an important role in reporting on politics in America - and the history political cartoons is rich. I've read Doonesbury for years - at least I did when I got a paper newspaper - this is an example of a political cartoon with the goal of denigrating Jenny and the vaccine injury community.

John Stone


You can say lots of things about Trudeau but I don't really think you can say he's a loser.


You know..... more and more,,, it is being revealed that people with a podium are placed there for corperate reasons... I bet this cartoon guy wouldn't even be there without his friends... what a loser


I need to proof before posting "minimum"


oops there instead of their


posted this interesting tidbit on AOA on the 23rd. You would think that Trudeau would have some understanding or at the minumum think their might be some correlation!

Just saw this and I am stunned. Trudeau's own wife Jane Pauley just read you won't believe this,
"Pauley was, understandably, unprepared. She describes the unusual circumstances of her diagnosis. The story begins in June 2000 with chronic recurrent idiopathic urticaria edema - in other words, hives. Her skin erupted; doctors believe that the steroids used to treat her hives kick-started her bipolar disorder, which she may or may not have been genetically vulnerable to all along."

Rae N.

That cartoon is a pathetic attempt. To me, it looks like GT's heart wasn't in it. More likely someone whispered in his ear and - voila! - a strip ripping Jenny McCarthy, though not very effectively. I think he was hired - directly or indirectly - to do this hit piece. But it won't work, because we know the difference between cartoons and real life.


There is a place to respond to Doonesbury on Slate. But your comment has to be selected to appear.

According to Wiki, the "bury" in Doonesbury is for Trudeau's roommate at Yale: Charles Pillsbury. Big Food and Big Pharma are old college buddies. Why am I not surprised he's bashing us?

I hope the Trudeau Institute is taking notes.

CarolynC Kylesmom

I just made a prior comment. But in the case Jenny McCarthy is reading this for moral support, Jenny, I want you to know that when I saw that cartoon, I felt personally socked in the stomach. What they do to you, they do to every parent of a vaccine-injured child. When Garry False-Deau ridiculed you for taking off your clothes, he was doing this to distract from the fact that that the Emperor (vaccine safetey) has no clothes. . . it is truly mind boggling to me. You, Dr. Wakefield, the Generation Rescue founders, every DAN doctor, Thoughtfulhouse, Dr. Rimland's institute, Age of Autism writers and editors, SafeMinds, and every other parent and organization who speaks out or treats our children despite ridicule--you are all our heroes. You don't have to do this. But you do it anyhow. Thank you. Roosevelt once said in a speech protecting the American worker that he was proud of who hated him. You should be too!


Trudeau. True dork.

CarolynC Kylesmom


Follow the money. Thank you David and John for discovering that Mr. Trudeau was writing propaganda becasue of money that benefits his foundation, and is not merely ignorant. When I thought he was ignorant, I was hopeful.

Now that I know he is corrupt, it is difficult not be despondent. But the more we speak the truth, the more chance we have of turning this around.

Maurine Meleck

Can I deliver this letter to him personally?
Thanks, katie.


I had to go back a-ways on the slate website but I found it on 2/20.

It's a bit of a stretch since Jenny's been kind of out the limelight for quite a while.

Cheap shot for sure.

Allen Taloff

To attack the children and the parents is an act of cowardness. What happened to this society? Trudeau is a coward and a fool, His actions reflect his ignorance, and arrogance. The editor should reprimand this fool, better yet any publication that carries this comic strip should be boycotted. The editor and that ignorant fool Trudeau should publically apologize for theie stupidity.


Some Trudeau Institute Staff who might need some accurate information...


Richard W. Dutton, Ph.D.

Frances E. Lund, Ph.D.

Troy D. Randall, Ph.D.

Susan L. Swain, Ph.D.

Gary Winslow, Ph.D.


David L. Woodland, Ph.D.
President and Director

Lisa M. Shovan, B.S.
Chief Financial Officer

Nelson R. Pleau, M.B.A.
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Terry T. Gach
Vice President, Institutional Advancement

Charles T. Billingsley, B.S.
Senior Computer Support Specialist

Suzanne M. Chapman, A.A.S.
Assistant to the COO

Tina T. Charbonneau, B.A.
Safety Coordinator


i am saddened by this thoughtless cruel depiction. gary you need to apologize to every parent of chronicly ill children. you are a disgrace to human kind. hoping the karma fairy comes your way soon..


Taking a swipe at Jenny is the cowards way of taking a swipe at all autism moms. He would pee his pants if he had to say something to her (or our) face. A coward and a hack is all he is.


Never liked his stupid cartoon - never will.

Jenny is a real life hero.


It gets worse.

Bruce Vanicek

I grew up reading Doonesbury at a young age, even before I fully knew the issues or people that Gary was mocking. I learned and grew to respect Trudeau. This breaks my heart! I checked his website and could not find a way to contact him. Trudeau seems to have isolated himself and his ignorance much like the CDC, AAP, and many others we know. If anyone knows how to contact him, please post it. Trudeau has successfully become one of the misguided cronies he used to satirize that launched him on his career. I have not read the cartoon in years because I don't believe in reading newspapers anymore. I certainly have read my last Doonesbury comic. This only serves to add fuel to the fire of anger toward the "establishment" to which Trudeau used to refer that has screwed and continues to screw our children.

David Taylor

Just to add to what John Stone posted about the Trudeau Institute, where Garry is listed as an "Honorary Trustee"--

This is from the "About Us - Fast Facts" page of the institute's web site:

"Focus: Eradication of infectious and inflammatory disease through basic research aimed at the development of vaccines and immune-based therapeutics."

At some point, hopefully, it will be difficult for even our establishment press to ignore the fact that virtually every pro-vaccine advocate, whether in science or industry, is tainted with the money of BigPharma.

Morality check

Leaving out the essential fact that Jenny is an autism mom shows how dishonest Trudeau is. (What does that say about his other cartoons?)

John Stone

Rob Smith

While it doesn't help all that much to be rude about Garry Trudeau his professional survival bearing in mind his remarkably limited talent is an interesting phenomenon. Perhaps it just shows that if you belong to a certain social clique, and you carry on fitting, you can on go on being indulged. I strikes me that the Trudeau drawing skills have improved more than somewhat over they years, though scarcely enough to make the product lively or interesting. Nothing will ever stop it being very dull stuff, but the Jenny incident leaves a bad taste.

Rob Smith

For me, the shock isn't that someone would take a cheapshot at Jenny McCarthy, it's that Doonesbury is still around. Gary Trudeau hasn't been funny, or relevant in 30 years. Why does anybody care about this washed up hack?

John Stone

And, of course, it interferes with the family business:

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