The Invasion of the Normal Child Snatchers
The New York University Child Study Center is launching a “Ransom Notes” public awareness campaign with the message that Millions Of Children [are] Held Hostage By Psychiatric Disorders. The ad for autism says:
We have your son. We will make sure he will no longer be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives. This is only the beginning…
and the ad for Asperger Syndrome says
We have your son. We are destroying his ability for social interaction and driving him into a life of complete isolation. It’s up to you now…
and the ad for ADHD says
We are in possession of your son. We are making him squirm and fidget until he is a detriment to himself and those around him. Ignore this and your kid will pay…
and the ad for bulimia says
We have your daughter. We are forcing her to throw up after every meal she eats. It’s only going to get worse……
You get the picture.The message in this campaign is something like The Invasion of the Normal Child Snatchers, with the various disorders made to be the “aliens”—or crooked bag guys—who have kidnapped the very minds, personalities, selves of children with autism, ADHD, bulimia and other eating disorders, Asperger Syndrome, depression. The “Ransom Note” campaign draws in part on the myth of the changeling, in which a human child was said to have been snatched from its cradle by trolls and replaced with an ugly, deformed, creature. This troll-child, the changeling, is a disabled child. While I don’t think that parents today always knowingly invoke this folk story when they refer to their autistic child as once normal and now “lost,” references to autistic children as an “empty shell,” do suggest this notion of the changeling, of a child stolen away and a deformed being left in her or his place. While these kinds of images and this kind of alarmist rhetoric can certainly strike people directly in the heart and in the gut (all the way to their wallets), they promote a limited understanding of the disorders and disabilities themselves, and provide little comfort with families who, while seeking to help their child make her or his way through the world, know that it’s not as simple as forking over a bag of cash to “get their child back.” Indeed, some of us simply do not think that we have lost a child to autism, or had our child stolen, kidnapped, abducted, or snatched by any dread disorder.
We know we have a child who is a big, huge part of our lives; a child who is not “normal” and is different and struggles with a disability, but a child who is with us. No one took my “real” son with me and left an autistic child in the cradle: Charlie sitting across from me fiddling with his iPod after a day at school is the same Charlie (albeit much bigger) who I once carried close in the crook on one arm.
The campaign is being produced pro bono by BBDO which is…… a public health non-profit? an autism organization? some sort of state or government agency about disabilities?BBDO is a worldwide advertising agency network, with its headquarters in New York. The ads will appear on billboards in December, and then on kiosks and in newspapers, magazines, online, etc.. As I live around New York and we go into the city regularly, I guess I will be reading these ransom notes, and I’ll be wondering if the message on those billboards, though provided for pro bono, is not really pro malo.
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POSTED IN: Media, Parenting, Psychiatry, Rhetoric, Stereotypes
40 opinions for The Invasion of the Normal Child Snatchers
Marla
Dec 5, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Wow. I have to check all of this out. It does not sound like anything I would want my child or family reading.
Canvas Grey
Dec 5, 2007 at 5:53 pm
**picking jaw up off the floor** Seems to me the person/people who thought this up AND approved it did/are doing some drugs that aren’t agreeing with them. I think this is going to enrage quite a few people. Maybe that is the purpose, for some strange reason outrageous seems to sell these days. Ignorance is bliss to those who profit by it. I’d be HIGHLY skeptical of anyone who said this about my dear one.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Dec 5, 2007 at 6:16 pm
I’m thinking the intent was to be outrageous? The “kidnapped children” image seems like a throwback.
jypsy
Dec 5, 2007 at 6:39 pm
Please write to them and express your feelings (outrage?)
KimJ
Dec 5, 2007 at 6:44 pm
No Child Left Behind Act:
“We have your child. We have drained him of all reasoning skills and ability to perform hands-on experiments so he can perfect test-taking.”
I’m sure if the average citizen were to write up ransom notes for real or for entertainment or for political reasons, they could investigated for terrorism. It’s A-OK for this group of people though.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Dec 5, 2007 at 6:47 pm
Let me think about how to word such a letter—-
Bink
Dec 5, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Oh my God. This is reprehensible. I hope the scumbags who approved this rot in hell.
jypsy
Dec 5, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Kassiane had an excellent comeback.
Regan
Dec 5, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Egad.
I am pretty used to hyperbole in advertising, but this is pretty shameless in pushing the “Fear Factor”.
Given that we have family folks with eating disorders, ADHD and the autism spectrum, I find myself offended by the intentionally panic-invoking invasion-of-the-body-snatchers tone of all 4 ads, so if I was meant to be attracted to the services offered–they failed.
VAB
Dec 5, 2007 at 7:29 pm
I already wrote to these scumbags. I have to say I am relieved that we no longer live in New York. I don’t know how I would have explained those billboards to my son. I wondering if this is not out-and-out illegal. You would not get away with putting up billboards like that about an ethnic minority. There should be some way to get an injunction against this.
Patrick
Dec 5, 2007 at 7:36 pm
I find the statements to be insensitive and rude, in addition to being the sensationalistic type of ploy we would expect from tabloid headline mongering advocates.
How are these going to get us any actual help? I might ask of the publisher(s).
An Asperger Adult.
Cliff
Dec 5, 2007 at 7:37 pm
BBDO: “We have your mind. We’re going to force you to accept limited and simplistic definitions of legitimate people. Let the bigotry seep in…”
Ugh. Just what we needed. I’ll have a word about this, certainly.
Cliff
Leila
Dec 5, 2007 at 8:03 pm
The advertisers who created the ads were ignorant and insensitive, but I blame the NYU Child Study Center for adopting their campaign because they should KNOW BETTER than to treat this issue with such sensationalism and disrespect. They could have easily asked BBDO to make a different type of ad.
Niksmom
Dec 5, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Holy Cow, that is one offensive campaign! I wouldn’t be surprised to see some sort of legal injunction against them soon. (Shaking my head in utter disbelief and disgust…)
Kristina Chew, PhD
Dec 5, 2007 at 9:11 pm
And why put out the ads in December—-just the way to make our (interestingly “disordered” family) feel a bit out of place…….
Daisy
Dec 5, 2007 at 10:02 pm
What kind of ad would they come up with for me: I’m hearing impaired, a professional (elementary teacher), educated (Bachelors and Masters degrees), mom of two, and happily married for 24 years. My disability is part of me, but it doesn’t define me or remove me from life.
MomtoJBG
Dec 5, 2007 at 11:12 pm
As I read this, I kept thinking, “Is this real? Could it be some sort of parody?” Can you imagine parents of newly-diagnosed kids reading these ads?
Another Voice
Dec 5, 2007 at 11:25 pm
According to their web site, Dr. Harold Kopleicz, professor and chair of the Child and Adolesent Psychiatry department at the NYU School of Medicine, is quite pleased with the ads.
I think he could use a little help, I hope he is seeing someone.
Phil Schwarz
Dec 6, 2007 at 12:09 am
Find out who the advertisers represent, and boycott the products of their other clients until the ad campaign is dismantled. Urge others to do so as well.
This is disgusting enough to galvanize widespread support, beyond the autism community. Moreso in some ways even than “Autism Every Day”.
Canvas Grey
Dec 6, 2007 at 8:52 am
Here is the link I found to send our thoughts and feelings: http://www.aboutourkids.org/contact_us/contact_information
KimJ
Dec 6, 2007 at 10:33 am
I was confused as to where to send “complaints” so I sent it to Press and Media.
Niksmom
Dec 6, 2007 at 10:56 am
Here’s a link to BBDO’s NY offices with contact links for press relations and new business…phone numbers included, too. http://www.bbdo.com/network/network.htm
Niksmom
Dec 6, 2007 at 11:01 am
And a link to a BusinessWire article which list OTHER participating entities. The list is, frankly, surprising:
“This campaign represents the third pro bono effort by BBDO for the NYU Child Study Center. BBDO earlier gave the organization its tagline “Giving Children Back their Childhood.”
The new campaign will run on 11 billboards in December, 200 kiosks from December through the end of March, and in newspapers, magazines and on-line through the first quarter 2008 and then move into five major markets.
Free kiosk and billboard space was donated by Van Wagner. Other participants in the pro bono campaign include New York Magazine, Newsweek, Parents, Education Update and Mental Health News. The initial launch is expected to net over 700 million impressions over the next four months. ”
Full article here:
http://eon.businesswire.com/releases/child/study/prweb573881.htm
Niksmom
Dec 6, 2007 at 11:09 am
“Left untreated, these illnesses can hold children hostage. That’s why we’ve chosen to deliver our message in the form of a ransom note,” says John Osborn, President and CEO of BBDO New York. “We hope the campaign will act as a wake-up call to families, educators and healthcare professionals, and spark dialogue so children can get the help they need.”
John Osborn’s contact information is:
Address:
1285 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10019, UNITED STATES
Telephone Number:
(212) 459-5000
Facsimile Number:
(212) 459-6645
Contact Email:
FIRSTNAME.LASTNAME@BBDO.COM
(this is copied directly from the following site:
http://wwnetwork.bbdo.com/network.aspx?region=4)
Casdok
Dec 6, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Im speachless!
MomtoJBG
Dec 6, 2007 at 5:50 pm
I just fired off my angry and, I hope, articulate protest email. In a way, I feel better, but typing my thoughts also got me all riled up again.
How could anyone think my sweet, playful, Sesame Street-loving boys could be the equivalent of kidnapped??
Kristina Chew, PhD
Dec 6, 2007 at 6:54 pm
I’m not sure how we parents are viewed to, in terms of this “kidnapping” business….
Kassiane
Dec 6, 2007 at 7:42 pm
I sent them the “ransom note” jypsy linked to.
Maybe we should do a “Hysterical Hyperbolic Professionals Brigade” one too?
blog-thing : Communication, Respect and Autism
Dec 6, 2007 at 8:14 pm
[…] And they do a similar job on ADHD, Asperger Syndrome and Bulimia. Whose Planet is it Anyway? and Autism Vox have both written thoughtful blogs about this campaign. The NAS takes respect for autistic people […]
Anne
Dec 6, 2007 at 10:53 pm
This reminds me of the ill-conceived “Getting the Word Out About Autism” campaign, by Fishtank Brand Advertising for the Autism Society of America. ASA ultimately abandoned it, and I hope NYU Child Study Center will do the same.
abfh
Dec 6, 2007 at 11:46 pm
Kristina, my apologies for the crossposting, but I just got a comment on my blog that has contact information for some influential people at NYU:
Writing to the center’s people is a waste of time. I learned through a friend who has a son with aspergers and big time NYC donor connections that you can reach the head of the NYU Med Center at robert.grossman@nyumc.org and the two big funders of the asperger program at istatfeld@aol.com and mrecanati@aol.com. You really should reach them to end this offensive campaign.
For those who wish to send e-mails to the people mentioned above, please be courteous in your remarks, as they are not responsible for the content of the ads.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Dec 7, 2007 at 12:16 am
Thanks and thanks——
stacey
Dec 7, 2007 at 12:55 am
This is down right malicious,cruel,discriminatory and not to mention dangerous.This does not help spread awareness or knowledge,instead it injects fear and promotes ignorance.”What we don’t understand we must degrade and defeat” that’s the message this campaign carries.
abfh
Dec 7, 2007 at 10:38 am
Here’s more complete information on the donors mentioned above:
mrecanati@aol.com is Michael Statfeld Recanati.
istatfeld@aol.com is Ira Statfeld Recanati.
Melanie, Bobby's mom
Dec 7, 2007 at 10:43 am
I have a close family member with extremely severe treatment-resistant depression, and yes, “hostage to his own mind” is an accurate term to use to describe what’s happened to him since he was a pre-teen. He’s lost years and years of his life. But, scare tactics do nothing to help him or educate others or give relief to my family! (Respite care, anyone??) These tactics perptuate the “boogeyman” perception and make people with disabilities or mental illnesses seem even more like outsiders instead of the much-loved yet frustrating and frustrated family members they really are.
Plus, this sort of campaign (to me) ignores all the hard work that my family member has done to help himself as well as disregards the 10 kinds of hell the family has gone through to help him. Not to mention, all the hard work we (and Bobby) have gone through, too!
I don’t live in NYC, but I’d hate to see these messages in my area…I may have to send a comment to the NYU Med Center just to protest the dangerous precent this campaign seems to be.
Caroline L.
Dec 7, 2007 at 11:01 am
Obviously these awareness campaigns seem designed to fuel stigma and fear, instead of changing attitudes in a positive way.
Empathy, positive attitude, assuming competence, treating all individuals with respect, providing much needed services and supports in a dignified way,
so that individuals and families can feel empowered and part of their local communities instead of isolated and shunned -
why is this concept so hard for the ‘Autism Angels’ (as T&C magazine called them) to understand?
I am glad I do not live in NYC right now, and I used to love the city. It is not “Welcome to Holland”.
KimJ
Dec 7, 2007 at 11:22 am
Melanie, I agree there are some conditions that “take one hostage”, that is, seize a person and change them against their (already established) will. I have dealt with depression and it’s a terrifying feeling to say and do things that you don’t agree with.
However, describing people with neurological disorders or difference as being held hostage is quite another feat. ON my son’s very worst days, when he is unable to explain what is wrong, he doesn’t need a cure, or panic. He needs a translator.
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