Well, with the power of Mummy bloggers we got our message across that jokes at the expense of those on the Autistic Spectrum are not ok.
Channel 10 issued an apology while trying to claim that the host of the show attempted to stop the jokes yet they seemed to have forgotten another regular also made a joke about autism.
Hmmm, short memories in television but not here.
Now, there are forums filled to bursting with people arguing back and forth about how they are on the Spectrum and they didn't find it offensive, others are calling us 'precious' and thin skinned, even more are agreeing that it wasn't funny, it was offensive, etc, etc, etc.
They'll go on and on, like a cat chasing its tail because each will refuse to see the other person's side of the argument.
Such is the power of anonymity on the net.
Here is my argument as to why those jokes were offensive -
Because dickheads see this as permission to bully, under the guise of 'humour', those on the Spectrum.
Pure and simple.The social inhibitions, the moral compass most of us have inside us is willfully ignored by idiots who see these 'jokes' by media personalities as a free pass to perform their own brand of 'humour' on others who are unable to defend themselves.
How often have you yourself asked someone to stop doing something that was annoying/upsetting you only for them to play the "It was only a joke" get-out-of-gaol-free card?
Just as I found Eddie and Mick Malloy's comments about the male ice skaters at the Winter Olympics offensive - because they are media personalities and those comments are seen as a passport to vilifying members of the LGBT community.
Eddie has had the good grace to recognise the high incidence of bullying, mental illness and suicide in same-sex attracted youth but I think it's too much to hope for Paul McDermott and Mikey Robbins to acknowledge the high rate of bullying, depression and risk of suicide associated with those on the Spectrum.
Cos it's just not funny.