Disappointing on CFS by podcast "No such thing as a fish"

[Kalliope]

Am a bit disappointed over the latest programme to one of my favourite podcasts "No such thing as a fish". It is a popular podcast with all sorts of fun facts made by researchers of the BBC-programme QI.

In an interesting conversation about how other senses than hearing can influence our perception of music, suddenly a guest in the programme Tim Minchin (whom google says is an Australian musician and comedian?) starts talking about CFS as an example of how soma and psyche are intertwined.

"If you have someone with one of those umbrella diagnosis like chronic fatigue, there'll be this outrage if anyone suggests there is a psychological element to their disease...
These people want it desperately to be a tick or some kind of pathogen but if you tell them its neurological they're like - no it's not all in my head. But it doesn't matter, it's all in your head in the end"

I know there are numerous examples of this devastating misunderstanding of ME-patients and science on ME. But so sad that misconception is shared also by this otherwise funny and entertaining podcast. :thumbdown:

If you want to hear, the conversation on CFS starts approximately 18.45. It lasts only a few minutes.

 

[Marky90]

Am a bit disappointed over the latest programme to one of my favourite podcasts "No such thing as a fish". It is a popular podcast with all sorts of fun facts made by researchers of the BBC-programme QI.

In an interesting conversation about how other senses than hearing can influence our perception of music, suddenly a guest in the programme Tim Minchin (whom google says is an Australian musician and comedian?) starts talking about CFS as an example of how soma and psyche are intertwined.

"If you have someone with one of those umbrella diagnosis like chronic fatigue, there'll be this outrage if anyone suggests there is a psychological element to their disease...
These people want it desperately to be a tick or some kind of pathogen but if you tell them its neurological they're like - no it's not all in my head. But it doesn't matter, it's all in your head in the end"

I know there are numerous examples of this devastating misunderstanding of ME-patients and science on ME. But so sad that misconception is shared also by this otherwise funny and entertaining podcast. :thumbdown:

If you want to hear, the conversation on CFS starts approximately 18.45. It lasts only a few minutes.

Minchin mixes "neurological" and "psychological" wrongly, they are not the same thing in everyday language.

 

[Invisible Woman]

...it doesn't matter if it's all b*****ks....

...he sums up his own comments nicely here!

Would it be considered okay to speak about cancer patients in this way? That ultimately everything is "in your head".

Would it be okay to muse about mental health in this way? Whether it's depression or schizophrenia or whatever? Never mind the diagnosis - it's still all in your head.

What about alzheimers?

If you have to make light of the profound suffering and disability of others (while demonstrating woeful ignorance) to make yourself seem erudite and intelligent then, quite simply, you are a complete prat.

 

[sarah darwins]

Minchin probably read that Suzanne O'Sullivan book or Jo Marchant's Cure and now feels qualified to make pronouncements about the nature of illnesses he doesn't have and knows absolutely nothing about (actually less than nothing, as his remarks make clear). He's not alone.

I see he has a BA in English and Theatre.

Personally I find him about as funny as candida, but that's probably irrelevant.

 

[worldbackwards]

In slightly related news, I recorded the TV spin off "No Such Thing As The News" last night and started watching it this morning. Unfortunately, it was so unfunny that I turned it off within five minutes (a new record) and deleted it straight away, prior to seeing this. So we aren't talking the pinnacle of talent here.

 

[panckage]

Tim Minchin makes fun of everything. I wouldn't take anything he says too seriously. He's a adult-oriented comedian. Why don't we reeducate him that it is a real biological illness via his twitter? I just tried to err... but I'm not very good at twitter. Help me

 

[Hutan]

Tim Minchin makes fun of everything.

Yeah, I like quite a bit of his work a lot (and some of it not so much). He is clever, just clearly ignorant about ME.

He has used his art to be make political statements. See here for example:

where he was criticising Cardinal Pell who seems to have been complicit in covering up paedophilia in the Australian Catholic Church. The Vatican promoted him to a role in Rome and Pell has said that he's now too sick to travel back to Australia to take part in an inquiry in to sexual abuse of children by priests.

I agree with @panckage, if we tried to educate Tim without being too earnest, we could end up with an ally. I wouldn't have thought he would have been a supporter of psychosomatic stuff. He has criticised faith healing and praying for cures in his songs.

 

[Esther12]

tbh, I've always got the impression Minchin was one of those people who believed that being intelligent meant trusting authority. When/if we get authority to recognise that we're owed an apology, maybe he'll follow them. I doubt he'd be a useful ally for any group that really needs a useful ally.

 

[Skippa]

I get the impression he was trying to make a witty point, but somehow missed the mark.

 

[TiredSam]

That's disappointing, I really like Tim Minchin. Worth a try to educate him, as he prides himself on being rational. If that doesn't work he can go and **** himself.

 

[Wolfiness]

Tbh if I didn't have ME I'd think what he does.

 

[Kalliope]

Tbh if I didn't have ME I'd think what he does.

Me too. The truth often lies somewhere in the middle of opposite opinions, and thus I would have accepted a psycho-somatic approach as completely reasonable, had I not been following the debate for many years. Would also believed the myth that patients only wants a narrow form for medical research, whilst the psycho-somatic approach searches wider. Even though the truth is that it is biomedical research which finally brings both some diversity into this - and answers.

 

[tinacarroll27]

We have all been Gas lighted with this illness and that includes society as a whole. You need to be able to question the establishment and look deeper to see the truth of this illness and some people just don't seem willing to do that. To look deeper and question!
Tim Minchin obviously believes the spin and has never questioned it. I think Steven Fry believes ME is a real biological illness (he twittered once about ME Awareness day, with very supportive comments) and I think he might have seen the film "Voices from the shadows" Maybe someone should send Minchin a copy!

 

[Invisible Woman]

I think Steven Fry believes ME is a real biological illness (he twittered once about ME Awareness day, with very supportive comments) and I think he might have seen the film "Voices from the shadows" Maybe someone should send Minchin a copy!

I'll chip in towards sending him a copy. Too brain fogged to sort it myself but would contribute to the cost.

 

[tinacarroll27]

I've been tying to find out where you can get the DVD, but no luck. Any one know where you can get one?

 

[Invisible Woman]

Ah - just saw that the DVD is not available to buy.

There is a code that allows a free viewing - perhaps we could send him the code and respectfully ask that if he is going to mention the condition in the future that he might watch it first, contact the ME Assoc. , or even join us for a chat here first.

I don't think it is acceptable to refer ME or pwME in this way (any more than it would be with any other condition) but I would do my brain-fogged best to engage with him; health permitting. I'm sure others, more knowledgeable than I, would too. In fact, kudos to him if he does engage with us.

http://voicesfromtheshadowsfilm.co.uk/