Andy Dick booed for using "ret*d" at autism benifit

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Entertainer Andy Dick made a comment during his sold-out performance at the annual Fullerton Cares Comedy for Autism benefit event that was enough to cause more than half the audience to leave. He began speaking on his brother who has just passed away, but that his brother had been dying for “twenty years” and had been asking Dick for money, to which Dick said “That’s why I’m in Fullerton for ret*ds.”

Andy Dick’s official statement through Fullerton Cares regarding the incident goes as follows;

“It is a word I shouldn’t use. I shouldn’t use that word. There are a lot of taboo words out there. I was just joking. Kevin [Andy Dick’s friend attending his recorded statement] is not mentally handicapped…he’s not. He has autism. I have slight autism. So, I apologize if I offended anyone out there. Autism in my eyes touches everybody. I think we all know somebody or we are ourselves in some ways autistic…and that’s it. I didn’t mean to offend anybody.”

On February 2007, Dick was forcibly removed during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, after repeatedly touching guest Ivanka Trump. Jimmy Kimmel called in his security guards, Uncle Frank and Veatrice Rice, who assisted as Kimmel dragged Dick off the set by his legs.[39] Kimmel later said "Andy did a segment, he was a little out of it. [When Ivanka] came out, he wanted a big, wet kiss. It was time for Andy to go, so I escorted him out by his feet." Kimmel added, "He always makes me a little uncomfortable, you have no idea what he's going to do next." Kimmel also said he had spoken to Dick afterwards and that Dick was not upset about the incident

Today at the comedy show there was a comic who used a slur used against people with developmental disabilities. We at Fullerton Cares distance ourselves from his statement onstage and emphasize that we do not condone or endorse this type of language. When Fullerton Cares was founded years ago it was created on the pillars of awareness, acceptance and action. We continue to march forward towards these goals and we are thankful to all people who supported our efforts tonight and throughout the years. This word is not something we use, nor did we review any comics’ material prior to them going onstage. We trusted each individual to exercise their best judgment in making jokes. We apologize deeply to anyone who was affected by this language. We also hope that in light of our work in the community and in light of the comic’s own diagnosis of autism and his immediate apology statement, that we can accept him at his word that it was a mistake that he regrets.

Statement from Andy Dick:

“It is a word I shouldn’t use. I shouldn’t use that word. There are a lot of taboo words out there. I was just joking. Kevin [Andy Dick’s friend attending his recorded statement] is not mentally handicapped…he’s not. He has autism. I have slight autism. So, I apologize if I offended anyone out there. Autism in my eyes touches everybody. I think we all know somebody or we are ourselves in some ways autistic …and that’s it. I didn’t mean to offend anybody.”

Statement from Keith Reza, comedian with autism also performing at the comedy show:

“I know Andy and I’ve seen him do comedy for a long time and he is a sweet and good person and I don’t think he meant it in any insult fashion…that’s how his show is…coming from an autistic comedian……I don’t feel he meant it in a negative way like that he was just trying to be funny and obviously it didn’t work.”

http://fullertoncares.com/news/fullerto ... medy-show/

...Before the performance, Andy Dick stated that he was performing at the show because he believe’s that he is autistic and that he supports autism awareness.

“I’m here to support Fullerton Care’s which is an organization that brings awareness to autism. I’ve done a number of benefits for autism and these people saw me do one at Pantages Theatre in Hollywood and asked me if I would come down here and do this. It just raises money and awareness for autism,” Dick said, “My friend in my band here Joe Walsh’s brother is autistic and I honestly feel that I’m on the spectrum....”

http://hornet.fullcoll.edu/andy-dick-ma ... dy-show-2/

...The comedian [...] was seen sobbing in the Fox's green room after his set....

http://www.ocweekly.com/news/andy-dick- ... it-7608576

Are we seriously giving people this sort of power over us?

What are we? Demons to be banished with a magic word? Vampires forced to retreat when someone holds up a crucifix? Minions of the Great Old Ones ousted with an Elder Sign?

It's a word. Get over yourselves.

I, for one, am not willing to let others control me and my actions with but a single word. They want to control us? Make them work for it. Don't just give them the power.

At the very least, force them to learn some Latin. That's what real demons do. Let them earn it.
From the ritual of exorcism: Sicut déficit fumus defíciant; sicut fluit cera a fácie ígnis, sic péreant peccatóres a fácie Dei. [As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.]

I believe that the audience, the autism charity and the Fullerton, Calif., community acted exactly as you and I would hope that they would.

Obviously I didn't make my point clearly.

No, they did not act exactly as I would hope they would. Perhaps they acted as you hoped they would, but not as I hoped they would.

I would have hoped they would display some maturity, recognised that it's just a word, considered the joke in poor taste and not particularly funny, and not given away their autonomy and power by getting up and walking out.

Seriously, you want to be a demon banished with a magic word? Fine. It's your life. But I really don't see why anyone else would go along with that.

It is, in fact, empowering for victims to rob bullies of the attention that they seek.

What the community of Fullerton, Calif., did was laudable by showing that they weren't going to let Dick think blissfully that he was right all along simply because they sat mute in the face of insults. They disengaged, and doing so is a powerful tool.