Yeah, stupid mobile non-standard display.
Scrolling down a teeny screen past over-quoting, ellipses, or horizontal/vertical ellipsis overuse fills me with a blinding rage, apparently.
Although, I agree that the column’s joke definitely fails on factual correctness, yours does not.
That statement is freaking hilariousbecause of it’s factual incorrectness and it’s play on ignorance.
That’s really a gross exaggeration. Yes, thalidome (Contergan) was a tragedy which affected many people because it was considered safe and thus widely prescribed.
But it was not the “worst” medical disaster in history. First, do you define medical disaster as
to do with a disease, like the Black Plague, AIDS, Ebola, etc.?
where ignorance of the effects led to disastrous side results, like blood-letting, lack of hygiene pre-Semmelweis, etc.?
where knowledge was purposly ignored, like the fight during Semmelweis’ days, the Tuskegee experiment, etc.?
Additionally, thaliomide has actually many benefits in treating things besides morning sickness and sleeping problems.
To quote the link you gave: "With tens of thousands of victims of the drug worldwide, thalidomide has been called “the biggest medical tragedy of modern times.”
As for treating blood cancer, there have been cases of other cancers developing, particularly acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and B-cell lymphoma malignancies. The renamed drug called ‘lenalidomide’ is still under review by the FDA, so I guess they’re using the public as lab mice. Makes a change. I suppose you don’t have much choice if they say it ‘could’ save your life.
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That woman was asking about whether Proctor & Gamble was run by Satanists. :rolleyes: Accurate or not, she deserved a zing.
You don’t see the irony in zinging someone’s silliness, with something equally silly?
Sure.
Okay, now 1986 is fixed. What was wrong with 1987?
Stupidity. Hers was stupidity. And stupidity should be painful.
Thanks, but “If ignorance were cornflakes, you’d be General Mills” is actually from another Cecil column, and the fact that General Mills doesn’t actually make cornflakes was something he addressed later on:
He claimed she was stupid because her mother took Thalidomide (he’s a charmer, hey), the drug does not have those effects, certainly not well known to. As the kids today say - FAIL! 
This confession needs a retraction. General Mills makes Total Corn Flakes, and used to make a product called Country Corn Flakes.
Oh boy. “As the kids today say”? Go back home Grandpa, no one’s on your lawn.
Seriously, humor is subjective. Some people found it funny. Some did not. I can’t put thalidomide up as a sacred cow, however…I tend to think most things need to be laughed at, or you would cry. The human condition is such that there is a ton of pain in this world and I for one don’t want to be sensitive about every damn thing. I just can’t be arsed to care that much, or my heart would break.
Ergo, I laugh.
The top 5 songs?
- “Faith”…George Michael
- “Alone”…Heart
- “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” …Whitney Houston
- “C’est la Vie”…Robbie Nevil
- “Shake You Down”…Gregory Abbott
On the topic; the Old Wench and I both have thalidomide “babies” in our families. Back when I first read it I remember having a little twinge that “Hey - wait a minute - they are probably the three smartest cousins we have” but the moment passed quickly.
Having a bit of trouble making it out. Maybe if it were arranged vertically?
Thalidomide was never approved in the US. US doctors didn’t (couldn’t) prescribe it. The few US cases were women who were in Europe during pregnancy and prescribed it by a doctor there or got it illegally.
I’m assuming you were not born in the US.
Yes, I realized that. Although, Cecil acknowledges that initially it was unintentional and later realized that it was funnier that way.
It is still not analogous with the Thalidomide joke.
Some US doctor’s “did” prescribe it to patients.
From Wikipedia:
Also, Thalidomide could be ordered by mail from Europe and/or bought in Canada until 1962.
/squints at the screen
Dammit, time for the annual eye checkup, I guess. This is getting bad!
Anyone who wants to read a truly indelible and tasteless portrayal of Thalidomide side effects should read Irvine Welsh’s short story “Fortune’s Always Hiding.”
Warning: spoiler is fairly stomach churning.
In it, a thalidomide baby (now grown to a young woman without use of her malformed arms) tracks down the pharmaceutical executive responsible, and cuts off his arms with a chainsaw, using only her feet.
Not my cup of tea, but damn if it wasn’t memorable.
I suggest the OP not watch the film Brain Candy