My Interview With Michael J. Fox

CBS ^ | 10/26/2006 | Katie Couric

[dave k]

I’ve interviewed Michael J. Fox several times before – but never quite like this.

After all the controversy and publicity and debate about his political ad, and the criticism he got from people like Rush Limbaugh, he really is in the eye of a political storm right now. But when he came to our studio for our exclusive interview, he was remarkably calm. He was also obviously symptomatic. He trembled uncontrollably, and his legs shook, but he explained it was actually a side effect of not taking enough medication. He told me he reduced his dosage because he didn’t want to have dyskinesia, which is the side effect of too much medication, and which causes the swaying back and forth that was so evident in the controversial ad for Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill. Fox said that he can never tell from one day to the next how serious his symptoms will be. It’s a crapshoot.

[Dane]

aaarrgghhhhhhhhhhh

That's right, aaaaatggghhh. IF MJF wants to join the political arena, his disease does not shelter him from any type of political criticism.

Have you heard the adage of "dish it out, but can't take it".

[kylaka]

I think they loaded his undershorts with fireants this time.

[Stone Mountain]

in reality he is much closer to "normal" when he takes his meds.

I'm not so sure about that. His disease has progressed pretty far and there doesn't exist any meds that can make a Parkinson's patient normal. He may not have been at his best in the commercial, but I don't believe that you would be able to see him, no matter what combination of meds he was one, and not immediately tell that he was suffering from the disease.

[Stone Mountain]

I dislike these misleading ads but many of the comments on these threads about Fox's condition are gratuitous and contrary to fact.,

Yup - there is an amazing lack of knowledge about Parkinson's here, given the number of experts we seem to have! : ) The main one being the one you mentioned - that all he has to do is take medication and he will be basically normal. I'm guessing none of the people who proposed that know a Parkinson's sufferer.

[Stone Mountain]

I would imagione Parkinsons is a little like that when they first start the dosage, but it would seem as lo0ng as he has been taking it he pretty much shopuld know the correct dosage.

No - Parkinson's is much much more complicated. And there is no "correct" dosage. The same dosage on different days will affect a Parkinsons patient differently. Also, many Parkinson's patients will have a med work for them initially, but the effects wear off over time as the disease progresses. That's when dosage has to be increased, or a new med prescribed. But no matter how much one does, there is always a balancing factor - there isn't a "correct" dosage that one can take. And even under the best of circumstances, the meds help to control symptoms, but they don't ever provide complete control or normalcy.

[Stone Mountain]

YES....but what everyone is talking about is the fact Rush said he was faking or acting his symptoms...THAT WAS A MISTAKE.

How do you know?

Because everyone is talking about how mean old Rush was cruel to poor MJF instead of talking about how MJF misrepresented the facts in his commercial?

[Stone Mountain]

Rush said that he was either acting or OFF HIS MEDICATION.

It was worse than that. He said, ""He is exaggerating the effects of the disease," "He's moving all around and shaking, and it's purely an act…This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox."

[sgtbono2002]

Thanks for the information. I appreciate it.

[Dane]

Actually MJF has admitted in his book that he himself foregone his medication, to make a political point.

MJF has no one to blame but himself for his antics in political manipulation.

[Stone Mountain]

MJF has no one to blame but himself for his antics in political manipulation.

Yes, but that's not the point. Outside of FR, MJF is viewed as the victim and Rush is the conservative bully picking on his disease. This is working out better than MJF could have possibly imagined because of Rush. Now people are talking about what Rush said, instead of the misrepresentations that MJF made in his commercial.

[Dane]

Yes, but that's not the point. Outside of FR, MJF is viewed as the victim and Rush is the conservative bully picking on his disease.

Uh that is the point, that MJF himself has admitted to foregoing his medication for political manipulation. Call Rush or me a meanie for poitning out MJF's deception all you want, but I ain't the one trying to deceive people, MJF is.

But go ahead and defend MJF's deception all you want.

[Stone Mountain]

But go ahead and defend MJF's deception all you want.

If you would look at my posts, you'd see I'm not defending MJF. I'm saying that Rush made a bad tactical move by emphasizing the illness instead of MJF's misrepresentations about stem cells in his commercial. I haven't called anyone mean including Rush... but I do believe he blundered.

[Dane]

If you would look at my posts, you'd see I'm not defending MJF. I'm saying that Rush made a bad tactical move by emphasizing the illness instead of MJF's misrepresentations about stem cells in his commercial. I haven't called anyone mean including Rush... but I do believe he blundered

Blundered how? For pointing out MJF's own admitted attempts at political manipulation.

That's not a blunder, that's pointing out the truth.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" but I don't believe that you would be able to see him, no matter what combination of meds he was one, and not immediately tell that he was suffering from the disease."

Fox was on NBC Nightly News on Tuesday night and he had a very slight tremor-nothing like in the ad.
On Boston Legal-both this season and last, he played a patient with lung cancer and exhibited no neurological symptoms.
On Scrubs in 04 or 05, Fox played a hyper and neurotic surgeon without any obvious neurological symptoms.
John Gibson played a clip of Fox this week at a Democrat fund raiser and while I did not personally see that clip- Freepers reported that Fox appeared physically normal while meeting and greeting fellow Democrats.

Fox himself, in an interview 2 days ago-

"I'm kind of lucky right now.
It's ironic, given some of the things that have been said in the last couple of days, that my pills are working really well right now," he said.

[mountainfolk]

It seems to me that Michael Fox could have just made an honest commercial. He could have cited his physical appearance as the ravages of Parkinsons and that he supported the RAT candidate because she would support govt/taxpayer funding for research beyond what the govt now already does. And if he really wanted to be honest he could have said he knows that embryonic stem cells cause tumors in rodents while adult cells have proven helpful in treating a number of diseases. Unfortunately, he chose to use his condition to promote the RAT political agenda, which includes the deception of the Missouri voters about the exact nature of the cloning bill they will be voting on. The voters in Missouri are the victims here. Shame on Michael Fox for allowing himself to be the instrument of that deception.

[Stone Mountain]

Blundered how? For pointing out MJF's own admitted attempts at political manipulation. That's not a blunder, that's pointing out the truth.

My take is that even if what Rush said was entirely 100% the truth (and it wasn't), it's still a bad idea to bring it up. You are just inviting people to call you a bully. Much better would have been for Rush to ignore the body movements, and only focus on the substance of the commercial. That's what he did for most of the time. But, outsiders picking up on the story aren't going to hear about that. They are going to hear about the most sensational aspect of what Rush said - in this case, that MJF's appearance was "purely an act" according to Rush. We all, Rush included, know how the media works. I still contend that he blundered.

[Stone Mountain]

I agree with everything you said here. MJF should be being criticized right now for playing fast and loose with the facts. But because of what Rush said, that has become the story instead.

[Dane]

My take is that even if what Rush said was entirely 100% the truth (and it wasn't), it's still a bad idea to bring it up. You are just inviting people to call you a bully.

How is telling the truth and exposing political lies makes one a bully? You have been Oprahfied.

[najida]

You're still at it (God love ya hun).

I'm here if ya need me. :)

[Stone Mountain]

The TV sitcom/drama appearances don't mean much, obviously. I didn't see Fox on the NBC Nightly News - I'd really be surprised if he was able to supress all of his symptoms at this point in the disease though. I'll look around for either clip on the web - maybe YouTube...

I will say that even in Spin City, it was obvious to me that he had it. I have trouble believing he showed no symptoms at all in those other TV shows...

It's ironic, given some of the things that have been said in the last couple of days, that my pills are working really well right now," he said

This is the nature of Parkinsons meds. It's always a balancing act, and the dosages and the drugs themselves need constant changing.