19 November 2008

DiaF Award, 19. November 2008

Boston Herald wins the Die in a Fire Award today.

They're seriously using their front page to blast Denis Leary? Is news that slow, folks? You're really going to use your front page to settle a personal score? Has the Herald become a reactionary rag (but then, maybe it's always been)?

Their initial claim was that Leary called autistic children "stupid and lazy" ... No. What he said was that irresponsible parents are trying to hide their stupid and lazy children (that they never bothered to parent properly) behind convenient labels that might get them a better teacher-student ratio (to undo the damage of the parents' gross negligence). Was Leary's statement brash? Hell, yes. He's Denis "I'm An Asshole" Leary. It would be a herald to the End of Days if the man started being sensitive.

Then, Leary reacted to their claim at his Agganis Arena show.

And the Herald needed to get back at him. On the front page. Because they're apparently staffed by old men who never got over the high school mind-set.

But Leary's not insulting people who genuinely have autism, which anyone at the Herald would know if they'd shut up and listen for a minute. Also, had any of them ever listened to any of his stand-up, they might better understand the spirit in which he says things.

As he'd be the first to say, he's an asshole; but picking on actually autistic children? He's not that much of an asshole.

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