Oh dear god...

[conuly]

http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,11439632%255E421,00.html

Vines' frontman has brain disorder

THE lead singer of Australian rock band The Vines yesterday escaped an assault charge after admitting he was mildly autistic.

I'm already scared at where this is going...

Craig Nicholls appeared in Balmain Local Court in Sydney where magistrate Susan Seagrave dropped charges that he kicked a female photographer and caused damage to her camera during a gig at a Sydney hotel six months ago.

Quick, all you aspies/autistics! Who thinks this is wrong?

Ms Seagrave dismissed the charges provided he continue medical treatment for Asperger's syndrome.

Medical treatment? Like what?

Nicholls was diagnosed with the condition - described as a mild form of autism - after the alleged incident in May at a performance at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney's inner-west, where the band played for about 450 fans.

So, wait, hold on. FIRST he assulted this woman, THEN he got the diagnosis, NOW he's getting off scot free because of it? *deepsigh*

He had always been a temperamental performer, but until yesterday his mood swings were attributed to burnout.

Aw. He's just tempermental. Other people don't have rights!

People with Asperger's usually appear aloof, show a lack of interest in other people and have a stilted, sometimes pedantic style of speech with a tendency to speak "at" people.

And does this apply to him? How is this relevant?

The outburst in May followed his reported banning from US chat show The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after allegedly causing damage to equipment during a rehearsal for the show.

Bit of a habit, isn't it?

Several concerts in Australia, Britain and the US were cancelled following Nicholls's altercation with Sun-Herald photographer Janie Barrett.

It caused a national radio network to ban The Vines' music from its playlist.

Nicholls apologised to Barrett in a handwritten note shortly after the alleged scuffle. Barrett told The Australian yesterday she was unaware that the charges had been dismissed, but declined to comment further.

No comment.

Lawyers for the 26-year-old singer told the court of the medical diagnosis two weeks ago, according to police prosecutor Sergeant Matthew Baker.

Have I mentioned that I think this is very convenient timing, and that it doesn't justify violence anyway?

Asperger's sufferers have difficulty initiating and maintaining two-way conversations and tend to engage in lengthy monologues about their interests.

They are often considered exceptionally intelligent, but have difficulty reading social situations and therefore are often accused of being deliberately rude or difficult.

There is no known specific cause, although there is a tendency for the condition to run in families, suggesting a genetic link.

Yes, yes, yes, what's the point?

Stressful situations, especially large social gatherings, exacerbate the symptoms, according to medical reports tendered to the court.

Well, while I'll certainly agree, I don't think it excuses violence. He's the one who's putting himself into these large social gatherings!

Nicholls's treatment would be scheduled around his touring commitments, the court was told.

Notice they don't say what that treatment is. I'd like to know...

The band's recording label EMI yesterday said in a statement that Nicholls was looking forward to getting back to making music. He has already begun writing songs for the next album.

The Vines shot to stardom with their first album, Highly Evolved, which sold more than 1.5 million albums, and soon after appeared on the cover of rock music bible Rolling Stone magazine.

Their second album, Winning Days, failed to maintain the band's momentum.

Irrelevant dreck.

Comments

[spankmepink.livejournal.com]

Frankly I'm getting sick of seeing that used as an excuse.
At this rate every person I meet is going to assume I'm going to kick, punch, or poison them and drive my parents to suicide.

[fascinoma.livejournal.com]

If only some experts would speak up.

Unfortunately, there are a handful of unethical shrinks who will sign anything off for the right amount of money, and there are plenty of lawyers who are taking advantage of a little known condition as a "get out of jail free" card, providing the money.

[latenightparty.livejournal.com]

This article is annoying. I'm getting bugged by the use of Asperger's as excuses for people's bad behavior.

Also, does anyone else notice that virtually every article and website talking about AS describes people with it as "Asperger's sufferers"? Like "chronic back pain sufferers." Is that mildly annoying to you too?

[latenightparty.livejournal.com]

Oops, sorry, as A EXCUSE for people's bad behavior.

[latenightparty.livejournal.com]

Oh! Oh! I mean... AN EXCUSE. God, what's happening to my brain? -_-

[farraige.livejournal.com]

Either he is in front of a large crowd because he enjoys it and shouldn't therefore use stressful exposure as an excuse, or, as you pointed out, he should seek alternative employment that would get him away from the situations he cannot handle. What's the big deal, anyway? Can he not distinguish between things he enjoys and things that drive him nuts?
Grrrr. *goes away shaking head and muttering : "sensationalising autism, sensationalising autism..."*

[interactiveleaf.livejournal.com]

It's rotting with Asperger's.

You poor, poor dear. Would you like to punch me? Will that relieve your suffering for a moment?

[katschakai.livejournal.com]

asperger is not an excuse to be stupid. You can't do something bad and then shout asperger, cause he dident do this cause he's an aspie, he did this cause he's an asshole or something of that sort.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

I hate to hirn in on your article ulyyf, but where could I find a good, short description of what Autism/Asperger's does to a person's preception?

I need it to layeth the smacketh down. er.

that, and I want to know.

Also: Autism/Aspergers: the ADD/ADHD of today!

[beandelphiki.livejournal.com]

*clears throat* Hello, I got here from asperger. Sorry, I can't post this there. *is not an Aspie*

But as a journalism student, I wanted to point out that the "irrelevant" parts were put into the story partly for the sake of better reader understanding. Most people won't have a working idea of what Asperger's is, and a lot of people won't know who this guy is, so that info has to be placed in the story somewhere. Confused readers quickly beome non-readers.

However, I think a lot of it is padding, and it's badly placed. That could be because the journalist has a bias and believes that autism-spectrum people can be violent because they aren't "normal," and so is structuring the story to subtly reflect that view. Or it could be that the journalist was lazy and/or rushed for time when they wrote this.

Given how much of this is padding and how badly the whole story is structured (personally, I think it's quite scattered), I'm voting for the latter option.

Er, that's all.

[il-est-dieu.livejournal.com]

I'd just like to say ... Craig Nicholls is gorgeous! And it's interesting to know he has Asperger's.
My friend has it, so I'll let him know that he has the same syndrome as a hot boy.

[conuly]

Yes, it is annoying to me too.

[conuly]

Horn in.

Hm.

Well, a good place to start is the various diagnostic criteria for AS, you'll see it has no mention of "random acts of violence that last into adulthood".

[conuly]

I don't think he *does* have AS. I think he's saying that to get out of accepting responsibility for his actions. I rarely think that, but I think it now.

[conuly]

You certainly can post that there, you just have to be a member to post unscreened. Thank you for your view, I'm much too pissed at the article to take it, sorry, but I certainly will at the NEXT article I read.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

well, I knew that. :P

um. the no random acts of violence thing.

also: dang. I can speeel! :D

[spankmepink.livejournal.com]

Frankly I'm getting sick of seeing that used as an excuse.
At this rate every person I meet is going to assume I'm going to kick, punch, or poison them and drive my parents to suicide.

[fascinoma.livejournal.com]

If only some experts would speak up.

Unfortunately, there are a handful of unethical shrinks who will sign anything off for the right amount of money, and there are plenty of lawyers who are taking advantage of a little known condition as a "get out of jail free" card, providing the money.

[latenightparty.livejournal.com]

This article is annoying. I'm getting bugged by the use of Asperger's as excuses for people's bad behavior.

Also, does anyone else notice that virtually every article and website talking about AS describes people with it as "Asperger's sufferers"? Like "chronic back pain sufferers." Is that mildly annoying to you too?

[latenightparty.livejournal.com]

Oops, sorry, as A EXCUSE for people's bad behavior.

[latenightparty.livejournal.com]

Oh! Oh! I mean... AN EXCUSE. God, what's happening to my brain? -_-

[farraige.livejournal.com]

Either he is in front of a large crowd because he enjoys it and shouldn't therefore use stressful exposure as an excuse, or, as you pointed out, he should seek alternative employment that would get him away from the situations he cannot handle. What's the big deal, anyway? Can he not distinguish between things he enjoys and things that drive him nuts?
Grrrr. *goes away shaking head and muttering : "sensationalising autism, sensationalising autism..."*

[interactiveleaf.livejournal.com]

It's rotting with Asperger's.

You poor, poor dear. Would you like to punch me? Will that relieve your suffering for a moment?

[katschakai.livejournal.com]

asperger is not an excuse to be stupid. You can't do something bad and then shout asperger, cause he dident do this cause he's an aspie, he did this cause he's an asshole or something of that sort.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

I hate to hirn in on your article ulyyf, but where could I find a good, short description of what Autism/Asperger's does to a person's preception?

I need it to layeth the smacketh down. er.

that, and I want to know.

Also: Autism/Aspergers: the ADD/ADHD of today!

[beandelphiki.livejournal.com]

*clears throat* Hello, I got here from asperger. Sorry, I can't post this there. *is not an Aspie*

But as a journalism student, I wanted to point out that the "irrelevant" parts were put into the story partly for the sake of better reader understanding. Most people won't have a working idea of what Asperger's is, and a lot of people won't know who this guy is, so that info has to be placed in the story somewhere. Confused readers quickly beome non-readers.

However, I think a lot of it is padding, and it's badly placed. That could be because the journalist has a bias and believes that autism-spectrum people can be violent because they aren't "normal," and so is structuring the story to subtly reflect that view. Or it could be that the journalist was lazy and/or rushed for time when they wrote this.

Given how much of this is padding and how badly the whole story is structured (personally, I think it's quite scattered), I'm voting for the latter option.

Er, that's all.

[il-est-dieu.livejournal.com]

I'd just like to say ... Craig Nicholls is gorgeous! And it's interesting to know he has Asperger's.
My friend has it, so I'll let him know that he has the same syndrome as a hot boy.

[conuly]

Yes, it is annoying to me too.

[conuly]

Horn in.

Hm.

Well, a good place to start is the various diagnostic criteria for AS, you'll see it has no mention of "random acts of violence that last into adulthood".

[conuly]

I don't think he *does* have AS. I think he's saying that to get out of accepting responsibility for his actions. I rarely think that, but I think it now.

[conuly]

You certainly can post that there, you just have to be a member to post unscreened. Thank you for your view, I'm much too pissed at the article to take it, sorry, but I certainly will at the NEXT article I read.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

well, I knew that. :P

um. the no random acts of violence thing.

also: dang. I can speeel! :D