A most appropriate analogy! But if Gary Null is the Kent Hovind of alternative medicine, then what does that make Mike Adams?
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Gary Null, the Kent Hovind of alternative medicine?
- Post author By Orac
- Post date May 9, 2010
- 30 Comments on Gary Null, the Kent Hovind of alternative medicine?
- Tags Gary Null, Kent Hovind, quackery
By Orac
Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.
That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)
DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.
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30 replies on “Gary Null, the Kent Hovind of alternative medicine?”
Ray Comfort?
Happy Mothers’ Day!
I’ve been celebrating this with mothers and their children for over thirty years you know.
Best,
Jay
I appreciate the sentiment but why here? Seems like a passive aggressive thread hijacking attempt to me.
Gary Null isn’t in prison.
Still, we can always hope.
All sorts of Nancy Luft-like crazy.
So, Dr. Jay Gordon, did you have a point to make? Celebrating mothers not watching their children die of whooping cough, measles, tetanus, and other VACCINE-preventable illnesses that caused mothers so much suffering and grief through the ages? If so, thanks for finally coming to your senses.
Ah… Emil! You beat me to it.
I can think of no other analogy for Mike. In fact, I can even imagine him introducing a banana as “the medical fascist’s nightmare” in one of his videos…
No, Ray’s actually a nice guy although very very deluded. I’d have to say either Ken Ham or Ben Stein.
Casey Luskin
– they both write regular blogs, both misappropriate and misrepresent real science, and neither understands what the hell they are talking about.
Definitely Ken Ham.
Casey Luskin mentioned above is a good choice. But Ken Ham put saddles on dinosaurs and built the Creation Museum. Like Adams, Ham has set-up his own business which he peddles to true believers (or to PZ who just had to see this with his own eyes–I would have thought they’d his pic on a poster at the entrance saying “Don’t sell tickets to this man”). And like Adams, Ham can really go around the bend with a rant about the evils of modern science, and how there is a big conspiracy to hide the truth.
I see him as the type of person who would want to stone people; Adams as the type of person who would also condone violence against those doctors who make you sick.
Ray Comfort, on the other hand, although deluded and perhaps a bit thick, is more like the type of person who would hug* you rather than stone you. Or at the very most might roll a couple of gentle ones in your direction and then feel really bad about it.
*I know–some might prefer the stoning instead. 🙂
-dan
if Gary Null is the Kent Hovind of alternative medicine, then what does that make Mike Adams?
The Larry Fafarman. Or perhaps David Mabus.
Maybe Mike Adams is the Kent Hovind of all woos.
Following the “news”, Null’s “damage control” included the suggestion that perhaps the poisoning *wasn’t* an accident-he has powerful enemies.He recounts a lurid tale:years ago,a “large, fat,bald man” in a “small convertible” approaches him on the street after his radio show and confesses that he was hired to investigate Null and sabotage his career as “he was getting too close to the truth”.Because he found “no dirt”,the operator felt compelled to warn the “truth teller” of his danger.Indeed, soon after this, contracts for books and a TV show deal “fell through” quite unexpectedly.It was the first of many incidents.((My comment:”Oh what a tangled web we weave….”.)
Since Mr. Null believes in and advocates homeopathy, perhaps he can soon offer the “new and improved” Red Stuff, manufactured homeopathically, even stronger and more effective, but with less risk of overdosing and an even greater profit margin.
Maybe. But I think that one of the characteristics which distinguishes Kent Hovind from some of the other young earth creationists is the way he deliberately targets children and teenagers. His presentations are smooth, snazzy, and geared down to the kids, just like his Dinosaur Adventure Land (or whatever the heck it was called.) Ditto for Ken Ham.
Gary Null may still merit the title of ‘Kent Hovind of alt med’ for other reasons, but as far as I can tell he’s not gathering groups of children into large venues to spread his misinformation to them in a cheery, cheesy voice with cartoons and jokes. I guess that’s one less shudder of horror to his credit.
I like to think of Gary Null as the null set of rational thought.
Works for me.
Prometheus
DW@12: Oh my stars and garters, that’s bad.
Has anyone looked at this from a mental health point of view? What Null and Hovind really have in common is the similarity of their desperate need for respect and approval which they have so pathetically tried to obtain through their phony educations. I think any psychiatrist would have an easy time putting a name to this kind of thing. Some kind of narcissism/delusional thinking.
That aside, Hovind is a crook for sure and we can only hope Null might get caught as well.
I heard Null’s show once and found it pathetically hilarious. He kept saying (in a very angry and defensive tone) that he knows this (whatever the topic is) to be true because he spends hours and hours reading scientific papers and putting “all the pieces together”. It’s funny how quacks scream about medicine being in bed with Pharma, but then spemd so much of their time reading medical literature.
——-
Are these Jay Gordon posts really from THAT Jay Gordon????? Whoever he is, he doesn’t seem terribly literate. Did he go to an accredited medical school?
“Are these Jay Gordon posts really from THAT Jay Gordon?????”
It certainly looks like a typical Jay Gordon post.
Lots of spacing like this.
No content.
Ending with:
Best,
Jay
Yep, I’m pretty sure it’s THAT Jay Gordon.
@ Sastra:he makes a big deal of giving talks at NYC grade schools( see his site),implementing “healthy lunch”(i.e. organic vegan) programs, getting on (free) college TV, etc. @ Anthro-there’s a prof at UConn who considers denial as a defense mechanism(and other psychological issues in relation to denialism of SBM and pseudoscience(esp.HIV/AIDS)@ Phoenix Woman:and probably reflects his early reading choices(1950’s bad *noir*,spy novels).It’s like trying to write a “poe”- many writers “give themselves away”- revealing their actual skills and knowledge of a topic while they try to craft a hare-brained lamezoid opus.This is reverse poe territory- the poseur’s lack of skill and knowledge is painfully apparent.
Mike Adams is the Mike Adams of alternative medicine – he is the alpha and the omega.
Yes, I am the real Jay Gordon.
Layout proves everything.
Best,
Jay
[or someone almost but not quite entirely unlike him]
The mention of Null’s advertising awards reminded me of I line I’ve thought up: The best salesman is the one with the worst product.
Really, some of Null’s products don’t even show marketing savvy. “Oral Pleasure” is worthy of a spit take. “Red Stuff” is even worse; it makes me think of a classic bit of Star Trek dialogue:
“What is it?”
“It is green, sir.”
Haha somebody is obsessed with Gary Null. Anyway, I’m searching for Oral Pleasure (Gary Null’s mouthwash) and it led me here. It’s the best mouthwash. I can’t find it anywhere at the moment. 🙁 Anyway, I’m glad I’m not a prude about the name, heh. 🙂
Aforpeace:
Well at least you admit you are obsessed with Mr. Null. That is probably why you are asking for something on a 20 month old article.
Haha somebody is obsessed with Gary Null. Anyway, I’m searching for Oral Pleasure (Gary Null’s mouthwash) and it led me here. It’s the best mouthwash. I can’t find it anywhere at the moment. 🙁 Anyway, I’m glad I’m not a prude about the name, heh. 🙂
It’s the best mouthwash. I can’t find it anywhere at the moment.
Ah. Thanks for indirectly alerting me to the fact that the Ultimate Power Meal fiasco has recently led to a wrongful death suit naming Null individually. Good luck with that mouthwash.
sorry for the duplicate posts.
The “aforementioned” mouthwash is available at internet sites including Amazon.com