Mangesh Hattikudur
Appearances
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Oh, my God. And roasting is the wrong word.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Until the 1980s? Yeah. That's crazy.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
I mean, that still must be the case, right? Like there's so many like. High-performing, perfectionist parents who have kids who are autistic. One, they don't want to believe their kids are autistic for a very long time. They don't see it in front of them. But that sense that you can fix it or cure it is so desperate for so many of them.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Right. Yeah. No, I mean, there's an article, like an opinions piece in the New York Times this week from the editor of the journal Science who has, you know, said he figured out he had autism at age 53 and was talking about how like, you know, it's made him so much better of a scientist and he sees things that other people don't.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
But also that late understanding that like he's in this field and didn't realize that he had autism until such a late period.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Thank you so much for having me, Robert and Sophie. I'm thrilled to be here.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
When you think about these parents, obviously they spend so much time warning the kids that they thought they'd have, right?
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
they're engaging with appreciating and raising their child I mean you see that with like like kids who don't play like the the high school jock who's like kid doesn't play soccer as well as he does or whatever right like and you think about the difference between you know that expectation versus someone who's severely autistic
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Yeah. I mean, a jolly pirate, I hope.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Yeah, I know. I have two kids. I have zero control over them.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
But that's it. Well, you should teach him to scrub a computer early. You got to teach him to be able to fucking clear those files.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
That is so sweet. It really is. It's like the way that we used to talk in college, really nerdy and late into the night and just making each other laugh. And it feels nice that we get to do that still all these years later. Excellent.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Every time you say it, I was thinking about the exclamation point, so I'm glad you're also making the audience think about it.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Are you talking about Dr. Oz right now? Is that who you're talking about? No, I'm not even shitting on Dr. Oz.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
I was so excited to come here and just have a box of popcorn and listen to you tell me stories.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
It's just such a grift. It's unbelievable.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
It is amazing that, like, obviously, like, mercury poisoning and mad hatters and all that, like, you know that mercury has effects on people.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
But we're, like, we're totally cool with, like, Botox being botulism, but you, like, can't differentiate between, like, the mercury in a vaccine.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
When you mentioned hyperbaric therapy, I know there are so many wealthy families that have tents and stuff in their house, and they're trying to reverse their kids' autism. I had never heard of the glass tube. That is just horrifying.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Misplaced exclamation point.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
I love that. I love that it cures everything from autism to jet lag. Yeah.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Yeah, you want everything possible. Yeah.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
It's like that old sailor saying, right? Like if you can't tie a good knot, tie a lot of bad ones, right? It feels like that. But I mean, I was just thinking about like the IV aspect of it. Like, IV looks like the most scientific of those things, right? Like if someone prescribed you a cream, like this is serious medicine.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
And so she's just like overprescribing for everyone to save every kid, essentially.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Yeah. I mean, it feels like a different type of horrible than like the person who was sending text messages about the- Right, right, right.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Oh my God. It's just so, it's so horrifying that like, The treatment itself is horrible. And then you're shotgunning the treatment. And then, and this kid is, is like strapped down and there aren't professionals there.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
I have to say, I mean, this is the most I've smiled in an episode about children dying. It's so sad.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
You know, we also talk about terrible things, but our terrible things on Part-Time Genius are more like the sunniest place to hide your taxes or like why Ayn Rand took Social Security and was a total hypocrite and stuff like that. But it's, I don't know. I would love for people to check out the show.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
We did a really fun one recently on Pablo Escobar, the guy who was stealing rare bird eggs. Excellent.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Oh, that's for like the bends or whatever.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
And don't they use it for NFL players? I feel like certain athletes do it, right? Yeah.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Yeah, that's not what my understanding was.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
It doesn't seem like a smart idea.
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
And so for these treatments, are they just coming like once? Is it like one a done?
Behind the Bastards
Part One: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Oh, so like, and was this the first time that this kid had been there or had it been a number of times?
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Wasn't Jenny McCarthy's kid also like, she said he was autistic and then he wasn't autistic?
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Even the microbiome being different of autistic kids and diet not being able to affect it, right?
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Also, you can see how you slip from one to the next to the next because you're increasingly desperate. But once you're dealing with a shaman and it feels like someone in your life would tell you.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Well, I mean, especially when like everyone in the autism community is telling you that like there's a ticking clock, right? Like you're trying to race and beat the clock.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Well, also, once your kid has autism and then you get a scan, you can point to anything and say, like, this is the cause of it.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
I mean, just robbing yourself of, like, the joy of being able to enjoy your kid and see them, you know, is stunning because you're so worried.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Yeah, as a guinea pig.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
160 times feels very, very thorough.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
It's just so hard to listen to.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
I'm so glad you're coming with the solution.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Well, it's coming from... Honestly, because he's a radio host.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
I just don't understand like how, like, it's so shameless. Like going from children to like people with autism to like everyone with cancer to like, it's just unbelievable.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Wow. I can't imagine like... I can't imagine ordering something online and being like, yeah, I should shoot my kid with it.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Also, like, like, I'm sure some of this was causing some sort of delirium and the kids were talking to that.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
But it's also, like, such a hydra, right? Like, it feels like you cut off the head and, like, all these others emerge. It's awful.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
Yeah, definitely. I did a show called Skyline Drive, which is about a skeptical look at astrology. It's really good. And I would love for people to check it out if they have the time. But honestly, Robert, Sophie, this is so fun. I know I was just shocked and saying, oh, my God, more than I probably should have. Yeah. It was both horrifying and, I don't know, really enlightening.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
And now I need that Snickers bar of Xanax. That's right.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
The fact that his skill is that he can swallow seven pills at a time.
Behind the Bastards
Part Two: The Grifters Behind The Fake Autism 'Cure' Industry
I love that, like, you know you're a redneck if, like, is the format for this.