The United States is currently experiencing an outbreak of measles, but rather than concentrate on efforts to control the disease, some anti-vaccination groups are taking advantage of the attention to spread – pun intended – their own message.
And it’s meant that something as innocent and simple as an episode of The Brady Bunch has become collateral damage.
In the 1969 episode Is There a Doctor in the House?, the entire Brady clan falls ill with measles, and, in typical Brady fashion, the topic is treated lightly – and everyone’s back in good health by the end of the episode.
Mum Carol describes symptoms as “a slight temperature, a lot of dots and a great big smile,” and as the kids succumb one by one, there’s great deal of jolliness – including an attempt by Bobby to colour in Cindy’s measles spots green.
The children are treated with bedrest, and their measles are resolved by the end of the episode. It’s a very Brady measles outbreak indeed; and one that doesn’t reflect the gravity of the reality of the significant risk the disease poses to those who aren’t able to be vaccinated from it.
But apparently, it’s evidence enough for those with an anti-vaccination agenda to demonstrate the world’s taking measles too seriously.
Somewhat unfortunately, eldest sister Marcia (Maureen McCormick), also says at some point in the episode, “If you have to get sick, sure can’t beat the measles.”
She uses a joyful tone – which is the tone the character usually speaks in; but it’s reason enough for anti-vax groups to turn the line into this meme:
The episode has also inspired other anti-vaccination memes which downplay the risk of measles and the need to use the available vaccination:
The use of the episode and creation of the memes to support the anti-vaccination agenda has caught the attention of McCormick, who this week spoke to website NPR about her frustration with the issue.
"I was really concerned with that…because I was never contacted," the actor said.
"I think it's really wrong when people use people's images today to promote whatever they want to promote, and the person's image they're using; they haven't asked or they have no idea where they stand on the issue.”
McCormick added that her own daughter was vaccinated, making her position clear. She also explained that she herself contracted measles when she was child, and unlike in The Brady Bunch episode, was quite ill from it.
"Having the measles was not a fun thing," she said. "I remember it spread through my family."
The son of the creator of the show, Sherwood Schwartz, has also publicly said his father wouldn’t be pleased it was being used for an anti-vaccination agenda.
"Dad would be sorry, because he believed in vaccination, had all of his kids vaccinated," Lloyd J. Schwartz told NPR.
The resurgence of the anti-vaccination message is of concern especially in the U.S. at the moment because the American Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention this year has listed six measles outbreaks.
Earlier this year, the NSW government was also prompted to issue a measles outbreak warning.
Australian communicable diseases director Vicky Sheppeard has previously explained symptoms of measles to Mamamia: fever, sore eyes and a cough followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash spreading from the head and neck to the rest of the body. The infection is highly contagious and can spread through coughing or sneezing.
Nama Winston has had a decade-long legal career (paid), and a decade-long parenting career (unpaid). Now a Mamamia Contributor and freelance writer, Nama uses her past experience as a lawyer to discuss everything from politics, to parenting. Instagram: @namawinston Facebook: @NamaWinston.
Top Comments
Anti-vaxers arise from a lack of education. These days, I look at the neoliberal desire to de-fund public education in the US and wonder if that's a goal propped up by foreign troll farms.
I know that Trump has made anti-vax tweets even as far back as 2014, even before his run for presidency. He went to some good schools but graduated them with a seemingly scant ability to read. Trump's war on truth, science and critical thought rages on today. Trump and the GOP don't want their base very educated, because that would make them harder to manipulate.
Under-educating a population leads to social instability because not only does it create fertile ground for anti-vaxers (who have somehow been convinced to act directly against their community's and their own interests), it stratifies society because it begins to put better economic opportunities out of reach of the poor. History tells us that this seldom ends well. The French, Russian, Cuban & Chinese Revolutions are all testimony to inequality leading to unrest and bloodshed.
100 million people live in or near poverty in the US and their access to education, democratic representation, healthcare, dignified levels of remuneration and economic opportunity is being steadily strangled by the Republican party. Food for thought. Careful what you wish for, neo-liberalism.
To add to your point. I would probably say complacency plays a major role
How do you explain Toorak in Melbourne being one of our highest anti-vaccination communities in Australia then? Mostly very highly educated.
I was waiting someone to point to the affluent anti-vaxxers. My theory - these are from the ranks of the too-leisured rich.
I can only speculate, but I'll betcha, most of the anti-vaxxers in Toorak didn't do too well at high school, perhaps didn't finish and mostly don't have a tertiary education. They're looking for a cause to give their life some direction and meaning.
It is actually easier to forgo education if you come from that level of affluence.
I'm getting on contentious ground here, but the most visible of anti-vaxers to me are good looking women, usually non-working mothers. They may have married in to a wealthy family and not had the access to, or expectation of, tertiary education as enjoyed by those born into a wealthy family.
It's much easier to thumb your nose at ill health when you have high level access to healthcare and when the health outcomes of your neighbourhood are better, on average, than the rest of the population. Far better than those on the other end of the bell curve. Affordability of the very best healthcare isn't an issue at all. Nutritious diets are the norm.
Agreed there, see my points regarding affluent anti-vaxers.
Just when you think people can’t get any more stupid. Can’t tell if these people think The Brady Bunch is real, or if they just don’t care. I’d guess the latter, actual science and evidence has never been one of their priorities.
Even if we are generous enough to grant that they might have portrayed the current medical opinion of the time in the program... which I am pretty sure they didn't.. but even if we grant that, why would we then also take that as up to date advice on prevention and prognosis in 2019?
Yep, and measles is so mild (not) that they have to use a tv sitcom case to make their point, my god, the level of cognitive bias is astounding with anti vaxxers