TIME Blogger attacks Audra for Tony Speech- Page 2

[Addison D.]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 6:49pm

"Last Sunday night, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and love for my parents, who put me on the path that somehow, miraculously led to my standing on that stage, clutching that Tony. I am ashamed to admit that I don’t think I had ever truly thanked them for that before. Unfortunately my father is now deceased, but my mom was there, and I’m so grateful that in the 90 seconds allotted a winner to say thank you — and as the completely addled wreck of an emotional mess that I was at that moment — I was able publicly, from that stage, to look into her tear-filled eyes and acknowledge her struggle and thank her for making that decision. Not for driving me to rehearsals, helping me with my lines or keeping me calm, as you suggest I should have said to her, but for the actual decision she made. That is exactly what I wanted to thank her for, and I did. It was a decision that was very personal and it ended up being the right one for me. It was a moment for and about my parents and their love for me: nothing else and no one else."

Intelligent. Compassionate. Respectful. Unapologetic. Proud. Thoughtful.


Audra McDonald is remarkable.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 6:56pm

She is class, personified.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 7:05pm

Absolutely perfect response from Audra.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 7:09pm

That Blogger got SERVED! It was about my parents. Their love for me. Nothing else and NO ONE ELSE.

BAM!

Suck on THAT you hateful little blogger.

Posted: 6/10/14 at 7:11pm

So often these days, one of a childs "special needs" is a swift kick in the pants.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 7:23pm

The fact that TIME uses bloggers, who live to be on the defensive, for content really make them no different than another other nudnik website, trying to stay relevant.

That said, I would like to write a blog attacking that stray hair on her fact during the speech. It only proved she's human, when she is really a goddess among us.

[A Director]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 7:28pm

Yes, Audra McDonald's response had class. How sad most of those who posted on this thread don't! If it isn't too much trouble, take a lesson from Ms McDonald!

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 7:40pm

Audra is class. Her response was letter perfect.

I remember many years ago flying my parents into New York and taking them to Lincoln Center to see CAROUSEL. They really weren't big into Broadway, but they loved the show and they loved Audra. I was back in Los Angeles watching the Tony Awards that year when the phone rang... It was my mother. "Our Audra won! Our Audra won!" mom exclaimed. I could not believe my parents were watching the Tony Awards.

Years later, I was in Chicago at an after-party for one of the Sondheim productions at Ravinia. I went up to Audra and told her the story. She laughed and couldn't have been more gracious and personable.

Dad's gone now and mom is going through the horrors of Alzheimer's disease. I will never forget CAROUSEL, mom's phone call or relaying the story to Audra.

Here's to #7!!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 7:44pm

Saint Audra.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 7:58pm

"I am not upset with the blogger because unless you have a special needs child at home that you care for 24/7, you have NO idea what the pressures are and what you have to deal with."

ADHD is not special needs.

Audra's response is beautiful, but the hysterical rantings of a mommy blogger are so far beneath her that she shouldn't have bothered.

[mattywhits]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 7:58pm

MichelleCraig, that is a lovely story!

I think this blogger just took things far too personally and Audra's response is as gracious, poised, and well-thought as ever. How sad your life must be to try and find something in a Tony speech to use as ammunition- it's a night of celebration and Audra does have the right to thank whoever she chooses and for whatever reason. Just silly.

[HenryTDobson]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 8:30pm

Audra's response is pure perfection.

The fact that this even is getting publicity, however, is ridiculous. This blogger is clueless and just wants attention.
Updated On: 6/10/14 at 08:30 PM

[JRRTolken]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 9:11pm

I am on medication, I do not feel in any shape or form that Audra said that medication is bad or good thing. It was just a simple statement it was not right for her. It is or rather should be done on a case by case basis it should not be generically given. I think the blogger really needs a life really if she listened to the speech it said nothing about the politics of medication or medication in general what an idiot

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 11:03pm

"I do NOT understand or condone the original poster in this thread however who seems to have not one bit of compassion and understanding for what this woman obviously deals with every single day of her life."

It's not a disability, or an illness, or something that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for the family in health costs. ADHD is nothing compared to things like muscular dystrophy or Edwards syndrome. You get diagnosed, and take meds with a cheap co-pay. Calling it special needs is beyond ridiculous.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/10/14 at 11:04pm

Thank god for Obamacare!

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 8:18am

Let's bring it back to brass tacks and look at it logically.

These may be equally true:

That there may be overprescribing of medication for children.
That there may still be many children who need medication.

And these may be equally true:

Audra McDonald spoke from the heart when she expressed gratitude for not - against the advise of doctors - being medicated as a child.
Every child has different needs.
Parents listening to that speech should understand that Audra McDonald was speaking about herself and was not advising other people what they should do and not do.

It is no surprise that Audra McDonald responded right on, eloquently and graciously to this blogger.
Updated On: 6/11/14 at 08:18 AM

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 8:44am

But the blogger contradicts herself:

"We’ve tried the theater, sports, music, wearing him out, getting him more sleep, meditation, diet, being super-disciplinarian, being not too disciplinarian, art, bribery and shouting."

So, she DID try alternatives to medication. If that's true, her argument against Audra is invalid.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 8:46am

"It's not a disability, or an illness, or something that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for the family in health costs. ADHD is nothing compared to things like muscular dystrophy or Edwards syndrome. You get diagnosed, and take meds with a cheap co-pay. Calling it special needs is beyond ridiculous."

Anyone who thinks that all a child with ADHD needs is a cheap magic pill and all his/her problems/challenges are solved is beyond "beyond ridiculous". Go talk with the special ed educators/families who deal with these children on a daily basis. A pill works for some - not at all for others. These families suffer on a daily basis.

But to the case at point, Audra was gracious and intelligent & the mother over-reacted; everyone needs to do what they need to do to keep their family in one piece. Life is tough enough - people need more compassion to the situation of others period.



Updated On: 6/11/14 at 08:46 AM

[tazber]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 8:55am

Tempest in a teapot.





Good for Audra on her response, but I'm with orangeskittles in thinking that she shouldn't have dignified the blog with a reply.

[tazber]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 8:58am

[Marianne2]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 10:34am

Sutton Ross-Why don't you actually try to learn what ADHD & ADD are or can do to a person before opening your mouth about it? Is it the most devastating thing in the world? Absolutely not. But, just saying that it's about meds and everything is fine is false. I know because I have it.

Anyway, I think Audra handled this well. I actually don't have much sympathy for the blogger because it is a ridiculous thing to get mad about. Everyone is different. Some people meds work wonders, while for some, it isn't needed. It really depends on what the issue is.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 10:38am

Audra always manages to say something stupid in her otherwise eloquent, perfect speeches. Two years ago, she said, "I'm so grateful to be in love with Norm Lewis every night, to get raped by Phillip Boykin every night..."

[StageManager2]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 10:38am

Audra always manages to say something stupid in her otherwise eloquent, perfect speeches. Two years ago, she said, "I'm so grateful to be in love with Norm Lewis every night, to get raped by Phillip Boykin every night..."

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 11:50am

Yes, if one was mindlessly sensitive with no sense of humor at all, I can see how that would be a problem.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 2:08pm

"Go talk with the special ed educators/families who deal with these children on a daily basis."

Since I'm one of those people, there is no need. Most kids are diagnosed, and put on medication, at least that's how it works for the at risk youth I work with. It works quite effectively and saves us, the people who work with these children, from pulling our hair out. Educators strongly prefer children who aren't disruptive and can focus at school. Adderall, Metadate ER, and Vyvanse are the most effective, that we've seen, in terms of achieving that goal in children.

ADD/ADHD is not "special needs" though, to say that is irresponsible and wrong.