Just a website: Famous People Who Stutter

[jamesm]

You all have probably seen this before, but came across it and thought I should share. (I also posted this website under the "politician" thread earlier today).
:):):)

[jamesm]

http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=128, here it is

[Leys Geddes]

I think that there is no point in telling people in the Outside World that Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, Darth Vader, etc, stuttered; that cuts no ice, because people never saw or heard them stutter, so they have no idea of the struggle they might have faced or how it might have affected their lives - and, anyway, they clearly got 'cured', so it looks like, if you have a strong personality, you can quite easily overcome stuttering.

Nor is there any point in giving those of us who are still stuck in Stuttering World the impression that absolute fluency should be our goal.

If we want to change things, we must be brave enough to allow the Outside World to see and hear us stuttering. It is often unpleasant, but it is necessary.

LEYS

[Jaykon]

I agree completely with Leys

[WhiteLatinoBoy]

I think that there is no point in telling people in the Outside World that Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, Darth Vader, etc, stuttered; that cuts no ice, because people never saw or heard them stutter, so they have no idea of the struggle they might have faced or how it might have affected their lives - and, anyway, they clearly got 'cured', so it looks like, if you have a strong personality, you can quite easily overcome stuttering.

Nor is there any point in giving those of us who are still stuck in Stuttering World the impression that absolute fluency should be our goal.

If we want to change things, we must be brave enough to allow the Outside World to see and hear us stuttering. It is often unpleasant, but it is necessary.

LEYS

lol geez. some of us just find it interesting.

[grantM]

I think that there is no point in telling people in the Outside World that Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, Darth Vader, etc, stuttered; that cuts no ice, because people never saw or heard them stutter, so they have no idea of the struggle they might have faced or how it might have affected their lives - and, anyway, they clearly got 'cured', so it looks like, if you have a strong personality, you can quite easily overcome stuttering.

Nor is there any point in giving those of us who are still stuck in Stuttering World the impression that absolute fluency should be our goal.

If we want to change things, we must be brave enough to allow the Outside World to see and hear us stuttering. It is often unpleasant, but it is necessary.

LEYS

I agree so much with you! I do not think these famous people at all raise the profile of stuttering..as you said no one basically sees them stutter or struggle. The real heroes and role models are the everyday stutterers who live it day by day. We want these people to speak up more.

[chris2112]

I agree so much with you! I do not think these famous people at all raise the profile of stuttering..as you said no one basically sees them stutter or struggle. The real heroes and role models are the everyday stutterers who live it day by day. We want these people to speak up more.

This is very true, but come to think of it, are there any famous people who visibly stuttered? I don't think I've ever heard of any :confused: lol

[grantM]

hmm true and thus the circle keeps turning without change!

[Slider]

I think that there is no point in telling people in the Outside World that Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, Darth Vader, etc, stuttered; that cuts no ice, because people never saw or heard them stutter, so they have no idea of the struggle they might have faced or how it might have affected their lives - and, anyway, they clearly got 'cured', so it looks like, if you have a strong personality, you can quite easily overcome stuttering.


I have actually heard James Earl Jones stutter. Several year ago he was a presenter at a banquet honoring Sean Connery, and during his bit he sounded visibly nervous and had several blocks. Not serious, show-stopping ones, but obvious enough, especially to other stutterers.

I do agree with your general point, though.

[grantM]

Yeah come on famous stutterers...put up or shut up :)

[Leys Geddes]

I'm sure that James Earl Jones has had some awful worries about whether his stutter will suddenly let him down. Ditto Churchill, Monroe and King George.

If they, and other celebrity stutterers, had just talked openly about it, and we could see them stuttering, and their minders had allowed them to do so, without dramatising it, or encouraging them to bleed all over the place, then that would have been helpful to all the rest of us.

There is a real Catch 22 situation in trying to create awareness of something that most people are trying to hide!

LEYS