Jason Arday #3

[moldwarp]

I think he was delusional and enabled by a lot of people so genuinely thought any criticism was racist and the police should investigate. He believed his own hype as how could Cambridge and all the reputable people that told him he was amazing be wrong? Even in his death you have so many people who have distilled the whole thing to racism, which is doing more harm to the cause they're supposed to be helping!

The point is he's very different to DJT and how she's so dangerous and could have easily caused so many people to have a mental health crisis with devastating outcomes.

I have to say I agree with this take. I think Arday was very, very mentally ill, some kind of pathological fabulism which was either a clinical condition or a symptom of a severe underlying trauma. I think his mental illness long predated his 'exposure'. His family may well have known about these mental conditions and that's why they've stayed conspicuously quiet. It's not uncommon for families which are marked by severe mental illness, especially families which come from cultures where mental illness is judged harshly (like my family, and Arday's may have been the same) to kind of circle the wagaons and button up when the mentally ill person starts acting out. It's hard for outsiders to understand but it's a form of self protection tbh.

So yeah I think Arday had been very unwell for a long time, and he found himself in a position where all the people around him were applauding and supporting his delusions (which psychiatrists will tell you is the WORST thing for a delusive patient by the way), so he just kept up his side of it for as long as he could, which tbh was probably very stressful and scary for him. But then when the biggest supporter of your delusion, Cambridge in this case, suddenly turns around and tells you they no longer believe your delusion and in fact are going to investigate it (which he would read as punishment) - obviously that is going to cause a catastrophic collapse of one's world and psyche.

I pity Arday and I save my blame and contempt for Cambridge and everyone else who decided they wanted a Black mascot at the expense of the real person underneath. It's a despicable form of racism.

 

[VielleFemme]

Acknowledgements yes, it's common in masters thesis onwards.

@Catsexyfeline
Short, factual dedications are standard. I thanked my PhD supervisor, a few researchers who had allowed me to read not-yet-published drafts of their works, friends/ colleagues who had read and constructively commented on chapters, and my then-partner, for his love and practical support.

That last one was a much more complex and difficult story in reality, which doesn't belong here - and definitely didn't belong in the thesis dedications. It would have been inappropriate and weird, like Arday's.

What is not standard at all is three pages of rambling, messianic, self-important weirdness that reads like a terrible self- help book.

And yet again he's using the dedications to emphasise that he's not actually very intelligent (he uses those words) but that you can do anything through the power of 'will'.

And that it can't be 'measured' - a very odd thing to put at the start of a PhD thesis, which absolutely is there to be measured and judged.

To be honest, it's really bizarre and it reads almost like an urge to confess.

I believe he (rather than the ghostwriter) probably wrote this section.

 

[SunsetSmile]

Went down an interesting rabbit hole last night reading a site which is for University staff support. Probably some of you on here are more familiar. Different perspective which made me challenge some of my thinking.

Rest in Peace, Jason Arday - 21percent.org

Very tragic news has broken about the death of Jason Arday. Whatever mistakes you may have made, and whatever controversies surrounded you, your life was worth more than the way it was ultimately treated. You were placed in situations where others appeared to take advantage of you, using your...

21percent.org

21percent.org 21percent.org - Google tracking links are automatically removed for everyones safety

He was a useful idiot for certain interests. Also seems the tip of the iceburg & some pretty rotten goings on.

The connected & powerful roll on largely unscathed.

 

[10%]

putting the minimum effort into everything, and skating through because he was black and neurodivergent; his diversity points coupled with his fictional backstory, he was given an easy ride for his shoddy work.

Similar to Jessica Taylor, she claims to have come from the most deprived council estate and subject to hundreds of horrific acts of abuse starting from age 9 so the BBC, the times et all give her an easy ride. They ignore the countless times she's been outed as a liar and how many unrelated people have said she's falsley reported them to the police.

 

[SunsetSmile]

He had a sort of helpless fawn/bambiesque appeal when younger. Big eyes & smile. I wouldn't have been attracted but it would have prompted a caretaking instinct. He seemed well aware of its power and had observed Giff deploying the big eyed smile. The bit about keeping Sandro waiting for 90mins & thinking a winning smile would smooth it over.

That schtick becomes less effective with aging & seniority. The tactile hand shaking /shoulder pats was maybe a technique evolution.

I think where he may deserve significant credit is that I have not seen anything that suggests he took advantage of his status romantically, overstepped in this way or made people uncomfortable. I really hope this is the case.
There are other male (& some female) academics who see their status as an opportunity to exploit students.

 

[Raindropsonkittens]

Autistic people can be quite childlike, possibly as an adaptive strategy to avoid hostility or confrontation. They can also seem quite self centred. What I haven’t encountered so much (I work in mental health) is deceit & lying, often autistic people have a very strong sense of justice & fairness. But as they say, if you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person. It’s not helpful to generalise.

 

[Harlot O'Scara]

Just saw a clip on instagram of a guest on Novara medias channel telling them they shouldn't have covered the story. There are going to be so many sacred cows now that will never be exposed just in case

Anyone who worked for Al Jazeera has no credibility or moral high ground whatsoever.

 

[cokeyoakey]

Forrest Gump is the story of the turbulent American 60s and 70s, through the lens of a simple man. It's not meant to be a story of hope for people with low IQs. Not surprised that Arday focuses on the wrong thing entirely.

Yes, and wasn't the point that Forrest DIDN'T have self belief? He wasn't really thinking about himself or what he was doing - he just followed along and did things, then found himself in situations (that were more important than he realised).

 

[nothanksbabes]

I read some of Hilary Cremlin's work last night and, having done so, Arday's appointment begins to makes sense.

 

[SunsetSmile]

Autistic people can be quite childlike, possibly as an adaptive strategy to avoid hostility or confrontation. They can also seem quite self centred. What I haven’t encountered so much (I work in mental health) is deceit & lying, often autistic people have a very strong sense of justice & fairness. But as they say, if you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person. It’s not helpful to generalise.

Yes.
Re the justice & unfairness point. I relate to this a lot personally. Do as you would be done by and to each according to genuine need type of ethos.
But how far is our sense of justice/unfairness internally mediated & how far would concepts like race justice/DEI overlay & shape the view of autistic minorities? Sort of rhetorical /thought spamming but interested.

 

[VielleFemme]

Part of my thesis was on autism.i read a book during that time which was a (genuine) memoir of a severely autistic girl. She used to smear her faeces on the wall as well.

It has been nagging at me. I feel like Arday may have 'borrowed' large parts of his story from it. I'll try to remember the title/author.

 

[nothanksbabes]

Part of my thesis was on autism.i read a book during that time which was a (genuine) memoir of a severely autistic girl. She used to smear her faeces on the wall as well.

It has been nagging at me. I feel like Arday may have 'borrowed' large parts of his story from it. I'll try to remember the title/author.

I wouldn't be surprised to discover everything he said was borrowed, but doesn't strike me as a man who's read many books about other people.

 

[Missmopps]

I know most children can be fascinated with their own poo and find it funny as toddlers but most grow out of that. Is the normal human disgust reaction to poo (mainly the smell?) absent in some autistic children.? I’m genuinely curious about this.

 

[VielleFemme]

I wouldn't be surprised to discover everything he said was borrowed, but doesn't strike me as a man who's read many books about other people.

I found the reference (downloaded my own thesis - very weird reading the footnotes again after 20 years!).

This is the book.

 

[VielleFemme]

I know most children can be fascinated with their own poo and find it funny as toddlers but most grow out of that. Is the normal human disgust reaction to poo (mainly the smell?) absent in some autistic children.? I’m genuinely curious about this.

Sorry for brief answers - I am at work!

Smearing - a guide for all audiences

Our advice and guidance gives some reasons an autistic person might smear their faeces, and strategies to address this.

www.autism.org.uk

 

[Carefree]

I wouldn't be surprised to discover everything he said was borrowed, but doesn't strike me as a man who's read many books about other people.

True, especially going by how hollow everyone else is around him in the book. But I would bet good money someone else told him about it and it was squirrelled away for future use.

 

[drmortimer]

I wouldn't be surprised to discover everything he said was borrowed, but doesn't strike me as a man who's read many books about other people.

 

[didisaythatoutloudoops]

@Catsexyfeline
Short, factual dedications are standard. I thanked my PhD supervisor, a few researchers who had allowed me to read not-yet-published drafts of their works, friends/ colleagues who had read and constructively commented on chapters, and my then-partner, for his love and practical support.

That last one was a much more complex and difficult story in reality, which doesn't belong here - and definitely didn't belong in the thesis dedications. It would have been inappropriate and weird, like Arday's.

What is not standard at all is three pages of rambling, messianic, self-important weirdness that reads like a terrible self- help book.

And yet again he's using the dedications to emphasise that he's not actually very intelligent (he uses those words) but that you can do anything through the power of 'will'.

And that it can't be 'measured' - a very odd thing to put at the start of a PhD thesis, which absolutely is there to be measured and judged.

To be honest, it's really bizarre and it reads almost like an urge to confess.

I believe he (rather than the ghostwriter) probably wrote this section.

View attachment 4096542

It is oddly messianic indeed. He has this very bizarre and narcissistic way of gently putting himself down with a very soft self-criticism ('Daddy may not have been the most intelligent') as a way to ham-handedly segue into a list of grandiose self-compliments.

Saying that, my daughter thanked my cat in her thesis dedication, which I find insane and sweet in equal measure (like her, really).

 

[VeniVidiVicki]

I have to say I agree with this take. I think Arday was very, very mentally ill, some kind of pathological fabulism which was either a clinical condition or a symptom of a severe underlying trauma. I think his mental illness long predated his 'exposure'. His family may well have known about these mental conditions and that's why they've stayed conspicuously quiet. It's not uncommon for families which are marked by severe mental illness, especially families which come from cultures where mental illness is judged harshly (like my family, and Arday's may have been the same) to kind of circle the wagaons and button up when the mentally ill person starts acting out. It's hard for outsiders to understand but it's a form of self protection tbh.

So yeah I think Arday had been very unwell for a long time, and he found himself in a position where all the people around him were applauding and supporting his delusions (which psychiatrists will tell you is the WORST thing for a delusive patient by the way), so he just kept up his side of it for as long as he could, which tbh was probably very stressful and scary for him. But then when the biggest supporter of your delusion, Cambridge in this case, suddenly turns around and tells you they no longer believe your delusion and in fact are going to investigate it (which he would read as punishment) - obviously that is going to cause a catastrophic collapse of one's world and psyche.

I pity Arday and I save my blame and contempt for Cambridge and everyone else who decided they wanted a Black mascot at the expense of the real person underneath. It's a despicable form of racism.

He’s from a very deeply Christian Ghanaian family. I wonder how much cultural pressure was at play

Understanding Autism Through a Socio-Cultural Lens: Insights from Ghana’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Clinic

www.iacapap.org

 

[nothanksbabes]

It is oddly messianic indeed. He has this very bizarre and narcissistic way of gently putting himself down with a very soft self-criticism ('Daddy may not have been the most intelligent') as a way to ham-handedly segue into a list of grandiose self-compliments.

Saying that, my daughter thanked my cat in her thesis dedication, which I find insane and sweet in equal measure (like her, really).

It's that self depreciation designed to produce a particular response, isn't it. They say "oh, little old me, I'm stupid/large/weird/whatever" and everyone is expected to jump in and correct them, and they get the praise and the credit for being humble and self-effacing.