I wrote the above summary of last week’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy, and I do not believe I inserted any “jokes” about vater syndrome. I do think it’s acceptable to point out silly television cliches, such as giving a person with an angry attitude a stereotypically “angry” or “punk” haircut. And I would have, no matter what that character’s role was.

As far as the rest of the summary dealing with the patient with vater syndrome, the vast majority of it is a completely faithful recounting of what aired (e.g., the scoliosis, 90 degree, and “looks like hell” comments). The interns, as I recall, were laughing when they first entered the patient’s room. If you have a problem with the show’s treatment of vater syndrome — well, that’s not me.

Finally, the show is clearly using the patient with vater syndrome to further one of the regular character’s development. Izzy is a very beautiful woman who has said over and over again that guys think she’s hot and want to sleep with her, and everyone thinks she’s dumb (because she’s so pretty). Along comes this patient, who is angry about her health, feels bad about her image, and thinks that 1) pretty people are stupid, and 2) pretty people have no problems in life. Any thinking person knows these two propositions are false. But now good ol’ television is giving us a heartwarming lesson about them. The show is using a character with vater syndrome to teach these lessons, as I then pointed out — and, I would add, teach these lessons using a character who will appear on two episodes, be relatively one dimensional, and then disappear forever. If I you still think I was making jokes, any humor was aimed at television shows, writing, writers, and plots, not at people with vater syndrome.

If you have a problem with this use of vater syndrome on tv, I think you have a problem with the show, not with me, and I suggest you take your grievances to the source.

Typical young fool