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SETH ROGEN: Thank you very much
for having me, Mr. Chairman,
ranking member [Jerry] Moran and the members of the subcommittee.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today
and for the opportunity for me to be called an expert in something,
'cause that's cool.
I don't know if you know who I am at all --
you told me you never saw 'Knocked Up,' Chairman,
so [audience laughing] it's a little insulting.
SENATOR TOM HARKIN (D-IA): "I want the record to know ...
SETH ROGEN: It's very important, guys.
SENATOR TOM HARKIN (D-IA): I want the record to know,
this is the first time, I will wager, this is the first time in any
Congressional hearing in history that the words 'Knocked Up' have ever been used.
SETH ROGEN: [Laughs]
Oy. You're not gonna like the rest of this, then.
[Senators laugh]
First, I should answer the question I assume many of you are asking --
yes, I'm aware this has nothing to do with the legalization of marijuana.
In fact, if you can believe it, this concerns something
that I find even more important.
I started dating my wife Lauren nine years ago
when her mother was almost 54 years old.
The first time I met her parents, being the mensch that I am,
I was excited to spend time with them and make Lauren think I was
the typeof guy she should continue dating.
It was this trip, the first time I met my now-mother-in-law,
that Lauren first admitted to herself and then to me that something
was off with her mother.
I guess the clues were, unfortunately, easy to spot since both
of Lauren's mother's parents had Alzheimer's disease.
Soon after this trip, at 55 years old,
Lauren's mother was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's.
Now, at this point, my impression of Alzheimer's
was probably was I assume most people's impression is -- I thought it was
something only, like, really, really old people got and I thought the way
the disease primarily showed itself was in the form of forgotten keys,
wearing mismatched shoes and being asked the same question over and over.
This period, which was the only way I'd seen Alzheimer's displayed
in movies or television, lasted a few years for Lauren's mom.
After that, however, is when I saw the real, ugly truth of the disease.
After forgetting who she and her loved ones were, my mother-in-law,
a teacher for 35 years, then forgot how to speak,
feed herself, dress herself and go to the bathroom herself --
all by the age of 60.
Lauren's father and a team of caregivers dedicate their lives to letting
my mother-in-law be as comfortable as she can be.
They would love to do more but can't because, as you've heard,
unlike any of the other top 10 causes of death in America, there's no way
to prevent, cure or even slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
Another thing I didn't realize until I was personally affected
was the shame and stigma associated with the disease.
It was before I was born, but I'm told of a time when cancer
had a stigma that people were ashamed by.
Celebrities and other public figures that were stricken would hide,
rather than be voices of hope for people in similar situations,
and although it's turning, this is currently where
we are largely at with Alzheimer's disease, it seems like.
And it's because of this lack of hope and shameful stigma that my wife,
some friends and myself decided to actually try and do
something to change the situation.
We started Hilarity For Charity.
Hilarity For Charity is a fund we have, as a part of the Alzheimer's Association,
to raise money to help families struggling with Alzheimer's
and support cutting-edge research.
That's right, the situation is so dire that it caused me --
a lazy, self-involved, generally self-medicated man-child --
to start an entire charity organization.
It was through this that we felt we weren't just complaining
there was nothing to be done, but actively taking steps to do something.
Instead of being disappointed that young people were so misinformed
about the reality of the disease, we've started to educate them.
We recently started a college program that allows university students
to hold their own Hilary For Charity events,
and in the months since it started, 18 schools nationwide
had signed up to hold events.
The fact that we actually got college students to stop playing
video games and volunteer their time is a huge accomplishment,
especially considering both Xbox One and Playstation 4
came out this year -- I'm sure these people know what I'm talking about [laughs].
I came here today for a few reasons.
One, I'm a huge 'House of Cards' fan.
[Senators laugh]
Just marathoned the whole thing.
Had to be here.
Two, is to say people need more help.
I've personally seen the massive amount of financial strain this disease causes
and if the American people ever decide to reject genitalia-driven comedy,
I will no longer be able to afford it. Please don't.
Therefore, I can't begin to imagine how people
with more limited incomes are dealing with this.
As you've also heard, studies show that Alzheimer's and related dementia
is the most costly condition in the United States.
Yes, it's more costly than heart disease in a country where, for $1.29,
you can get a taco made out of Doritos.
They're delicious but they're not healthy.
While deaths from other major diseases, like heart disease, ***
and strokes continue to decline, deaths from Alzheimer's
have increased almost 70 percent in the last 15 years.
Over five million Americans have Alzheimer's and at this rate,
in 35 years, as many as 16 million will have the disease.
The third reason I'm here, simply, is to show people that they're not alone.
So few people share their personal story, so few people have something to relate to.
I know that if me and my wife saw someone like me talking about this,
it would probably make us feel a little less alone.
Americans whisper the word 'Alzheimer's' because their government whispers
the word 'Alzheimer's,' and although a whisper is better than silence
that the Alzheimer's community has been facing for decades,
it's still not enough.
It needs to be yelled and screamed to the point that it finally gets
the attention and the funding that it deserves and needs.
I dream of a day when my charity is no longer necessary
and I can go back to being the lazy, self-involved man-child I was meant to be.
People look to their government for hope and I ask that when it comes
to Alzheimer's disease, you continue to take more steps to provide some more.
I would like to thank the committee again for the opportunity to share my story
and to voice my whole-hearted support for the continuing work that pursues
a cure for Alzheimer's disease.
Thank you very much.
[Applause]
SENATOR TOM HARKIN (D-IA): [Clapping] "Thank you Mr. Rogen, that was great. That was very,
very good. Thank you, thank you."