Normally, I am not lacking in things to jot down on the blog but lately, I haven’t found myself with anything to say. That is until this week with the passing of Heath Ledger. Something about the way his story is being handled has disturbed me.
When something happens unexpectedly its’ only natural that people want to know “why” and they cling to whatever they can to somehow explain the loss. In today’s easy access media laden world information can get a across the globe in minutes. It is totally amazing to me the news frenzy one person’s death caused. Millions die each day yet the media chose to focus on his story and extract every bit of information possible. It’s funny how the media picks and chooses its stories to make a buck.
What is even more disturbing about these “Heath” type stories is the fact that the information delivered changes everyday without regard to the person’s(s) reputation. One day Heath was dating this person and another day he was dating someone else. Oh, he must be a drug addict cuz, they found a rolled up twenty. What happen to taking some time and checking facts? You are not going to know what happened to him until the tests come back and that isn’t for 2 weeks so why don’t you stop guessing at what was going on in his life and remember what a good actor he was?
The media claims they are simply reporting the facts but they take facts and spin them so that they can get more people to tune into their show or read their newspaper. The point to which the media is spinning things is out of control! I mean look at Brittany! Do we really need an update everyday? Has anyone missed the irony of her dating a paparazzi and he is on air talking about how her kids are doing?
Something is very wrong my friends and we need to stop it. I have been watching Entertainment Tonight since the Writer’s Strike has reduced the number of shows that record on my Replay and I am amazed at what ET call news. One of their anchors actually said (with excitement) that they were the first to break the Heath news to Charlene Thereon. Cut to a package of Charlene at the Sundance Film Festival with a reporter who asks “Hey did you hear about Heath’s death?’ It was obvious she hadn’t heard because it only happened two hours previously!
What the hell has happened to common decency? Is the garbage they run really news? Are the facts really right? How come we are paying these so called photographers millions of dollars to get just the right picture to cause a story? We are in a world were Dan Rather, the guy who brought us the news for a bazillion years, is suing CBS because they made him read a story about the president and the facts weren’t checked by the producer. Therefore, forcing him to retire because the story ruined his reputation
I get we are a nation of dreamers who hold these celebrity’s on a pedestal because they, unlike us, have obtained fame and fortune. But in any of our dreaming have we ever thought it would be cool for some schmuck to dig through our personal garbage can so they can try and find some evidence that we are not a perfect person? I highly doubt it. Just because these celebrities, a.k.a. dream seekers, have a public job doesn’t mean we have the right to know every time Brittany buys a pregnancy test?
I ask you when did it become OK for people to go on the air and say an actor was found nude amongst pills when in reality they found non-illegal drugs that could be in any of our medicine cabinets? What gives the media the right to tarnish this person’ reputation with speculation? I am sick of it people, sick of it! We as a nation need to grow up and do the right thing (which includes fixing the state of health care and global warming). I know its hard when faced with making a ton of money but just do it.
When something happens unexpectedly its’ only natural that people want to know “why” and they cling to whatever they can to somehow explain the loss. In today’s easy access media laden world information can get a across the globe in minutes. It is totally amazing to me the news frenzy one person’s death caused. Millions die each day yet the media chose to focus on his story and extract every bit of information possible. It’s funny how the media picks and chooses its stories to make a buck.
What is even more disturbing about these “Heath” type stories is the fact that the information delivered changes everyday without regard to the person’s(s) reputation. One day Heath was dating this person and another day he was dating someone else. Oh, he must be a drug addict cuz, they found a rolled up twenty. What happen to taking some time and checking facts? You are not going to know what happened to him until the tests come back and that isn’t for 2 weeks so why don’t you stop guessing at what was going on in his life and remember what a good actor he was?
The media claims they are simply reporting the facts but they take facts and spin them so that they can get more people to tune into their show or read their newspaper. The point to which the media is spinning things is out of control! I mean look at Brittany! Do we really need an update everyday? Has anyone missed the irony of her dating a paparazzi and he is on air talking about how her kids are doing?
Something is very wrong my friends and we need to stop it. I have been watching Entertainment Tonight since the Writer’s Strike has reduced the number of shows that record on my Replay and I am amazed at what ET call news. One of their anchors actually said (with excitement) that they were the first to break the Heath news to Charlene Thereon. Cut to a package of Charlene at the Sundance Film Festival with a reporter who asks “Hey did you hear about Heath’s death?’ It was obvious she hadn’t heard because it only happened two hours previously!
What the hell has happened to common decency? Is the garbage they run really news? Are the facts really right? How come we are paying these so called photographers millions of dollars to get just the right picture to cause a story? We are in a world were Dan Rather, the guy who brought us the news for a bazillion years, is suing CBS because they made him read a story about the president and the facts weren’t checked by the producer. Therefore, forcing him to retire because the story ruined his reputation
I get we are a nation of dreamers who hold these celebrity’s on a pedestal because they, unlike us, have obtained fame and fortune. But in any of our dreaming have we ever thought it would be cool for some schmuck to dig through our personal garbage can so they can try and find some evidence that we are not a perfect person? I highly doubt it. Just because these celebrities, a.k.a. dream seekers, have a public job doesn’t mean we have the right to know every time Brittany buys a pregnancy test?
I ask you when did it become OK for people to go on the air and say an actor was found nude amongst pills when in reality they found non-illegal drugs that could be in any of our medicine cabinets? What gives the media the right to tarnish this person’ reputation with speculation? I am sick of it people, sick of it! We as a nation need to grow up and do the right thing (which includes fixing the state of health care and global warming). I know its hard when faced with making a ton of money but just do it.
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