I am not easily offended or disgusted by the media. I peruse US Weekly, regularly log on to TMZ.com, and love reality television. Admittedly, I feel an impish glee when I see on the cover of Star or The Enquirer that celebrities have cellulite, too. But the suicide attempt of comedic actor Owen Wilson is not cellulite or celebutantes gone wild–and the press has officially crossed the taste line.
My colleague Esther Kustanowitz wrote yesterday that what she is taking away from this macabre blitzkrieg is that “this is yet another illustration of a simple fact of celebrity culture: A person is not always who they are on-screen–that even if someone seems relatable on screen, or seems raucously hilarious and fun loving, there is likely another side you can’t see, and might not want to see.”
But, I would argue that statement applies to everyone, not just celebrities. The funny guy in the cubicle next to you, the peppy aerobics instructor, the “put-together” executive you admire, they all could be harboring the illness dubbed the Noonday Demon.
Esther doesn’t go far enough in her chastisement of the media. Unlike Esther, I do believe in the veracity of many tabloid stories; heck, it was The Enquirer that broke the Clinton-Lewinsky affair and found a photo of O.J. Simpson wearing a pair of Bruno Magli shoes after he testified he had never owned a pair. Imagine what we could do if we sent some tabloid reporters out to find Osama Bin Laden … But reporting on Wilson’s suicide attempt is an egregious illustration of the poor judgment of media corporation. It shows an outright disconnect between compassionate coverage and salacious sensationalism.
As tasteless as the suicide speculation was, I was appalled at what I saw on Perezhilton.com last night. There are times when I think Perez places a single toe over the line with his commentary, but last night I was greeted with the headline, “It’s Official!” above a photo of Wilson and a blurb talking about how it had been confirmed that Wilson attempted suicide.
Repulsive.
“It’s Official!” is a fine headline for a story about a secret wedding, a contested palimony suit, or the signing of a star to a big contract. Not a suicide.
And searching police records, as the television show Extra first reported, to confirm that it was in fact a suicide attempt? Disgusting.
Even turning on CNN this morning I was accosted by a “This Just In” headline confirming Wilson’s attempt.
Is it hypocritical of me to draw a distinction between the depression of Wilson and the addiction problems of a Britney Spears or a Lindsay Lohan? Yes. They too obviously have serious personal issues that are really, in the end, none of our business. The entire lives of celebrities should not be, by virtue of them just being celebrities, public domain. But, many stars, including Lohan and Spears, actively invite people into their lives via the paparazzi for the free publicity.
And while I don’t want to diminish the struggles that Britney and Lindsay have gone through, it is a seriously hurt and wounded individual who attempts to take their own life. William Styron in the memoir of his own suicidal depression, “A Darkness Visible,” beautifully illustrates the suicidal mindset–the despair and the abject hopelessness–saying, “The pain of severe depression is quite unimaginable to those who have not suffered it, and it kills in many instances because its anguish can no longer be borne. The prevention of many suicides will continue to be hindered until there is a general awareness of the nature of this pain.”
The latest edition of Entertainment Weekly dubs this the “Summer of Scandal,” proclaiming that ” … while we can’t be claiming to be living in the first, or most epic, scandal era ever, there’s zero doubt that our 21st-century media have flung us into the fastest, most relentless period of public shaming in human history.”
Admitting to even having suicidal thoughts and ideations, much less attempting suicide, carries with it tremendous amounts of shame in this culture. Can that truly be said for relapsing or having an affair in this day and age? If, as EW states, this is the “fastest most relentless period of public shaming in human history,” then I say it should be shame on the media itself.
posted August 29, 2007 at 2:43 pm
The best poem I ever read that said exactly that was an old one.
Richard Cory
Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.
And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
“Good-morning,” and he glittered when he walked.
And he was rich, — yes, richer than a king, –
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.
So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.
Edwin Arlington Robinson
People aren’t always as they seem. And even those who seem to have everything aren’t always as carefree, as happy as we think they are.
posted August 29, 2007 at 6:30 pm
I think you put that beautifully, Ellen. And the reason I was light in my chastising the media is because I kind of sympathize with the bind of being in the information business: do they not report a story because they find it insensitive or distasteful? When someone goes through pain, the last thing they want to be is publicly prominent, I understand. That is why if I had been on the job when Daniel Pearl was killed, I would have been the last person on the bus to interview his pregnant wife and grieving parents. That’s why I don’t have the stomach for that stuff…
There is this feeling that what happens to celebrities is more gossip than news, and that gives some media outlets multiple personality disorder–do they exist to give the public the information that they want or that they need, and how can they discern the difference?
I do agree with the bulk of your post, though. It’s sad what’s happened, and I hope he will get better soon. He’s got a supportive group of friends, so hopefully he will.
posted August 29, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Kinda reminds me of all the bru-ha-ha over Jim Carey a few years back.
I just feel sad for Mr.Wilson…….
having suffered from severe depression, suicidal ideation and 2 failed (thank goodness) attempts at suicide, I understand how it is to feel “that low”. I have enjoyed his work on-screen and I hope he gets the help he needs. The press just needs to leave him the h**l alone.
posted August 30, 2007 at 9:07 am
Does anybody else think it’s really disgusting that admitting to depression is shameful in this culture? Because people who are depressed really need something else to feel bad about!
posted August 30, 2007 at 10:17 am
The story of Owen Wilson being publisized the way it was is tragic. People should realize that celebrities are people to and that they have the same kinds of personal problems as everyone else. If it was a Star reporter that had tried to harm him/herself and it was put in the paper for all to see it would devastate them. Hopefully Mr. Wilson will tell the public to shove it and take care of himself. He needs time to heal the problems he has, and he needs to know that there are people out the who doesn’t want to know his every move. And that caring people who have done the same thing, have healed and learned to change their lives and live it for themselves rather than others.
posted August 30, 2007 at 10:19 am
“There but by the Grace of God, go I.”
posted August 30, 2007 at 10:19 am
I too had sucidal thoughts and had taken it much farther too; I also died 3 different times. I know the shame AND MISUNDERSTANDING of my family and friends. Having been a mental health therapist for many years now, I have seen lots of sucidal people, most have regain their love of life again and many have tried yo take their lives again, but all really want someone to help them.
We can pray for Owen, who I really like as an actor, and try to be there for others and be sensitive to others. I am real sadden when a person is so depressed and he or she gave up totally and end their previous live.
posted August 30, 2007 at 10:46 am
The media is all screwed up, I think it’s really disgusting, Owen is a great entertainer I love his movies he has brought back the comedy of life we all need this, so he had a little set back but please DONT get off on him like he is the first to have to deal with up and down sides of life, go report the good things life has to offer he is a great person and I hope he comes back with his head held up high he deserves all the love and understanding a person can give. Leave him alone just take a look at your self first before you judge anyone else. Go report on Brittney she loves attention but not our Owen we love him I will take him any day over some of these people. I am 67 years old and I think this really stinks. Hang in their Owen God will take care of you and people like me will love you, you are in the top of the class Thank you for bringing enjoyment in my life I lost my husband of 40yr. and I need something to help me out and you do just that. from a very caring person that thinks your great.
posted August 30, 2007 at 10:55 am
I am the mother of a suicide victim. He was 24 when he finally completed an act he had been trying to accomplish for 19 years. Yes, his first discussion of suicide was when he was five.
I agree with a lot that has been said, but Mr. Wilson is fortunate that his “secret” is no longer that. The not talking about the elephant in the room is what finally “gets us”. While the media often goes too far, this no longer secret ideation might be a blessing for Mr. Wilson.
The bad news really is if a person wants to die, he/she will find a way, no matter who is watching, loving or reporting.
posted August 30, 2007 at 10:57 am
Re: the comment above…”People who are depressed really need something else to feel bad about!” God has indeed Blessed you, Iris, that neither clinical depression, that means a real diagnosis from a doctor, has apparently never touched your life or the life of someone you care about, nor the same regarding inherent depression, that is carried on via genetics like blonde hair and blue eyes. I think you will find few who agree with you that admitting to depression is shamful, as you put it, as it is a way of communicating to other’s where you stand, and it’s not in a Good place. It’s honest and brave to admit, and enables others to reach out to you instead of “stuffing” your pain until you explode like a bomb. Owen Wilson must have felt so much pressure, the “funny, silly” actor, to remain in control and not let anyone down just by being deeply sad. I am so sorry along the way in both his life and career he got the message he had to maintain a perfect image. He will now begin to Heal, and will certainly feel the support of a Kind public who only want him to get better.
People often stigmatize themselves and push down horrible emotional pain, or try to drink away, or shop it out, or control others. I do think sentiments like yours are not the majority of how people feel about others, but 1 negative “tsk tsk” is enough to make a depressed person feel more self-hate than they already do when in a fragile place.
Depression is as much a disease as cancer. It can sometimes be cured, sometimes not. It is treatable. You may want to ask you doctor and become more informed. I am sure you are not a bad person; perhaps just not knowledgable about this disease. We all have so much we can learn if we remain open.
When our culture no longer embraces Compassion for all who suffer from any disease, we will live in a military state, where Humanity is seen as a self-indulgent weakness, and people who have little regard for human life will reign.
We have history to show us that, past and present.
Let’s embrace Compassion and wish “the person working in the cubicle next to us” Well. Why not? There is nothing to lose, and so much to personally gain.
I am glad you wrote in. I realize I can comribute more than I am in so many small ways as Well as globally.
Be Well.
posted August 30, 2007 at 11:05 am
As someone who struggles with depression and who has had suicidal ideation, I can empathize with Owen Wilson. Maybe, just maybe, he can turn this to something positive. First by defeating his personal demons and then by being willing to talk about it. He may not only save his own life, but that of someone else. As one of his fans (I just saw “Behind Enemy Lines” for the fifth time the other day), I wish him the best.
posted August 30, 2007 at 11:12 am
I do think it was the media’s uty to report what happened. when you become a public figure you loose certain privacies, however, they need to drop the subject now. Of course when a celebrity does something like this, they can’t expect people not to find out, BUT, they shouldn’t have to deal with such a blown up aftermath as Owen is. okay we know what he did, leave it at that. I’m sure at some point he will address why he was in such turmoil, out of respect for concerned fans, but let him decide when to do that. The media should drop it and let him recover for a while, and when he’s ready to talk, he will, probably to help other people who are suicidal and deal with depression. He should get lefty alone by the media, but he does have a lot of fans who care about him, and I hope if they want to wish him well, because they are concerned for him, I just hope he is gracious and accepting of that. There are prayers here on beliefnet to help pewople dealing with depression and contewmlating suicide, I leave this for owen, that i just happened to get in my email from this site a few weeks ago in the prayer for the day newsletter, I hope he and his family can appreciate that:
For Those Contemplating Suicide
Most loving and forgiving God,
hear our prayers for all
who seek to end their life
by their own hand.
The despair is too great,
the loneliness is unbearable,
the inability to share
thoughts and feelings overwhelming,
the seeming lack of options a dead end.
Bless them with the strength of love
to meet each day with new courage;
friendships to bring moments of joy
in their days of anguish;
and hope for the future.
Amen.
- Vienna Cobb Anderson
Appropriate for many faiths
source: Adapted from “Prayers of Our Hearts” © 1991 Vienna Cobb Anderson. Reprinted with the permission of the author.
posted August 30, 2007 at 11:21 am
Some things are accepted when choosing a celebrity lifestyle but the media & public have a sick fascination. I agree that has gone too far, invading someone’s personal tragedy is heartless. He has never harmed anyone and deserves to have privacy. I do my fair share of reading US and People magazines but not with malicious intent. I hope that he is able to recover and heal himself in private, it really isn’t our business. I wish him the best and hope that he will see the light, find some faith in life again and start smiling from inside.
posted August 30, 2007 at 11:59 am
I’m a big fan of Owen Wilson, and was so very sad to learn that he was in the depths of such depression that he no longer wished to live. My prayers and heartfelt wishes go to him and his family as he works through this very difficult time. I’ve been witness to two suicide attempts withing my own immediate family. Both, thank God, were unsuccessful. I’ve also been depressed enough to pray to God to allow me not to wake up tomorrow if it will be anything like today. God obviously had other plans for me since I still live and breathe. Sometimes I still wonder about my purpose on this earth, but I don’t question that God’s plan and my faith in Him will see me through the next second, minute, hour or day. And, at least most of the time, I am thankful that He is the one in control instead of me.
Dear God, please be with the family and friends of Mr. Wilson and give him the strength and desire to wait and see what wonders you still have in store for him as he walks down his path in life. Please also be with all others who are in such pain that they can’t see the plan You have for them, or the magnificent wonders they will encounter because You are with them always. And help us all to see that the life You have given us is a gift to be cherished. Amen
posted August 30, 2007 at 12:03 pm
My 19 yr. old son is homeless right now, suffers from bi-polar disorder (Type II) and is abusing heroin. God forbid, that the media found out about him and chased him down and hounded him if he was a celebrity because of the dark times he was facing. I saw the face of Luke Wilson, Owen’s brother outside of Owen’s room the day the news broke of Owen’s collapse and it broke my heart. I’m sure that this was not the first time Owen has suffered like he is now, we the public may just have heard about it now because Owen is now more famous. Look at Daniel Baldwin finally coming out about his extremely tortured struggle with drugs and how many times he o.d’and his courageous public attemt at recovery at healing and wholeness. I think why the public is so drawn to our celebrities is the same reason the ancient Greeks were so drawn to their plays, our actors are playing out for us all or our inner tragedies, comedies etc…that we have a hard time facing ourselves and unfortunately we expect them to be our Gods and then they crash like the mortals they are and we deride them and can’t face our own disappointment when they fail. Some of us do at least. Others of us who are more conscious and spiritually inclined send prayers of blessings, realizing that we too go through the same trials knowing that yes, these “stars” do choose to shine brighter because they’ve placed themselves in the sky and are in a much more precarious position dancing with fame. All of these celebrities could be our sons, daughters, brothers, best-friends, even ourselves…We’re all related. Let’s never forget that and extend prayers and wishes of well-being and recovery not just to Owen but to all the lost souls who are out there as well as their families who are suffering right there with them. I also think who REALLY need prayers for recovery are those those people in the media who seem to find delight when others are clearly suffering and they make money off of that. Karma, baby, karma!!!
Blessings to all..
posted August 30, 2007 at 12:25 pm
I am sorry to hear of Owen Wilson’s plight. I have enjoyed him in many movies and it is incomprehensible. I totally agree with the article and how the media has spread this abhorric news of his personal life. Such is the price you pay for being a celebrity as they hold a high idolic place in today’s society and to hear that they are human is sometimes unbelievable. My only thought that remains is that I hope Owen Wilson can find peace and love again so he feels worthy of his purpose here on Earth, to live and love and enjoy the gift of life.
posted August 30, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Yes, leave Owen Wilson alone. I fell in love with his character, but even at that he can’t be too far away from that person. He is after all a ‘person’.. Let him have his privacy, let him heal.
He is respected and loved.. by family by friends, I’m sure by everyone that knows him
God Bless and Keep you safe Owen.
posted August 30, 2007 at 12:44 pm
No, I do not think it is the media’s duty to report such things and that celebrities by their very status give up certain privacies. It is the pubic’s rampant voyeurism fed by aggressive and sensation-driven media provocateurs that makes compassion a secondary response to the personal tragedies and foibles of others be they famous, infamous or the ordinary Joe and Josephine. Today’s announcement of the death of the security guard who was cast a hero, then a heinous bomber at the ’96 Atlanta Olympics should be enough to silence many as to the rights of the public to feed on erroneous “facts” and conjecture. Despite his diabetes, it can be argued that he died prematurely at age 44 of a heart and spirit that was broken, battered and bullied for ratings and the FBI’s own rush to judgement. SettlemenAn apology and settlement money is never enough to restore personal dignity or peace of mind.
posted August 30, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Owen Wilson deserves respect not the slamming the media wants to give him. I pray that he will find peace and that his health will be restored and that his depression will be brought under control. God bless you, Owen!!
posted August 30, 2007 at 1:38 pm
My initial response was that our prayers and support should be with Owen, and that “the media” should respect the fact that a “public person” too deserves sensitivity and privacy, a reaction that is neither judgmental nor speculative. Attacking “the media” for their coverage seems unfair in its stereotyping. Just as clergy member A is not clergy member B,so too might we distinguish beetween journalist A and journalist B. I saw some signs of very real empathy and some disgraceful muckracking from the media. Further, I noted a psychiatrist on CNN presumably making “big bucks” for his casual diagnosis regarding a person whose personal history was totally unknown to him. Most unprofessional, in my judgment. But then again psychiatrist A is not psychiatirst B. Semantics accepted, let us pray that Owen will recover well with the grace of God.
posted August 30, 2007 at 2:11 pm
I am sadden by the way journalist act. They (journalist) seem to be of no compasion. I hope and pray for the recovery of Owen Wilson. I send prayer and love to his family also. Wether we are celeberties or just common people, if any of us cut ourselfs we all bleed the same red blood. Give the man his privacy. May god bless…
Posted by: Maria Lozano
posted August 30, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Hello light in the darkness! What kind of a disgusting society takes delight in the pain of another human being, or animal of any kind.
Thank you so very much for giving me hope that perhaps some of humankind has not forgotten how to love.
posted August 30, 2007 at 2:48 pm
God Bless you Owen! May you find the peace that you so deserve.
posted August 30, 2007 at 3:10 pm
i think everyone should have privice it is no ones bussiness that is their bussiness owen wilson is streass and let him get help i was stress because i lost my husband that i was married for 30 years and i still miss him with all my heart
posted August 30, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Owen and his family have my prayers. Anyone who can make me laugh as he has done deserves a little basic happiness himself, and yes the media should respect that he is an actor but a human being first and foremost.
posted August 30, 2007 at 5:19 pm
>>
Yes, it certainly is. And so is your posting a link to it. If you were truly repulsed, why did you just invite everyone to go have a look for themselves? You just helped perpetuate the problem.
I feel deeply for Mr Wilson and the pain that he must be in to go to the extreme of needing to stop it in this way. I’m even more sorry for him now that the press is going to be pecking away at him forever. They’re only going to make his pain worse and I hope that the people who love him will be able to help him get through all of what’s in front of him now.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if our society chose to step up and show more grace and compassion again? If people stopped buying those papers that expolit people’s pain for a buck, they would have to fold. They only supply what the public is buying. So until we stop funding those papprazzi, they’ll be like vultures on carrion.
Mr Wilson, please know that there are more people out here whose hearts are weeping with you than there are judging you. I hope you find loving, helpful people who will help guide you until you can see your life in the light again and leave the dark behind you.
posted August 30, 2007 at 5:52 pm
It’s so sad to see the press stoop to such ambulance-chasing tactics over the tragic demons which haunt a celebrity, while hideous atrocities against Americans and others are being committed daily, and the press doesn’t bother to bring these crimes to our attention.
Whatever happened to the virtues of empathy and compassion which used to be so treasured in our society? Did they become irrelevant when greed, sensationalism and jadedness became the dominant factors in too aspects of American life?
Mr. Wilson is in my thoughts and prayers, and I hope he knows that there are many of us out here whose hearts are filled with love, kindness, empathy and compassion for him, and who wish him peace, love and the ability to overcome the darkness and return to the light.
posted August 30, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Have we as a society become so bankrupt spiritually and emotionally that we make a feeding frenzy of the walking wounded? May God heal you Owen Wilson and know that you are loved and cared for. L. Ratliff
posted August 30, 2007 at 6:06 pm
My thougths and prayers are with Owen Wilson and his family, I wish I could invite him to our home and just hug and hold him until he feels better. Unfortunately, once you turn yourself over to Hollywood you are theirs and your life will not be private anymore, it’s not right but it’s a fact I am sure everyone is aware of. Ban all the gossip magazines and websites, I am all for it, but the world is always split in half and you will not ever get the whole to do it. As I try to find a positive in every negative, the positive I find in us knowing about Owen is that more prayers can be said for him, I believe prayer is powerful, so for you Owen, and all the others out there, a prayer for you.
posted August 30, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Owen Wilson is a wonderfully talented man, and I can wager, a damn fine friend to one and all he has touched the lives of. I loved him in “The Haunting” w/ Catherine Zeta-Jones, and in “Shanghai Noon” & “Shanghai Knights” w/ Jackie Chan. I do hope whatever is troubling Owen he can get help to overcome it. May a long and happily wonderful life be granted to you Mr. Owen Wilson. You are loved & we would miss you terribly if you left us this way.
Hugs & Kisses
from a fan
“Lila”
DEath is but a part of life. I have in the last 10 years lost both of my parents and my husband. So hang in there sweetie. Your roses are about to bloom.
posted August 30, 2007 at 6:14 pm
How sad it is that the media is upset that the LA attorney’s office will not release the 9-1-1 tapes. Get a life people, I just hope that Owen is okay and the media leaves him alone and lets him heal.
posted August 30, 2007 at 8:07 pm
I don’t know you, Owen, but my prayers go with you in your moment of despair. Something good will come out of this bad incident in your life. You are young, talented and loved. So please know in your heart that there is something wonderful waiting toi happen if you just stick around.
God bless.
g
posted August 30, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Open message to Mr Wilson: I too suffer from depression and have attempted to end my life. You are now in a position to get help – please take it. You are not alone, and you are loved. God bless you.
posted August 30, 2007 at 11:36 pm
I remember Owen Wilson in “The Amazing Tattlebaums” (maybe wrong title), and his quirky character was unlike any actor’s that I can recall. He evidenced a cynicism and irony that in its own way, was hilarious. Mr. Wilson has an amazing talent; he can be funny without us really realizing that we are laughing WITH him and not AT him.
I was saddened to hear of his “alleged” suicide attempt. The press’s feeding frenzy to verify it has completely turned my stomach. If he, or his family, wanted the public to know what really sent him to the hospital, they would have made it known, and not hidden the reason. The fact that his publicist asked the public to “leave him alone to heal in private,” was just that – leave him his privacy.
If Mr. Wilson DID actually attempt suicide, then perhaps something good can come out of this. I have known suicidal people, and they are no different from you or me (on the outside). But when life becomes unbearable, when they can’t see the “light at the end of the tunnel,” when even getting out of bed is excruciating, ending that life becomes paramount in their thoughts.
Maybe the “good thing” that can come out of this is if Mr. Wilson will “come out” and describe what led him to this action, and become a spokesman for clinical depression. Yes, there IS a stigma to mental illness; I am a bipolar, who is maintained on medications and cognitive therapy, and I don’t care who knows it. My last hospitalization for a full-blown manic episode was THIRTY years ago, so I know professionals who are able to help the mentally ill CAN and WILL show us how to have a “new life.” Perhaps if celebrities, like Mr. Wilson, will come forward and admit their diagnoses (I personally believe Britney and Lindsay are bipolars, from their behaviors), the public WILL forgive them, and accept them as they are.
The public has a very short memory. What happens one day, is forgotten in a week. If these celebrities will only open up and discuss their problems in an honest way, with integrity, instead of having their agents and managers “hush it up,” perhaps we can forgive them “their trespasses,” and move forward. Like one blogger said, most celebrities are ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances. They ASKED for their publicity and notoriety, so, yes, they have to “give in” when every action is recorded.
In the end, I admire Owen Wilson. In fact, I do more than that. As one of God’s children, I LOVE Owen Wilson. He CAN recover, with time and medication, and learn to live a less stressful life. All my prayers go out to him and his family at this time, and I hope people will just “let him heal” NOW. God bless you, Owen Wilson, and best wishes for a speedy and lasting recovery.
Love allways,
SuzanneWA
posted August 31, 2007 at 12:19 am
It’s unfortunate that the media uses events like Wilson’s to cover their magazines, TV shows etc. I am sure there are many people out there that have these same feelings and I know that having it splashed for all to see can potentially make the situation worse. I lost a loved one to suicide and although he was not a celebrity, the round the clock mention of his death for two days really added to his family’s trauma. I can only imagine that Wilson will have a more difficult time seeking help and healing. Celebrities’ lives may seem like public information but in the end they are human being just like anyone else and are even more vulnerable to social pressures etc.
VM SF
posted August 31, 2007 at 3:29 am
Owen Wilson:
we will all be praying for you, for your physical and mental health.
Even when things sometimes seem too unbelieevable to improve they do.
God be with you and your brothers and families.
posted August 31, 2007 at 8:10 am
My prayers go out to you & to your family as it is a family affair. I too suffer depression & have attempted suicide…I now get a lot of help from a lot of people along with a support group that I can turn to in crisisPlease take this failed attempt as a sign that it is not your turn to go & that your job on earth is not over yet. May God be with you & all around you
posted August 31, 2007 at 11:01 am
I like what ester say that what happens to celebrities is more Gossip than news. that is a good point. like I said before, the media has right to report what happened, but it should be reported as NEWS in an empathetic compassionate way as Bob Stauf said in his post. they are humiliating him and that part is wrong. It’s not the fact that they reported this news that is offensive, but the way they went about doing it that is offensive. And the media should not get the 911 tapes. That they are NOT entitled to, being the nature of what happened. Celebrities should come foward about these things themselves though. don’t deny it, because when you admit to the truth and try to bring awarewness to serious issues, people aren’t as shocked, they admire you for your honesty. It’s not as big an issue if you yourself confront it and own up to it head on.
posted August 31, 2007 at 11:02 am
It’s unbelievable how the media thrives off of exposing every intimate detail of celebrities lives. They are humans, too, just as you and I are. I can’t imagine if I had went through the same ordeal and wake up to see and hear all about it wherever I looked. My prayers and thoughts are with Owen Wilson in this difficult time of his life.
posted August 31, 2007 at 12:46 pm
To Whom it may concern, Our media is totally out of control. Has anyone bothered to try to center this on our rampant suicide rates in this country. Nope. Why doesn’t this issue get discussed instead of worrying about if Owen did or did not attempt suicide lets try to prevent it from happening again to someone else. Depression is a terrible thing to kick. It hangs on to you by the throat and will drag you down until you feel like there is no other solution but to end the pain. All I can say is ” MEDIA IT’S TIME TO GET YOUR S*** TOGETHER!!!!!” Quit sensationalizing everything. Start spreading some good news for a switch. It would be nice to walk away from the eveing news with a good feeling in my soul instead of this constant gloom and doom. Time for a real change. Thanks for reading my thoughts. Michelle R Ciolek
posted August 31, 2007 at 11:17 pm
God bless Owen . life is really hard. leave him alone, but prayer for his soul.. God bless his soul, and bless all that he does to help us through his comedic work. I love him and his work!
posted September 3, 2007 at 2:00 pm
my prayers and heart felt compassion goes out to owen and his family and friends. i have suffered with depression for years. its a long and very hard road to go down. i pray that his family and friends will stick buy owen. i dont know why but people seem to stay away when someone suffers. but believe me he needs you all more then ever now that its out. i believe this should be kept between family and friends and of course his dr, i am sick over the way his pain is splashed allover. shame on all who had any part in causeing even more pain for owen and his family. huh a thought!!!!! maybe if tv and magazines etc put more happy and good news out there maybe it could change the world. myself i would love to read or see or hear some up beat and positive news. gold bless and only best wishes for owen.
posted September 3, 2007 at 7:43 pm
I say “hear, hear!!” Very well put. How would WE feel if someone, media or not, had so much to say about our so called private lives?
posted September 4, 2007 at 3:01 am
IT’S NOT THE MEDIA’S FAULT BUT OURS!!! do you honestly think that the media gives a damnd about any body??? the only thing they care about its money, and ratings…WAKE UP… if you didn’t buy all of those gossip magazines there wouldn’t be any of this so-called “shame on the media” ordeal, its our fault, and until we stop obssesing with celebraties life its not going to stop. Hey Spears and Lohan know it, and they thrive from it…I don’t pitty them at all, but I am over this whole thing..so if you really want to see real news or the media start have some sympathy, we need to change what we want to see first, and believe me they will change it in a heartbeat, believe they don’t want to loose ratings or money, so the control is really on us, WHAT DO REALLY WANT TO WATCH OR READ????