Roger Ebert Tweets Chastisement After Drunk Driving Death

[Poirot]

On a personal note, Ebert's words don't hurt me at all, but I can easily see how publicity on that scale would be hurtful to the immediate family and close friends.

Personally, I feel sadness about the deaths, and hearing (in essence) that they somehow deserved what they got, only makes it worse.

Even though it is probably a case of 'the truth hurts'. It still hurts and I don't find it necessary or helpful in this forum. Just my opinion, and I admit I may be overly sensitive right now.

[Bibliophile]

On a personal note, Ebert's words don't hurt me at all, but I can easily see how publicity on that scale would be hurtful to the immediate family and close friends.

Personally, I feel sadness about the deaths, and hearing (in essence) that they somehow deserved what they got, only makes it worse.

Even though it is probably a case of 'the truth hurts'. It still hurts and I don't find it necessary or helpful in this forum. Just my opinion, and I admit I may be overly sensitive right now.

I don't think a drunk driver "deserves" to die.  But were I to assign blame between the drunk driver and the driver of a car he/she hit or a passenger, the drunk driver is going to get the blame... 

And I also I don't think views on drunk driving have to be etiquettely appropriate. 

[Carnation]

Why Mr. Ebert thought it was his place to comment on this, is anyone's guess.

[PeasNCues]

Why wasn't it his "place"? It was a public figure in a very public death.

[Twik]

Cruel would have been "the donkey deserved it". Ebert's tweet was more "this could have been prevented". And I don't think that, in itself, is incorrect.

I'm sure it's not helpful to the family right now, and I would not have made that statement in public. But when so many celebrities argue that "I shouldn't have to censor myself in public!", and discussion of celebrities' lives is treated like valid news reporting, I think we'll see more and more comments that go over lines that used to be respected.

[Poirot]

On a personal note, Ebert's words don't hurt me at all, but I can easily see how publicity on that scale would be hurtful to the immediate family and close friends.

Personally, I feel sadness about the deaths, and hearing (in essence) that they somehow deserved what they got, only makes it worse.

Even though it is probably a case of 'the truth hurts'. It still hurts and I don't find it necessary or helpful in this forum. Just my opinion, and I admit I may be overly sensitive right now.

I don't think a drunk driver "deserves" to die.  But were I to assign blame between the drunk driver and the driver of a car he/she hit or a passenger, the drunk driver is going to get the blame... 

And I also I don't think views on drunk driving have to be etiquettely appropriate. 

Of course they don't, that's why I think my opinion is just as appropriate.  

[Wonderflonium]

Cruel would have been "the donkey deserved it". Ebert's tweet was more "this could have been prevented". And I don't think that, in itself, is incorrect.

I'm sure it's not helpful to the family right now, and I would not have made that statement in public. But when so many celebrities argue that "I shouldn't have to censor myself in public!", I think we'll see more and more comments on social media that go over lines that used to be respected.

That is/was a driving (no pun intended) philosophy behind the "donkey" show, but apparently it only applies to them.  

In the interest of more disclosure, I never made it through a full episode of "donkey" because I couldn't stand it. I watched part of an episode of Bam Magera's show, and honestly, there is not a single nice thing I can think to say about him. I can't say for sure that I wouldn't feel at least a little differently if different people were involved.

[Reuth]

Why should there be more consideration given to him/his friends/his family than to non-celebrity types who do the same thing? 

I don't see that anyone's asking for more consideration. Ebert doesn't tweet about non-celebrity drunk drivers. If Joe Schmoe gets drunk and kills himself and his passenger, I have a very dim opinion of him, but I wouldn't tell his family that, nor would I publish it where they are likely to read it.

[Sharnita]

I didn't realize he had a passenger as well.

Last summer a student in my building attempted armed robbery.  It turned out the guy he was trying to rob had a gun as well and was willing to protect himself with it.  The student was killed and his friend and younger brother who were with him were shot.  A lot of his friends and even some staff were lamenting his death, talking about what a good guy he was, what a promising athlete, etc.  I was sorry he was dead but i wanted to scream every time I heard a comment like that.  He threw away his one life, threatened the life of an innocent victim and endangered the lives of his brother and his friend.

Carnation, maybe Mr. Ebert thought it was his place to comment on it because Ryan could have just as easily killedh him, a friend of his or a family member.  I felt free to comment on the shootings that happened in Arizona even though I didn't know anybody personally involved.  I don't see Ryan's situation all that much different from my student who was commiting armed robbery or even soemthing like those shootings.  Yes there are grieving family members in all three cases but that doesn't mean we don't adress the reality of what caused their grief.

[PeasNCues]

Why should there be more consideration given to him/his friends/his family than to non-celebrity types who do the same thing? 

I don't see that anyone's asking for more consideration. Ebert doesn't tweet about non-celebrity drunk drivers. If Joe Schmoe gets drunk and kills himself and his passenger, I have a very dim opinion of him, but I wouldn't tell his family that, nor would I publish it where they are likely to read it.

But he Ebert did not say he had a low opinion of him. He simply made a generic comment, adding a bit to reference Dunn's entertainment career.

[Sharnita]

Why should there be more consideration given to him/his friends/his family than to non-celebrity types who do the same thing? 

I don't see that anyone's asking for more consideration. Ebert doesn't tweet about non-celebrity drunk drivers. If Joe Schmoe gets drunk and kills himself and his passenger, I have a very dim opinion of him, but I wouldn't tell his family that, nor would I publish it where they are likely to read it.

Joe Schmoe doesn't have ENtertainment Tonight covering his tragic death.  The local news might cover it and indeed there might be letters to the editor about Joe driving drunk and killing somebody else in the process.

[penelope2017]

Cruel would have been "the donkey deserved it". Ebert's tweet was more "this could have been prevented". And I don't think that, in itself, is incorrect.

I'm sure it's not helpful to the family right now, and I would not have made that statement in public. But when so many celebrities argue that "I shouldn't have to censor myself in public!", and discussion of celebrities' lives is treated like valid news reporting, I think we'll see more and more comments that go over lines that used to be respected.

No one is saying he is incorrect. But I don't understand why this was necessary to publicly state immediately.
I realize this is a celebrity-ish type person, but again, these people are real, and are suffering. The point can be made after a decent amount of time has passed.

Something factual can be just as painful. There are people in real life that I know that may have died recklessly or selfishly in my opinion. Broadcasting that won't teach them a lesson. It will only hurt their loved ones. While  I understand this is a public event, give the family a little respect and wait to weigh in your judgements.  
 

[Bibliophile]

I'm just digusted by the Ebert tweet being the big part of the story when the guy posted drunk pics on twitter & then got in a car with a passenger & drove 130 mph...   Seems to me that the death of the passenger of the car has been overshadowed by a tweet. 

[Poirot]

I don't think any of us are disagreeing that drunk driving is reprehensible, though.

Since that seems agreed, there is no need to argue it. 

[penelope2017]

I don't think any of us are disagreeing that drunk driving is reprehensible, though.

Since that seems agreed, there is no need to argue it. 

Exactly. No one is arguing or defending what Ryan Dunn did. Chastising him or using social media to call him out within hours of his death isn't going to teach him a lesson. He is dead. Everyone knows why. It is only going to hurt his loved ones.

I can't help but feel as a PP hinted at that part of this lack of empathy is partially due to the form of entertainment Jacka$$ represents and the extreme viewpoints people have regarding it.