We know many of you Heath Ledger fans want to think the best of him. So do we. In fact, we are thrilled to think that his portrayal of The Joker will go down as his greatest role ever, and we can't wait to see it. So, having gotten out of the way that we like Heath too, many of you who are offended by our headline of an "APPARENT" drug overdose are missing two vital points.
#1. Prescription meds are STILL "drugs". Just because they are legal doesn't mean we can't call them "drugs". That's what they are. Get a clue.
#2. The word "APPARENT" isn't a definitive word. It simply means, "that's what it looks like". Look it up in a dictionary.
Many of you writing in are arguing these two silly points. Here is a recent example and our response...
Dear ComicBookMovie.com,
I was just as shocked as everyone else about the sudden death of actor Heath
Ledger. But, I am surprised to see that "ComicBookMovie.com" is smearing
his name like the National Enquirer. With headlines like "apparent drug
overdose" and "another star lost to drugs". I thought your site most of all
would mourn something like this as the tragedy that it really is. I mean
since his performance as the Joker is what you have been using as big news
for quite a while. Oh, well I suppose that is just as lame as
ComicBookMovie reporting the same news as it did the day before thinking it
was fresh.
Sincerly,
Disappointed Here is our response...
Disappointed,
Sorry you don't like our top story, but maybe you could point out exactly where we are being inaccurate. If I am not mistaken, ALL the news sources are reporting that Heath's death is "an apparent drug overdose". You might want to look up the word "apparent" so that you understand its meaning. While the autopsy is not yet conclusive, and there may be additional factors, it is clear that Heath had a "medicated" past "Heath Ledger Battled Drug Addiction, Source Confirms To MTV News", and that the multiple medications Heath was taking played a part in his untimely death. The sleeping pill Ambien, which was one of the drugs he was taking, has a particularly troubling track record. I have fielded several emails such as yours and most of the offended parties are making a the same silly argument of legal vs. illegal drugs. Just because the drugs were prescription doesn't make them any less of a "drug" nor does it make them any less lethal when abused. And yes, lots of "stars" have killed themselves on accident or on purpose with prescription drugs. Elvis Presley comes to mind. Ever hear of him? His autopsy at the time was also "inconclusive" and it wasn't established then either that abusing prescription drugs was indeed part of the cause of his demise. So, none of what we reported was false or particularly tabloid-esque. We value your readership and hope you continue to drop by the site. Hopefully, we'll have a new top story for you soon that you can appreciate. And even after this post, we still get this crap...
Dear ComicBookMovie.com,
And even after all the e-mails you've said you've recieved you still don't
get it. Your headline is just hurtful, distasteful and uncaring. I wonder if
you would be so bold as to look his family in the face and repeat the same
words you so boldy defend. Shame on you. I will not be visiting your site
any longer and i know you probably don't care but it makes me feel better to
let you know.
User X, and our response...
User X,
For the love of God! We are a news site. Just what exactly is your idea of a proper headline for this news? And remember to provide clear information in just a few words. "Beloved Star Shuffles off Mortal Coil. Why God Why" doesn't do it. News is supposed to be unemotional--just the facts. This is not an editorial. How is "Heath Ledger Dies - Apparent Drug Overdose" distasteful, mean or untrue in ANY way? It's a simple factual statement with no inflammatory words or over-emotional stresses. Geez, take a valium, or better yet, a journalism class. And by the way, I would have no problem informing Heath's parents exactly as we stated it, but I believe they already know.
Respectfully,
ComicBookMovie.com It seems to me that lots of the overly emotional Heath lover's out there are being just a little too sensitive, and are lashing out at the press as a way to ease their pain. Look, we all wish that Heath Ledger was alive and well, but to attack a news site just for reporting the cold hard facts is a bit stupid. And like I said earlier, ALL the news is saying the same thing. Many of them are stating the facts in "harder" terms than we are. We definitely aren't trying to "tease" the story with inflammatory words like a tabloid would. So, stop being offended and give us a break. Thank goodness not all of our readers are like the above two emailers. Here are some positive comments from people with their heads on straight...
Folks,
You know as well as I do that you can't please everyone. Your article about Mr. Ledgers untimely death was about as accurate as it gets, unemotional as news is supposed to be, and non-inflammatory in regards to anyone using the article as a forum for expressing their personal opinions. The backlash you are receiving from a few of your readers are simply the uneducated remarks of a select group of individuals that not only have no clue as to what true news reporting is all about, but probably should be watching Entertainment Tonight or The O'Riely Factor if they want anything other that the facts. I personally feel you behave responsibly by simply stating the facts as they are, give the general public the information as it is, and leave bias and opinions where they belong, in the editorials. Never you mind the nay-sayers.
Darren Also...
I could not agree more with you on your statement regarding perscription drugs.You might want to tell folks to key in the words PERSCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE in a web search I'm sure that will shut them up. Anyway keep on doing what you are doing because you're doing a great job.
Cheers,
Bryan Thanks guys! It's nice to hear from fans that DIDN'T go to see Brokeback Mountain. ;)
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