Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Heath Ledger Remembrance Forum

Esquire Magazine's Fictionalized Article Creating Controversy

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mvansand76:
There is something really sick about somebody writing in the first person about somebody she has never met after he died. I can't read this shit. It's highly offensive to his family, to Michelle and to Matilda. And Heath is not there anymore to have a say against this. It's a breach of privacy after the person has died, which makes it all even worse.

BlissC:

--- Quote from: Snavel on March 08, 2008, 08:46:58 am ---There is something really sick about somebody writing in the first person about somebody she has never met after he died. I can't read this shit. It's highly offensive to his family, to Michelle and to Matilda. And Heath is not there anymore to have a say against this. It's a breach of privacy after the person has died, which makes it all even worse.

--- End quote ---

Agreed.

I read the first few paragraphs of the article and then just couldn't read any more.Talking about his work and the characters he played is one thing, but trying to fictionalise him is indeed an insult to him, his family, to Michelle and Matilda. With all the talk and the speculation, and now fictionalised rubbish like this, I can't help but think of the line from Elton John's "Candle in the wind",


--- Quote ---Hollywood created a superstar
And pain was the price you paid
Even when you died
Oh the press still hounded you
--- End quote ---

The media vultures haven't learned anything, and things like this just show how heartless and immoral some sections of the media are.

Phillip Dampier:
It has come to my attention that some people complained to Ellemeno about the presence of the Esquire article on the news banner.  I am the one responsible for placing it on the news banner.

The news banner on this forum is about... well, news.  Whether you like this article or not, it is probably one of the last remaining big stories about Heath that have broken through the mainstream press.  Our news banner is partly to bring such matters to the attention of the community.  Now, whether you like the article or not is another matter, and you are free to add your two cents on that matter as part of this thread.  But I've asked Ellemeno not to honor such requests going forward.  Whether or not you like the article is not a justification for its removal from the news banner. 

serious crayons:
I agree with its placement in the banner. It's interesting, even if disgusting.


--- Quote from: Snavel on March 08, 2008, 08:46:58 am ---And Heath is not there anymore to have a say against this. It's a breach of privacy after the person has died, which makes it all even worse.
--- End quote ---

Yes, what's more of a breach of privacy and/or libel than pretending to report what goes on in someone's head? And then when that someone isn't around to protest or even contradict seems really unfair.


--- Quote from: Ellemeno on March 08, 2008, 04:53:54 am ---I don't believe Heath would have said nasty shit about people he didn't even know.  This doesn't ring true.
--- End quote ---

That was my reaction, too. It doesn't sound like Heath. But then I thought, well, how the hell do I know what Heath really sounded like? But THEN I thought, well, how the hell does she? That's the futility of the whole exercise.

Marge_Innavera:
IMO this is another example of journalism's long descent into gimmickry. Too bad the author chose that route -- if she'd written this as a story about a fictional actor, Heath fans might have recognized the source but the fictionalizing could have served as a plot device and people could judge the story on its merits and/or demerits.  And that wouldn't exactly be a revolutionary device; it's worked on Law and Order for years and in literature and theatre in general for who knows how long.

That said, it doesn't surprise me.  Any illusions I ever had about our infotainment media got pretty much cremated and a stone put up after the 1996 Olympics -- we were there, and it was astounding how little the coverage had to do with anything that was actually happening.

And none of us are exactly unfamiliar with this, are we? It's basically jazzed-up RPS, and IMO you can dress that up but you can't take it out.

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