Topic: Heath Ledger - News Articles and Tributes

[Toadily]

I am surprised that he would take so many pills. The grocery store clerk said that he would normally purchase fruit and vegetable, and organic produce. It sounded like he was very health conscious. I just wish more people will be aware of the dangers of pills, of any forms. Just because it came with government approval doesn't mean that it is safe.

I hope you all can get over this toxicology report. It doesn't change the tragedy, as Tony said, it only confirms what we already know in our hearts, that Heath was full of love for people and for life. It was a tragic accident, but even out of this, some good came out of it, to see all the love and support that poured out from all corners of the world, where no one might have expected it. Who would have known about Daniel Day-Lewis, Ryan Gosling, Eric Bana,....all the talented peers of Heath, and all the loving memories of Heath's encounter with ordinary people.

Even from his death, Heath is giving us so much love. 

You know when I was his age I was yes very health conscious but did some dumb things, experimented with drugs. I was lucky nothing tragic happened.  And of course others have been too, like Carrie Fisher almost died several times.  Just a stroke of different luck might have meant a trip to the hosptial, a stomach pump and a major lesson learned.  But it didn't happen that way...

[BBBOY]

You know when I was his age I was yes very health conscious but did some dumb things, experimented with drugs. I was lucky nothing tragic happened.  And of course others have been too, like Carrie Fisher almost died several times.  Just a stroke of different luck might have meant a trip to the hosptial, a stomach pump and a major lesson learned.  But it didn't happen that way...

It's a wonder I am alive myself Toadlily, considering the drugs and booze I put in my body back then. It was a accident, one some of us understand all too well we could have made. I still feel like he was done with this place and has moved on to a better one. IMHOP

[jackster]

An interesting development as a direct result of Heath's accident. Apparently there have been numerous past cases in the US military with recouperating troops that will now be investigated.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Army-Drug-Overdoses.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=heath%20ledger&st=nyt&oref=slogin

Thank you, Heath.

[hpv]

An interesting development as a direct result of Heath's accident. Apparently there have been numerous past cases in the US military with recouperating troops that will now be investigated.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Army-Drug-Overdoses.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=heath%20ledger&st=nyt&oref=slogin
Thank you, Heath.

As I frequently noticed, the real world is more imaginary from any fantasy our imagination can provide, and here is that example of it,
something good out of this tragedy....

[tpe]

It has been reported in several Australian news agencies that Jake has arrived in Perth for Heath's funeral.

I wish him a quiet time to grieve with the family, and hope that the rest of the world respect their wish to mourn in private.

[dirtbiker]

Time to write this insensitive b**ch a thing or two 


WARNING: THIS IS A VERY NASTY ARTICLE.  READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL. 
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02072008/news/columnists/his_pals_are_guilty___and_so_was_he_701915.htm

andrea.peyser@nypost.com

(DB: I hope you don't mind if I took out the explicit quote of the article -- it may prove too much for some of the members, so I placed a caveat before the link you provided.  Again, I hope this is OK with you. -- tpe)

[FlwrChild]

I saw that earlier today as well. It is absolutely appalling and yet another reminder that there will always be hateful, ignorant, opinionated people in the world, too many of whom have a public forum with which to spread their venom.

I was glad to see that, outside of that publication's population, this article was met mostly by scorn and disgust. Anyone who has paid any attention to the actual facts in this case knows that this is one person's very unpleasant attempt to insert her own personal feelings into a topic that does not even remotely resemble what she's written or the conclusions she has drawn.


I am even more heartened though to see that for every one of this type of person there are at least a dozen more with open minds, compassionate hearts, and respectful attitudes. I have seen this illustrated nowhere quite so well as right here on this forum, which represents literally thousands of people from all over the world. The message that we, and like minded people everywhere, put out will be the enduring legacy that prevails for Heath, and in time the rest of these bitter excerpts will only be a vague, unpleasant memory for his family, who will have their memories of Heath, and the knowledge that he was, in fact, loved and respected by many, to wipe any such unpleasantness from their minds.

[hpv]

Time to write this insensitive b**ch a thing or two 
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02072008/news/columnists/his_pals_are_guilty___and_so_was_he_701915.htm

It's all very well DB, but why did you have to copy that whole repulsive article...we shouldn't repeat such a trash 
Sorry if I'm angry nothing personal and I apologize in advance dear,but I started to read it and almost puke...

[jackster]

Sounds like poor Andrea is somewhat bitter ‘cause her life hasn’t worked out quite as well as Heath’s might have. Yet another example of why most of the media, along with most politicians, are held in such low esteem by just about everybody on the planet. And why fewer and fewer people pay any attention whatsoever to what they have to say. JMHO

[FlwrChild]

And to counterbalance that horrific example of trashy behavior, here is a piece on Daniel Day Lewis expressing his displeasure about the 'media circus' that has been surrounding Heath's family since his death. Yet another example of how classy this guy can be, how respected and admired Heath was, and how decent most human beings can be at a time like this. Thank you Daniel.

Day-Lewis slams media 'circus' around Ledger death

Agence France-Presse
BERLIN - British film star Daniel Day-Lewis blasted the media "circus" Friday surrounding the death of Heath Ledger after his moving dedication of a top award to the Australian actor last month.
Day-Lewis, 50, who was at the Berlin Film Festival where his new picture "There Will Be Blood" is in competition, said the round-the-clock coverage was only compounding the grief of Ledger's family.
When asked about the tribute he made at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards in Los Angeles on January 27, Day-Lewis said he was wary of speaking out publicly about Ledger again.
"I'm reluctant to talk about it now. As much I was glad to have a chance to say something in that moment, I now feel...there's plenty more I could say but I'm not just fuelling a fire that's already out of control," he said.
"His family, for instance, at this moment, are trying to suffer the unimaginable grief in the full scrutiny of a !@#$ circus and anything that I say is going probably to just contribute even more to that because it keeps the story running and running and running and running."
He said he hoped the focus would return to appreciation of Ledger's performances.
"There will come a time eventually when people just remember that he was a beautiful man who did some wonderful work and we have seen great things from him," he said.
"And right now I can't say I'm too enthusiastic about adding more fodder to what's already just a horrendously, seamy, overblown machine that's gathered around his death. It's horrible."
The New York chief medical examiner's office released a toxicology report Wednesday showing that Ledger, 28, died of accidental intoxication caused by painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs.
In the SAG acceptance speech, Day-Lewis said the Australian's performances -- in particular his role in the 2005 gay cowboy drama "Brokeback Mountain"-- had deeply inspired him.
Day-Lewis has also been nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as a tyrannical oil prospector in "There Will Be Blood".

[hpv]

Thank you FC, DDL is truly a noble man   

[NoReins]

You know what? I'm going to go and see There Will Be Blood in the cinema (it comes out here next Friday) just because of how I feel about Daniel Day Lewis now. The man has more class in his little finger than the entirety of the media have in their whole bodies.

Thank you, Daniel, for once again reminding people that a family is grieving here.

[hpv]

You know what? I'm going to go and see There Will Be Blood in the cinema (it comes out here next Friday) just because of how I feel about Daniel Day Lewis now. The man has more class in his little finger than the entirety of the media have in their whole bodies.

Thank you, Daniel, for once again reminding people that a family is grieving here.

Yeah, you're right.
Btw, I saw that movie, and he is brilliant in it plus that's a very good movie.

[Tony]

  I saw that Post article before it was deleted down to a link for optional reading.  It is vile.  It is loathesome.  And it is false.  But what I have
to say further, is said very carefully.
  The overwhelming evidence that her slamming of Heath is unforgivable exists in that suddenly appearing river of information that Heath was
physically ill (possibly the flu), was suffering extreme sleep deprivation, and did not have the type of personality that would lay this on others.
He wanted people around him to be happy, and so found it hard to complain of legitimate pains.  But we have been suppressing that very same
information, to some degree, the facts that would show she is a liar, because of the focus on his career rather than his suffering.
  Accidentally, with the best of intentions, we may have left the field open to her attack. I hardly think the accusation of "selfish" could stand
for a second, if the real facts were kept out in the open--he was suffering and yet did not want that to cause suffering in others.  That's not
selfish.
   Finally, what kind of creature would make this kind of attack, just as this man is being laid to rest?  The timing damns her, above all else.
 

[dirtbiker]

Apologies for the strong reaction that some had on the article, but for those who have chosen to read it and has fueled your anger, I would humbly suggest that you flood her email & the NY Post exec contacts about the inappropriateness of her rant.  It helped get an apology (although insincere) from that FoxNews Radio character who spewed the same vileness in his talk show.

[Koka]

DDL proves yet again what an incredible and sensitive human being he is! Simply wonderful!

[hpv]

Apologies for the strong reaction that some had on the article, but for those who have chosen to read it and has fueled your anger, I would humbly suggest that you flood her email & the NY Post exec contacts about the inappropriateness of her rant.  It helped get an apology (although insincere) from that FoxNews Radio character who spewed the same vileness in his talk show.

You have a point there...

[lancecowboy]

Time to write this insensitive b**ch a thing or two 


WARNING: THIS IS A VERY NASTY ARTICLE.  READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL. 
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02072008/news/columnists/his_pals_are_guilty___and_so_was_he_701915.htm

andrea.peyser@nypost.com

(DB: I hope you don't mind if I took out the explicit quote of the article -- it may prove too much for some of the members, so I placed a caveat before the link you provided.  Again, I hope this is OK with you. -- tpe)

Thanks dirtbiker. I saw references to this article in other news items but haven't read it till now. Most reactions to it are apparently negative, but some Australians actually agreed with her, especially puzzling is one Ben of Perth. These are comments left on the NYPost website. So they may not be representative of general reaction.

Reading this made me realize how quickly people jump to conclusions. And how erroneous their conclusions can be.

She started by saying it takes a lot to kill a healthy 28-year old. Then she went to simply ASSUME that Heath had an addiction problem, citing the questionable video as evidence, as the only evidence. And she combined all the innuendos with accusations of Heath's friends being implicit in helping him to PLAN, and then to covering up etc, without ANY evidence. I think there is a clear case of slander, not only against Heath, but many of his closest friends.

Problems with credulous fools like Ben of Perth and others are simple. They believe lies like this joker's without checking, without looking, without questioning, just because SOMEONE says SOMETHING with a note of authority, without any shread of actual truth mind you, just enough self-deceit and self-confidence to convince people that they know what they are talking about.

Hilter had this kind of charisma. The trouble with our celebrity-driven society today is that charisma counts more than character. Personality and glitter are more revered that truth and substance.

As long as people don't ask questions, as long as people react faster than the speed of blogs, as long as people disregard common sense, people like Andrea Peyser and John Gibson will keep on stealing from the memories of good people to make a rich living, and then simply make a limp apology as if that's going make it alright. Worse still, many others get away with no apologies, no remorse...continuing the same malicious modus operandi with nothing but themselves in their own mind.

I've already written about the nature of evil. No one else seems to be interested in the topic. I am glad to have this opportunity to just get this off my chest. I am sure there will be others opportunities. Moderators please feel free to edit or delete. I am satisfied with simply writing it.

Selfish, self-important psychopaths with no empathy for others was the motivation behind Heath's portrayal of the Joker. How ironic that people like the Joker are the ones with darts to throw at him now.

I will certainly write emails to the New York Post. But not to her directly. People like her and John Gibson don't respond to reason or plea, only strength and strength alone. By pressuring their employers, we hit them where it would get their attention. Here is a link to the Letters to the Editor page: http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/letters/letters_editor.htm

In second thought, a nasty letter to Ms Peyser will make me feel better.

[lancecowboy]

Here is the letter I sent to NYPost.

Dear Sir,

it is with disappointment that I read Ms Peyser's article on Heath Ledger (
HIS PALS ARE GUILTY - AND SO WAS HE - February 7, 2008 ).

I expected a higher standard of journalism from the city of New York.

Her column was based entirely on erroneous assumptions and misinformation. She ASSUMED that Heath had an addiction problem and built a case around it. She neglected to include the facts that Heath had been suffering the flu, jet lag (after his trans-continental flights from Europe to Australia to Ameria), insomnia, anxiety and other stressful factors..

Instead of allowing Mr Ledger's family to grieve in private, your columnist decide it was time for her to throw darts at the man's character, as well as his friends.

Ms Peyser's ill sense of judgment, of reasoning, and of journalistic integrity so disappointed me, that I doubt I can recover from this shock. Furthermore, your complicit permission to print her column is also disappointing.

=========

The one to Ms Peyser is not fit to reproduce here.

[dirtbiker]

A very thoughtful, sensible response to NY Post, LC!   

[Tony]

   Lance, your words are right on target.   But I am really certain Dirtbiker showed the way, in one of our obligations----to fight back.  Lies,
unchallenged, become accepted.  The family can't get into these slanders, and that leaves--his friends, including us, to keep the story straight.
  Hpv said the real world can be stranger than any imagined world-and who would have thought so grotesque an attack would be possible
as the one Dirtbiker posted?  Time to get real.  We should not fall limp.  Dirtbiker----you are a true friend of Heath Ledger.  You rock, dude.

[lancecowboy]

Having time to think of a better approach, here is my letter to Ms. Peyser:

Someone said in the quotation thread that it is better to forgive your enemy, than to put hot coal on their head.
========

Ms Peyser,

you assumed that Mr. Ledger had an addiction problem, and then accused him and his friends of conspiring to plan the accident that took his life.

How stupid can you get? You have no evidence that there was an addiction problem, building a case against the man based on speculation is simply wrong.

How insensitive can you get? In the middle of writing your column, did you pause ONCE to consider the feelings of the family, and his closest friends?

How selfish can you get? I have no doubt that the only motivation for your column was to get it accepted by your editors, to be the devil's advocate, to stand out among the many other columns. On the way to success, you are willing to put aside common decency and common sense.

May those who write your obituaries be more kind to you than you had been to Mr. Ledger and his family.

May you live long enough to recognize the errors of your ways, repent, and seek the forgiveness of the wonderful and generous people who gave to the world a fine actor, and a great human being.

[lancecowboy]

   Lance, your words are right on target.   But I am really certain Dirtbiker showed the way, in one of our obligations----to fight back.  Lies, unchallenged, become accepted. The family can't get into these slanders, and that leaves--his friends, including us, to keep the story straight.
  Hpv said the real world can be stranger than any imagined world-and who would have thought so grotesque an attack would be possible
as the one Dirtbiker posted?  Time to get real.  We should not fall limp.  Dirtbiker----you are a true friend of Heath Ledger.  You rock, dude.

Tony, you are always there.

[chameau]

I sent her my best regards... and to her boss too

Well, don't mess with people I love & respect, my big toe is just too much sensible when you step on it

Sorry for the OT 

I'm just so p*ssed off 

Back to topic... can you send some kind messages too? 

andrea.peyser@nypost.com

[Tony]

   Dear Chameau----you're the man.  Thanks.

[chameau]

Well I beleive in the power of the internet, I wonder how many Emails they will get?   

[BBBOY]

I sent her my best regards... and to her boss too

Well, don't mess with people I love & respect, my big toe is just too much sensible when you step on it

Sorry for the OT 

I'm just so p*ssed off 

Back to topic... can you send some kind messages too? 

andrea.peyser@nypost.com

She will recieve my own "special" salutations tomorrow. 

[Asali]

Heath Ledger is being farewelled with a ceremony in Perth, to be followed by a private funeral with the Hollywood actor's immediate family only.

Ledger's father Kim Ledger said the family was finding it hard to cope with the actor's death, let alone the media attention from around the world.

Mr Ledger said the funeral itself would be limited to 10 people.

Model Gemma Ward, rumoured to have been a former girlfriend of Ledger, has also arrived at the exclusive girls' school.

Ward was dressed in a black jacket and skirt and wore dark glasses.

Those attending are being asked to show identification before they are allowed in.

Arrangements have been made for the media to take photos of mourners arriving at and leaving the ceremony.

"I know that a lot of you have travelled from all around the world to take footage of as much as you can of our ceremony for Heath," Mr Ledger earlier told reporters before leaving for the service.

"...I just ask you if you wouldn't mind to respect our privacy.

"The funeral will be very, very private. There will only be 10 people there, immediate family and nobody else."

Ledger's two-year-old daughter Matilda and his former fiancee, actor Michelle Williams, arrived in Perth this week ahead of the funeral.

Mr Ledger said the family appreciated the outpouring of grief from around the world.

"I'm sorry, we really haven't had a chance to expose ourselves to you guys (the media and public).

"It's a pretty sad time and we're finding it difficult to cope by ourselves, let alone cope with everybody around the world.

"Having said that we do really appreciate the outpouring and the emotional support from all over the world, which, suffice to say, we're luckier than most families, most families that are in our position, our grieving position, don't have that kind of support.

"So thank you all very much. That's all I've got to say."

[chameau]

 :\'(

Rest in peace bud.

[LuvJackNasty]

I said it before, but they are the most gracious people. I hope they find some peace.