John Stapleton In Class Writing #1

The first news story that comes to mind is the death of actor Heath Ledger. It seems all types of media are/were filled with suspicions on the cause of his death. While it is tragic that he was taken at such an early age, and during the prime of his career, it seems a bit blown out of proportion. There are many people who overdose or commit suicide, but every detail is not sought after the press and then continuously shoved in your face any time you turn on a television or pick up a newspaper during the day.
It feels as though people my age went into a gossip induced frenzy as soon as the news came out. Being the one to break the news to someone was almost like adding a notch to your bedpost in the way it was sought after. The news was broken to me by my brother who burst into the room after hearing about it in a special bulletin on the news. He seemed almost as if he were giddy, not about hearing the story but the fact that he would be able to see the reaction on my face.
The story did not particularly pique my interest but it comes to mind because of the amount of attention it received. I was not a particularly big fan of his, but to have everyone concerned with things that are none of their business leaves me feeling bad for him or at least for his memory. The fact is that newspapers feel the need to investigate when even the police do not. Demanding answers from Mary Kate Olsen, whose apartment his body was found in, as to why she didn’t prevent the alleged suicide, or at least call the police.
The fact that a man’s death is treated as a piece of gossip is what has me upset. Instead of a proper send off for a man who acted in a few well-received roles they make a spectacle out of him. I know that if I were in his position or that of one his family members I would be outraged at the way it is being handled.