Paparazzi Sites and Dr. Laura
I've been wondering why Dr. Laura, who so often is a cheerleader for personal responsibility, has apparently left the News-Press for good. I am not so naive to think that local, public pressure from this and other blogs would have had any effect at all as so many of us are anonymous (even though Dr. Laura announced her column in the News-Press through an anonymous blog host).
I figured it out when my sister from out-of-state, who does not know I am SDLG, sent me the following about Dr. Laura's son Deryk and asked what was going on back in SB. When you have made the paparazzi-style sites -- your future becomes very uncertain. It seems this blogger contacted the Army and got a Lt. Colonel to say that the MySpace page was "very disturbing".
Dr. Laura's PR reps are still standing by their initial contention that the MySpace page could be fake -- of course it could, but is it? It seems the burden of proof would sit with Deryk to prove that it wasn't....I have to say I wouldn't want to be Dr. Laura right now. What would you say to your son who is otherwise serving our country? For this kind of thing -- the fact that he is serving our country is not a large enough cloak of invisibility, but I wonder if this will go any further than it has.
I figured it out when my sister from out-of-state, who does not know I am SDLG, sent me the following about Dr. Laura's son Deryk and asked what was going on back in SB. When you have made the paparazzi-style sites -- your future becomes very uncertain. It seems this blogger contacted the Army and got a Lt. Colonel to say that the MySpace page was "very disturbing".
Dr. Laura's PR reps are still standing by their initial contention that the MySpace page could be fake -- of course it could, but is it? It seems the burden of proof would sit with Deryk to prove that it wasn't....I have to say I wouldn't want to be Dr. Laura right now. What would you say to your son who is otherwise serving our country? For this kind of thing -- the fact that he is serving our country is not a large enough cloak of invisibility, but I wonder if this will go any further than it has.
Labels: Deryk Schlessinger, Dr. Laura
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 5/31/2007 09:41:00 PM
Our Community Guidelines ask that you use the Blogger/Open ID login or the
more private Name/URL option when making comments. Comments using "Anonymous" will not be published. For more info, see choosing an identity.
12 Comments:
Unfortunately for Dr. Laura the story just got a lot bigger than it was before most national networks have tmz.com on the morning list of sites they read. Of course what this says about the am portion of the networks is something else entirely...
Now creepy Barney wannabee and unfunny Buddy Winston took a hike at the NP too, according to Craig Smith. Apparently he did not cruise the town to dig up more dirt.
He was a highly ineffectual columnist even at his best, so this is no loss at all. He was always best unread.
Sarah: What with my son in the 82nd airborne, I have been scouring the soldier Myspace sites...there are a lot of little animated cartoons out there--cut and pasted from some source (I am too old and out of it to even watch the TV's disgusting cartoon shows like the Simpsons or South Park) and they all seem to know and use this stuff without fear or favor, and seem to know it I must say, better than the Bible. I saw animated clips from a few places I do know. Bush flipping the finger to the viewer was a popular one. There are other commonalities. We could go on about this forever. I'd still say, we are talking a young male's popular culture expressions with the soldier's situation and their 'gallows' humor. But of course, I still haven't seen Deryk's site. I do keep hearing the same descriptions over and over again in the comments. Does this mean our commentators are just repeating each other? My wife and my mother would be disgusted that's for sure. But I have chaparoned too many Santa Barbara's young persons' parties (and remember my own) to get freaked out about locker room humor.
Sarah: I don't see any new information on this new posting. Are we just grinding way at Dr. Laura? I think she's mostly upset about the controversy about her hurting military family's morale. Is this really a BIG issue? Isn't it rather, like the magic mirror, a way of expressing your feeling about soldiers and the war.
Without verified documentation of past behaviors, writing and ideology this will fade away. When you get a larger view it is pertinent.
a. Why did Army or the Pentagon wipe out evidence? Does that mean they know who the "enemy" in questionable website is?
b. Army said Deryk is still on active duty. Is he allowed all priviledges while a suspect?
c. Laura Schlessinger and her image consultant, always come out with immediate stories. She blew off a live blog talk. Strange behaviors don' look good for her son. Why is she not concerned about the suicidal and homicidal? Someone is yellng loud to get attention. The suspect is on active duty when suspect needs psychological help.
d. The point of "former classmate" was that the person with gun in mouth should not have a gun. Does anyone care about the "classmates" and others being protected? Do civilians have a right to know who the threats are against? What if it was you or yours?
e. Question the Army's handling of this. Google Steve Green, a psychotic with honorable discharge. He slipped by Army scrutiny. Remember recent Lynch&Tillman Congressional hearings.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT CELEBRITY&SON. THERE ARE SERIOUS THREATS AGAINST AFGHANS&US CITIZENS. It's not a joke, whoever did the web pages and the friends.
DJ -- I had not heard an Army response until I read this...that's the news. No I don't believe in the war as I think the target was misplaced in the beginning AND I have nothing against military personnel. How this issue is covered or not by traditional media is interesting considering Dr.Laura's recent resigning from the NP...
DJ, Didn't Laura Schlessinger give the good advice "Get over yourselves."?
I repeat.. THIS IS NOT ABOUT CELEBRITY&SON. THERE ARE SERIOUS THREATS AGAINST AFGHANS&US CITIZENS.
It's not a joke, whoever did the web pages and the friends.
The cartoons were one section. Can someone try to answer a few questions and stop repeating, please?
Mel: Army threats against Afghans and US Citizens...you've got to be kidding! What did you do for Memorial Day?
What does Tillman's story and Jessica Lynch's story have to do with Dyrek's Myspace site? THEIR story, besides being some bad management on the part of the army, is also a stinging indictment of the press as well as a revealing reflection of America's urgent need to believe in superheros. The army, the Press, and everybody involved gave the people what they wanted. It's a slimy, sad, tale.
Sara: I thought I read the army's comment: "Disgusting," on the first posting. I could be wrong. This time however, you have with this posting the first correct picture of Dyrek.
Dr. Laura quits the Newspress. Why no accollades? Usually, we are standing on shore clapping, as the crew jumps ship. Why not for Dr. Laura.?
As for Iraq being the wrong target, I agree that it was a harder choice than Afghanistan but understand why it was chosen. Saddam was a loose cannon liable to do anything in the completely new context after 9/11. But that's all water under the bridge now. What's important now is what are we going to do tomorrow.
I know you have nothing but respect for soldiers.
DJ, You didn't read the web pages or you'd know it's not about kidding! That's cordial for you to ask of my Memorial Day. My neighbor is disabled, we gave him a bath and he watched movies. A small get together, he's a Nam Vet. I know you had a fine day.
Remember we aren't talking about who wrote the pages. This is only about the web pages. Understand? Read the Tribune, it's worse than you think against the Afghans. US Citizens, too.
I don't know the Tillman's appreciate the lies told and minimized to calling these lies "management on the part of the army". That's coldhearted towards a soldiers family. The Tillman's are regular folks who want the truth. They are still looking for answers. It was a big set up to promote superheros, Lynch didn't ask for the staged rescue and her Rambo for army promotion. Sad there isn't enough patrotism to stand up for the truth here. The press messes things up, too. But the army promotion and cover-ups worse in these cases. There are more. The possible connection to the web pages, not saying who did it here, is if there is any cover-ups. The army has destroyed web page evidence already. They've downplayed what the pages said. You have to be blind to ignore so much.
Appreciate you answer a, b, c, d and e. I know you have nothing but respect for soldiers, too.
Don, I want so much to be on your side amigo...but,
" a revealing reflection of America's urgent need to believe in superheros.
The Army/admin made up the stories and pushed it on the public to distract them from the truth. America wasn't looking for superheros. Some wanted revenge and most wanted just to feel safe from terrorists.
I'm willing to believe that Deryk maybe unfairly vilified as maybe his page was just macho bravado to impress his army buddies.
It is easy to become desensitized in his situation. We can't really know and is best left up to his commanders to deal with. His comments are way over the top and need to be addressed at the proper level. National news is not the proper level.
It might surprise you to know that I would have supported rolling right through Pakistan if that what we had to do to get Bin Ladin and wipe out the Taliban. Invading and destroying Iraq was just plain ignorant and irresponsible. I've done a lot of biz in the middle east and I can say that they will lie to your face till you call them on it. It's their way of negotiating. Wiping out Saddams palaces and military bases would have been enough I think to convince him to allow the UN to continue their monitoring. The same goes for Iran. We need to quit wasting time and take out a few of their facilities to let them know we're really serious about this shit (Syrians too). The vast majority of the populous is ill educated and clueless about democracy and representitive gov't. That was Bush's hubris thinking he needed to change that. The Crusader label is apt for him.
Ahem...less I digress, No kudos for LS because she didn't resign out of moral/ethical reasons, she just slipped away in the night and never came back. Truely a rat leaving the sinking ship.
LS had an opportunity to take the high road and resign with dignity, like the recent letters of resignation. Gulbransen and others with authentic concern for abused children. At a time when LS's actions reflect critically on her kid it doesn't look good to shirk. She is a disgrace to columnists & parenting. Why is the man she claims is the father never mentioned? AA
DJ- How is child rape considered humor of any sort? Please explain why you keep trying to justify these pictures.
A question worth an answer, How is child rape considered humor of any sort? The Afghanistans might have a problem with the manner this is being handled, any thoughts on that?
Post a Comment
<< Home