When I first saw the video of Ted Williams and saw the response on the internet, I was touched like a lot of people were. It’s cool to see someone given a little help in this day and age and, if a video could help get him a job and maybe back on his feet, that would be awesome.
But by day two, I was worried. Because the internet and the media just seemed to grab a hold of the man and I had a feeling that things were going to go very, very wrong.
It didn’t take long. Buzzfeed linked an article today that Ted Williams is checking into rehab.
Gee. You take a man from the streets. A man who likely had issues in his life that left him homeless and estranged from his family — and you shove all sorts of things in his face. You make him an overnight sensation and you interview him everywhere and you even get him on Doctor Phil and you wonder why he can’t handle it.
Not to mention, no one seems to have any issue with filming the meltdown in progress. Entertainment Tonight just ate it up. And the comments to the posts are sickening. It’s like people think he let them down or something.
It bothers me.
Because it’s all well and good that everyone jumped on this guy’s story when it was a feel good moment. But will anyone take responsibility for being part of the cause of his “fall from grace”?
Something tells me that’s not a story anyone’s gonna cover.
LOVE your blog! Stop by and say hi if you get a chance!
Kristin
MyBookishWays
I have to agree with Heather about the comments. I try to avoid reading them on most sites, because they usually just send me into a pit of despair, due to the sheer lack of humanity that a lot of people show. I think anyone with a shred of empathy looks at this story and simply hopes that this man can get the help that he actually needs, and not just an instant celebrity status.
I’m with you, but if you look at …we’ll say a site with an audience that tends to be more educated than the average tabloid-show watcher, the comments have a different tone. I just read the Huffington Post bit on it, and most of the 300-odd comments are to the tune of “I hope he makes it” and “man, all that would be hard on ANYone, much less someone with those kinds of problems,” and “it’s good that he’s getting some much-needed help.”
I’ve cut way back on reading comments just about everywhere online, as they just anger me and make me feel like the idiots and hatemongers really are taking over, but at least some people are taking a more compassionate view of this man’s situation.