Monday, August 11, 2014

R.I.P. Robin Williams

Mrs. Doubtfire was more than just a funny movie. 



In addition to just being a darn good film, Mrs. Doubtfire gave us two great gifts. One was the launch of Mara Wilson, a wonderful child actor who grew up into one of the most insightful and brutally honest young women to ever speak out on the dangers of child stardom.

The second was a story about how terrible parental alienation can be. The lesson of Mrs. Doubtfire is that when there are two appropriate parents, children do best when both parents are as involved as often as possible. And appropriate should not be related to which parent has the better job, house, or handsome significant other.

No one had ever heard of parental alienation in 1993. But Mrs. Doubtfire dove head first into the concept. Miranda, the children's mother, repeatedly insults and degrades her children's father, and fought for full custody even though the children adored him. Daniel, played by Williams, is devoted to his children but is a struggling actor who can't compete with his architect ex who has much better lawyers and a nicer looking lifestyle. He ends up with visits every other weekend and a social worker from the courts assigned to the case to report to. Eventually he is able to get a job as the children's nanny by disguising himself as an old English woman named Mrs. Doubtfire.  Send the kids to their room before you verbally bash their father
, Mrs. Doubtfire so wisely advises Miranda. Even when Daniel does everything the judge asks of him, he still loses custody and has his visits restricted to monitored.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_QbFFMibmU

Eventually, Miranda comes around and allows Daniel to be more involved in the children's lives despite the custody order. Not bad for 1993.

335 sediments (sic) from readers:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 335 of 335   Newer›   Newest»
Tucker's Mom said...

I know atheists who used "the Earth" as their higher power.
********
Very powerful, indeed.
The person who took the photo during an AA meeting should be ashamed.
Especially for selling it- profiting off of Robin's tragic death.
That man did not deserve it.

Tucker's Mom said...

Then he took the time too figure out using a closet and belt, without a chair. This is comforting to me, because he thought things through, and the final descision was his. He coulda opted out in the first min BTW, I know, because I too have researched this.

If I make that final descision, I too shall be fully clothed and alone.

I really get him.
franky
***********
I'm going to tread lightly here and say that I agree with you. Although the details about the attitude of his body were stunning to be released, I also felt some sense of relief that his death wasn't as assaulting as it could be.

Anonymous said...

About the press conference, I can understand the need to go into details if foul play is suspected. Since it appears that foul play was not suspected, I question the need to go into such intimate details of Robin Williams death. If I found the details disturbing, I feel for the family who have to endure the personal loss as well as the public announcement. May this multi talented tortured man finally rest in peace.

bm

JoyinVirginia said...

Robin Williams died in California. Officials there know that as soon as something is on public record, TMZ and other publications WILL publish the entire document in its entirety.
So I understand why the press conference was detailed.
I'm on vacation with a group of twenty-one year old college students. They planned their own Robin Williams mini film festival the last couple days to watch in his honor.

LisaNH said...

One of my favorite memories of Robin Williams is when he was performing for the troops in Iraq and suddenly all the troops turned away from him when Retreat was played (lowering of the flag). I'm sure many of you have seen that video. He handled it so well but you could tell he was thrown off by it. But the most touching part was when he was with the troops. I recall seeing him, in the same video, taking pictures with a couple of soldiers and he turned and asked one of the soldiers "Did you get your picture?" and he touched him on the shoulder. He just acted so real, so sincere and so nice to those kids over there in a war zone. The USO put up a very lovely post about Robin because he had done quite a few USO tours in recent years.

chefsummer #Leh said...

During a suicide where asphyxia is involved I think most people can figure it out IMO the police didn't have to say how RW passed.

Just my OP of course,

JMO said...

Tucker's Mom said... 200
I was shocked and horrified that the authorities released such detailed information about Robin's body, when found.
Why? Why did they need to say how he was found?
That's an image that no one needs in their head, and it's just no respectful at all.
-----------------------
Likewise.

Anonymous said...

Active alcoholism or drug abuse do not leave you with high moral principals. The people in meetings are at different stages of sobriety. Some are still gutter-dwelling users struggling to get sober, some have been sober longer than others have been alive. Every one is at a different level of regaining or maintaining their self respect.

Most likely the person who took a picture of another person in his support group was a very short-time sober person. A long timer has gained back his moral compass and would not have done it. The fact the picture was taken, and then sold for a profit, tells me the person who took it really, really needs the meetings. And I bet his fellow meeting attendees, while taking him to task for such horrendous rule-breaking, also forgive. It is the nature of the group. They are supportive. They let you know where you went wrong, but they support you in your struggles to get right.

It was an egregious act of disrespect. It was not the only one committed by the members of the group. I guarantee that.

going anonymous this time.

Paula said...

The family requested privacy. What do the local officials do? Call a press conference and relay all of the gory details in a very public manner. So shameful and disrespectful. If necessary, all of this information could have been released quietly with little fanfare.

FlimsyFlamsy said...

I think this might be the first passing of a huge celebrity in the
social media age. There have been a few deaths of famous
people, certainly. But I cannot remember ever seeing this
kind of non-stop coverage: comments, theories, rumors,
tributes, film clips, and on and on. Facebook, Twitter,
and 24/7 news coverage have changed the landscape of
communication. And I think this immediacy has resulted in
some lapses of judgment, taste, and ethics. Just my opinion.

Blowing In The Wind said...

No offense, admin., but unless you've been in those rooms for the right reasons can you understand what ex-nurse and Franky are trying to say.

Taking any picture in a meeting, even if it's not published or blurry, will prevent people who need help to get help. It's already scary to admit there is a problem. Thinking your picture might be taken is the biggest affront to the entire organization and their principles. It doesn't matter if people were identifiable or not.

------------------------

I think that some here are misinterpreting comments about this. I read the threads and nobody has given their blessings on taking the photo; publishing the photo; selling the photo, and whatever else was done with it. Of course all of this was wrong. It never should have been done. However, I see what admin was saying...that even though this did happen, it's very difficult to tell from the photo who is who in it (except for Robin). Admin has said that it was wrong; in fact, she's explained this twice, and yet some think that she (and others) are condoning it. It's over and done, but unfortunately, just goes to show you that unscrupulous persons will stop at nothing to get a photo of a celebrity, regardless of what the circumstances might be.

What I am wondering, though, how was it that the person leading the meeting didn't see this picture being taken and put a stop to it immediately? If you whip out a phone or digital camera, in a small group like that, certainly someone would have noticed and demanded it be deleted.

Blowing In The Wind said...

Robin's daughter has deleted her Twitter and other social media accounts because of nasty and negative remarks being made about her and her father.

There is another person who has a Twitter account and says absolutely nothing about fans slamming the father of her children, and even at times retweets them. She should have taken down that account a long time ago.

Tweet-le De Tweet-le DUMB said...

I agree with having the image of how RW died in my head isn't a pretty one, but the since press and the public DEMAND details, these kinds of PCs are given. I can only imagine the speculation if the details had not been given out. Sad, but true.

Ex Nurse said...

sleepless in seattle said....
agree that it was a despicable thing to do, and that the photographer and ROL should have their hands smacked, but saying this was a breach of confidentiality for anyone other than Robin...I just don't see it.
------------------
Anonymity is not the same as confidentiality. As I said before, I wouldn't expect ROL to be principled about this. it was the person who took the picture that breached anonymity.

There is an interview with a CBS photographer who said he was in a meeting with RW a few weeks ago. Even though the photographer is releasing that info on himself, it is still a breach to name someone that is there--even if that person is open about it, even after death. Again, this is in the context of anonymity in AA. In AA, there are no rules or pledges taken. There is a set of principles and suggestions, that are in place to keep the meetings and members safe. The fact that this has happened is very rare, considering how frequently celebrities are seen in 12 step rooms. that is because, of all of principles in AA, this is the foundation on which the program is built.

Auntie, RW would probably not even stand out in a meeting. Humor is very present, and there is always laughter mixed with tears. Homeless people sit with CEOs, athletes, criminals, drug dealers, actors-in the room, they are equal, with no one person having more authority than another.

There is no one way that other addicts will view this event. Some may be spurred to action to ramp up their recovery, some may see it as a failure of the program and will therefore leave, some will relapse, some will become sober. The commonality will be that so many have been affected by RW taking of his own life, because it is a community that is focused on seeking recovery for a disease that destroys the lives of the addict themselves, as well as those who care for them.

Formerly Duped said...

Tucker's Mom said... 200
I was shocked and horrified that the authorities released such detailed information about Robin's body, when found.
Why? Why did they need to say how he was found?
That's an image that no one needs in their head, and it's just no respectful at all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Same here. No respect for privacy. The details may come out but more people will be privy to them at a press conference now than what goes o -line as a matter of record later on. This goes against what RW's wife requested- surely that should be respected if not the man himself.

Ex Nurse said...

What I am wondering, though, how was it that the person leading the meeting didn't see this picture being taken and put a stop to it immediately? If you whip out a phone or digital camera, in a small group like that, certainly someone would have noticed and demanded it be deleted.
__________
There is no way to tell the size of the meetings. The person leading is just another member that is doing service. They aren't continually scanning the room to make sure everyone is behaving appropriately. Attention is focused on whoever is talking on the moment, so there is plenty of opportunities, especially if seated in rows, as opposed to in a circle. Most AA meetings are quite large, and may have several hundred people.

AuntieAnn said...

While it's tragic that a person takes their own life, the people remaining here, on Earth, are left to suffer with the aftermath.

====

Unfortunately I've known two families suffering with that aftermath and both were left not only to endure the grief they also had to deal with their anger and guilt. The mother of a young man who killed himself said she felt guilty for being angry with him and the wife of the other man said the basically the same thing. She couldn't understand why, even if he was unhappy with himself, did he hate his family that much to do this to them.

It's a mixed bag of emotion and you feel at such a loss as to how to comfort them.

Midnight Madness said...

Nurse said, "Anonymity is not the same as confidentiality. As I said before, I wouldn't expect ROL to be principled about this. it was the person who took the picture that breached anonymity."

***************
Is anyone arguing that the photographer didn't breach anonymity or confidentiality, or whatever else you want to call it? I don't understand what is being debated here. Isn't everyone in agreement about this?

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Midnight yes, no one ever was or is arguing that point so count me in as not understanding it either.

Midnight Madness said...

I think this might be the first passing of a huge celebrity in the
social media age.

**********

Michael Jackson?

MikeB said...

I'm going to go against the sentiment here and say that I think the press conference was the right thing to do. With a public celebrity like RW taking his own life you are going to have all the gossip rags scrambling to get some exclusive details. It is better to get things into the public quickly and completely so the healing process can begin. Otherwise you wind up with a situation like Whitney Houston where the constant revelation of little details made the whole ordeal drag on for weeks.

Eventually someone within the police department would have either sold the details to a gossip rag or would have told someone else who would have done the same. You would have had internet headlines screaming "EXCLUSIVE DETAILS ABOUT RW's DEATH ROOM!!! CLICK HERE FOR MORE!!!!!" Better to get it over with now rather than have the family face stories for weeks that would just reopen the wounds.

AuntieAnn said...

Ex Nurse said... 15

Auntie, RW would probably not even stand out in a meeting. Humor is very present, and there is always laughter mixed with tears. Homeless people sit with CEOs, athletes, criminals, drug dealers, actors-in the room, they are equal, with no one person having more authority than another.

====

Yes and that's as it should be. I didn't mean that he would ever try to intentionally set himself apart from anyone. What I meant was that he just naturally injected his humor into everything and was probably very much that way at those meetings.

Midnight Madness said...

If I make that final descision, I too shall be fully clothed and alone.

**************
This made me think of my mother's best friend. She was a woman of wealth and high standing in the community, never seen without her gold jewelry, diamonds, perfect hair and makeup. She had a wonderful sense of humor, was a very giving, kind, generous charitable person and we all loved her. She lived alone and had a heart condition. We had dinner one evening and she told us that a few nights previously, she had chest pain and took her medication. She also got up, showered, put on full makeup, all of her jewelry and a very nice outfit. She sat in her hair the entire night. She was afraid that she was going to die that night and didn't want to be caught dead (literally) in her nightgown and hair in curlers. What would the paramedics think?

She was such a hoot.

TLC stinks said...

I am saddened anytime someone dies at what I consider a relatively young age. Very tragic. If someone like Robin Williams was depressed and commits suicide, think about the middle and low income people who have no resources.

The medical community has always made mental illness the red headed stepchild. They want what gets publicity and money.

I know how messed up things are. Both my daughter and daughter-in-law have master degrees in psychology and they have both abandoned the field. Why? Because the pay is crappy, the hours are crappy, the work environment is crappy, states make it difficult to obtain your license (can you believe you have to pay a psychologist to sponser you, jobs where the hours count toward licensure are incredibly limited and pay poorly or not at all?)

I think they both envisioned having a cushy job as a psychologist in their own practice. This is what colleges want you to think it will be like but the schools are not honest. Both girls were physically and verbally attacked. The hospitals/residential centers/clinics are not updated facilities either. There is never any money and administrators look to continue slashing budgets.

What is it going to take? Well, some laws need to change and money needs to be funneled into mental health. This may seem heartless, but why don't some of these billionaires dedicate themselves to issues in this country instead of the Third World?

BTW, vets are committing suicide at an alarming rate. And the VA does not have enough docs to handle the situation. There are simply not enough psychologists and psychiatrists to handle this crisis. The mental health system in this country is a failure.

Getting back to Robin Williams, suicide is ugly and frankly as disturbing as the descriptions by the coroner were, it did make an impact and opened up a dialogue about suicide and mental illness but as always, by next week this will be old news and things will revert back to normal until the next suucide or school shooting.

JMO said...

Of course all of this was wrong. It never should have been done. However, I see what admin was saying...that even though this did happen, it's very difficult to tell from the photo who is who in it (except for Robin). Admin has said that it was wrong; in fact, she's explained this twice, and yet some think that she (and others) are condoning it. It's over and done, but unfortunately, just goes to show you that unscrupulous persons will stop at nothing to get a photo of a celebrity, regardless of what the circumstances might be.
------------------

I am not blaming Admin in any way. She is highly intelligent and make great points so often.

My main concern was about the AA Anonymous issue, in which NO ONE'S picture should EVER be posted. Huge Pandora box.

As it is with all of the minute details of RW's death. JMO. TMI.

NJGal51 said...

Midnight Madness and Admin - I'm with both of you on this. I just don't get what the debate is all about. I personally have not read any of the subsequent news reports about this. We all know that if it bleeds it leads so the news media is going to run with whatever they have. You'll note that since Lauren Bacall died at an old age from a stroke she's not getting the coverage that RW is getting.

Layla said...

The legendary Lauren Bacall has died. Such an incredibly beautiful and talented woman. She once said, "Stardom isn't a career. It's an accident." Smart lady.

localyocul said...

RW's daughter left Instagram and Twitter after trolls came after her. Apparently they accused her of not loving her dad since she didn't post a lot of pics of him. They also photoshopped pictures to look like his body. Here's a surprisingly touching article about it, considering it's from dlisted:

http://dlisted.com/2014/08/13/robin-williams-daughter-decided-to-quit-twitter-because-you-guessed-it-trolls/

Andrea said...

I hope that this brings more attention to mental illness. Mental illness is real. You can't choose to be happy when you are depressed or calm when you are having an anxiety attack. The worst part is that many mental illnesses go untreated. Many people can not afford to pay for treatment. Others are discouraged by family, friends and church to just pray the sadness away.

Coming out of the closet for a moment to say that I do suffer from depression and PTSD from an abusive child hood. Medication has not been a long tern solution for it. It will work for a while and then stop working. There is a new FDA approved treatment out there called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Its not the most pleasant treatment and requires you to do it 5 days a week for an hour a day. Treatments is usually 6 to 10 weeks. I started two weeks ago and people can already see an improvement. My doctor had to fight the insurance company to get them to cover it. They do say that they cover it but denied the initial claim because I was "too young." I meet all of the qualifications and then some. I bring this up because I want others to know that this is another treatment option. If medication is not working then please talk to your doctor about this treatment.

For PTSD, I plan on starting rapid eye movement therapy after I have finished the TMS.

Anonymous said...

I think this might be the first passing of a huge celebrity in the
social media age.
--------
Princess Diana
Whitney Houston
Anna Nicole Smith

jcb

Call Me Crazy said...

I just want to say "thank you" to everyone who is sharing their personal struggles and other experiences with addiction and mental health issues. This blog has become a real community, and I have learned something valuable from each and every poster here.

Tucker's Mom said...

Andrea said... 30
*********
I'm glad to hear that new treatment is working, and I wish you much luck with it, and happiness.

localyocul said...

Andrea said... 30

For PTSD, I plan on starting rapid eye movement therapy after I have finished the TMS.

***

That therapy was a great success for my friend who is a Vientam Vet with PTSD

HELPING Professions said...

TLC stinks said... 25
I am saddened anytime someone dies at what I consider a relatively young age. Very tragic. If someone like Robin Williams was depressed and commits suicide, think about the middle and low income people who have no resources.

The medical community has always made mental illness the red headed stepchild. They want what gets publicity and money.

I know how messed up things are. Both my daughter and daughter-in-law have master degrees in psychology and they have both abandoned the field. Why? Because the pay is crappy, the hours are crappy, the work environment is crappy, states make it difficult to obtain your license (can you believe you have to pay a psychologist to sponser you, jobs where the hours count toward licensure are incredibly limited and pay poorly or not at all?)

I think they both envisioned having a cushy job as a psychologist in their own practice. This is what colleges want you to think it will be like but the schools are not honest. Both girls were physically and verbally attacked. The hospitals/residential centers/clinics are not updated facilities either. There is never any money and administrators look to continue slashing budgets.

Sounds to me like your daughter went into the profession for the wrong reason. There are plenty of "cushy" jobs out there that don't involve being responsible for someone's mental health. The primary reason for entering the mental health field should be to HELP people, not to score a "cushy" job.

Anonymous said...

With all due respect Admin, I quite disagree with your statement re: the members of the AA meeting "...It's not their finest hour". Yes, it is. Regardless of which stage of recovery they are in, they took that step to reach out for help.

Paula said...

I'm going to go against the sentiment here and say that I think the press conference was the right thing to do. With a public celebrity like RW taking his own life you are going to have all the gossip rags scrambling to get some exclusive details.
_________________________________________________

The gossip rags were going to do this anyway, no one cannot control those rags. The authorities should have taken the higher road and respected the family's wishes.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Kiwi I said it's not their finest moment referring to Radar deciding to publish the photo. Radar, not the people in the photo!! It was a bad moment for Radar. I have no comment on the blurred people in the photo themselves. I have no idea where they're at or whether that was a good moment for them so I couldn't comment on that.

Anonymous said...

My apologies then. I obviously thought you were referring to AA members at a meeting. Sorry.

rainbowsandunicorns said...

Blowing In The Wind said... 13
Robin's daughter has deleted her Twitter and other social media accounts because of nasty and negative remarks being made about her and her father.

-----
-----

Yes, and the fact that she didn't post enough photos of them together (or something like that). Looks like it was a case of she's damned if she does, and damned if she doesn't. Smart gal to take down the entire thing.

Millicent said...

Penny said:

Also, AA has no leaders and it's not entirely "religion based." A higher power can be JC, Allah, Buddah or your Cat. You need to believe in a power stronger than yourself, not a religion. I know atheists who used "the Earth" as their higher power.
*******
First, I agree that no pictures should have been taken of any AA meeting, whether the faces were blurred or not. It is a gross invasion of privacy. Addiction is a horrible disease and doing anything that might discourage an addict from seeking help is shameful.

Just the other day, my son commented that although AA is supposedly not religiously based, several of the steps refer to God. I told him the same thing you said Penny - that the person following these steps can substitute whatever higher power they wish, or no diety at all. Instead of thinking "God grant me the strength ..." you might instead think "Let me have the strength to ..." or "Let me find the strength to .." or something similar.

Millicent said...

Both last night and the night before, Conan O'Brien and his staff did a very touching, very respectful tributes to Robin Williams. Last night, they just took a couple minutes to again honor him and discuss that not only was he an incredible comedian and actor, but he was an incredibly generous and kind man. They talked about how he performed for the troops, but that it wasn't widely known because he didn't toot his own horn. I understand that he helped pay for Christopher Reeve's medical bills in a time of need. Conan shared that when he was unceremoniously dumped as the Tonight Show's host, Robin Williams sent him a bicycle. A really wild and crazy-looking bicycle painted bright orange with green shamrocks!

What I take from all this is that Robin Williams left a wealth of wonderful work behind that we can enjoy time and again, as well as countless personal memories for friends, family and fans to enjoy recounting. He made a difference for good in this world. The manner of his passing is sad, but it does not diminish (in my mind) the deep impact he had overall.

Since the first day of learning of his passing, I have not watched all the news, for the very reason some of you are discussing. The news media goes too far, giving out details that none of us really need to know. It turns from a news story into something macabre.

Millicent said...

Auntie Ann said:
She couldn't understand why, even if he was unhappy with himself, did he hate his family that much to do this to them.
********
And it's too bad that for some people, that's exactly how they feel. While there may be some cases where a person takes their own life in order to punish someone else, I think the vast majority of suicides happen when the person simply cannot take it any longer. They feel at the end of their rope, that they don't have the strength to carry on anymore, and that the pain of living one more day is just too much. I doubt it has anything to do with hating another person, but rather with being unable to take the pain of living any longer.

rainbowsandunicorns said...

The gossip rags were going to do this anyway, no one cannot control those rags. The authorities should have taken the higher road and respected the family's wishes.

-----
-----

Yes, but the authorities, by coming out and giving the details, kind of pulled the wind out of the sails of the rag mags who would report erroneous facts, wild speculation and so forth. If the authorities made the announcements, based on their findings, I would think that whatever the rag mags printed would only be taken with a grain of salt, Maybe the family wanted those details to be made public for that very reason -- so that speculation wouldn't run rampant and the rags wouldn't have any credibility. We just don't know whether or not the family sanctioned the comments by the authorities and that their wishes weren't respected.

rainbowsandunicorns said...

With all due respect Admin, I quite disagree with your statement re: the members of the AA meeting "...It's not their finest hour". Yes, it is. Regardless of which stage of recovery they are in, they took that step to reach out for help.

-----
-----

I took it to mean that admin was referring to ROL's choice to print the photo, and had nothing to do with those attending the meeting. I may be wrong, though...

rainbowsandunicorns said...

What happened to the Kate fan, the guy who claimed his wife found out that he was spending all of his time tweeting celebrities, got on his account and said she was packing up and leaving him? I think he said he had six kids. Did he open a new account?

Sheri said...

If you haven't seen it, there's a wonderful video online (not sure where I saw it, sorry) of Robin Williams and Koko the Gorilla. It is so sweet and funny you'll cry and laugh at the same time.

Google it, if you're up for having your strings pulled and have plenty of tissues.

jolie Jacquelyn said...

Can I jump in here & say that I've started watching the BREAKING BAD BINGE aired last Sunday (& due to air Sundays through to October) ? The first time I watched I raced through all 63 (?) pre-recorded episodes so I'd be caught up for the finale. This time I'm taking the time to savour the experience.

What a series!

Once again this site has led me to a new experience, this time on TV, but in the past, books & movies also.

Thanks to Admin & all the great posters!

Sheri said...

That should read "heart strings" in my last post. Oopsie.

Tucker's Mom said...

I doubt it has anything to do with hating another person, but rather with being unable to take the pain of living any longer.
August 13, 2014 at 12:02 PM
**********
Agree, but it feels like betrayal which is where a lot of the anger comes from.

Tucker's Mom said...

Zelda was wise to shut down her social media accounts.
There are too many crazy people out there and she's in enough pain.
Kate should take a cue from her.

Math Girl said...

I have a question for either Jeremy or franky. Can you tell from the infamous ROL picture that it was actually taken at an AA meeting? Like is there a big banner or visible reading material of something? Or is it just a picture of RW and some people with semi-blurry faces?

I will not search out the picture in question. I know a million other people are doing it, but I still won't.

I don't know what the point of the picture is. RW was apparently open about going to AA, so a pic doesn't add anything new, it's just prurient. It's like a picture of celebs canoodling (isn't that a lovely word?). It's only of interest if one of the celebs is in a committed relationship with someone else (married and not separated or openly "together") or the celebs in the pic have denied their relationship.

Tucker's Mom said...

Koko was very sad to hear the her friend, Robin, had died.

You have to see the picture of her pouting, quivering lip ;-(

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/13/koko-gorilla-robin-williams_n_5675300.html

Jumping In said...

Clara Hughes is a Canadian Olympic medal winner in both cycling and speed skating, she also suffers from depression. There has been a nation-wide campaign sponsored by Bell Canada, called "Let's Talk", encouraging people with mental illness to come out of the shadows and seek help. The campaign profiles many well-known Canadians who struggle with depression. This summer, Clara cycled throughout Canada (more than 1100km) over 110 days meeting with people in 95 different communities to talk openly about her struggles, she is an inspiration.

My first cousin committed suicide, leaving her family reeling. She believed she could deal with her depression, appearing to cope, but internally she battled until she could no longer face living another day.

Mental illness is a disease that does not discriminate, and people like Clara Hughes are helping to remove the stigma here in Canada.

Dutch Tulip said...

Millicent said... 44

Beautifull said Millicent.
I too suffer from depressions and when it's very very bad you develop a kind of tunnelvision.
You can only feel and see the pain you're in and you feel that everybody and the whole world are better of without you.
It's the loneliest feeling in the world.
And it breaks my heart thinking of them who left the world this way.

Dwindle said...

Rhymes with Witch said... 132
I know the sheeple will put a negative spin on this (giving them the middle finger) but it is a great credit to this blog that posters are willing to share painful parts of their lives to illustrate a point. The support they receive is also wonderful.
I am speaking only for myself, but I can't believe that I'm alone in saying that I feel compassion for everyone's pain, but don't always post about it. Please take it as a given. In some ways, I think you already do, based on the fact that you post about it in the first place. I hope this made sense
444444444444444

Your words are perfect. Even though I dont post here as often as I used to, and some of the newer posters dont know me, I still received supportive comments after I shared about my friend's suicide. And I thank each of you.

Admin has allowed a wonderful community to form here with incredible results, as she well knows.

Sheri said...

Thanks Tucker's, I had only seen the original video, I wasn't aware of the update. Of course, I watched the video again and am now wiping up the mess of tears all over my desk.

All This Is That said...

I think this might be the first passing of a huge celebrity in the
social media age.
--------
Princess Diana
Whitney Houston
Anna Nicole Smith

&&&&&&&&

Shilrley Temple
MIckey Rooney
Michael Jackson

Tucker's Mom said...

Ah, poor sheep. Kate's traveling with her man and her kids, and hasn't been paying any attention to them.
You know damn well if she was home, she'd have been in a Twitter frenzy, making the Robin Williams tragedy all about her.
I suspect that Kate will abandon twitter once Steve makes it official and moves into the compound.

Millicent said...

Tucker's Mom said... 51

I doubt it has anything to do with hating another person, but rather with being unable to take the pain of living any longer.
August 13, 2014 at 12:02 PM
**********
Agree, but it feels like betrayal which is where a lot of the anger comes from.
*******
I understand your point. I hope never to experience anything like that in my lifetime, but I don't think I would feel betrayed or angry. Only terribly sad. I equate it to someone with a terminal illness who decides that they would like to make the decision as to when their life will end. Who am I to say, "no you should continue to deal with the overwhelming pain and suffering, because I'm not ready for you to go."

I hope that anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide and is still dealing with anger or feelings of betrayal or any other painful emotion, will seek counseling to help them work through those feelings to arrive at some sort of peace. That burden must indeed be a heavy weight to carry.

Millicent said...

jolie Jacquelyn said... 49

Can I jump in here & say that I've started watching the BREAKING BAD BINGE aired last Sunday (& due to air Sundays through to October) ?
**********
I had recorded the last 8 episodes on my DVR (I watched them in real time too), and they've been sitting there for months. Recently, I began watching them one by one. Wow, wow, wow. I think that's possibly one of the best TV series I've ever watched, from start to finish. I do plan to buy the entire series one of these days, as a birthday present to myself.

Tucker's Mom said...

Dutch Tulip said... 56
Millicent said... 44

Beautifull said Millicent.
I too suffer from depressions and when it's very very bad you develop a kind of tunnelvision.
You can only feel and see the pain you're in and you feel that everybody and the whole world are better of without you.
It's the loneliest feeling in the world.
And it breaks my heart thinking of them who left the world this way.

******
That is so heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and all who suffer from this horrible disease.
I hope you find happiness.

N.E. Psychologist said...

Just want to share another effective treatment for BPD and PTSD:
Diapectical Behavior Therapy..

To find a certified DBT therapist go to

behavioraltech.org/resources/crd.cfm

Tucker's Mom said...

OT- I watched both seasons of Boss (Starz). It wasn't renewed for another season, so loose ends weren't wrapped up.
I don't know if I would recommend it, because it's really jump the sharky,but Kelsey Grammar was excellent.

jolie Jacquelyn said...

When my daughter was 17, her boyfriend hanged himself from the goalpost at a local park. Our whole family was deeply affected. On the outside, his family kept a very stiff upper lip, but I can only imagine what they were really going through.

My uncle by marriage committed suicide as did his sister & eventually one of his grandchildren.

Depression is a terrible thing.

Dutch Tulip said...

Tucker's Mom said... 63

Thank you, Tucker's mom, I ok now but still afraid for when it comes back ( as it so often does with depressions) but I'm trying to keep my heart and thoughts light and when I feel that I'm slipping again I talk, I tell my loved ones what's brewing in my head and they'll keep an eye on me.
( and 5 years ago I adopted a little spanish straydog, she makes me get out of bed every morning and making her happy makes me happy)

Tucker's Mom said...

( and 5 years ago I adopted a little spanish straydog, she makes me get out of bed every morning and making her happy makes me happy)
August 13, 2014 at 2:20 PM
******
My dogs keep me going to.
Our new puppy (8 months now) is so loving and we wake up to his tail wagging and kisses.
Nighttime snuggles are great, too.

Lalalalala said...

Andrea said... 30

Thank you for sharing your story, Andrea. I wish only the best for you.

Formerly Duped said...

Tucker's Mom said... 54
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for the video. It was nice to see the interaction between Robin and Koko- so accepting of one another, both having a great time. Robin's smile and enjoyment were so bittersweet now in retrospect. I'm not sure if Koko remembers or understands her friend is gone, but I know these animals do feel grief- I just don't know how close Robin was to her. Did they just meet that once and Koko saw his videos? Either way, Robin was happy in the moment and that's good enough for me.

Oh, I just can''t shake my grief.

Bitchy Pants said...

I haven't read all of the comments yet, so forgive me if someone else has already addressed this. TLC Stinks 25 -- Although I agree with everything you say about the mental health system and funding and the licensing procedure, there's one issue you haven't addressed. That is society's attitude toward mental illness. Too many people still consider mental illness to be a character flaw rather than a true medical condition that can, and should, be treated. It can't be educated out of you, it can't be prayed out of you, it can't be cured by reading the Bible or going to church or being "saved". All those things might help some people, but until mental illness is addressed like diabetes or cancer or asthma or pneumonia there will always be tragedies like Robin Williams, and the world will continue to lose good people who have reached their limit.

Sorry for the rant. Off soap box and back to reading posts now.

JoyinVirginia said...

Re celebrity deaths. In 2001 Dale Earnhardt, the NASCAR racer, died in Florida in a horrific crash during the Daytona 500 race. The Orlando Sentinel newspaper was interested in looking at driver safety, because eleven NASCAR drivers had died in the prior year. The widow asked the court to seal the autopsy photos. The paper went to court to gain access to the autopsy photos so their doctor could examiner them, and in a court settlement that was allowed. That case made huge headlines in the southeast, the court battle about access to the photos kept the case in the news for three months, and the case made the Florida legislature remove autopsy photos from records in Florida considered public access.
Details kept coming out. Five days after the death, the face his seatbelt had ripped and failed was released. More and more details trickled out week by week.
Better for the accident investigators, police, whoever to release the publicly available info all at once, and be done with it.

Rhymes with Witch said...

My dogs keep me going to.
Our new puppy (8 months now) is so loving and we wake up to his tail wagging and kisses.
Nighttime snuggles are great, too. 69

I suffered a major loss a few months ago.
Two weeks and 3 days ago I adopted a lab mix from a kill.shelter in GA.
She is funny and sweet and a fast learner. She is also my shadow and I adore her.
I am thankful that I had the foresight to fence the back yard because the one place we need real training is walking on.a leash.
She wants to check out EVERYTHING and she is 50 lbs and strong. I also learned today that she does not think water should come from the sky. I had to coax her out of the car for the first time. :)
One more thing. She can destroy a tennis ball in no time flat. I highly recommend "Chuck It" balls. I got hers from.Amazon. (Amazon must love me right now...... )

All This Is That said...

I was thinking about the recent findings on the genetic link and suicide. Papa Hemingway's father, his brother and sister, and his granddaughter all committed suicide. I wonder if there was any history in Robin's family that would have contributed to a predisposition to ending his own life.

Anonymous said...

Not to belabour the point about AA and the expectation of privacy for attendees, but did Robin Williams know his picture was being taken at that meeting? I highly doubt it. He shouldn't be categorized as a public person in that environment. He may have admitted publicly that he attends AA, but I'll bet he would have been appalled had he known.

Shame on the person who took the photo and shame on ROL for publishing.

R.I.P. Robin Williams

PJ

Lalalalala said...

Bitchy Pants said 72

Too many people still consider mental illness to be a character flaw rather than a true medical condition that can, and should, be treated.

***************************

I can't help thinking about people, years past, when there wasn't a diagnosis, medication, understanding or even an inkling of what this thing called depression was. What a lonely, confusing existence. I know we still have far to go as a society in understanding and acceptance of this disease but it just breaks my heart to think of the thousands and thousands of people who've had to go through this alone when there was no name called 'depression' associated with it.

Meagler said...

Everybody and their dog has acknowledged RW,s death....has Kate?

Tucker's Mom said...

Meagler said... 79
Everybody and their dog has acknowledged RW,s death....has Kate?
August 13, 2014 at 5:31 PM
******
As I said above, Kate's with Steve, so she won't be on twitter again until she's home alone with the kids.
She missed a golden opportunity to try and get her tweet picked up by some ragshit media outlet.

Alberta Girl said...

Yes! Clara Hughes is an awesome role model. She has won Olympic medals in multiple summer and winter olympics. There is more conversation about this in Canada, but maybe I'm more attuned to it, as my youngest son is being treated for a mental health issue.

We are very fortunate in our province, that there are multiple and easily accessed resources for this for free. And these are quality resources, not considered "lesser" because they are free of charge.

But if course, stigma is still there. While we work closely with the school in helping our son be successful, we have chosen to guard his privacy as much as possible, and not allow them full access to his file. It's hard. We take things day by day. Some days are 2 steps forward, then 5 steps back. But we are committed, and will do anything we can to help him.

Anyways, I'm glad people can have a conversation like this, and not judge. I know I have learned a lot, and have a lot more compassion for people going through any type of mental illness. It affects the whole family.

lukebandit said...

Meagler said...79

no.

Jeremy said...

Math Girl -
There was nothing in the pic that would of itself indicate "AA" RW was shown sitting on a folding chair, there was a folding table to the side of him. On the table was a school bell, and a wicker basket of some sort. ROL was the outfit who labeled it as an "AA" meeting. And if they took a random pic and just decided to say "AA" meeting, that's even worse.
I can't but help think about the people who are depicted, but blurred, in that picture. They know who they are.They were there seeking help and must be distraught for their own emotional well being, wondering, "who recognizes me?"

Since I'm here. I think only the death of Michael Jackson can compare to the emotional and publicity flux. Mickey Rooney et al are not in the same professional realm, and have been forgotten about for many years. Whitney Houston and the others passed while the immediacy of twitter was still new. Because of Robin's sheer brilliance, and the longevity of his career, and the wisdom of his characters, so many are touched by his death. MJ's fame was shorter, had more of a niche audience, and his legacy was tainted by the many accusations against him. Even the gentleman from Glee, a short career, and a niche audience. Robin Williams has been a part of the fabric of the shared culture since the 1980's (earlier?). Add in his ongoing work with Comic Relief, visiting the troops, supporting Christopher Reeve, and from every first person account, just being a genuinely nice guy, the lose of the force of nature that he was is palpable. And I think there is a true outporuing of so much from so many people because of the way he passed. Watching him, similiar to watching Jim Carey, you can sense that there is a darkness behind the stage mania. And to know that our joy was caused by his pain is sad to admit.

If anyone wants to look at Blind Gossip, there is a very sweet story about Robin in today's offering.

Tweet-le De Tweet-le DUMB said...

Here's what the Marin County Sheriff's Coroner said about releasing the details of RW's suicide:

"The Sheriff’s Office understands how the release of the kind of information you heard yesterday may be viewed as disturbing by some, and as unnecessary by others," Marin County Sheriff's Assistant Chief Deputy Coroner Lt. Keith Boyd told NBC Bay Area in an email Wednesday. "But under California law, all that information is considered 'public information,' and we are precluded from denying access to it."

more:

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Marin-County-Sheriffs-Coroner-Lt-Keith-Boyd-Defends-Releasing-Detail-on-Robin-Williams-Suicide-271129221.html?cid=sm_n_main_1_20140813_29717806

I am One of Eight said...

A TFW story so I guess OT for the moment. I was entering a contest on the Travel channel website. You have to answer a trivia question. You had to pick which is not a reall cruise (Harry Potter by the way). Then they show 18 pictures of real cruises, one of them was a nude cruise,eww! Guess whose face popped up? Yep, they had the Kate Cruise on there. Out of all the theme cruises, they put hers on there?
One of my family's favorite Robin William's quote is "Sarah and I would like to get out of the floor" from Jumanji. We just randomly said it yesterday and then we all thought ohhh, he's not here anymore.

LoveMyGrandsons said...

Bitchy Pants #72: very well said. Depression is an illness that I also suffer from. I am a Christian and many have prayed for me, but I was also advised by my pastor years ago to see counseling. I went to a Christian clinic and although there was talk and prayer involved, my counselor (who was also a Christian) saw the need for medication that would possibly help me.

We tried various meds and doses until we found the right one and now I've been on it for a number of years and it makes all the difference, along with my faith and the prayers of my church family.

It is not shameful to need medication for an illness that may have roots in physical issues/problems. I do not regret my decisions and between the Christian counseling and the medication, it worked wonders for me.

Sue. said...

@deannavillari: @Kateplusmy8 I see you at one direction girllll I hope you guys have fun! (:

@deannavillari: The things I would do to be in the same suite as Kate Gosselin right now

Is it possible that she grifted tickets for the Philly concert tonight?

Serendipity said...

A silly sheeple, in trying to defend Kate's awesome cooking, was tweeting pictures from the cookbook, too dumb to know that the photos were not of Kate's dishes but rather stock photos lifted on the internet. Remember the Sausage Bake?

Sheeple just don't know when to just leave well enough alone and NOT bring up Kate's book that was a miserable failure.

Rhymes with Witch said...

can't help thinking about people, years past, when there wasn't a diagnosis, medication, understanding or even an inkling of what this thing called depression was. 72

Does anyone else remember Thomas Eagleton?

Serendipity said...

@deannavillari: The things I would do to be in the same suite as Kate Gosselin right now

I thought she was talking about a hotel room, and was going to say that I think she'd have to fight Milo for that privilege!

Tucker's Mom said...

Sue. said... 87
@deannavillari: @Kateplusmy8 I see you at one direction girllll I hope you guys have fun! (:

@deannavillari: The things I would do to be in the same suite as Kate Gosselin right now

Is it possible that she grifted tickets for the Philly concert tonight?
******
Seriously? Another concert?
I thought they were in Boston...

AuntieAnn said...

lukebandit said... 82

Meagler said...79

no.

====

lol! again Luke.

rainbowsandunicorns said...

Since I'm here. I think only the death of Michael Jackson can compare to the emotional and publicity flux. Mickey Rooney et al are not in the same professional realm, and have been forgotten about for many years. Whitney Houston and the others passed while the immediacy of twitter was still new.

----
----

I believe the person said "social media," not limiting it to Twitter. Facebook is social media, and it's been around since 2004, and Whitney Houston died in 2012. Social media was not new in 2012.

"Because of Robin's sheer brilliance, and the longevity of his career, and the wisdom of his characters, so many are touched by his death."

-----
-----

Mickey Rooney's career spanned 90 years. That most definitely is longevity, and yes, he was old when he died, but to say that he was forgotten really isn't true. Perhaps not well known by "this" generation, but certainly remembered by older fans. who would not agree that he wasn't in the same "professional realm."

Unknown said...

All This Is That said... 75
''I was thinking about the recent findings on the genetic link and suicide. Papa Hemingway's father, his brother and sister, and his granddaughter all committed suicide. I wonder if there was any history in Robin's family that would have contributed to a predisposition to ending his own life.''
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm really interested in your comment about ''the genetic link and suicide'. My children's father comes from a family that has multiple suicides through three generations. It was always MY opinion that once someone in the family commits suicide, then suicide is no longer unthinkable, but becomes a 'viable option' to others in the family.

Off to google genetic link to suicide. Thank you for mentioning something I was unaware of till reading your comment.

FYI said...

This is so touching. As you all know, Robin voiced the role of the Genie in the "Aladdin" movie. James Monroe Iglehart, who plays the Genie in the Broadway musical "Aladdin", did a tribute to Robin Williams at the end of last night's show. He got the whole audience to sing "Friend Like Me".
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/08/13/aladdin_broadway_cast_s_robin_williams_tribute_is_beautiful_video.html

All This Is That said...

Remona, you're welcome. I was reading this article and thought it was interesting...

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/07/31/blood-test-predicts-suicide-risk-study-suggests/

All This Is That said...

Sheeple just don't know when to just leave well enough alone and NOT bring up Kate's book that was a miserable failure.

----
Sheeple bait (one in particular tonight has been master baiting), and the haters take the bait. I wonder what would happen if they'd just ignore them, leaving them to talk to nobody but themselves.

All This Is That said...

Gee Whiz ‏@GeeWhiz__ 20m
@ReneeAudric @8MindBodySoul @KimberlyCullen5 @Kateplusmy8 Really? But she still has 3 cars & acreage & a big house & that eats you up! 😜

When all else fails, you drag out the jellus card. Yes, that's what it's all about. Material possessions. Money always buys happiness.
Gawd, those fans are dumber than dumb. Come to think of it, though, maybe that's what *is* important to them. Big houses, cars, the best that money can buy. Never mind the love of family, friends, respect, kindness...in the whole scheme of things none of that matters. What's important is the square footage of your house and a big back yard, as far as the eye can see.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Is it possible that she grifted tickets for the Philly concert tonight?


&&&

AGAIN?

Ugh how spoiled.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

"But under California law, all that information is considered 'public information,' and we are precluded from denying access to it."


&&&

Nobody was asking them to deny access to it or not follow the law. What was asked is that they make it available in a written report that those who choose to can access, and not broadcast it over the airwaves during the lunch hour when anyone could hear it including small children. I don't care if rag mags can pick it up, it was inappropriate to give us an oral rendition of it all in such a caviler manner.

You know what? They didn't even say the following details are of a sensitive nature and we advise you not to listen now if you don't want to hear it. There was no warning at all.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...


Gee Whiz ‏@GeeWhiz__ 20m
@ReneeAudric @8MindBodySoul @KimberlyCullen5 @Kateplusmy8 Really? But she still has 3 cars & acreage & a big house & that eats you up! 😜

When all else fails, you drag out the jellus card. Yes, that's what it's all about. Material possessions. Money always buys happiness.


&&&

It's amazing they would pull this this card in light of recent events. Talk about obtuse.

All This Is That said...

You know what? They didn't even say the following details are of a sensitive nature and we advise you not to listen now if you don't want to hear it. There was no warning at all.

****
I agree, but tonight I was listening to Dr. Michael Baden's explanation of why it was done, and it did make some sense. He says that they wanted to get everything out there in an official way because of the fact that tabs/rags would no doubt be putting all kinds of lies/untruths on the internet, leading to speculation. When asked about some specifics, he said, for example, that they reported that the body was clothed to eliminate all kinds of rumors that the deceased, because a belt was involved, may have died because of auto-eroticism asphyxiation.

Jeremy said...

Rainbows - I am fifty years old, and had barely heard of Mickey Rooney. I can't name a movie he was known for, recite any lines of characters he was famous for, I never heard of the philanthropic work he did, and at 90 years old his death wasn't a shock. The last movie he appeared in, besides a cameo in the Muppet Movie, was Night at the Museum in 2006. Maybe it was an offhanded word, but I would think from 2006 to his death in 2014, he was "forgotten". Lauren Bacall likewise is not eliciting the same reactions that Robin Williams is.
I'm aware that Facebook is social media. But what I said was in reference to the ability specifically of Twitter, which allows, for better or worse, for the world to view #whateveryoneposts. There is more of a reaction simply because there is a more vast realm to react. Passing around videos to "friends", is different than sharing, retweeting, what anyone has said, keeps his death in your immediate consciousness because there will be a multiple number of tweets about him on your own twitter feed daily. Facebook, even your Facebook today, doesn't pass around media news like Twitter. (Facebook does seem to be very busy with the ALS challenge!).
For whatever reason, the death of Robin Williams is having a much greater social / media impact that the deaths of Cory Monteith, Kurt Cobain, Amy WInehouse, Philip Seymor Hoffman, or Heath Leger.Could be that there is just MORE social media that allows for constant sharing with the world, or that his death was a suicide and not overdose, or just that he was truly beloved for the person that he was.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Lauren Bacall likewise is not eliciting the same reactions that Robin Williams is.

&&&&

No she hasn't whatsoever. I'm sure she was a legend in her own right but I'm well in my 30's and nobody in my generation knows more than her name.

It's just what we were talking about the other day. Grandparents, parents and kids could all walk into a Robin Williams movie and laugh and laugh and enjoy it. He had a unique ability to reach all generations. That is really something very rare with a celeb. Most of them appeal to a specific generation or a few generations and that's it. You're just not going to see that happen very often. A celeb's death will have meaning to a particular generation but it's rare to see such a widespread of grief. I know he is much loved but I didn't realize he was THIS popular. I have to admit this outpouring of grief has been something else. Kate must be the only narcissist who didn't mention it. Even mine did! Of course trying to act like one encounter at a party in 1997 means they were friends when I know that to be nonsense but hey at least a narcissist took time from their busy schedule of selfies and VIP vacations that last 3 weeks to talk about what everybody else is talking about.

For that matter Mickey Rooney has no meaning to me or people my age either. Never even seen one of his movies.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Another note about the press conference is that a lot of kids are still out of school and home for the summer. If a parent or babysitter had the TV on children could have easily heard this. A lot of channels interrupted their programming so a kid could have been watching something fine and then seen that. It was completely inappropriate especially knowing it's still summer vacation for millions of kids.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...


I agree, but tonight I was listening to Dr. Michael Baden's explanation of why it was done, and it did make some sense. He says that they wanted to get everything out there in an official way because of the fact that tabs/rags would no doubt be putting all kinds of lies/untruths on the internet, leading to speculation. When asked about some specifics, he said, for example, that they reported that the body was clothed to eliminate all kinds of rumors that the deceased, because a belt was involved, may have died because of auto-eroticism asphyxiation.

&&&

I actually do understand now their perspective on why the details are necessary. I think that's still debatable, but the law is the law and I respect the law. I still don't understand why this can't be accomplished in a written report made available to all who want to see it. It takes it to a whole different gruesome level when someone is saying what happened out loud on live T.V. A report is a report and lots of reports out there are gruesome. But going on TV is different and feels disrespectful.

AuntieAnn said...

Of course trying to act like one encounter at a party in 1997 means they were friends when I know that to be nonsense but hey at least a narcissist took time from their busy schedule of selfies and VIP vacations that last 3 weeks to talk about what everybody else is talking about.

====

Geez. Why must they always make themselves relevant to every situation.

Never mind, I think I know.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Geez. Why must they always make themselves relevant to every situation.


&&&&

It's just typical behavior Auntie. It's just typical. Yeah it's irritating.

The world is talking about him, and narcissist is able to use Getty to dig up some photo from 16 years ago from some huge event where they happened to share the same space for a photo. Now you know what I dealt with.

There were a lot of celebs out there who truly ARE broken up about this. They actually knew him, worked with him, loved him. Just don't even go there and try to put yourself in that group.

Kirkland said...

It's been mentioned here several times Kate is in Boston on vacation with the kids and Steve. Can someone please tell me where this came from? Did Kate or someone else post a tweet?

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...


It's been mentioned here several times Kate is in Boston on vacation with the kids and Steve.


&&&&

When was the last tweet we saw about Boston? Wasn't it yesterday?

That vacation could have been over today or yesterday. It's only a couple hour flight to Philly to see the show. Seems plausible to me.

Jeremy said...

Admin - not to be a pest, but you quoted my comment about Lauren Bacall, and I don't see my whole post where that came from. Just wanted to mention it to you, that maybe something happened to my post.

Ex Nurse said...

Midnight madness--I brought up the anonymity/confidentiality in response to a comment by Sleepless in Seattle: "agree that it was a despicable thing to do, and that the photographer and ROL should have their hands smacked, but saying this was a breach of confidentiality for anyone other than Robin...I just don't see it."

I am not arguing or debating--just trying to give the perspective so that it makes sense as to why some of us are saying that it breached other people. If people don't agree, that's fine with me. From the point of view of AA, there was unquestionably a breach of anonymity, as defined by AA--there is nothing to debate or argue about. I always appreciate when someone shares from professional and personal experience. That is all I am doing--I spend a considerable amount of time sitting in recovery rooms, where anonymity is the topic of the meeting, so I commented on it, and then responded to others who commented. There is nothing more to it than that.

Dejotas said...

there is nothing to debate or argue about
^^^^
I think the more accurate way to describe the situation is members could feel threatened and betrayed that someone took their photo. I agree with the other posters though, no one's identity was revealed or confidentiality breached. It was merely disrespected and threatened among the members, not actually breached to the public. It's not one and the same.

Wowser said...

Omg! PLEASE tell me TLC is NOT giving her more tv time!!!!

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2014/08/kate-gosselin-steve-neild-back-together-family-vacation/

long time lurker said...

New story on radar..film crew is filming the trip to Massachusetts and yes Steve is with them

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Called it. There's no way she'd do a vacation as cool as Boston unless it was gritted/filmed.

Ughhhhh.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

So the OneDirection concert last night was the bribe for filming. It all makes sense now.

long time lurker said...

The part that made me less frustrated that TLC continues to film and provide vacations for TFW is that they were in the BBB, so at least aren't traveling in the lap of luxury!

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

And then there's Meryl Streep who said well I'm happy to comment on Robin and his talent but I want to make it clear I really didn't know him or work with him. Good....for....her.

Tucker's Mom said...

Realitytvkids.com (Administrator) said... 117
Called it. There's no way she'd do a vacation as cool as Boston unless it was gritted/filmed.

Ughhhhh.
*********
Called it, yup.
No way in hell she was paying for that.
WTF??

Sorry kids, you're screwed.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

The ratings last time really weren't anything special. It's hard to understand why TLC thinks it's worth bothering to film more AND give them a vacation which increases the budget tenfold. Scratching my head. Boston is a loooong drive.

Paula said...

I just skimmed the article, but I didn't see anywhere about this being a TLC project. Could it be something for Kate and Steve's company?

JMO said...

Millicent said... 42
Penny said:

Also, AA has no leaders and it's not entirely "religion based." A higher power can be JC, Allah, Buddah or your Cat. You need to believe in a power stronger than yourself, not a religion. I know atheists who used "the Earth" as their higher power.
*******
First, I agree that no pictures should have been taken of any AA meeting, whether the faces were blurred or not. It is a gross invasion of privacy. Addiction is a horrible disease and doing anything that might discourage an addict from seeking help is shameful.

Just the other day, my son commented that although AA is supposedly not religiously based, several of the steps refer to God. I told him the same thing you said Penny - that the person following these steps can substitute whatever higher power they wish, or no diety at all. Instead of thinking "God grant me the strength ..." you might instead think "Let me have the strength to ..." or "Let me find the strength to .." or something similar.

-----------------------------

Milicent- love your posts and in this instance, agree that most of us know there is some "source" beyond us that is a higher power.

I will also add, that different generations/people learn or believe different things, and that depression can be viewed as "feeling sorry for yourself," or "snap out of it" as opposed to a true form of a illness - mental health illness. These attitudes bring despair, isolation, and a feeling that the person dealing with depression can fix it themselves, if they are/were only stronger. In fact, this pushes the person further into despair and alienation, with the person feeling hopeless that they can not "fix" the problem.

Granted there a lot of resources out there for depression, but depending on who/what/where you go to address that issue, you may get a multitude of advice, and back away, which can bring further despair issue into play. Just my 2 cents.

We never really know what someone is going through. The depression can cause people to isolate, as they feel "different" so they begin to isolate. And is often hard to verbalize their feelings for that reason.

RIP RW and my sympathies to his family.

JMO said...

long time lurker said... 116
New story on radar..film crew is filming the trip to Massachusetts and yes Steve is with them
-----------------
Filming? WTF?

Tucker's Mom said...

Looks like Mady has her bff with her again. Ugh, why do these other parents allow their children to be filmed in this circus?
Given the target that is Kate and her kids, I would never want my kid to possibly lose their privacy, too.
It's just not worth it.

JMO said...

TFW has no intention of getting a job. She has committed to filming her kids as long as she can, and it is shameful that TLC is still giving her opportunities.

Obviously, she has to provide incentives for the twins to continue this nightmare filming. Concerts, etc.. She really never had any intention of working to support her kids solo other than filming them. Great mom. No plans as a parent to support herself without the kids who are now 10 and 13. Not going to end well at all.

Mel said...

Boston is a long drive...
********
Anyone thinking ala RV trip?

I wonder if they're going to imply that TFW actually did all the driving herself. Hahahahaha.

Maybe Milo did the driving. Since she disappears when TFW does. I'd still like to know if Milo is really TFW.

I wonder what changed that TLC is now interested in filming....after several years of not filming....

JMO said...

Tucker's Mom said... 126
Looks like Mady has her bff with her again. Ugh, why do these other parents allow their children to be filmed in this circus?
Given the target that is Kate and her kids, I would never want my kid to possibly lose their privacy, too.
It's just not worth it.
------------------------

No idea! But it looks like TFW is paying the price to keep the twins filming with concerts, etc.. probably far more than we know. What is she going to do when the sextuplets start demanding things as well to film as they get older and figure out what is going on? Only a matter of a couple of years.

Tucker's Mom said...

Paula said... 123
I just skimmed the article, but I didn't see anywhere about this being a TLC project. Could it be something for Kate and Steve's company?
August 14, 2014 at 5:05 AM
******
Hmm... could be. Interesting thought.
If the show isn't renewed, then I don't get what this filming is for, if it is TLC.
We saw the kids, got caught up, what else is there? More paid-for vacations?
I don't know why people want to see Kate get another free vacation.

It's interesting that they drove there in the BBB, because normally, transit would be supplied.

Tweet-le De Tweet-le DUMB said...

What are the chances that we can get a new thread since the talk will be about Kate now? It would be nice to keep the RW thread relatively Kate free.

Formerly Duped said...

I doubt those are TLC pictures- they look like someone just spotted the group and snapped a couple.. ROL swooped down on the story since Steve is photographed.Or did I miss something?

The Empress is a Clown said...

Do we know for sure that they are TLC's cameras? Maybe Steve & Kyte are putting together their own "pilot" for Growing Up Gosselin, in hopes of shopping it around. (Am I remembering correctly, that they have their own Productions LLC?)

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...


Do we know for sure that they are TLC's cameras? Maybe Steve & Kyte are putting together their own "pilot" for Growing Up Gosselin, in hopes of shopping it around. (Am I remembering correctly, that they have their own Productions LLC?)


&&&&

I don't think that can be ruled out, but making your own pilot is such gosh darn hard work AND a money suck it is really hard for me to believe that Kate has the inclination. And why would she choose Boston? She would send them to the beach. Kate wants things just done for her. Laid out for her. Even if she did try to make her own pilot I think she'd quit on day three of pre-production. Too much work.

If that IS what they are doing, how rinky dink! LOL.

AuntieAnn said...

TLC is recycling one of the old J&K+8 scripts? Maybe they got hitched and they had it filmed. The kids sat around the little chapel as Kate told them that she and Ratclaws would be together forever and ever.

Except this time they all rolled their eyes and Collin said "she doesn't mean it".

Just a guess.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

get a new thread since the talk will be about Kate now? It would be nice to keep the RW thread relatively Kate free.

&&&

Yes hold your horses I'm doing one. ;) Let me wake up first. It's early here. I posted a few hours ago because I was up, but then I went back to bed.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Remember all the teasing Kate's done all month? She's been so giddy. I think it was about this all along. But since the sheele had guessed this she realized she had to deflect so then she said oh it was just about the braces.

Yeah right.

Tweet-le De Tweet-le DUMB said...

Yes hold your horses I'm doing one. ;) Let me wake up first. It's early here. I posted a few hours ago because I was up, but then I went back to bed.
___________

Oops, sorry Admin. Didn't mean to be pushy. My bad. I think seeing the news that Kate's filming again made me a tad pissed off this am. Didn't mean to take it out on you. :(

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Lol Radar. They're too much.

TODAY'S POLL
Should Steve Neild’s wife be jealous of his relationship with Kate Gosselin?

TLC stinks said...

I cannot remember. What was the name of that production company we think they formed and what site was it found on?

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