PORTIA
That light we see is burning in my hall.
How far that little candle throws his beams!
So shines a good deed in a naughty world.
(-- William Shakespeare, "The Merchant of Venice")
Heath Ledger died last week in New York City. He was a good actor, a very talented actor, probably as good on the stage as in his movies. His performances usually gave you something to think about and were very memorable. He certainly had a lot of courage, or else didn't give a flying fuck about what people thought about him, as long as he got a chance to be in a good or even an important movie.
The Soup is a Guilty Pleasure on the E! cable channel, a show all about the worst crap on television during the previous week, which is pretty much the worst crap on Earth, and that includes the situation in Darfur. Joel McHale is the host of The Soup (which several years ago was called "Talk Soup").
This is probably the best writing on television right now. Well, it's certainly the freest writing, the most liberated use of this ugly, dense, thuggish, whorish medium, which would take you on a 2-hour voyage up the human anus if they thought they could sell M&Ms that way.
The Stars of The Soup are all the people and some animals and occasionally Alien Beings who have been the biggest assholes on television and YouTube and on public sidewalks and highways during the past week. Joel broadcasts their Finest Moments -- one Reality Show star had a monologue while taking a crap on the toilet (but they didn't show him wiping himself).
And then Joel says a few words about the sounds and images you have just seen.
At the end of the last episode, Joel took about 30 seconds to take note of the death of Heath Ledger, and to point out that in the several years The Soup has been narrowcasting, Heath Ledger had never done anything outre or publicly strange enough to merit a moment of The Soup's airtime. He had never done anything the writers thought people would get a kinky laugh out of.
And then he saluted the passing of a fine actor and nice, quiet guy.
I swear I have never had an account with E! Online before tonight. But I signed up to post my 2 cents. I had to take a number and wait for a long time, like on Saturday morning at a good delicatessen waiting for a whitefish. A lot of people were there before me.
[ o ]
iheartjoel
Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 12:10 PM
In my daily perusing of the boards, I saw many comments applauding how Joel responded to the Heath Ledger media frenzy. These comments were sort of placed sporadically throughout the boards, so I thought I'd start a new thread to centralize the comments. Please feel free to add your opinion.
Before the show aired, I wondered how they would address this situation. I mean, it is celebrity news, but not the kind they usually report (i.e. Brit's latest meltdown). I knew they couldn't make fun of it, but I thought they might make fun of the media coverage surrounding it. But if they did THAT, it would look like they were making a mockery of the sad situation. I'm glad they did what they did. Joel showed a lot of class and also raised some very valid points.
Heath Ledger was famous, but not infamous. He was well-known without being notorious. That's probably what makes his death such a shock. Nobody expected it. Honestly, if you heard tonight that Britney was found dead in her house, would you really be surprised? I know I wouldn't. That's sad, but true. While I was never a massive Heath Ledger fan, I can sympathize with what his family is now going through and feel sorry for his little girl who will surely miss her Daddy.
missmcwilliams
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 12:49 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
Ditto - Joel has shown real class. Thanks Joel.
laylya45
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 1:19 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
I agree 100%. I was so glad to see the way Joel handled this. It was first class and completely respectful. Now if only the rest of the media could follow suit.
filmchick
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 2:03 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
I am a Heath Ledger fan, and was deeply saddened not only by his tragic death, but also by the media frenzy surrounding it. I was wondering how Joel would handle it, or IF he would say anything bout it at all, and I must agree with the other posts. Joel handled the situation with class, something not all news organizations did. Thank you Joel!!
nitneyolivia
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 4:17 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
I LOVE Heath Ledger and I LOVE The Soup... so to see Joel make such a classy statement was truly impressive!!
Way to go, Joel McHale!!
trkaelin
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 6:28 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
I thought the same thing after watching last night's episode..... Joel handled it with the dignity it deserved. He was absolutely right in saying the "weasel's" should leave Heath Ledger alone. I love Joel now more than ever. He always makes me laugh every Friday night, and now I know he's also got class.
In a side note, I see Joel was also in the Lords of Dogtown which starred Heath Ledger. Not sure what his part was, but I wonder if they worked together?
Baxter
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 8:19 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
I only signed up for Eonline last night, simply so that I could express my admiration on how Joel handled this situation. He was brief but not terse, and gave a feeling of sincere sorrow over the loss of a talented young man. I knew I loved Joel and The Soup, but the class he showed just floored me.
kellagood
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 8:39 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
Count me as another person who registered here just for the purpose of saying THANK YOU to Joel and The Soup for showing such class.
dallasrick
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 9:20 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
I just saw the end of " The Soup" tonight, and all I can say is Joel, you rock. The first thing I saw about this young man dieing, was they found " an open bottle of pills on his nightstand" then later it was reported it was an over the counter cold medicine. Our mainstream media is so set on going after anyone with any amount of fame at all, and by all accounts, Heath Ledger was a young man who worked hard at what he did, lived a good life, had love for his daughter and girlfriend, and unfortunatly died way before he should have, and you handled it better than any of the news reporters that I have seen anywhere else. I dont watch reality shows, and to to tell the truth, I dont watch much "E TV" EXCEPT for Talk Soup. Your show is way funny, and you say what so many of the sane Americans wish they could say in a public forum, and you also make me laugh my *** off in the process. Job well done to all concerned. It is about time someone handled Heath Ledgers death with a modicom of dignety, and Joel, you did just that. You have my thanks.
kjbrott
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/26/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 9:25 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
Count me in as another who just signed up to say, "One the classiest things I've ever seen."
meggiehan
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 10:06 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
Super classy. Loved it. Went to bed thankful for having watched the show. Well done Soup, you put a little light into a dark, horrible situation.
RxRick
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 10:09 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
I TiVO The Soup every week, and never miss a show. Joel's comment on the media weasels exploitation of Heath's tragic death was right on target. I'm a bigger fan than ever!
emthesoupfan
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 10:19 PM in response to: RxRick in response to: RxRick
Yep, I'm one more person who registered for the sole purpose of saying "thanks" to Joel and everyone else at the show. I'm a regular watcher of THE SOUP (actually one TV show I make sure to never miss!), and I teared up watching Joel's statement. SO FRIGGIN CLASSY!!! I didn't think they'd do anything to mock the sad situation, but the way it was handled blew me away. Thanks, Joel! You have moved up to the #1 spot in my favorite shows (hey, you were in the top 3 before:p). I knew you could make me cry with laughter, but seeing you make such a poignant statement over a serious and tragic situation moved me.
bax
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 11:43 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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I can't believe I registered on this just to post this, but-- Joel rules. I was watching the Soup and caught his comments about Heath Ledger. It's f***ing awesome to watch Joel on TV making fun of the garbage and telling the garbage to f*** off. I thought he was gonna make a joke with what happened, but came out with some awesome realism. I wish the media would back off too. Thx
redheadedcelebho
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 26, 2008 11:57 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
Dear Joel,
Thank you very much for your classy comment!!!!!!!!! Your amazing! And even if you didn't get a nomination for "rainbow bright"..you should get a nomination for being a great human being and for your wonderful comments about Heath. Since his death it hasn't stopped raining in southern california for days. God Bless Heath and his family during this exceptionally difficult time.
Lauren in L.A.
redheadedcelebho
Posts: 2
Registered: 1/26/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 12:01 AM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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ANDDDDDDDDDDD YES I AM ANOTHER WHO JUST SIGNED UP TO SAY THANK YOU!
tracy055
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/26/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 12:23 AM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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joel,
thank you.
i`m so tired of hearing only the worst about people who don`t deserve it.
heath leger certainly did not deserve it and i appreciate your standing up for him. your statement brought tears to my eyes. the rush to (false)judgement on this man`s untimely death is heartbreaking, and i sincerely thank you for defending his memory.
i have always gotten the biggest kick out of your (and your writing team`s) sense of humor and irony. i`m glad to say that also i respect you as a fellow human being who possesses a sense of decency (which you HAVE exhibited in the past)and which means so much, now more than ever.
thank you again.
sincerely,
tracy l. from minneapolis,mn
p.s.
i adore you as Rainbow Brite (sorry)
BeeLeave
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/26/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 12:51 AM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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Count me as number...??? 5? to sign up just to say how much I respect Joel for he's statement about Heath. He was my favorite actor and I was so upset to hear the news, but what made me more upset was finding out that his family found out through the media?... sad :( BUT what Joel said the other night I think spoke for a lot of us... For those of you who have lost someone you know... you don't want people in your face and in your business trying to find out WHAT REALLY HAPPENED... NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW!! Leave it alone!!!
Thank you Joel... seriously... I mean it when I say that was probably one of the smartest things said so far in '08. I applaud you!
JoanneG
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/26/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 1:01 AM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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I'm yet another person who has registered here purely to express my thanks to Joel and everyone at The Soup for handling this in such a dignified manner.
Being in Australia, this episode only just aired here now, and as Heath was Australian and one of our best talents, there has obviously been a lot of media spotlight focused on him this week.
As a big fan of the show, I was curious to see how you were going to address the matter, or if at all. It was so refreshing to see what you said about everything that's happened, and everything you said is so true. I came straight onto the internet to see if I could find the clip and watch it over and over again - I am so much in awe of such a tasteful and classy tribute to a wonderful person - I had tears in my eyes when I saw what you said.. You truly showed the upmost respect for a grieving family and a great talent lost, and I wish that a lot of the other media outlets all over the world could take a page out of your book and let Heath Rest in Peace and leave his family to grieve peacefully.
Thank you so much once again.
CB Rocks
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/26/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 1:50 AM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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I applaud Joel's sense of decency and likewise hope other persons of the media will follow suit.
lilcrazy
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/26/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 7:18 AM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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I applaud Joel for his comment about Heath Ledger. I wish more people/shows would quit digging for something bad...especially after their death. Way to go Joel and The Soup!
NikeGirl
Posts: 2
Registered: 7/4/07
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 7:40 AM in response to: lilcrazy in response to: lilcrazy
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I also signed up just so I could express my appriciation for that statement. I thought that it was the classiest thing that has been said all week regarding Heath's death.
McHaleMeHappy
Posts: 6
Registered: 1/24/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 8:50 AM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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How does it feel to be the best part of a network? Thank you, Joel - you've earned every word of our adoration. You are equally brilliant, even, when the laughter is over.
Message was edited by:
McHaleMeHappy
basoco7
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/27/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 10:11 AM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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Joel Freakin' McHale! Everybody needs to take notes because that is how you do it right! In a word...respect.
allygirl
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/27/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 11:26 AM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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Kudos to Joel and everyone at The Soup. For years now I've been a fan of the show and try to watch it every week. Joel's statement regarding Ledger's death was the first time that I felt anyone in the media had been truly respectful and sensitive to the matter. Even the so-called "tributes" to Ledger on some of the "entertainment news" programs out there were purely self serving...just looking for ratings. How moving to have someone say leave the poor guy alone and show some respect. Not only was this a show of respect for his memory and his fans, but for his family and friends- the people in this world who loved him and are suffering right now. Not only because of their loss, but because they now have to suffer through all of the horrible speculation. Thank you Joel and everyone at The Soup who was responsible for that speech. Your attitude regarding this matter has turned me from a fan of the show to a fan of yours -for life. I have nothing but the utmost respect for you.
kyteach
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/27/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 11:30 AM in response to: basoco7 in response to: basoco7
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First Perez won't post funeral/coffin pics, then Anderson Cooper stops covering Heath's death until there's ACTUAL news...maybe Heath's death will cause a turn, we can only hope.
Way to go Soup and Joel for being another positive turn in the change.
Suaveydavey
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/22/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 1:46 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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It is refreshing to see a program like The Soup, normally skewering the madness which is Hollywood, take the high road. Now, back to hippo sweat.
sharpmama
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/27/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 4:07 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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The press needs to start treating this as the tragedy it is. Heath did not seem to be a media seeker... he would hate seeing what his death has brought onto his family.
auntielynds
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/27/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 5:14 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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I, too, just subscribed to the site to leave a comment. I am a long-time viewer of The Soup and have always loved the show and Joel's quirky comments. I am in awe of the class and respect that Joel showed at the end of the show this week. I wish the rest of Hollywood would follow suit and listen. Thank you Joel. I am sure Heath's family, friends and all who knew him would (and do) appreciate your sincere and kind words. You already had my respect as a talented comedian, but now you have it for your class and dignity. Thank you. May all thoughts and prayers go out to those who were touched by Heath's life.
Pages
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/27/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 6:35 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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I will be adding my comments to everyone else's. JOEL you are a great man. Heath was a wonderful actor, with a good heart. His daughter will dearly miss the joys of spending time with and learning from her father. Joel, your statement was heartbreaking and right on the money. I surely do hope that the media will leave his family alone and leave the memories we have of him intact. Thanks for the being a true gentleman to another true gentleman.
Baxter
Posts: 3
Registered: 1/25/08
Read Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 7:46 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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Just an update...I work at a grocery store, and last night seveal people were in buying th latest issue of People Magazine with Heath Ledger on the cover. I specifically asked several of them if he was the reason they were purchasing, and they acknowledged it. I also mentioned what Joel had done on The Soup, and 2 of them said that was why they were buying the magazine...they said it looked like an article that celebrated the art of the man, and not his death.
Thanks to Joel, for bringing a little humanity to a grocery checkout.
debdaltex
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/27/08
Read Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 8:31 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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I have watched a lot of tv this week, hoping to find answers to help ease the sadness of Heath Ledger's death. Joel's comment was unexpected and it was the best, most respectful, and dignified way to handle the loss.
Joel is awesome, they should be showing this clip on all the major networks as an example of how to say goodbye to a celebrity.
Hats off to you!
kvillan
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/27/08
Read Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 8:41 PM in response to: kellagood in response to: kellagood
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Yet one more person joining e-online for the express purpose of saying a big well deserved THANKYOU to Joel for what he said about Heath Ledger. If only everyone had the desire to let a talented young man, who was never seen in tabloids or newspapers for any negative reasons rest peacefully instead of trying to find some sort of scandalous dirt on him or some kind of rumor to spread. If there was an award for being a decent human being, it would go to you Joel McHale. I am and will remain a fan of you and your show for a long time to come.
Jdh49
Posts: 1
Registered: 1/27/08
Unread Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 9:12 PM in response to: iheartjoel in response to: iheartjoel
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I would just like to say that I was in true awe when Joel made a statement about Heath Ledger at the end of The Soup this week. It was one of the most tasteful things I've seen or have ever heard in the media since well, I can't even remember it's been that long. Joel, I want to thank you for being sincere and stating the truth. The silence of your words really struck me in this whole matter. I've always been a fan of The Soup and have always looked forward to watching it for some comic relief/funny spoofs. I also registered online to say thank you!!! Keep it up : )...Anderson Cooper, Star Jones, Dlisted and Joel Mchale, more to follow hopefully.
Vleeptron Dude
Re: Joel's statement about Heath Ledger
Posted: Jan 27, 2008 9:13 PM in response to: kvillan in response to: kvillan
very very classy moment
in a medium not much noted for classy moments
you did a real mensch thing
i guess i shouldn't be surprised that so many of The Soup's viewers thought it was a very classy moment, too. I've always wondered just why I was so addicted to The Soup. Maybe because it's gentle-spirited and has a spiritual dimension. Just not a prêt-à-porter spiritual dimension. But I'm beginning to think that watching the Soup every week is a vitamin for a healthier soul.
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