Tuesday, December 13, 2005

First in a series..."Sudiegirl's Attaboy/Attagirl/Atta-Entity Awards"


(Dove drawing from www.csmpublishing.org)


Sudiegirl sez:
I've been thinking...I don't give enough props to people that try to make this crazy world a better place. When I saw this article, I was really touched that a TV station would be so concerned about the well-being of those following the wake of a tragedy like this. It shows respect for the deceased and for those he worked with. I'm really impressed. Good Job, Comedy Central! Read below for details.

'Daily Show' halts production following suicide
Monday December 12 6:23 PM ET

An employee of the Comedy Central program "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" has committed suicide, leading the network to suspend production of Monday night's episode of the program, a spokesman confirmed.

Bill Clarey, 25, took his own life over the weekend, according to the network. A former "Daily Show" intern, Clarey also worked as a receptionist at the program's offices in New York.

"Bill Clarey, a young staff member of 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,' passed away over the weekend. He was a wonderful and dedicated employee and all of us at Comedy Central and 'The Daily Show' are devastated by his loss. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and friends," the network said in a statement.

Comedy Central has sent grief counselors to the "Daily Show" set to help its employees, sources said, who first learned of the suicide upon coming to work Monday. The network was scheduled to shoot a week's worth of new episodes before shutting down for the final two weeks of the year. The network will air a "Daily Show" repeat instead of the regularly scheduled episode.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Sudiegirl's final word...
Atta-Entity!


****Update...12/16/2005

I received a note from a friend of Bill Clarey's, and I realized that my tone might have seemed a bit "off" in this entry.

Please know, for those of you who are reading and are friends/relatives of the deceased, that my sentiments regarding Comedy Central's treatment of the situation regarding Clarey's death were sincere.

I really do think Comedy Central/"The Daily Show" handled this well as a corporation, and it is a testament to Clarey that he was thought of so highly by so many. It's sad that he didn't know how many people were in his corner.

A lot of times, that is how depression works...as a friend of mine told me so well, "depression is a liar." How true that is, and how sad that it cost someone their life.

In closing, I think one of my new year's resolutions for '06 is to keep my eyes open and be aware of what others may be going through. I think that's more important than anything.

Sincerely,

Sudiegirl