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Hi, all i've just read about the little scary moment
from the DS Festival 2002. And for someone to
call a Mentally retarded person a moron is not
my cup of tea!!! Okay, the poor guy called her
a liar but you've got to all realize that we could of
been in his shoes as well.!! I have a brain injured
brother and he's ( mentally retarded) and it hurts
me so deep down inside to know that name calling
a handicapped person is not right!!!! I'm sorry but
i just had to make this known. ( okay now i
can get off my soap box now)
Love Anne XXX OOOOO :'( :'( :'( :'(
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BRAVO, ANNIE!!!
After reading the posts about how this physically handicapped man was described, I was up half the night wondering if I should make my feelings known about the insensitive comments.
I have family & friends who have mentally & physically handicapped children and grown adults. My husband just retired after working 30 years in alternative education where he was exposed to handicapped children on a daily basis. I'm a nurse and have seen stuff you can't imagine.
The descriptive words used hit below the belt. Think--before you speak or post. You may be hurting someone next to you :'(
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Yeah, my first thought was that I feel bad for the poor fellow, since he's obviously got problems that are to some degree out of his control. A measure of compassion is in order. On the other hand, I have to wonder why he's going around the fest unsupervised doing this kind of thing. Once is a lapse of judgment on someone's part; twice is outright inexcusable. If he's not responsible for himself, the person or persons in charge of him should be acting quickly to keep him from disrupting the event. If he's deemed responsible enough to be on his own, then he should be shown the door and not allowed to come back.
[shadow=black,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]
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Carol wrote:
After reading the posts about how this...handicapped man was described, I was...wondering if I should make my feelings known about the...comments.
Same here, Carol. It's so obvious that this man has many, many problems that are beyond his control. I can't help but look at him and be thankful that it isn't me or mine in that sad condition.
On top of which, TLATKLS looks like she understands that and doesn't seem perturbed or threatened by him. Maybe he thinks she's a "liar" because--while she looks great--she does look so different from Maggie Evans! Who knows?
But obviously, like the rest of us, this poor fella must love DS to go to the convention and all; there's just no telling what's going on in his head...
On the other hand:
Mark Rainey wrote:
I have to wonder why he's going around the fest unsupervised doing this kind of thing...If he's deemed responsible enough to be on his own, then he should be shown the door and not allowed to come back.
I totally agree! I would hate for this incident to be a catalyst for cast members to think twice about attending these events in the future. This guy was harmless, but what if he (or someone else in that room) wasn't?
Overall, I hope the incident didn't mar anyone's good time or dampen the spirit of the occasion...
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Have no idea how I posted twice... ?!?
Sometimes, I think I should stick to my Etch-A-Sketch. ;D
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On the other hand, I have to wonder why he's going around the fest unsupervised doing this kind of thing. Once is a lapse of judgment on someone's part; twice is outright inexcusable. If he's not responsible for himself, the person or persons in charge of him should be acting quickly to keep him from disrupting the event. If he's deemed responsible enough to be on his own, then he should be shown the door and not allowed to come back.
[shadow=black,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]
I wondered about that, too, Mark. The person responsible for him should have been informed that this type of outburst would not be tolerated and that if it occurred again, the privilege of attending the fest would be revoked.
I must commend KLS for her class act response, though.
Never having been to a fest, does security or DS Fest representatives have the final say on disruptive guests?
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Never having been to a fest, does security or DS Fest representatives have the final say on disruptive guests?
Hotel security, assisted by police, if necessary, would probably have the responsibility of actually removing someone from the place. My guess is that the convention staff would have to indicate to security they were having a problem beyond their control.
That's just my educated guess; I could be wrong. Personally, I'm thinking that con staff members should be given authority by means of whatever spells, incantations, magical elixirs, human sacrifices, and/or rites of summoning supernatural horrors might be necessary to get the situation under control.
[shadow=yellow,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]
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I'm thinking that con staff members should be given authority by means of whatever spells, incantations, magical elixirs, human sacrifices, and/or rites of summoning supernatural horrors might be necessary to get the situation under control.
At the very least, they should be able to administer sedatives... ;)
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I think it was more a comment on the actions than the mental state? It has been rather common to use the term moron as a insult since it is no longer used as a level of intellectual capacity. I am quite willing to assume the poster simply used a poor choice in words.
Personally, I wish the mentally ill received the same level of understanding and compassion that the intellectually challenged typically get today. But, that's my own soapbox and it is because I have a mentally ill son that looks quite normal, but isn't. Even still, I have been known to say to him: "What?! Are you CRAZY?" Let's face it some patterns of speech are more ingrained than we realize.....
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Hi, all i've just read about the little scary moment
from the DS Festival 2002. And for someone to
call a Mentally retarded person a moron is not
my cup of tea!!! Okay, the poor guy called her
a liar but you've got to all realize that we could of
been in his shoes as well.!! I have a brain injured
brother and he's ( mentally retarded) and it hurts
me so deep down inside to know that name calling
a handicapped person is not right!!!! I'm sorry but
i just had to make this known. ( okay now i
can get off my soap box now)
Love Anne XXX OOOOO :'( :'( :'( :'(
Hi Anne, I agree with you wholeheartedly! We don't know how very lucky we are to have all of our mental & physical facilities when there are so many others who are not that fortunate. I remember my parents constantly reminding us of that when I was young, and now as a parent I am giving my two teenage girls the same message. Im very sorry to hear about your brother Anne and my thoughts & prayers are with you and your family.
Also, Mark, I was wondering the very same thing when I first heard about the incident. Why on earth was this poor fellow left alone & unsupervised? Especially at a crowded function such as the fest?? I also thought that KLS handled the situation with dignity, (from what I could see anyway) I have never been to a fest but I would have thought that security would have been on top of the situation right away and would tell the person in charge of this unfortunate man to keep a watchful eye on him.
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Also, Mark, I was wondering the very same thing when I first heard about the incident. Why on earth was this poor fellow left alone & unsupervised? Especially at a crowded function such as the fest?? I also thought that KLS handled the situation with dignity, (from what I could see anyway) I have never been to a fest but I would have thought that security would have been on top of the situation right away and would tell the person in charge of this unfortunate man to keep a watchful eye on him.
It is an unfortunate incident and luckily those kind of situations don't occur often at the fests. Seems that the festival will have to start guarding the stage and even the actors that walk around more protectively which will, of course, lead to complaints that the festival staff is preventing fans from having more accessibility to the actors.
I know of two incidents where fans, like the fellow desccribed, were not allowed in an event again without immediate supervision coming with the fan. Maybe that's what will happen in regards to this particular fan. Unfortunately, you can't predict by looking at someone they are going to be disruptive. There are many "challenged" fans who attend festivals and have not engaged in inappropriate behavior such as going on stage while an actor is speaking or other disruptive behavior. You also have to bear in mind that this man may have come without any real supervision and/or the person in "charge doesn't see that the behavior is a problem. Just because there is supervision doesn't mean the "supervision" is too swift either in terms of what is and what is not appropriate behavior at an event like this.
I believe that they should increase the security at the festival to not only include having people consistently "guard" the stage but also walk with the actors when they are outside of their rooms. You never know what someone might do. It will, as it has in the past when put in place, make some fans upset that they are being denied more "accessibility" but I think the safety of the actors and the fans themselves is more important than perhaps being able to score a second or third autograph outside of the autograph line. IMO anyway.
Nancy
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You also have to bear in mind that this man may have come without any real supervision and/or the person in "charge doesn't see that the behavior is a problem. Just because there is supervision doesn't mean the "supervision" is too swift either in terms of what is and what is not appropriate behavior at an event like this.
Boy, ain't THAT the truth!
[shadow=black,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]
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I agree with everything said here. My heart goes out to the mental challenge fan. Sometimes events like this, crowds are just too much for them to handle. My best friends cousin is mentally retarded and at holidays and family parties he can only take a little before it overwhelms him. His behavior than deteriorates they make sure he is able to participate but than make sure he goes home before it becomes too much for him. I truly have to blame the supervision. After meeting KLS last year I know she handled it with grace and class.
Birdie
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Hopefully, this regrettable. humiliating incident will inspire some serious thought towards the area of festival security.
The lack of any kind of security at all is a dangerous, irresponsible practice. Relying on un-paid volunteers for such tasks is a complete mistake.
Several cast members have been stalked in the past and a public event such as these often brings many unstable people out of the woodwork.
While it didn't happen in this case, he very easily could have struck Kathryn or violently attacked her.
You have to ask yourself, how much physical and emotional damage a person could do, before some audience members intervened.
The answer is frightening.
Security is needed, and needed now.
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The descriptive words used hit below the belt. Think--before you speak or post. You may be hurting someone next to you :'(
Thats pretty nutty ::) Well good luck with the rest of the weekend.
I hope that my comments didn't offend anyone and that i apologize if they did. I'm the first to agree with those who feel that mocking someone because of their disabilities (or anyone at all) is wrong. I think you'll agree with me that the situation sounds like it was pretty awkward and bizzarre though, which is what i was trying to say
I do think the guy made a poor decision and that isnt fair to KLS or the other guests at the festival. This man, and all people who dont have control over their own behavior deserve the help and compassion of others but nobody's actions are without consequences.
If this event is any example (I wasn't there, but i get the impression that this man just stood up on the stage with the mic for a good long while with nothing being done about it) then security is a real problem. There are (sadly) some truly dangerous people out there, and the guy who interrupted the festival a couple days ago wasn't one of them
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Yes, that poor soul obviously has emotional/psychological problems. It's how we treat people like him that marks the level of our civility.
It appears that TLATKLS - from the report - did handle the situation with class and calm (and David Selby must have done the same). I imagine that, being celebrities, they are rather use to such encounters (whether from such individuals, or just from overly-excited fans - my best friend has a tendency to fall to pieces when he sees persons of fame and it can get rather embarrassing; don't ask me about the incident with the soap stars in a Ventura Boulevard restaurant) and know how to deal with them in a positive manner. Undoubtedly, it comes with the territory.
Gerard
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I imagine that, being celebrities, they are rather use to such encounters...whether from such individuals, or just from overly-excited fans...
Especially a show as beloved as DS.
I'm just glad everything turned out okay--but I do believe that this young man does need some sort of supervision if he is to ever attend another DS convention. For no other reason, just to keep this sort of awkward, spirit-dampening incident from happening again.
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Yes, that poor soul obviously has emotional/psychological problems. It's how we treat people like him that marks the level of our civility.
It appears that TLATKLS - from the report - did handle the situation with class and calm (and David Selby must have done the same). I imagine that, being celebrities, they are rather use to such encounters (whether from such individuals, or just from overly-excited fans - my best friend has a tendency to fall to pieces when he sees persons of fame and it can get rather embarrassing; don't ask me about the incident with the soap stars in a Ventura Boulevard restaurant) and know how to deal with them in a positive manner. Undoubtedly, it comes with the territory.
Gerard
I imagine you are right, Gerard. A fan on the DS newsgroup who was there when the incident happened said that KLS did at some point leave the stage and Jim Pierson escorted the man off. Certainly don't blame her for getting away from the scene in a quiet and "gentle" way so as not to antagonize the fan. In looking at such an encounter from the standpoint of a celebrity: most fan are strangers to them. They don't know each individual in the crowd or the fan who is over anxious and pushes his/her way to the stage or forward in an autograph line. The celebrity can assume the fan is just eager but some celebrities paid for the assumption with their life or wound up being threatened. We feel as if we know celebrities because we see them on TV or attend their frequent personal appearances. But we don't know them and they certainly don't know us or our intentions. Of course most fans only want a chance to say something and get an autograph, that's all. The concern that one fan might go too far is constant worry with a celebrity. Remember, all Mark Chapman wanted from John Lennon the night he was killed was an autograph. He stood outside of Lennon's abode until the ex-Beatle returned home waiting for him. Like you said, all of this does come with the territory, but it's horrible to have to keep in mind that you just never know who in the crowd thinks harming you would be in someone's best interest. That's a fact of life for many of these people including the DS actors.
There have been several "stalker" incidents with some of the DS actors at Festivals that isn't made general knowledge. It was quickly and quietly dealt with, thank heavens
It's good for fans to realize the fears that celebrities must have in the back of their mind about being accessible and leaving themselves open to harm at the same time. That kind of understanding shows a lot of respect for the celebrity in question. I certainly wouldnt want to live like that!
Nancy
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Ummm - Okay I'm trying to catch up. What exactly was this "incident" and where can I read about it? Thanks. ?!?
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Chris_2:
Read the "DS Fan Fest 2002" thread and you'll catch up pretty quick... :)
Here to help.
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The descriptive words used hit below the belt. Think--before you speak or post. You may be hurting someone next to you :'(
Well said, Carol! And Annie, I commend you for speaking out.
Following the incident, KLS explained that she recognized the man from other DS events and since he hadn't created problems such as this before she tried to give him a chance to speak, and at one point she even handed the mike over to him. It was a classy thing to do but from my vantage point also seemed foolish. I don't think he should've been allowed to take the stage and once it happened that he was removed from it far beyond the point at which it was apparent (to me, anyway) that he could pose a threat. KLS eventually put some space between herself and him, yet it wasn't until a fan in the audience hollered out to get him off the stage that Pierson made an effort to do it. That delay (again, this is strictly my opinion) was way too long.
And to answer scout75's question, it was scary but because it turned out well it did not put a damper on the festivities, though I was very sorry to read here that Selby had a similar experience with the man. I can't imagine that having it happen a 2nd time is anything but inexcusable.
KLS also stated that she didn't know why the man was upset, and because I'd describe him that night as both agitated and incoherent, I feel it doesn't make sense to try to figure out what the reason was behind his calling her a liar.
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Thank you, Midnite. I just commented on the other thread, I would hae here if I had seen this first.
Nancy
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It's no problem, Sheenasma. Glad you made it home safely. :-*
Annie, I'm letting you know that I took the "OT" out of your subject title. Hope you don't mind. :)
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Third time is the charm here (tried to post this twice before). I'm sure this is my medical background coming to light, but I believe our disruptive fan was was a Down Syndrome person. This may explain for many of you the deficiencies in speech and mental capacities. :'(
I am certain that his cognitive inabilities are mostly what contributed to the outburst. Many Downs persons will not have their mind changed once they get hold of something. In their minds, fact is what they first learn and are not often swayed. I was concerned at the turn of events with KLS and thought she handled it well while I question the responses of fest organizers. I still attest that he should have been stopped before he ever made it on stage. Dawn