Are the press relishing the fact a man is dying

[Beeankey]

in front of our eyes and they are reporting it?

Paul Gascoigne is evidently on a downward spiral again. After a period of treatment in America earlier in the year and nearly dying he is back drinking, causing a nuisance of himself and generally on his way out by the looks of it.

I've neve been a big fan of the guy but to watch the reporting and photographs of a talented sportsman at one time saddens me greatly and for one can't understand the press splashing it all over their papers every day.

I know most people with an addiction need to hit their rock bottom but for Gazza he still needs to hit it by the looks of it.

 

[Leodis]

Read his bio, a troubled start to life. Why did he give Raoul Mout a fishing rod, chicken and want to lend him his dressing gown? The man is a fruitcake

 

[Globalti]

I thank God that I don't have an addiction. I read Fergal Keane's autobiography and remember his description of his first taste of alcohol at the age of something like 12 - he writes that it wasn't an unaccustomed taste, the sensation was more like, as he writes: "Hello old friend, where have you been all my life?" presumably because his mother was drinking in pregnancy.

 

[Saddle bum]

With Alcoholism, there should be some legal framework for sectioning such people and confining them until treatment is effected. I'm sure in financial terms it would be cost effective.

 

[tyred]

I don't think it's entirely fair to call him a fruitcake. He has problems and needs help with them. The big question is simply does he realise he has a problem and does he want help?

As for the papers, the tabloid press love stuff like this and their readers obviously want to read it or they wouldn't print it. I flicked through a copy of the Mirror a few weeks ago while waiting in a cafe and there was barely anything in it that I would have considered newsworthy. I just reminded myself why I have stopped buying newspapers.

 

[Arch]

With Alcoholism, there should be some legal framework for sectioning such people and confining them until treatment is effected. I'm sure in financial terms it would be cost effective.

Trouble is, I don't think there's a treatment that lasts, in the same way that you can treat an infection, or cancer. Even once someone is dry (or off drugs, or stopped gambling or whatever), they have to stay that way, and to do that, they have to want to, and want to enough to stay well.

Sectioning might just be the shock some people need to turn themselves round, but it won't work for everyone....

 

[Lee_M]

unfortunately papers report it because people like to talk about it - same as this thread really

its sad, it may still be within his power to stop - but he doesnt seem capable of doing it on his own, and until he decides to stop he wont, no matter what anyone else says, same as George Best unfortunately

 

[MarkF]

It's too late, he's been "on it" for too many years, my late father was the same, there is nothing anybody can do for him now. He has no hobbies, no interests and nobody relies on him, alcohol is and will be his last friend.

 

[Peteaud]

It is a difficult one.

On one hand i am sure many many people would love to have had the chances and opportunities he has had in life so do i feel sorry for him?
, on the flip side, he is ill and needs help so do i pity him.?

 

[MarkF]

[QUOTE 2543854, member: 259"]Honestly, that's not true. [/quote]

In my experience it's true for Gazza types, my father didn't go to school, he came to the UK from rural Ireland in the late 1950's with some friends. He did well for himself, via hard manual work, but he and every single one of his friends died before their time, by the bottle. Gascoigne reminds me of them, uneducated, no hobbies/interests, work life (reason dtre) over, family no longer has a need for them.

Sadly there is nothing for him to stop drinking for, everything he covets has gone, for good, I cannot see any happy ending..

 

[Arch]

With regard to the press angle, yes, I'm afraid they'll carry on for as long as people buy the papers. I don't think journalists are capable of thinking "There but for the grace of god..." which is ironic given the stereotypical image of the boozy hack...

 

[Davidc]

The newspapers exist to make a profit. They make it by publishing stories their buyers want to read.

Their readers want stories like these about 'Gazza' so they publish them. If their readers didn't want them they wouldn't publish them.

So who's responsible for this 'relishing' the decline of the man? It's not reasonable to just blame The Press.

 

[Arch]

The newspapers exist to make a profit. They make it by publishing stories their buyers want to read.

Their readers want stories like these about 'Gazza' so they publish them. If their readers didn't want them they wouldn't publish them.

So who's responsible for this 'relishing' the decline of the man? It's not reasonable to just blame The Press.

I think there's an aspect of vicious circle about it. Papers print what people want to read... but.. some people think the things in the papers are the things they ought to care about.

 

[hopless500]

In my experience it's true for Gazza types, my father didn't go to school, he came to the UK from rural Ireland in the late 1950's with some friends. He did well for himself, via hard manual work, but he and every single one of his friends died before their time, by the bottle. Gascoigne reminds me of them, uneducated, no hobbies/interests, work life (reason dtre) over, family no longer has a need for them.

Sadly there is nothing for him to stop drinking for, everything he covets has gone, for good, I cannot see any happy ending..

my dad died of alcoholism years ago and he was well educated and did what he loved (musician), A few months before he died I had the opportunity to ask him if he'd have done anything differently. The answer was no - he'd enjoyed every second of it...... so everyone is different even if they end up the same way....

 

[biggs682]

got to help himself first