Yeah. This seems more like a Shep Mistake rather than a Fox "Mistake".

Kind of a bullshit thing for him to say, but we all occasionally say dumb things.

JHM, I see it more as a reflection of how suicide and mental disorder are perceived as flaws in character, and how some believe that therefore a suspension of compassion is justified. I guess I'm not convinced that Shep was actually angry and I wonder if this was more a slip of his own true feelings on the subject of suicide. I've seen this attitude in people I know who have a deficit of compassion, and who also subscribe to the Fox News mentality.

I've seen this attitude in people who aren't Fox viewers. It's not unique to Conservatives, and it's not indicative of lack of compassion overall. It just means they have little to no understanding of depression and/or suicide. And it's a pretty hard state to come to terms with if you haven't directly dealt with it in the course of your life.

Still, I do wish these nonsense viewpoints weren't so prevalent. If you don't know what you're talking, just shut the hell up. Don't make up stories about "lack of character" or "cowardice" or whatever.

why are you weepy vaginas so eager to defend this asshole?

because on a network of raving idiots, he occasionally reads a script that makes him look slightly better?

This makes him look better? I guess I don't watch enough Fox News to comment on it, because this makes him look like a bigoted asshole.

I guess people are calling for his resignation or termination from FN over this.. to be honest I had a similar reaction when I found out about David Foster Wallace: in a novel that describes the pits of depression so well, and VERY elaborate and theatrical suicides (it might be longer than the Bible but it's worth it if you haven't read it) he goes and hangs himself with a belt! My pissed off reaction to the news of DFW's suicide was similar to Smith's here.

Huh, I'm surprised by this. From the video I didn't perceive an emotionally angry response to the unfortunate death of a fellow human being. That I can understand, anger as an intense expression of grieving. I can even understand, to a lesser extent, anger at a perceived waste of a life. From Shep's slip-up I'm seeing a glimpse of the ever present right wing "winners" and "losers" point of view projected on the topic of suicide, and an implication that those that succumb immediately join the "losers" team and all understanding and compassion can be fairly suspended.

>>Yeah. This seems more like a Shep Mistake rather than a Fox "Mistake".

This, first and foremost. Whatever you think of what he said, the Rush Limbaugh response (which I have no plans to click onto) seems more like a standard "FOX MISTAKE". Some of you don't seem to understand that Shep Smith is considered Fox's concession to liberals, and so naturally they picked someone who says crazy shit from time to time. I'm not sure if that's defending him or not. I just don't think it was the usual cynical, opportunistic political posturing. It was still a fucked up thing to say on TV.

The people I know who have this attitude toward suicide, well, the one person I know who has this attitude toward suicide, he was pretty much traumatized by the experience of carrying his little brother's body into the emergency room after he overdosed. His little brother (who is also my little brother) survived, and is now past forty and the father of four, and the best Dad I know.

As someone with a history of depression, i can tell you that I decided a few years ago not to kill myself as long my parents are alive. It's one of the few decisions that I haven't ever reconsidered. My parents are in their seventies, and I just don't think about suicide any more. Not killing yourself as long as your children are alive is harder. I can tell you that if you have a depression problem in your twenties and thirties, deal with it now because being depressed in your fifties is way worse.

Being the left-wing liberal nut job that I am, I was watching PBS newshour last night, and Mr. Blue eyes asked AO Scott and the person who ran the comedy club Williams got his start at if maybe it wasn't the "sad clown" (or Pagliacci) syndrome that was at work, insinuating that all comedians, actors, musicians, you name it share a common suicidal tendency. I was pretty appalled. It was brief and the subject was immediately changed but I was thinking "what if Fox News said that?" Then I saw this. I'm not defending Smith but we all react differently to tragedy. To a lot of my friends, he WAS their dad after the dad in question split the scene. I don't think any two people can view tragedies like Williams' suicide under the same subjective lens.

I initially read that as "getting high on God not going where he isn't wanted", which really had me thinking for a bit.

Like the cowardice of someone that stays in the closet for years just to keep his shit-licking job?

Laying the blame at the feet of the mans ex-wives, though? Totally okay.

He drank the V.

30 million dollars says "Honey I love you. No, really."