Several weeks ago, Jackass Star, Ryan Dunn, was killed in an accident on a Pennsylvania highway. It was later determined that the crash was related to alcohol and obsessive speed. Since then, friends and family have been opening up and speaking about what a great friend and person he was.
I didn't know Ryan. He could have been the greatest guy and friend in the history of the world, but it doesn't change what happened. Dunn was idolized by millions of kids, and while Jackass stars are often put down and ridiculed, there are a lot of positive attributes to look up to. They're courageous, outgoing, have a terrific sense of humor, and they are unique, doing what they want, and not just what's popular. On the other hand, they also have negative qualities, such as taking unnecessary risks and abusing drugs and alcohol.
My question to the friends and family of Ryan Dunn is, if he was such a great friend and loved so much, than why didn't someone take his keys? I suppose it's because they've seen him and everyone else do it for years without any consequences. Well, just how many times can you get bombed and get behind the wheel before the inevitable happens?
I'm sure Ryan was a great guy and deserved every bit of love and respect he got, but that night who was he thinking about? With these celebrities, the truth is that they always come first. It doesn't matter how many friends they have, how much their family loves them, or how much their fans look up to them. They come first and foremost, and I can promise you that when Ryan Dunn put the keys in the ignition, he wasn't thinking about his friends, family, or fans.
People keep saying what a tragedy this is, and anytime someone dies in the prime of their life, it certainly is, but I keep asking myself if a bigger tragedy was averted by Dunn's death. What if a 21 year old kid at the bar that night saw Dunn get behind the wheel in that condition and arrive home fine? What if they then heard the tale of how even completely wasted, the big celebrity got up to 140 on the highway? They'd be tempted to do it themselves, just to prove that they were as cool as Dunn, and what if instead of losing control and hitting a tree, they hit a family of 5 that had the misfortune of changing lanes in front of them on the highway?
Like I said, Ryan Dunn could have been a great guy, but what kind of guy gets bombed and drives 140 mph, putting 1000s of lives at risk? It was stupid and selfish and when the media say so, it's because people, kids especially, need to know just how insane and how dangerous it is. Rather than jumping down the throats of the media to defend their friend, the stars of Jackass should be saying he's a great guy, BUT he did a stupid thing. Just lashing out and telling people to shut the fuck up and then posting tributes left and right just isn't the right thing to do. In life, Ryan Dunn may have been a hero, but he didn't go out like one and his actions shouldn't be ignored.
No comments:
Post a Comment