Sometimes internet commenters just forget that they are ripping a real person. Some of the vile things that are said out there have taken my breath away, and not just towards political figures like the president (or the previous president). Even in the world of radio things can get ugly--especially when people are allowed to comment anonymously. That just happened in LA to the newest member of the Kevin & Bean show on KROQ. From Tom Taylor's column this morning...
New Kevin & Bean cast member Allie Mac Kay says on Facebook “needless to say, been a rough 4 days for everyone involved. I can take a lot of abuse...but death/rape threats and lies spread about my addition to the show is way over the line.” Some social media posters turned very ugly, says Don Barrett’s LARadio.com, when CBS blew out 24-year traffic reporter Lisa May and newsman “Doc on the ROQ” Boyd R. Britton from the L.A. alt-rocker. As Don Barrett says, “Lisa was told she was gone...nothing was said on the air, then Allie shows up, and nothing is really said about introducing her to the audience.” That’s when the hating began, particularly against former KTLA-TV reporter Allie, who was seen as replacing Kevin & Bean’s female voice. (Even though Lisa worked for an outside traffic service.) Garman says “for Allie to get death threats, rape threats and the names she’s been called online...it hurts me to think our listeners are capable of that.” Some aren't even good spellers, as Allie wryly notes on Facebook - “it's called "the C word" for a reason...spelling it with a "k" made me sad for so many.”
The rumors that have been swirling around Chicago regarding Patrick Sharp fall into the same category for me. Are they true? Everyone involved says that they aren't, but wow have they spread. If you're in Chicago, you've heard the rumors. Patrick Sharp even felt it necessary to make a public statement yesterday addressing the issue. He pointed out that he's a real person--that he has two daughters--that his parents even called him to find out if it was true. It it was, the Hawks surely would have traded him. The deadline passed yesterday. The guy's reputation has been tarnished forever. That seems like a pretty high price to pay just for being in the public eye.
