NBC TV a new low?

Hi Green Witch:
Unfortunately I read on the wires, "the runaway bride" as she is now known is shopping a movie deal. So she is making the rounds re: interviewing and promoting. I reallly believe in cases such as these, where there was such a large, expensive search and resources which very well could have been used elsewhere on real unfortunate situations, the perpetrators of these hoaxes should have to pay back the town/county for the expense of the search, do their sentence of community service, and if they sell their story via book or movie, TV deal--then like many prisoners/serial killers--they should not be able to profit from it. All profits, royalties et al. Should go to charity, the county hospital, homeless shelters, daycare centers, soup kitchens, et al.
Just my opinion here.

Sorry I didn't really answer your question before --I'll think about it and see what I consider to be the worst event on TV lately. Sigh...there are always so many.

Gee, you don't think she's smarter than anyone suspected, examined legal cases for such a ruse and staged the whole thing to make money on a book and movie deal? Pshaw.

I have lost all respect for Katie Couric. This "runaway bride" should be a little human interest story on page 8 of the newspaper. My six year old niece could think of a better way to use up an hour of TV.

Edithdoll. It would be nice to make such interviews into a charity event. People could phone in money to help find missing children. By the way Edithdoll, did you get your moniker from a children's book? I seem to recall an children's story about a lonely doll with that name.

Lightwizard - I do not see a single spark of intelligence in this woman. I don't think she could plot her way around paper bag.

How about "I want to be a Hilton"? That was on last night too. Great TV night. Luckily I can always watch the Food Network - I love to cook.

I was, of course, being facetious. Also, of course, anything is possible. I am dismayed that Couric would devote an hour to this drivel, or that anyone would consider publishing a book or making a movie but that's likely represents the level of mentality of the American public.

There's no underestimating the intelligence of the American public." -- H. L. Mencken

It's a courtesy--not a requirement--to inform others of your whereabouts so they don't worry. Runaway Bride had no legal obligation to tell anyone that she had a case of "cold feet" and was leaving. The fact that her community spent money searching for her is the community's problem, not hers.

She did, however, give a false report to police authorities and alleged that she was kidnapped when she wasn't. She is criminally liable for the false report--but she's NOT LIABLE to reimburse the community for the search. Where's the law that says a FREE INDIVIDUAL has to answer to the community for his/her whereabouts?

Who cares? I don't. It's another sticking the public's nose in someone's private business now, truly not even remotely as signficant as Terry Schaivo, and I thought that was governmental and journalistic nosiness without precedent. I'm checking out of this trivial soap opera -- Couric at this very minute is interviewing the dopey people involved and it's excrutiatingly boring.

Hi Greenwitch.
On a quick note, you are right! My screen name is based on Edith, the doll from The Lonely Doll book by Dare Wright. Still haven't decided my lowest low yet...
: )

I have to read that book again. I remember really loving it as a child.

Runaway Bride=Satan

Just look at her eyes.

The worst is her emasculated fiance who doesn't understand that, hmmm, maybe the nutbitch who ditches out on you three days before the wedding and then blames it on a 40yr old Hispanic and then tries to get sympathy by saying "I was afaid I couldn't be the perfect bride," isn't exaclty "marriage material." He's still with her.

That guy definitely has no penis.

I don't think the runaway bride wanted to be the center of national attention when she split. I just think she suffered an increasing sense of dread and finally it spilled over into panic. 600 people at the wedding.

The filing a false police report part is illegal, but look at it this way.

She responded to a crisis phone number in Alberquerque which was connected to the police department. At that point she was out of options and money. The police who interviewed her saw she was distraught. It speaks volumes that the Alburquerque police were in her corner the most.

If we come down hard on her, we send the message to similar distraught people who fled and who are now out of options that they will throw the book at them if they turn themselves in. I am glad she got off lightly-now other people who took off and don't know what to do will think that the thing to do is call the crisis hotline.

I think it is in the interests of society that people who feel compelled to flee get encouraged to turn themselves in and they will get sympathetic treatment.

I think her panic was genuine. It was the media's fault this turned into a nationwide story. I must admit, I 'm not too happy with the idea of her making money off this, after it is all over. But while it was happening, I do believe she was panicked and only wanted to get away.

That being said, I think prhaps the stupidest thing I have seen on TV lately is all those reporters standing out in the middle of Hurricane Dennis. Just what is that supposed to prove?

Can't they just film the hurricane through the window of a sturdy building? What is the point of seeing the reporter out in the middle of the wind and driving rain?

Does the TV industry think Americans don't have a grasp of the meaning of the word, "hurricane"? We need illustration?