Comments on: Ten Fired After Radio Contest Tragedy

Woman Died Despite Listener Warning On Danger Of Chugging Too Much Water

[djnechodom]

"djnechodom, you know, you don't have to be a literary expert to post. Most get the point. Literary jerk-offs like yourself make posting "opinions" whether spelled correctly or not...just not fun (which it's supposed to be). You're an idot, idit, idiot without exception. Get the point?"

Apparently I don't so please clarify. It's supposed to be fun for you while I get called a '***' and an 'idiot without exception?'

And to clarify on my part, I'm not a literary expert either. I tell my HS students (who are math students, not literary) that bad writing communicates bad reasoning. I guess I'm from an old enough generation that I have trouble letting go of such conventions as correct spelling, grammar and syntax in arenas such as this. 'My bad!'

[ladycascadia]

While it is truly a shame about that woman dying like that, I do not feel that the radio station should have fired those people. The people in the contest made a personal choice, albeit a very foolish one.

[jellikal]

The management of the radio station approved the contest. The radio station and its management are fully responsible for not informing the contestants of the possible risks of the contest. The management should have confirmed with their legal and insurance agents before any and all contests. For any contest with serious risks there should be medical personell onsite.
She should have never been allowed to leave the site without being checked out first as she was IMMEDIATELY showing symptoms of water intoxication.

I would like to see the management fired and not the radio actors who are doing their job to entertain and get more and more listeners for the station to increase their advertising dollar profits. The DJ's are not responsible for legal and insurance issues - they work the equipment and perform. The DJ's job is to keep the ratings up ( and thus the profist up) - the management's job is to handle administrative details.

It is a sad world we live in that a single mom can not earn a enough to get a $250 game system for her family. Can you imagine her children knowing their mom died trying to get them a Wii ? Perhaps people can learn there are more important things than material possessions. Probably not .. but one can always hope.

[britski-2009]

I just cannot believe what lengths people will go to for more sit-on-your-rear entertainment! What happened to parents shooing their kids outside to run around and play, and (gasp!) use their imaginations!? It seems to me that the root of the problem here is our nation's collective addiction to video games, TV, and the like. Sad. Why not take your kids to the park to play instead of standing in a room guzzling gallons of water to win a blinking plastic box?
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That being said, I do feel for the family of Ms. Strange. The loss of a family member is always a tragedy, regardless of the circumstances.

[jonw1115]

Sad! Everyone wants to point a finger at someone to blame, but what is done is done. She signed a waiver and took part on her own terms. She unfortunately died from something I think most people are really unaware of including myself. I think it would have made better sense to drink say 32 oz. of water and then monitor who could hold their bladders the longest. Once you reach a certain (reasonable) input there will be a good amount of pressure that will build to create urgency to go. This was obviously not a well thought out stunt and it is too bad she had to pay the ultimate price.

[byrd1beverly]

Is it me or is everyone smart when it comes to college and dumb when it comes to common sense. It seems like everyone is losing thier minds these days. I just don't know anymore about how unconcerned people can be about each other. Sure she was an idiot for doing this but the station was a idiot for letting it happen in the first place. I listen to music on the radio but as far as liking someone hurting someone on purpose or letting them hurt themselves should be eliminated.

[moto-d]

A ridiculous contest dreamed up by grating frat-boy radio personalities and participated in by people who don't have the imagination to stop and think what peril these "endurance" contests might put them in. I'm just amazed it doesn't happen more often.

[moto-d]

A ridiculous contest dreamed up by grating frat-boy radio personalities and participated in by people who don't have the imagination to stop and think what peril these "endurance" contests might put them in. I'm just amazed it doesn't happen more often.

[neimon-2009]

"It was a contest and people are saying there was no coercion."

Just as dire economic circumstances are a form of coercion, promises made in a winner-take-all society bent on blaming every victim are too. Making people believe you are not harming them when in fact you are is as well.

This person had a reasonable belief that the contest wouldn't put her life at risk. The contest violated that social contract and coerced her by a promise of enrichment that she otherwise had no access to.

Ask ten people on the street about water intoxication and I'll bet ten of them don't know about it.

As for those "personal responsibility" folks, where is the "personal responsibility" from all the other actors?

This is horrible and senseless, but blaming the victim is really beyond the pale. I believe the radio station had no intent to harm, but they do bear responsibility. Firing those people is an excellent beginning.

[neimon-2009]

"It was a contest and people are saying there was no coercion."

Just as dire economic circumstances are a form of coercion, promises made in a winner-take-all society bent on blaming every victim are too. Making people believe you are not harming them when in fact you are is as well.

This person had a reasonable belief that the contest wouldn't put her life at risk. The contest violated that social contract and coerced her by a promise of enrichment that she otherwise had no access to.

Ask ten people on the street about water intoxication and I'll bet ten of them don't know about it.

As for those "personal responsibility" folks, where is the "personal responsibility" from all the other actors?

This is horrible and senseless, but blaming the victim is really beyond the pale. I believe the radio station had no intent to harm, but they do bear responsibility. Firing those people is an excellent beginning.