As Emily said yesterday, there’s a lot of conflicting feelings about the accident that occurred early yesterday morning involving Ryan Dunn and a passenger after a night at the bar. As y’all are probably aware, Dunn and his passenger ended up dead.
Critic Roger Ebert took to his Twitter account to throw his two cents in and stated:
“Friends don’t let Jackasses drink and drive.”
Naturally, Ebert caught some flak, especially from Dunn’s friends, and even Perez Hilton, who’s staff said on his website that it was too soon for such a joke. Ebert responded by saying:
“Perez Hilton’s readers agree with me and not with Perez about my tweet on Ryan Dunn. He drank, he drove, 2 people died.”
OK, so take a breath: let’s examine the preliminary findings. Police say speed was a factor in the crash, and that Dunn may have been doing upwards of 110 mph on the highway in West Chester, PA. A highway where there were more than likely other drivers present. Probably, like, dads and stuff on their way into Philly or New York or something to start Monday’s workweek. Anyway. Moving on – though police haven’t *officially* ruled that drinking was a factor in the crash, photos have been posted through various medias saying that prior to the crash, witnesses saw that Dunn had ingested at least six alcoholic beverages: three drinks and three shots. There are photos over at TMZ depicting a lot of what went on in the two hours before Dunn wrecked his car.
So YES, this is someone’s son, husband, boyfriend, friend, brother, whatever. YES, it’s completely tragic, and there was also a passenger involved who was also probably many of these things and that makes it even worse. But just assuming that alcohol MAY HAVE played a part in this horrific crash, I’m going to say: these are the things that happen when you – or your friends allow you to – get behind the wheel after drinking. I’m way sorry to Dunn and passenger’s family, and all in all, they are the ones who will suffer the most, but I am RELIEVED that if all of this drinking IS the case, that no others were harmed because of a really, really bad decision.
Ebert may or may not have made his quip too soon – after all, Dunn isn’t even cold in the grave yet – but on the whole, I agree with him if drinking and driving was what ultimately caused this accident. Because sorry, three drinks and three shots are enough to impair anyone’s driving, let’s not pretend.
Here I am completely agreeing with Evil Beet. Who would have thought.
The rule of thumb in my group of friends is anyone who is drinking *period* (aka one drink) is NOT driving. How on earth anyone can think consuming the equivalent of 6 drinks won’t affect their ability to drive is beyond me. What, do you have some super brain and liver science doesn’t know about that lets you process the alcohol quicker or maintain your normal reaction time?
But also he was apparently at the bar for 4 hours. His body may have metabolized the alcohol by then.
This whole thing really upsets me. I used to have it so bad for him and I don’t want his memory to be sullied.
TRUTH HURTS EH! I am sure his friends are offended but come the fuck on. Don’t be delusional and act like the guy was a saint. What? They can be all hardcore but in this case its innaproppriate? WTF EVER! You play you pay. PERIOD!
I did stupid shit in my twenties and only through pure luck made it past. At 40 your old enough to know better!
It doesn’t pay to be a grown up JACKASS!
Let me quote ” police haven’t *officially* ruled that drinking was a factor in the crash,” That is a stupid a conclusion as the Casey Anthony defense stating the evidence the prosecution presented doesn’t *officially* mean that Casey Anthony didn’t probably kill her daughter. First off, if one is driving at 110 mph, when sober, driving at 110 mph while intoxicated precludes a much greater chance of losing control. Second, who else but Casey Anthony could have killed her daughter after not reporting her missing for a month? Neither conclusion jives.
I don’t understand why anybody would have mixed feelings about this story, it makes EvilBeet sound like they agree with drinking and driving, which is pretty irresponsible on their part.
The guy was an idiot, an idiot that liked to drink and drive, a real friend wouldn’t have let him do that, but then again he probably only had loser drunk friends to begin with, so yeah. Another drunk killed himself, so what? I only feel sorry for the person he killed, but i don’t feel bad for him at all. Drinkin and driving is the most irresponsible thing one can do, and those who do it shouldn’t get any sympathy when shit goes wrong.
I love Roger Ebert, and I hate drunk driving, and I have no real affection for the cast of Jackass (I mean, it’s right there in the title, y’know? So I’ve never paid any attention to them, OK), but yikes, I really do feel for Bam on this one.
No one wants a friend or family member’s death turned into a “teachable moment,” for one; two, admittedly ANYTHING anyone said in the immediate aftermath runs the risk of sounding callous, tacky, or flip; but three, it is just like Ebert to turn a well-intentioned tweet into yet another Roger Ebert Is Right campaign. The tragedy and/or teachable moment is not about Roger Ebert. Please don’t get me wrong: I love Ebert, who is cantankerous and wise, but this is not his moment to choose to shine. And anyway, preaching to a lot of people who are already upset really never helps anything. Blech.
Just my overwrought two cents.
How is this a Roger Ebert is Right campaign? This is a Every After-School Special You Ever Saw Is Right campaign. Roger Ebert simply said what everyone was thinking the second they found out alcohol was involved. As for Bam and Dunn’s other friends? Some friends they are. Not a single one of them could have gone “Hey, man, let me call you a cab”? This is definitely a teachable moment and should be used as such. Maybe people will learn to stop rolling their eyes and say “I know that” or “That will never happen to me” whenever people try to lecture them about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Because if this guy had actually listened (and let the information sink in), there’s no doubt in my mind he would never have gotten in that car.
I mean, that’s fine, too. I still think I would’ve been tempted to respond the way Bam did, given a million-jillion Ifs, but we’ll never know.
Anyway, I read Roger Ebert’s apology and that actually really did it for me. Shrug.
Roger Ebert is an old-fuck, slack-jawed cancer and some how still alive.
Dunn is now burning in hell. Only the good die young. Is everyone happy now?