Very!!!!! My TV is usually OFF.

I believe he is an individual that has suffered a great deal of traumatic events in his life. Until the last few days, I would have recognized his name, but not from where I knew it. To me it is very sad.

It is disgusting. I have no sorrow for persons of such actions. Maybe the article was trying to send a message, "Don't do this.", but i think it failed.

Wow, unbelievable.

I don't think it sends any message. There would be no "reality TV' nor the bozos who appear on such programs (and have their own such programs) if there were no viewers. I'm far more concerned with the people who feed their unhealthy desires and fantasies by watching garbage "reality" programs. And think it's okay. Those are the ones who worry me.

As for now, it's just the news. He's a former NBA player with some notoriety because of that and the trashy company he kept. Personally, I'm completely against any form of censorship. All TVs in homes have on/off switches and channel selectors, every owner should use those as they see fit.

PS - plenty of public personalities, religious "leaders", politicians, etc, etc, both male and female, have been "caught" in one way or another with prostitutes, soliciting prostitutes, or in intimate circumstances with others to whom they weren't married. It's life.

What's the difference between Lamar Odom's bad behavior and every other celebrity-type person who behaves badly? Lots of celebrities, politicians, athletes, etc, behave outrageously. Is Lamar's "message" any different?

Most of my news comes from two newspapers and GW HT ;-) , so while I was aware of the information, I guess I missed out on the degree of to-do. Was it mainly a TV thing? Do you consider it not news, or do you think it should be unreported simply due to the site location? I prefer to have sufficient information (whatever the story) so that I can form my own conclusions; to leave out important details such as site location and drug use would severely compromise my ability to form sound opinions about this, and related, events and issues.

I didn't think my news sources sensationalized the story, but then, paper newspapers are slower and who knows about tomorrow's edition. Today they included some background of his life story and difficulties which I was already aware of, but provided context overall. It is sad some of the things he has had to overcome, and how it appears he has ended up with an addiction that was the opposite of where he ever desired to be. The papers did some informational side articles about the brothels in Nevada. They actually explained some current factual details about the businesses that I wasn't up to date on, so I considered it educational and useful.

"Distasteful", really? There are plenty of more distasteful things on the news that I would complain about, like the US bombing a hospital by "mistake" and killing a bunch of medical workers. That's what I find distasteful.

Let's see .... copious amounts of cocaine consumed and $75,000 spent on hookers (all according to the media, of course). A self-destructive individual with fame and fortune that he doesn't seem to be using for self-betterment (or other worthwhile cause). What a waste of a life. IMO

I hear what you are saying, Glenda. Unfortunately, this story is not any different that the one from last week and the one coming up for next week.

It truly is a shame.

It does boggle my mind the amount of money that can be blown in such a frivolous way.

If you're single and don't have a family, do what you want, but once you have children, it's time to grow up yourself, get over yourself, and get past the infantile gratification stuff.

I don't find it distasteful or disgusting, I just find it sad. I just find it sad that someones life wound up at that spot in that condition through circumstance and decisions.

Ditto blfenton He has just thrown his life away...like so many "hotshots" the rules don't apply

I don't read anything that is related to or married into the Kardashian/Jenner clan-they all bother me.

Stuff like this...just washes on downstream. I couldn't have told you a single detail because I don't care enough to pay any attention to this.

"What kind of message does this send?"

I see what I think you are saying. Sports figures have been looked upon by many as role models. This sort of life is not one to aspire to.

I agree also with those who see this as a sad event. The young man had a lot to live for, it is sad he ended up this way.

I find this really sad. I used to watch him play basketball. Unfortunately his life has taken a series of downturns and this is the end (I hope not final) result. It should serve as a reminder that you can rise and you can fall, but you don't have to fall this far. Reach out for help.

What I don't understand about this kind of tragedy, is that with all the messages that are available to everyone, whether it is what is seen/ heard on the news or from your "friends" or on the internet, why are so many young people not paying attention? Drugs will take over your life and kill you. People you associate with will lead you into destruction. Those are not secrets, they are in the public eye, and ears. The choices are made by the individual, not forced on them. A phrase that I heard some time ago still sticks with me . . . "It is too abstract for me to comprehend." Is it disturbing, disgusting, sad? All, and yet none, because it is not being heard or seen.

I agree. For people who don't pay attention to these "names" who get involved with drugs, etc because of the money that they have at their disposal, do you also not pay attention to the son/daughter of your neighbour who also gets involved with drugs or something else that leads them on a destructive path. This problem isn't just that of celebrities, it's a societal problem. The only difference between the celebrity and the neighbourhood kid is the value of the drugs that they buy.

Yea, I get that the Kardashians and their ilk are a waste of time but Lamar Odom, as a person, is not.

I agree with Nicole and so many of you....Here's another case where someone does have a talent, is paid way too much and throws it away...What a waste but society keeps feeding into it....

Another thing that bothers me is when a well known person gets on TV and asks for donations, whether it be animal abuse, veterans, anything....You know that person is getting paid a pretty penny to do the ad and probably hasn't given a cent to help to the cause......

Rome was big on entertainment and decadent issues ...

... while their pre-eminence and civilization was dying.

Does anyone consider that there may be parallels?

ole joyful

Yep! OJ, I saw your post on the preview, so came in to agree. :) Bread and Circuses. But, then, they've been saying Bread and Circuses for the last hundred years or more. I think the selfie obsession is a lot worse, however, and the corporate takeover and polarization of news outlets is a massive step backwards for journalism, whereas chasing the sensational story of the day is just about ratings, which in turn are just about selling eyeballs. What they're doing must be working because it's gotten a lot more attention here than the global economy and coming shift of China to a service economy (not to mention the recent meltdown of their stock exchange), the impact of unchecked deforestation on climate change, or the relative merits of the California plans for a bullet train no one much wants vs. Elon Musk's yet to come to fruition plan for pressure tubes to move people across the state like so many bank deposits. What's getting discussed from the news is some guy I'm barely aware of who did some stuff I don't want to know about and got put in the hospital. I wish him a good recovery and peace for his loved ones, but when the news wouldn't stop talking about him, I changed the channel.

I'm not saying y'all shouldn't have your discussion about what it says about the state of the world. Just that the state of the media is that they got you to pay attention and to talk about it, and maybe sold you on a new deodorant while they were at it.

It may not say much about the political or economic state of the world but it does a lot about the state of society - both in terms of the adverse effects that drugs has on it in so many ways and our unfortunate fascination with the star (or reality family) of the week.

"Rome was big on entertainment and decadent issues ...

... while their pre-eminence and civilization was dying.

Does anyone consider that there may be parallels?"

I hope this wasn't meant to be a serious or insightful question.

Sorry, Blfenton. I take your point.

What I meant to say was that I wasn't trying to invalidate the discussion. Just saying that the reason it was a big news story was ratings--commercial interests rather than human--and even though our group views it with disapprobation, the news outlets still succeeded in making us care enough to talk about it.

And I agree with you.

joyfulguy--I have often thought of the parallel with Rome. Scary!!!

The K family isn't really much more than prostitutes themselves. I see this as just being an extension of seeing how far they can take things. I wouldn't know anything about LO if that family didn't have their trashy antics posted everywhere. I do feel sorry for LO in a way because he can't get away from them and they were more than happy to use his misfortune and bad choices for their personal gain.