I hope my sister wasn’t listening to Atlanta’s 790 The Zone’s Mayhem on the AM morning show this morning.
If she were, a knife would have been driven into her heart.
It seems the three radio hosts mocked former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason’s Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehig’s Disease). They apparently thought it was funny. Hilarious. A real knee slapper. They had a mock interview with Gleason talking with an electronic voice on their show. ALS robs the body of movement. You literally become a prisoner in your own body.
Let me tell you as someone who knows what ALS can do to a loved one — it’s not funny. Not at all. I can laugh at about anything. But not ALS. My sister lost her amazing husband to it last year. Like Gleason, Adam was courageous in the face of a monster.
I have been a radio host. I know that some (not all) radio hosts say controversial, shocking things for ratings. I get that. But this was a sick attempt at humor. The hosts have been suspended. An apology has been made.
Yet, I can still taste the acid in my mouth. I’m mad as hell. And I know I’m not alone.
God, I hope my sister wasn’t listening. She has felt enough pain.
[UPDATE]: 790 The Zone has fired all three hosts.
I’m a Mississippian transplanted to GA and I work with an ALS clinic once a month. I too lost a brother-in-law to ALS. I have seen adult men and women devastated by the cruel bodily decline of ALS. Furthermore, I am a speech pathologist who works with these unfortunate people to maintain the basic human need for expressive communication. The technology available is amazing. To mock it at the expense of a cheap laugh is despicable. He should be required to donate his last paycheck to the ALS Association or MDA on behalf of the people he insulted.
http://webga.alsa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=GA_homepage
How cruel people can be to try to be funny is beyond me!!!! You can’t change stupid!
As a registered nurse who has cared for and known friends & family of friends who have suffered through the agony of this disease that is always fatal, there is NO room for any “jokes”, “kidding around”,etc… when it comes to mentioning this horrific disease. The adults who aired this sick joke should no longer have a job. Education and support should be priorities regarding ALS, ridiculing should not be tolerated.
I know Kelly, Adam’s sister; I hope neither she nor Stephanie were listening. Thank you for your well placed outrage.
Kelly would have gone down there and wrung their necks. I’m sorry both will have to hear the story.
How can some people be so incredibly stupid, heartless, ignorant…not enough words… I can’t even get my brain to go there. Just shameful..
I lost my father to ALS 34 years ago. My fathers suffer the last few years of his life because of this disease. I don’t understand how anyone can make jokes. I would like to call this radio station.
The entire family will and would line up to have our say.
to the radio hosts…..Our family was blessed having Adam as family.
They were fired. Good riddance.
Now to be tarred and feathered..,