Stevie Shares Thoughts On Peter Jennings...

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by DeeGeMe

I think it's just the nature of performers to be rather self-absorbed. She had good intentions with that letter to Jennings and I think she wanted it posted for a reason on the Nicks Fix. Stevie is the first to admit she's a spoiled little rock and roll princess. And god love her for it. Yeah, I cringed a little seeing that letter she wrote but I love Stevie and I know that in her heart she thought she was doing the right thing when she sent it. So can we cut her some slack on this?

And yes, there are people who come to the Stevie Nicks forum on the Ledge just to bash her, who think she's the worst thing that ever happened to Fleetwood Mac. Obviously, I'm a chiffon-head and think and feel much differently about her, but I have NEVER deluded myself into thinking she was a perfect angel sent down from heaven above--or as someone put it earlier, ****s gold dust. I love her in spite of her flaws--because guess what--that makes her human. Just like the rest of us.

Okay--personal story time here: My father was a three-pack-a-day smoker for over 25 years. It took him numerous attempts and about 10 years to finally quit but he did. And he's still here today, at nearly 80, kicking ass. I've heard stories that Stevie relapses now and then but at least she's trying and that's the best first step that you can take-the attempt, as with any addiction. I watched two more family members die of lung cancer, my uncle, a long-time smoker, and an aunt, who never smoked. It's an ugly, ugly disease and anything you can do to encourage someone not to smoke is well worth the effort as 85% of all people diagnosed with lung cancers are smokers.

I heard last night while watching some of the coverage re Jennings death that the addiction to nicotine is more powerful than that of cocaine or heroin. Think about that for a minute. Don't jump down the throat of someone who in in the process of quitting because they relapse--instead, praise and support them as they fight that addiction.

Last night I watched one of my favorite newscasters (MSNBC's Keith Olbermann) recount a story about how he was told in 1991 that he had a growth in his mouth he needed to watch. But how he kept on smoking anyway. And how about 10 days ago, they removed what they thought at the time was a cancerous tumor from the roof of his mouth. It turned out benign but he apparently had the crap scared out of him and has finally realized he has to stop smoking. That's how powerful the addiction to smoking can be--that you have been warned to stop, that you KNOW you have a foreign growth in your body, and you keep on smoking anyway.

And as he pointed out last night in his ending segment, and this is a direct quote from that transcript, " I understand about the addiction and how they hook you and all of that. I‘m a smoker, remember? It would be terrible enough to have cancer, but on top of it, you‘d have cancer and you‘d have to stop smoking at the same time. Guess what? It‘s easier to stop smoking when you do not have cancer. Ever thought of that before?"

Amen brother. Amen.

Applause! Best post I have read today.

[Dreammms]

Originally Posted by ShangriLaTroubl

You've never seen my mom inhale a ciggarette then lol

Chris

hopefully one day i will see

[ShangriLaTroubl]

Peter is really in a way a part of history..he was in Berlin in the 60s when the wall went up, and then when it came down..He was a journalist during the civil rights movement..Also one of the first reporters to go to Vietnam in the 60s..He first joined ABC in the 60s,.

A little tid bit from ABC :

"On Dec. 31, 1999, Jennings anchored ABC's Peabody-award winning coverage of Millennium Eve, "ABC 2000." At least 175 million Americans watched the telecast, making it the biggest live global television event ever. "The day belonged to ABC News," praised The Washington Post, "… with Peter Jennings doing a nearly superhuman job of anchoring." Jennings was the only anchor to appear live for 25 consecutive hours.


Jennings led the network's coverage of the Sept. 11 attacks and America's subsequent war on terrorism. He anchored more than 60 hours that week during the network's longest continuous period of news coverage, and was widely praised for providing a reassuring voice during the time of crisis. TV Guide called him "the center of gravity," while the Washington Post wrote, "Jennings, in his shirt sleeves, did a Herculean job of coverage." The coverage earned ABC News Peabody and duPont awards.
---------------------------

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

I don't know who he is either Pip!

Jennings, Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather were all anchormen/journalists for the big three networks (ABC, CBS and NBC). They all have left their jobs (Brokaw and Rather retired) recently, leaving many people to wonder what will become of the evening news and how much it has changed during their tenure. You probably have never seen them unless you were over here watching the news.

[DeeGeMe]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Applause! Best post I have read today.

Thanks Goldie!!! And thanks to Keith Olbermann for making that oh-so-eloquent statement last night about his own brush with cancer and his own struggle with nicotine addiction.

And uhm--for those of you who don't know who Peter Jennings was, let me say that I'm one of those people who he helped get through 9/11. Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings are (actually now all WERE) the big three names here in broadcast news in the U.S.--and both Brokaw and Rather retired earlier this year, then Peter got sick.

Anyway, the day of 9/11, Rather was wound tighter than usual--he was the guy I usually watched but on that day--he was getting on my damned nerves, and Brokaw was stammering and I just needed to be soothed and Peter Jennings was the guy who did that for me on that terrible day. So he will always hold a special place in my heart for that on that day, as apparently he does for Stevie as well.

I think Stevie is a love/hate kind of personality and it's incidents like this that give her critics plenty of ammo. But if some people hate her so much it makes me wonder why they feel so compelled to read about her to begin with-wouldn't it just easier to NOT read anything about her or stay away from forums where you know she has fans? Jut asking.

Some of us both love and adore her but don't necessarily think she's perfect either. And the people who do think she's perfect scare the crap out of me as much as the ones who hate her so very much.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

Yeah, I posted here when I was at work last semester and things were slow. I can't resist. This place is addictive.

Yes it is and it is the lively debate and diversity of the members that keep it that way.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by ShangriLaTroubl

I agree also with whoever said the letter about the boys at Walter Reed was a lot more awkward than this one--although again I think her intentions were good--I just cringed at the 9/11 and Iraq War "connection" that she referenced to...I know you HATE the news Stevie, but by now you should atleast know there is no connection lol

Chris

I know...I know.

[wondergirl9847]

Originally Posted by DeeGeMe

I think Stevie is a love/hate kind of personality and it's incidents like this that give her critics plenty of ammo. But if some people hate her so much it makes me wonder why they feel so compelled to read about her to begin with-wouldn't it just easier to NOT read anything about her or stay away from forums where you know she has fans? Jut asking.

I will NEVER understands this mentality. People who go to various boards and bash continuously. If you don't like that person, go to the board of someone you DO like. I can understand bashing someone on a board of someone you like (we do it to Clay Aiken on the Justin board. LOL), but to go rile people up, sesly, people.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by ShangriLaTroubl

Stevie made reference in the journal entry that they didnt know if her Dad would make it through his recent surgery, while she was on tour...and it was hard for her being away
Chris

No, I wanted to know what Kelly meant by saying Stevie "had to be" on tour. Why, at this point in her career does she have to do anything? I was just looking for a little clarification there.

[catinthedark]

Personal story, which explains why I was so saddened to hear about Peter's death: I had the honour of meeting Peter Jennings in 1995. I was a silly little 25-year-old, right out of journalism school, working as a researcher in a Montreal newsroom. Peter was in town to cover the Quebec referendum - and was broadcasting from our station. Well, I was in awe, and sort of stood back and just listened to him talking to his team, and stayed out of his way. But at one point in the day, he came over to me and started to talk to me about Quebec politics. He wanted to know my take on it. A naive little 25-year-old. But that was what made him a great journalist. He didn't purport to know it all. He knew the importance of talking to people about their experiences. He was charming and so humble - didn't take himself too seriously. He gave me his contact numbers - told me to call him if I was ever in New York and wanted to visit ABC News. I regret now that I never had that chance. Anyway - I have carried that experience with me throughout my own TV news career. He's been an inspiration. He was in a class all his own. His death is a huge loss.

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by catinthedark

Personal story, which explains why I was so saddened to hear about Peter's death: I had the honour of meeting Peter Jennings in 1995. I was a silly little 25-year-old, right out of journalism school, working as a researcher in a Montreal newsroom. Peter was in town to cover the Quebec referendum - and was broadcasting from our station. Well, I was in awe, and sort of stood back and just listened to him talking to his team, and stayed out of his way. But at one point in the day, he came over to me and started to talk to me about Quebec politics. He wanted to know my take on it. A naive little 25-year-old. But that was what made him a great journalist. He didn't purport to know it all. He knew the importance of talking to people about their experiences. He was charming and so humble - didn't take himself too seriously. He gave me his contact numbers - told me to call him if I was ever in New York and wanted to visit ABC News. I regret now that I never had that chance. Anyway - I have carried that experience with me throughout my own TV news career. He's been an inspiration. He was in a class all his own. His death is a huge loss.

I'm sorry that you didn't get to visit him again, but I think it's wonderful that you met him and that it stays with you as such a positive experience. Thanks for sharing that story.

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by DeeGeMe

I think Stevie is a love/hate kind of personality and it's incidents like this that give her critics plenty of ammo.
Some of us both love and adore her but don't necessarily think she's perfect either. And the people who do think she's perfect scare the crap out of me as much as the ones who hate her so very much.

I don't think she is at all a love/hate kind of personality. Just my opinion.

And I do think Stevie is perfect! No, seriously, she's got issues, but good lord, she sent the man a letter and was very sweet. So maybe a little of the rock and roll princess seeped out, so what? I don't see it, but ok, if it did, appreciate her sentiment and let it go.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by Dreammms

Of course it's about money. Why else would she doing the tour for?

Just wanted to add I don't think it's bad that she wants the money.

There are very few people who don't want money.

[David]

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

[COLOR=Navy]Also, when she called TISL her "little masterpiece," I couldn't help but laugh. I'm pretty sure I could never call any of my works "my masterpiece."

Remember when she told Jim Ladd, in all seriousness, "Nobody loves a poet, Jim"? I thought, "How weird to aggrandize oneself as a poet during a KMET radio interview." Stevie doesn't exactly wait for Frank Kermode or John Hollander to put her in the Norton Anthology of Poetry, does she?

But, hey, that's my Stevie. The childlike in her is always present & always active. As the late, great Timothy White said in her 1981 Rolling Stone article, a lot of people share Stevie's inclination to fantasy & fairy tale, but Stevie brings along a pup tent & camps out there. If you stop to think about it, what other sort of personality could possibly sing "Sisters of the Moon" or "Rhiannon"? Stevie's definitely all of a piece.

Kelly pointed out that Stevie has always been self-absorbed and if anyone who has been a fan for any length of time has figured that out. I guess I am finally realizing that.

It shouldn't necessarily change the way you dig her songs or her singing, but stepping back a bit & seeing some of these other aspects -- outside the brilliant, white light -- gives you something else to chew on.
[QUOTE]Suze said self-absorption is part of her charm, and I have to say that I don't find that charming.

And I know some of laughed when you got to the "don't smoke" part, but it saddened me. Did she really think that was going to make someone stop?

Possibly people who are already tuned into Stevie's magic. People who are already in Stevie's sway "listen" to her far more closely than the rest of us.

Also, I never realized before why some fans write things like this ~and now I see that, ~for some bizarre reason, ~Stevie must write with that symbol everywhere all the time. ~Why?

It's just ... Stevie. Kindhearted but Ditz City.

So, did Peter Jennings receive Stevie's letter & CD? What did he say about it or think about it? Did he write her a thank-you note?

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

Of course it is her life and I have no say, but I think I would rather she smoke pot than cigarettes.

Pot has approximately 3 times the carcinogens of cigarettes. I really don't want to veer off into this but the woman has asthma and is a singer.