South Korea is really harsh on drug users. Whereas, in Europe and increasingly, North America, drug use is treated either as a recreational or medicinal activity, in addition to viewing its abuse as a disease as a disease, South Korea treats it as a crime and uses the threat of punishment, even jail time as a result.
With Lee Sun-kyun being a high profile celebrity, the charges against him were treated as something of a scandal and he likely believed he would be made an example of. It’s really sad, and S. Korea really needs to change the national tone to reduce what seems like overwhelming pressure to conform to societal expectations. It seems that when people in South Korea take a fall from grace, even if a small one, it’s viewed as if there is no way back from it. Truly tragic.

R.I.P. Tom Smothers.

https://www.newsnationnow.com/top-headlines/ap-top-headlines/ap-comedian-tom-smothers-one-half-of-the-smothers-brothers-dies-at-86/?fbclid=IwAR0hzfYR4fUvqFEB2KvAE22tvhiW73qTWPl_z8yTO1ZYpWXyfq1cpjqCMn8

 

The story of the Smothers Brothers and how Tom was essentially radicalized (by network TV standards, anyway) by their younger, hipper writers and by the way CBS treated them is a fascinating one. I have watched some of that material in the last few years, and while the political content is mild today (although still more than you'd get in many corporate quarters), what I took away was just how much fun it was to see their act and how well most of the material has aged. I suppose that's why they hung on in the public eye for quite a few years in spite of such a scarring and high-profile firing.

Here's an interview they did last year, with, fittingly, CBS.

 

Edited December 27, 20231 yr by DRW50

Fox 5 in NYC should have had something about Bobby Rivers since he was a very prominent part of their Good Day NY morning team. 

https://nypost.com/2023/12/28/entertainment/bobby-rivers-dead-food-network-host-vh1-vj-dies-at-70/

Damn.

 

Tom Wilkinson, Star of 'The Full Monty,' Dies at 75 https://t.co/ZzUlt4svRS

— Variety (@Variety) December 30, 2023

Great scene with him and Sissy Spacek from “In the Bedroom.”

 

Wilkinson was great in an understated way in In The Bedroom”.

Tap dancing great and the other Hines Brother Maurice Hines has passed away.

https://variety.com/2023/film/news/maurice-hines-dead-cotton-club-1235858674/?cx_testId=49&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=2#cxrecs_s

 

 

A true grand old man of Swedish show business, Per Myrberg, passed away a few days ago at the age of 90. A really versatile performer, he was part of the ensemble at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm since the late 1950s, where he starred in plays by Shakespeare, Brecht and Strindberg. But he also had success with more light entertainment. He played Molokov in the first Swedish production of "Chess" in 2002, was the voice of Sebastian in the Swedish version of "The Little Mermaid",

and had a monster hit here in 1964 with a Swedish version of "This Ole House"....

 

Tom Wilkinson was an absolutely towering talent.

 

(Small soap note: That is a very young Austin Williams, Shane Morasco from OLTL, glimpsed in the scene with George Clooney above.)

48 minutes ago, DramatistDreamer said:

Tap dancing great and the other Hines Brother Maurice Hines has passed away.

https://variety.com/2023/film/news/maurice-hines-dead-cotton-club-1235858674/?cx_testId=49&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=2#cxrecs_s

I saw him live in Guys and Dolls many years ago. What a talent.

I recommend people see him and his brother at their best in Francis Ford Coppola's recut version of his own Cotton Club film - The Cotton Club Encore - which centers their characters more than the theatrical version and is now free on Amazon Prime.

#RIP Tom Wilkinson (1948-2023)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Director: Michel Gondry pic.twitter.com/uLLlm6Gf1G

— DepressedBergman (@DannyDrinksWine) December 30, 2023

Comic legend Shecky Greene dies at 97

https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/entertainment-columns/kats/comic-legend-shecky-greene-dies-at-97-2973752/

On 12/18/2023 at 10:43 PM, Bright Eyes said:

I only know him from his pivotal role on Rescue Me. A very handsome man in his prime. If it wasn't for his character's death, I would have never been able to fall in love with batshit crazy Sheila, played by Callie Thorne. R.I.P.

 

On 12/18/2023 at 10:14 PM, DRW50 said:

https://deadline.com/2023/12/james-mccaffrey-dead-1235671289/

Did anyone remember him from ATWT? 

https://variety.com/2024/film/obituaries-people-news/glynis-johns-dead-mary-poppins-mrs-banks-1235861986/

Sad to hear about Glynis. It was such a nice moment last year when she turned 100 (and still seemed to be lucid). I adored her in Mary Poppins. No idea Send in the Clowns was written for her.

4 hours ago, applcin said:

https://variety.com/2024/film/obituaries-people-news/glynis-johns-dead-mary-poppins-mrs-banks-1235861986/

Absolutely heartbreaking.

If this clip isn't used for every single memoriam tribute to her, there should be a riot. RIP Glynis - what a unique talent. 100 is a life very well lived.

 

Edited January 5, 20241 yr by DaytimeFan