OT; Multiple Sclerosis & Cold Case [Re: Whydunit (Whodunit, Howdunit)]

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

In a message dated 3/22/2006 1:54:13 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
laurence.horn at YALE.EDU writes:

Well, to  play devil's advocate, it wasn't claimed that the MS made
him do it  (rather, he killed once 20 years ago and was in the midst
of doing so again  because the victims were males of 17, at the age of
infinite possibility  which he regretted that he was no longer being
able to recapture himself;  the MS wasn't really at the heart of it).
Also, it wasn't (the way most  Cold Case shows are) simply an attempt
to find out whodunit and why, rather  it was mostly an attempt to save
the current about-to-be-victim of the  burial alive method of murder
he favored, and ultimately a successful one,  through Lily's empathy
and intelligence, whether or not you buy it.   Again, the fact that
the killer was suffering from MS (and not all that  dramatically at
that, based on people I know with MS) was not an essential  part of
the plot.

Larry


 
Mr.  Popik 
Thank  you for sharing your concerns about how multiple sclerosis was 
portrayed on the  CBS show Cold Case on Sunday, March  19th.   You are not alone in 
your concerns and we  have already contacted the producer to voice our anger 
about the show and the  irresponsible way multiple sclerosis was  depicted. 
In  considering the content of the show, however, and when the killer was 
diagnosed  with MS, he had already lived more than two-decades with a so-called 
fatal  disease, thus dispelling the show’s own misguided premise that MS was a “
fatal”  disease. 
If you  haven’t already shared your concerns with CBS programming, we hope 
that you  do.  You can call 212-975-3247 or go  online to 
www.cbs.com/primetime/cold_case/ and follow the “feedback” link at the  bottom of the screen. 
The  National MS Society is also working hard to develop positive coverage 
about  multiple sclerosis and just within the last three months there have been 
major  stories in the Wall Street Journal,  National Public Radio, Associated 
Press, Newsweek.com, Neurology Now, Sports  Illustrated for Kids, WebMD, CNN, 
and Extreme Makeover: Home  Edition. 
Sincerely, 
Becca  Kornfeld 
National  Public Relations  Manager 
National  Multiple Sclerosis Society 
212-476-0484  (direct line) 
212-986-7981  (fax) 
_becca.kornfeld at nmss.org_ (mailto:becca.kornfeld at nmss.org) 

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