Site Columns
By MichelleOctober 11, 2004 - 4:50 PM
Hello World!
Superman has died.
Christopher Reeve played the hero in a series of decent, if sometimes banal, films based on a comic book character, and later he played a mentor to that same character on a television series loosely based on the same comics. But after these incarnations of Superman and Smallville have been superseded by new ones, I'm going to remember a man who used his celebrity to fight for the treatment of injuries like his own.
Paralyzed for nearly ten years after an accident shattered two of his vertebrae, Reeve didn't worry about the indignity of having his bowel movements or his bodily sores discussed on television. He was content that his passionate crusade for stem cell research put him at odds with the President of the United States. Always aware that his fame and financial status accorded him a level of treatment not available to others with similar injuries, he fought for a $300 million bill in Congress for spinal cord research.
Doctors had predicted that Reeve would never have any feeling or movement below his head, yet he had been able to move fingers and experience sensation in his arms after years of therapeutic workouts. Though speaking was an effort for him, he worked hard to communicate without a respirator so that he could make public appearances on behalf of spinal cord injury research. He was a proponent for insurance protection against catastrophic injury and for more media attention to those afflicted by physical and mental disabilities.
Reeve had admitted that he considered suicide soon after the extent of his injuries became known, but he had children and fans who needed him. Instead of deciding his life was pointless, he vowed to walk again, though most experts initially said it was impossible. They later came to revise that opinion. Dr. Wise Young of Rutgers University, a spinal cord injury specialist, said, "He taught me the use of two four letter words - 'cure' and 'hope.'" Wise believes that Reeve's legacy will be both those things.
You can read obituaries of Reeve, who died of heart failure yesterday, at The New York Times, Yahoo! and many other sites.
Trek BBS Today
Below are some of the topics currently being discussed at the Trek BBS:
-The official "Grade 'Storm Front Part One'" thread!
More topics can be found at the Trek BBS!
Trek Two Years Ago
These were some of the major news items from October 2002:
- 'Dead Stop' Impresses In Overnights
The initial ratings for "Dead Stop" were the highest of the second season to date, a 5.4 rating and an 8 share - welcome figures on the heels of rising national ratings for "Minefield" and worries about falling numbers in the 18-35 target demographic for UPN, which saw Twilight Zone lose a huge audience share in the hour after Enterprise. - 'Enterprise' To Take Part In AIDS Campaign
Viacom, the parent company of Paramount Pictures, announced that it was joining forces with the Kaiser Foundation to educate the public about HIV and AIDS, using shows such as Enterprise and Frasier to explore storylines that would draw attention to the deadly disease. - 'A Night In Sickbay' Synopsis Online
A leaked script for this episode revealed an unusual amount of attention paid to Porthos, Captain Archer's dog, Porthos, who in turn caused trouble by taking a leak on a tree and causing a diplomatic incident, leaving Archer to cope with his stress by experiencing erotic fantasies about his forbidden first officer.
More news can be found in the archives.
Poll Results
Below are the results of the most recent TrekToday poll:
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32.6% - (472
Votes)Please vote in our new poll on whether you're looking forward to "Storm Front, Part II"!
Today's Television Listings
Friday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, UPN will broadcast the second part of the Star Trek: Enterprise season four premiere, "Storm Front, Part Two". Here's the official synopsis of the episode:
With Silik's help, Archer hones in on the temporal operative who altered Earth's past and threatens to destroy all of time.
Discuss this news item at Trek BBS!
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Also a CSI: Crime Scene Investigation fan? Then visit CSIFiles.com!
