Remember a couple years ago, when a radio station in Sacramento held a contest called "Hold your wee for a Wii." in which participants had to drink as much water as possible in a short time? Remember how Jennifer Strange, one of the players, died from drinking too much water? Well the Justice System ruled in the lawsuit resulting from the death yesterday. The Strange family was awarded $16.5 million from Entercom Communications Corp., the company that owned the radio station.
I say: Good. If there's anyone who deserves to lose millions of dollars it's people in the entertainment industry who put civilian's lives at risk. It's not like water intoxication (the cause of Strange's death) is some obscure thing. Even a little bit of research would have revealed that drinking too much water can kill a person. Also, listeners were calling the radio station while the contest was happening, saying, "This is very dangerous. Someone could die." and the DJs made jokes about it. In fact, I think the award should have been higher.
I also think you'd have to be crazy to do any kind of radio or TV endurance contest for such a small prize. Seriously, if people need a Wii so bad, they could get a second job for a month or sell their plasma or something.
Comments
Displaying 1–13 of 13
metakid
Think it's disturbing that there were people who actually called in to warn the DJs, and hopefully the listeners and contestants too. Here's a clip that has the DJs mocking this caller who claims to be a nurse for telling them that people could die from drinking too much water. http://www.newsy.com/videos/sa cramento_family_awarded_16m_in _radio_stunt_death
machotaco711
This is just another win for those in this country who lack personal responsibility..... you signed the waiver, most likely knew the danger, but yet, you did it anyway. I guess waivers mean nothing anymore, why even have them in the first place?
dadadadurrty
Or they could save up for a REAL gaming system like I don't know.... 360 or PS3. But yeah, glad that station had to pay.
Canid117
Or they could afford the thing by going to work for a week
WildfireFox
I'm sorry... a girl drinks a lot of water, in a contest that she could have dropped out of at any point... and her family gets a bajillion dollars?
Sure, it should have been researched better. But that's a lot of money for someone drinking themselves to death.
TheBRADLeyB
In regards to the writer saying something about people needing to go get a 2nd job for the money to buy a Wii.
If I remember correctly, this was during a time where the Wii was scarce in stores. So (much like Spice Girl/Miley Cyrus Tickets) it wasn't the Price that was the issue. The Supply.
Just saying.
And the Contestant can't be blamed. People believe that things are safe. Especially when a company is doing it. If the lady had never heard that Drinking too much water jacks up your potassium concentration and kills ya, then how would she know better? Even with people calling the station, even if she heard the people talking about it on the radio, she would have clearly heard the DJs joking about it. Most people would go with the DJ thinking that they 'knew better' and everyone calling in was crazy. Because how many Crazy Bitches do we have in the world? More then 3.
Hoss70
I honestly think the blame should lie with the contestant. If you do not understand your body telling you something is wrong...then you're the issue at hand. I'm surprised the radio station didn't make the contestants sign waivers or anything like that before taking part of this stupid promotion.
TheElite1n559
For one, there was the fact the Wii was extremely hard to get regardless if you sold your then $2000 42" plasma TV or not.
The second thing has to be with taking personal responsibility for your own well being and everyone involved using common sense.
Lastly on a side note, I love how the feed writers will publish a serious thought on a not so serious story, but then 5 minutes fail at trying to deliver a witty one liner on an actual serious story.
It makes it really hard to take anything they say seriously in the end.
kampfer_sama
Drinking too much water can kill you. Eating too much can rupture your gut. or clog you digestive track. I suppose that means that the family of somone who goes to a Pizza Hut all-you-can-eat buffet and eats so much that a combination of food mass and the pressure generated by the release of gas causes internal injuries that results in death can sue Pepsi-Corp. for $16.5.
The company does of some responsibility for damages caused by their own promotions and productions, but that normally applies to harm done to individuals not willingly involved in the even. If one of my parents died in a car accident caused by some radio stations street racing promotion for Fast & Furious, I'd sue the company and have the organizers charged with conspiracy to commit a felony. However, those who willingly take part in something like this are responsible for their own actions.
IcemanMX
Charles Darwin wins again.
I am kind of torn between thinking that the creator(s) of this contest were retarded and deserve to go to jail for public endangerment or thinking that the person whom actually went through with this deserved to die because she was retarded enough to risk her life for a circuited plastic toy (Wii).
-M
spyder5150
I wonder if the kids have hock'd the Wii for a 360/PS3 yet?
cmdluke
@fatman2008
agreed. and some parents will do anything to make their kids happy.
fatman2008
While I agree with most of what you said. You should really think back to how hard it was to get a Wii about 2 years ago, i don't think money was the only issue here.
Displaying 1–13 of 13
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