Joseph Gordon-Levitt Takes to Twitter Therapy

Are sad celebrity tweet revelations a tacky trend or not

By Ted Casablanca, Ivana Dukanovic Oct 07, 2010 3:15 PMTags
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, DanAlbert L. Ortega/WireImage

Obviously, actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt let his fingers, not his mouth, announce the sad news yesterday. Talented Joe revealed exactly what his heart was feeling on Tuesday night with a tweet, in which he let thousands of supportive followers know his older brother, Dan, had passed away.

"My super hero brother @burningdan 1974-2010. Celebrate his life here ~ https://bit.ly/dBTMQ8 because he's fucking awesome," Joe tragically tweeted, directing followers to his website, where he hopes others will help honor his brother's life.

But do devastating cyber blasts like Levitt's say support me—or judge me? Is it the proper forum for news this severe?

We say spill away, Joe. Why not have a Twitter shoulder to cry on?

Sad news like this calls for any and all kinds of sympathy, and could be just another virtual step in the grieving process.

Joe's older brother, known as "Burning Dan" because of his career as a fire spinning and dancing flow artist, was only 36 when he died Sunday night of unknown causes—possibly due to a drug overdose.

The Inception star is actively using the Internet to inform his fans about what he is going through, posting the following on his new media website:

"BURNING DAN brightly embodied that bold beastly bliss sometimes referred to as 'the creative spirit.' He was my chief collaborator on the foundational incarnations of hitRECord.org over the years and continues to inspire us ever the more. He would absolutely positively insist that we not let this bad news deter us on our collective mission. That said, I might not feel up to it for a little while."

And we totally understand, Joe. Like the rest of your hundreds of thousands of followers we will be sympathizing with you from the cyber sidelines.

Why should anyone else, media included, be entitled to revealing your heartbreak? It's his sadness and we say he should he able to share it, however he friggin' pleases.

And even though it wasn't nearly as morbid a circumstance, when Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy revealed their unexpected break-up news on Twitter earlier this year, most of us saw it as a respectful breakthrough, not a distasteful breakdown. Although Jim maybe went a little overboard? Hey, a broken heart's allowed.

And what makes Joe's mournful tweet any different?

And until Dan's death is fully explained, we respect the fact that as one Levitt has passed the other is making sure the rest of us remember his fiery, free spirit—Twitter or no Twitter.

RIP Dan. And Joe, our tweeting thoughts and tears are with you, your family, and friends in this unbelievably difficult time.

We get Twitter therapy.

Do you?

Poll

Awful's Sadly So Poll

Would you live feed a lifeline via Twitter?
Yes: Why not get some immediate cyber support? Followers are friends too.
57.2%
No: Some things are too personal for a mere 140 characters.
26.4%
Only If: I was a celebrity. Their fans deserve and care to know how they are feeling.
16.4%