Bay Arean
Well-known member
Surprised it was that much Yoda. Good knowledge!
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Frank Sommerville
- Thread starter AdamFiveFive
- Start date
BTW I'll mention the problems of an intervention.
What happens is the people who care for an addict meet with him and point out three things:
1. The addict has a dramatically serious problem which likely will result in death or prison.
2. The people who care for the addict are unlikely to continue to support his current life of addiction.
3. Then with just words, they try to convince the addict to seek treatment.
An addict may be tricked into going to his intervention, but he's under no obligation to stay or to go to rehab. The nice conclusion is the addict agrees to treatment and is escorted by a professional to rehab. The reality is that many addicts ignore the intervention or just leave rehab.
It's a funny discussion to have with non-addicts or people don't deal with addicts. If I said, "Hey if you continue to sniff anthrax, you'll die," most people would never do it again. But that's not how addict brains work.
Somerville's wife divorced him. It doesn't sound like his family is going to put up with his BS. I can only imagine what his young daughters must feel.
I'm sure they have all told him he needs to get help, and he's likely to have been in treatment at least once. And his family problems exacerbated his condition, which he caused himself and drinking will not solve.
The flipside is for the family is when do you say no to an addict? Would you stay married to an alcoholic if he abuses you? His daughters are probably financially dependent on him, but they don't have the maturity to deal with him. And he was drunk around his 91 year old dad. I'm sure that wasn't good.
So right now, it is up to Somerville to enter treatment on his own. And given his wealth, status and his large group of loved ones, I doubt finding a program is the problem.
What happens is the people who care for an addict meet with him and point out three things:
1. The addict has a dramatically serious problem which likely will result in death or prison.
2. The people who care for the addict are unlikely to continue to support his current life of addiction.
3. Then with just words, they try to convince the addict to seek treatment.
An addict may be tricked into going to his intervention, but he's under no obligation to stay or to go to rehab. The nice conclusion is the addict agrees to treatment and is escorted by a professional to rehab. The reality is that many addicts ignore the intervention or just leave rehab.
It's a funny discussion to have with non-addicts or people don't deal with addicts. If I said, "Hey if you continue to sniff anthrax, you'll die," most people would never do it again. But that's not how addict brains work.
Somerville's wife divorced him. It doesn't sound like his family is going to put up with his BS. I can only imagine what his young daughters must feel.
I'm sure they have all told him he needs to get help, and he's likely to have been in treatment at least once. And his family problems exacerbated his condition, which he caused himself and drinking will not solve.
The flipside is for the family is when do you say no to an addict? Would you stay married to an alcoholic if he abuses you? His daughters are probably financially dependent on him, but they don't have the maturity to deal with him. And he was drunk around his 91 year old dad. I'm sure that wasn't good.
So right now, it is up to Somerville to enter treatment on his own. And given his wealth, status and his large group of loved ones, I doubt finding a program is the problem.
MC BumSlap
Big Belly Bum Scud
Starting pay is fairly low for those starting off in the business. Being in one station for most of your career and moving up helps. Plus the size of the media market helps greatly including ratings of which SF Bay Area is in the top 10.
A veteran guy like Sommerville would command such a high salary. Would be even higher if he was say in LA, NYC, Chicago or Philly.
NorCalBusa
Member #294
Betcha that ex-wife has >50% of Frank's post-employment wealth, alimony and child support. Would that drive anyone to drinking?
VicTim
Well-known member
He just got arrested again after getting out of jail. At 3:30am he went back to his brother's house trying to retrieve items he lost. The police were called and found him under the influence of something in his car. He was arrested for dui and other charges.
The hits keep coming. I really hope he gets help. Things are getting really bad for him.
The hits keep coming. I really hope he gets help. Things are getting really bad for him.
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AdamFiveFive
New member
Gary Radnich was drunk all the time. He got so bad, his wife had to read the scores off the teleprompter as he rambled and slurred about nonsense. I remember him telling a story about going to Tahoe with Pam Moore, to see Earth, Wind, and Fire, and everyone was staring at her because he was the only white guy there. Pam Moore was covering her face and shaking her head. Nobody threw him under the bus. We supported him. KRON4 should hire Somerville. Pam Moore is leaving.
NorCalBusa
Member #294
Happened to me many times. No drive to Tahoe needed, Circle Star (San Carlos) with its 360-degree rotating stage had great acts. One comedian spotted me in the crowd and, "Hey, you look like the head of a zit in here!"
Brokenlink
Well-known member
I saw Richard Pryor there.
I don't know if you are joking around or not.
I remember an acquaintance went off the deep end when he was getting divorced, and someone said, "Of course he's going to drink."
We didn't know if drinking was the cause of his divorce, but drinking didn't solve his personal issues. Eventually this acquaintance got sober and is very happy now.
Yes it sucks when you lose your personal possessions in a divorce, but Somerville is in misery and gone to jail multiple times. It doesn't matter if the causes of his addiction was work stress, his wife or the divorce and unemployment. He needs to process this in a sober fashion or he will continue to have major problems.
NorCalBusa
Member #294
Many times. Johnny Carson, Doobie Brothers, Gladys Knight, Tower of Power, Todd Rundgren, Fleetwood Mac- goes on and on. How they screwed it up and had to close eludes me.
NorCalBusa
Member #294
HappyHighwayman
It's all in the reflexes
AdamFiveFive
New member
How could Somerville attend AA meetings? He won't be anonymous. Everyone would know him. Could he use a fake name? "My name is *redacted to keep politics out of discussion", and I am an alcoholic."
Brokenlink
Well-known member
Many celebrities have gone through AA. IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A SECRET THAT HE'S AN ALCOHOLIC. Sorry caps lock got stuck.
That's the risk you run with any stand-up comic when they do crowd work. If you have thin skin, stay in the back.
Reminds me of this time I went to an open mic night down here in south OC. If y'all don't know, south Orange County is super white. The guy asked if we have any black guys in the house before his next bit. I raised my hand. He says, "No, I mean real black guys." I laughed.
Because I look like this.
AdamFiveFive
New member
I always thought that watching drunks on Channel 2 was a part of Bay Area culture. Pat McCormick. George Watson. Steve McPartlin. Brian Copeland. They were all on air while under the influence.
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The anonymity applies outside of the meetings.
An AA attendee bares his soul and the intimate details of his life, and the other attendees listen without judgment and don't share what they hear.
A55, I'm assuming you're not being intentionally obtuse about this.
Agreed with Mr. Sanj
The idea that you couldn't be a part of an AA group because they know who you are is a weird thought. If you follow that, even your city's mayor couldn't go to AA.
Never been to an AA but have been to anger management groups. I've talked with many people that have been in AA. Seems very similar. No one gives a flying fuck what you did and how you got here. Well they do and where do you go from here to be better, but the point is not about dwelling on the past and more about moving forward.
Frank can attend all the support group meetings wanted or needed. Who he is as a person many recognize, if at all, won't be and shouldn't be a factor.
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In the show The West Wing, there was a secret AA meeting for only Washington politicians. Publicly the meeting was called a private poker game, but they met in the White House basement guarded by a Secret Service agent.
Attendees from both parties, including the Vice President, could speak freely with their peers without fear of leaks.
In real life, there are unlisted Hollywood AA meetings which celebrities attend. The stars know their fame precedes them but they wouldn't go if their stories were going to be leaked to the press.
And not every attendee speaks, so someone famous could go to an open meeting and keep his secrets to himself. But for Somerville, when he first gets sober, he might want a more discrete meeting.
Attendees from both parties, including the Vice President, could speak freely with their peers without fear of leaks.
In real life, there are unlisted Hollywood AA meetings which celebrities attend. The stars know their fame precedes them but they wouldn't go if their stories were going to be leaked to the press.
And not every attendee speaks, so someone famous could go to an open meeting and keep his secrets to himself. But for Somerville, when he first gets sober, he might want a more discrete meeting.
Bay Arean
Well-known member
I have to laugh at this despite the misfortunes of so many.
The morning weather guy NOW on KTVU really looks like he always needs a drink (Steve Paulson?). McCormick was legend
And I always wondered what the hell was going on with Radnich. People like to hate him but I always thought he kept the sports perspective where it belonged. You know, after some big loss, he would point out that nobody died and he was militant about civil rights and tried to be on the correct sides of these issues that came up in sports. Like the press pool idiot asking the player if he’d always been a black quarterback…Ol Gary would fume about that kind of thing.
What’s funny is that the legendary Dennis Richmond NEVER seemed that way. He was pretty tightly wound. I miss ol’ Dennis a lot. I got to shake his hand once at an event where he was a guest speaker. And when they replaced him with Somerville, I wasn’t amused. I would have preferred Ken Wayne or somebody else. I always figured Somerville wore the three-piece suit just so he could get that job. I mean, nobody wears banker vests anymore.
Just typin this makes me realize I have been a KTVU guy for 60 years beginning with afternoon cartoon shows (Capn Satellite with drunk Hal (or was it Bob?) March) Not sure about Romper Room, that might have been 7 . 2 had Roller Derby and Wrestling!. I remember being excited to go to Jack London Square when I was a kid because that was where they broadcast from. Of course the parents didn’t take me to studio but I was excited. Despite Fox ownership, I still like KTVU and some level of nostalgia is a part of it. Only KPIX came close to doing news like 2. KGO is still a fuckin joke with that fluffy histrionic Dan Ashley. Goin back to happy talk days, with Van and Jerry, always a joke.
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