Ben Cousins doco 2020

[Tugga27]

A decent article on the Doco.
Not sure if it's behind a paywall so can copy it if it's allowed.

Why I have sympathy for Ben Cousins

NoCookies | The Australian

www.theaustralian.com.au

There has been a helluva negative reaction to the Ben Cousins documentary. The selfish bastard brought it all on himself. He hasn’t changed a bit. Et cetera.
I don’t get it. I watched it on Monday and had nothing but sympathy and tears for the bloke. He’s done some deplorable things, I grant the critics that. But more power to the bloke. It’s never too late for someone to come good. Never.

 

[samFFC]

Just got to watching it tonight, and thought it was absolutely disgraceful.

Basil is bad at the best of times, but was completely out of his depth. Absolutely no clue how to interview someone with an addiction. Continually 'have you used have you used' gotcha questions, not having a psychologist or counsellor or support worker or just anybody really would have amplified Cousins' discomfort. You could see his unease throughout most of the sitting down.

This is especially egregious given the interspersed parts where he was clearly agitated (and likely being using in the previous 24hrs) such as the car rant about his ex-partner and the table rant about his dad. It's clear he wasn't/isn't clean. It's clear he needs help, and it's shockingly exploitative to keep pushing for an answer to a meaningless question.

Caro Wilson is spot on.

WTF Basil. WTF Channel 7.

 

[ChampRevesby]

A decent article on the Doco.
Not sure if it's behind a paywall so can copy it if it's allowed.

Why I have sympathy for Ben Cousins

NoCookies | The Australian

www.theaustralian.com.au

There has been a helluva negative reaction to the Ben Cousins documentary. The selfish bastard brought it all on himself. He hasn’t changed a bit. Et cetera.
I don’t get it. I watched it on Monday and had nothing but sympathy and tears for the bloke. He’s done some deplorable things, I grant the critics that. But more power to the bloke. It’s never too late for someone to come good. Never.

It's a strange one, you can treat that as a choice or an illness depending on the context of events and situations. In the case of Ben, he was mixing with some shady blokes back in the day doing all sorts of stupid shit. he's made some terrible life decisions that I don't think he can or wants to shake. I like to remember pre 2007 footy hero Ben Cousins not post 2007 Ben who is a shell. But I wish him well.

 

[Dark Sharks]

Here are some stray thoughts

• Sack Worsfeld

• Amazing, yet not at all surprising how Benny's gone from intelligent and charismatic. to sounding the exact same as literally any junkie from Mandurah or Ellenbrook. Bloke could barely string a sentence together. 10 years since he was last in front of the camera, hitting the glass barbie hard can do that i guess.

• What happened to Basil interviewing his old man? Didn't they do a cutaway showing his old man, and Basil literally driving to the meeting, saying Bryan was happy to catch up, and didn't mind if the camera's were on etc? And then that led to absolutely **** all. No interview or chat with Bryan whatsoever.

• There was basically no new content. Rehashing and replaying old footage from the original SIL documentary a decade ago filled a good half the program, dragging out a channel 7 media darling like Irene to get her JUICY thoughts and fill in another 15 minutes, a 60 second segway with Fyfe and Benny playing tennis, with Fyfe offering next to nothing. I'm not even sure why he was in it at all. The rest of the program was rounded at with 5 minutes of actual interview, some footage with Nicnat, and a drugs counselor providing additional commentary from god knows where.

That's it. How was this shit ever allowed to make it to prime time TV?




People should be roasting Channel 7 and Basil the stupid kent, over how this was just such a NOTHING program. It didn't need to be made, it provided absolutely nothing other than putting a known drug addict in the national spotlight for the country to pass judgement on yet again. That's it.



Perhaps it's all a ruse, that the program was 'supposed' to make it look like things are absolutely dire and have everyone right off Cousins (like most have) only for him to rise like a Phoenix out of the ashes in X amount of years for the part II installment? The 'real' redemption story.

This was essentially the final straw, and i feel most now think he's a complete write off.

Probably clutching at straws, but maybe it's not as bad as they made it seem, and he is actually on track to regain control of his life, they just didn't show it.



Fold

 

[BlueandGoldforever]

What was Basil's reply in The West today? I refuse to pay for a subscription to that publication, which ironically, is the most expensive in the country.

 

[Chris_6678]

As much as this was nothing new for Ben but this is a stark reminder of what getting on the glass barbie does in the long term. I liked how they spliced him in his first doco to this one as it really showed much he has changed for the worse.

I mean maybe that was what the point of the documentary was? Not to show he is changing his ways but showing how bad it really is no matter how much of a good life you had before hand.

The Fyfe bit was the worst part and was not needed.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Didn't bother watching. What's the point?

 

[samFFC]

As much as this was nothing new for Ben but this is a stark reminder of what getting on the glass barbie does in the long term. I liked how they spliced him in his first doco to this one as it really showed much he has changed for the worse.

I mean maybe that was what the point of the documentary was? Not to show he is changing his ways but showing how bad it really is no matter how much of a good life you had before hand.

The Fyfe bit was the worst part and was not needed.

Perhaps, but then what is the benefit to Cousins? It's clear he hasn't 'come clean', and he wasn't being psychologically supported through Basil's line of questioning as a non-professional.

 

[2006_Eagles]

Perhaps, but then what is the benefit to Cousins? It's clear he hasn't 'come clean', and he wasn't being psychologically supported through Basil's line of questioning as a non-professional.

Money went to fund his lawyers

 

[samFFC]

Money went to fund his lawyers

Somewhat coercive from ch7 then no?

 

[2006_Eagles]

Somewhat coercive from ch7 then no?

I heard Ben approached 7

 

[samFFC]

I heard Ben approached 7

Fair. But doesn't mean they weren't coercive.

 

[Numero Uno]

Fair. But doesn't mean they weren't coercive.

maybe you should get Bellend to invent a mental illness for him

 

[samFFC]

maybe you should get Bellend to invent a mental illness for him

 

[le filma noir]

We can only hope that 7West Media and its debt pile is sold to someone who will put Zemplis to work at his level. I suggest weather man.

 

[Luuuc]

He's trying to get into politics, right? I hope he succeeds.
Sick of him dragging down a sport I love. Would much rather he dragged down something I already have minimal respect for.

 

[Numero Uno]

Poor Benny
Became the leagues punching bag on drugs
Quite gauling that some members of the vic media continuously kicked him while protecting the identity of junkies playing for Victorian clubs

 

[sounda]

I mean I can understand him wanting to see his kids but maybe being a full blown addict means your visiting rights should be restricted

Interesting position you have with respect to someone suffering as terrible illness. Your response -

"So Mr Cousins you've lost everything ... well almost ... now will take your children from you. Not because there's any legal foundation for doing so but we are operating under some false moral obligation pretext BS that affords us the ability to look down on everyone."

Unbelievable.

 

[WCEforeverman]

Interesting position you have with respect to someone suffering as terrible illness. Your response -

"So Mr Cousins you've lost everything ... well almost ... now will take your children from you. Not because there's any legal foundation for doing so but we are operating under some false moral obligation pretext BS that affords us the ability to look down on everyone."

Unbelievable.

Bit of a straw man don’t you think?

 

[sounda]

Bit of a straw man don’t you think?

Well ... irrespective of seeking to debate the argument style (strawman - I think not) would you not think that advocating that someone lose access to their children is a draconian (you could look up Draco if you want to continue being a learned scholar) measure?

I would always want parents and children to be together where it is safe for all concerned. Anyway, just a different perspective.

 

[WCEforeverman]

Well ... irrespective of seeking to debate the argument style (strawman - I think not) would you not think that advocating that someone lose access to their children is a draconian (you could look up Draco if you want to continue being a learned scholar) measure?

I would always want parents and children to be together where it is safe for all concerned. Anyway, just a different perspective.

I never said he should lose access.

 

[sounda]

I never said he should lose access.

Fair enough - it's not something I want to debate anyway. What's your view on the membership money being refunded?

 

[WCEforeverman]

Fair enough - it's not something I want to debate anyway. What's your view on the membership money being refunded?

I’m lucky to be in a position where I don’t need mine back, so I am happy to leave it up to the club.

I can understand people who are either on a fixed income or who are struggling financially may need the funds back. In that case you would hope the club would come to the party.

 

[sounda]

I’m lucky to be in a position where I don’t need mine back, so I am happy to leave it up to the club.

I can understand people who are either on a fixed income or who are struggling financially who need the funds back. In that case you would hope the club would come to the party.

I'm happy to support the club as well - love being a WCE member - but our family have 6 seats in Club 87 and it costs ~$9,000 which equates to ~$800 per game. Including this weekend - we will have missed 3 home games = $2,400.

We absolutely love going to the footy and it's our major entertainment for the year. So it shits me that we can't go but losing around $800 per game is tough to swallow as well.

 

[WCEforeverman]

I'm happy to support the club as well - love being a WCE member - but our family have 6 seats in Club 87 and it costs ~$9,000 which equates to ~$800 per game. Including this weekend - we will have missed 3 home games = $2,400.

We absolutely love going to the footy and it's our major entertainment for the year. So it shits me that we can't go but losing around $800 per game is tough to swallow as well.

Understandable. That’s not a small amount.