A Punch In the Gut

Alright. Tell the truth.

When the news broke today that Kiefer Sutherland was arrested for DUI, how many of you immediately thought of me?

That’s what I thought. Because everyone who knows me knows that I have nothing but love for Kiefer. Even when he does really stupid things like he did early this morning...

So I know that all of you are waiting to hear what I have to say about it. The only problem is I don’t really know what to say.

What is it about celebrities that make us pull them into our lives and think about them like they’re our friends and family? When they hurt, we hurt. When they’re happy, we’re happy. And when they disappoint us, it feels like a punch in the gut…

Let me just cut through the crap here. Kiefer Sutherland is going to jail. And he deserves to go. He drove while intoxicated—a bad enough offense on its own—which was a violation of his probation. The minimum sentence is five days, but he could end up with a lot more (He's due in court next month.).

And yes, it does feel like someone punched me in the stomach. I really thought that maybe Kiefer was past all of this, but this shows that he isn't after all.

So let me cut through some more crap. Kiefer Sutherland has a problem and he needs to take care of it before someone—maybe him—gets seriously hurt or worse.

After all, this is a guy who got drunk and tackled a Christmas tree because he thought it was funny. This is a guy who got drunk and tried to join a male revue. This is a guy who got drunk and mooned a crowd of people before taking a seat in a booth with his pants and underwear around his ankles.

See a pattern here?

As I said, I’ve still got nothing but love for Kiefer, but he’s needed help for a long time and I really hope some time in jail will finally push him to get it.

The problem, of course, is what all this means for “24.” No doubt, it will mean more production delays since the star of the show will be in jail (unless they convince the judge to delay his time until the summer or during the Christmas break). And if Kiefer finally does get the help he needs, it could mean even more delays.

And I honestly hope that happens. Because as much as I love “24,” I love Kiefer more.
And I want him to still be around when the show finally ends…

I guess I figured out something to say after all, didn’t I?...