Well this is a good thing, wouldn’t you think so? I just stumbled on this page, Jennifer Chiba’s fundraising page, who is apparently walking for this cause next week in Santa Monica, CA.http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&eventID=1032&participantID=150534
On one hand she is, of course, doing a good thing, raising money for a great cause and a serious organization.
On the other hand, she is refining her image of suicide victim, whereas we are still not sure at all of what happened 7 years ago; and she is using the same pic of Elliott and her used in the documentary ‘Searching for Elliott Smith’ which was a little bit too kind to her according to many critics.
I’m not the one saying it, a blog I read when the documentary was released, had even entitled a post about it ‘Is Gil Reyes Banging Jennifer Chiba?’ (Gil Reyes being the director of the documentary). This is what this blogger had to say after having attended a screening of the movie:
‘Reyes interviews with her were handled pretty well, but any points that may have garnered for the film were pretty much ruined by a Michael-Moore-esque stunt Reyes included at the end to “disprove” a 2004 police report saying Chiba refused to talk to detectives. Reyes and Chiba show up unannounced, cameras rolling, at the L.A. police precinct years later, brandishing the original report and asking to talk to a detective. The police sergeants are thoroughly confused, and ask Reyes to turn off his camera. This is offered as some sort of proof that their allegations against Chiba were all wrong.
Asked after the film why Reyes wanted to make this movie, he could offer no personal connection to Smith or motivation other than clearing Chiba’s name.’
And this blog was only one among many others joining the same choir.
So, just like this documentary, is this walk about suicide prevention more about her than about Elliott? More about getting once again the attention as a suicide victim than putting the attention on a good cause?