Putting the drugs before the tragedy.

As I'm sure you know, Heath Ledger died. And you probably know this because it's a top headline. Which, with everything else going on in the world, should not be. And worse, that headline leads to an ongoing, frequently updated story full of shoddy reporting, speculation and all around bullshit.

For the record, I liked Ledger's work. I thought he was great in both "Monster's Ball," and "Brokeback Mountain." And when I heard stories about him skipping around Brooklyn with his young daughter, I found myself crushing a little.

But instead of focusing on his work and the tragedy that a little girl woke up today to learn her father was gone, everyone is focusing on three things. Naked. Drugs. Mary Kate Olsen's apartment.

I don't know if Ledger died of a drug overdose. And it may turn out that he did. But why is the AP obsessed that he was found naked? He was in his bedroom, for God's sake. If I was found in my bedroom, I'm sure the press would have a field day commenting on my stretched out bra, Cookie Monster jammies and furry mules.

And the apartment? They got that bit dead wrong. His apartment was not owned by Mary Kate or Ashley either. And what if it was? How, exactly, would it matter? If landlords are famous, are they automatically complicit in crimes now?

And as for the drugs, well, having a bottle of sleeping pills by the bed, where, shocker, you may want them if you are suffering from insomnia, apparently means you are on your way to a bad end.

It just makes me sad. Not just for the loss of Ledger but for the direction that professional journalism is heading.

Rest in peace, Heath.