posted
If the title of this post is a shock to you, you must not�ve turned on CNN or read a paper or listened to the news since 3pm EST today.
Upon learning that he was dead � and that pills found near the body indicate a possible accidental overdose � I quipped, �I sure hope they finished filming The Dark Knight.� Frankly, I�m having a hard time grieving for the guy. Here�s why:
It�s hard to feel sorry for rich young famous men who bring about their own self-destruction. If Ledger had been killed by a stalker, or run over by a speeding taxi or a drunk driver, or killed in a movie stunt gone wrong, then the circumstances would be different: Heath Ledger would not have brought his death upon himself, and his loved ones. But that�s exactly what he did, regardless of whether or not he abused drugs or alcohol or sleeping pills to combat feelings of isolation or sleeplessness or whatever else one feels that motivates a person to chemical dependancy and abuse.
Certainly Ledger�s death is a tragedy. It�s a tragedy for his family, and especially for his daughter, who will never know her father. But it�s a tragedy that Ledger apparently brought upon himself, if the sleeping pills found near him are any indication. Brad Renfro, who died Tuesday of last week of caused related to suspected drug abuse, brought a similar tragedy upon himself.
Abuse of chemicals involves a possibility of death. It�s hard to imagine that Ledger wasn�t aware of this possibility. Perhaps he didn�t care, or he felt whatever he needed the sleeping pills for was worth the risk. Maybe he felt that his fame or his wealth or his youth made him immortal.
If I�m going to spend my time mourning a person, I choose to mourn Zachariah Hallback, gunned down on the mean streets of Baltimore. What was his crime? What was his mistake? Why didn�t he allow inner-city life to propel him into a life of drug abuse? Poor. Not famous. His life couldn�t be more different than those of Ledger or Renfro, and yet, a week from today, Ledger�s death will still be the focus of articles around the world. Hollback�s will be the focus of no future articles, and even on the off-chance that one is written, it will most likely be published only local to Baltimore.
So Heath Ledger is dead. Sure hope they finished filming The Dark Knight.
posted
Wasn't it not an overdose but an interaction between prescriptions?
Registered: Jun 2001
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Daniel Butler
I'm a Singapore where is my boat
Member # 1689
posted
At this point, they haven't gotten a toxicology report back; no autopsy has been performed so no cause of death has been declared; the detectives' report of the crime scene hasn't been given; and just because he was found with over-the-counter sleeping pills nearby doesn't mean that's how he died. I'd refrain from casting judgment on the man until it's clear if, in fact, his death was of his own making.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
What is your problem, Jeff? I'm sorry, but that's very judgemental. Arbitrarily writing Ledger off as a waste of skin and some sort of "sinner" because sleeping pills where involved, when you admit your knowledge of the case is sketchy at best (which it still is to 99.9999999999999% of the world), and hypothesising about his "probable" delusions of grandeur?
Do you feel the same contempt over Marilyn Monroe, Bruce Lee and Jimi Hendrix? That they're all a bunch of assholes?
This was the first I heard of Ledger's death and it was sad to have the first news of this come out like "Sure whatever ok listen up he's dead but don't you guys grieve him, I'm sure he doesn't deserve it, at least I think so."
I don't even see how Heath Ledger is important enough to you that you chose to post this dishonoring rant.
I didn't hear you lay into Hunter S. Thompson three years ago, and that guy did more damage with his death than Ledger ever could. No, that guy died cool because he's so rock'nroll and beatnik and JohnnyDeppy and all that. Fucking wow.
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
When you, in whatever small way you are able to, and I don't include steaming pizza pies in this, deliver some kind of brightness, levity, thought or at the basest, entertainment to anyone whatsoever, then perhaps, when you die, I'd mourn you. As it stands, I'd shed more concern that I am running out of clean underwear than the cessation of your blog, or your time.
I sure as shit don't know Ledger personally, but I sure as shit know that, professionally, in the only capacity we're fit to judge, he did what he did well enough for me to care of his passing.
Ledger got to where he got to and that's more than you and I can say.
Registered: Oct 1999
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He was dealing with pneumonia. We won't know the results of the autopsy until next week. Odds are, it was an unfortunate interaction between his antibiotics and sleeping pills. He was in the middle of filming a movie. Dark Knight is in post. His next film was in pre-production. I honestly dont' think it was intentional, but we'll see.
--Jonah
-------------------- "That's what I like about these high school girls, I keep getting older, they stay the same age."
--David "Woody" Wooderson, Dazed and Confused
Registered: Feb 2001
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When I heard about his death, the first thought in my mind was "I sure hope they finish filming THe Dark Knight." And then I thought, "Why was this the first thing into my mind?"
So, when I thought about it, I came up with the above. I'll admit the post is judgemental and harsh, but I write a blog. My writing focuses on ME -- what I think, why I think it. That's what this post is: what I think and why I think it about Heath Ledger's death.
I'm not going to mourn him. He's got a whole world clamoring to do that. I feel sorry for his family. And I'm going to mourn Zacariah Hollback, for all the good it'll do.
quote:An autopsy on actor Heath Ledger was inconclusive, and more tests are needed, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office said.
A spokeswoman for the office, Ellen Borakove, said Wednesday that it will take about 10 days to complete the investigation.
So we won't know anything for a while.
Another interesting thing I found:
quote:WJW FOX 8 News in Cleveland interviewed Ledger in Nov. 2007 when he was promoting "I'm Not There." In the interview, he told FOX: "Being a dad changes your perspective � I don't want to die young."
posted
This is why I hate blogs. There's nothing like reading the self-indulgent rants of some jerk who so desperately wants other people to know about his or her life that they feel the need to document every waking moment of it on the internet.
P.S. The above comment was aimed at bloggers in general, not you personally, Jeff. Although if it was, I'm sure you could take it. You certainly seem to have no trouble dishing it out...
-------------------- "A film made in 2008 isn't going to look like a TV series from 1966 if it wants to make any money. As long as the characters act the same way, and the spirit of the story remains the same then it's "real" Star Trek. Everything else is window dressing." -StCoop
Registered: Jun 2000
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Daniel Butler
I'm a Singapore where is my boat
Member # 1689
posted
Meh, I'm in fair agreement. I like blogs like Boing Boing which are basically just lists of sites and stuff they find, but I don't like blogs that are long opinion pieces. "Rants" is indeed a better term. I also really really hate those Xanga-type blogs mostly written by angsty teenagers where they chronicle every zit they pop for some imagined audience of enthralled readers.
Registered: Jul 2005
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Teh PW
Self Impossed Exile (This Space for rent)
Member # 1203
posted
At first, i'm inclined to agree with Snay. usually i don't care about deaths in the entertainment industry, unless it was someone i liked or i knew actually did good things with thier time (if Paris Hilton died suddenly, i'd cheer just because she's the perfect example of what's a waste of effort). basically the folks with good morals or at least a lick of common sence.
but sometimes, sometimes i'm less cynical and more kind to such events. but again, it boils down to how important i viewed that person. did he/she do well with thier time? or were they total fuck-tards showing thier pierced asses on People Magazine?
really doesn't matter what we here think, at all. It's his family that will grieve the most. At least he did have a child and hopefully she will be well cared for...
posted
I rather like blogs that are opinion pieces, as long as they are intelligent. I also like blogs that are windows into other people's lives, if they are people I know. The nice thing about the Internet is, nobody can force you to read something you don't want to, so it's quite a waste of time to complain about the existence of something you don't like reading.
As for Heath Ledger, when I read the news yesterday, they just said it was drug-related, so I was rather cynical about it. But if it were an accidental mix of the wrong drugs, that would indeed be sadder. I don't really "mourn" actors, but I acknowledge that he was a good one, and I really need to finish watching Brokeback Mountain.
P.S. I'm glad they did finish shooting Dark Knight. Looking forward to it.
Registered: Mar 1999
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