Heath Ledger is dead

[charliepanayi]

Actor Heath Ledger found dead - CNN.com (http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/22/heath.ledger.dead/index.html)

Awful news :(

[Captain Maxx Power]

Bloody hell this is extremely strange. I didn't even know he had heart problems. That would make The Dark Knight his last film now. Rather depressing news.

[oddler]

Yes. Definitely a surprise.

[Bahamut2000X]

That's sad news to hear. And he just got done playing The Joker in Dark Knight too. :(

[Miriel]

I'm absolutely horrified by the news.

I thought he was amazing in Brokeback Mountain... and omg, he has a 2 year old baby. And he's freakin' 28. :( :(

[Roto13]

I was expecting to click on this thread and see a noobish "omg lol just kidding" followed by a completely unrelated topic.

This is certainly very sad. I think I would have preferred the n00b joke.

[JKTrix]

Holy crap.

It doesn't say anything about Heart Problems though, just a suspected OD.

[oddler]

The page linked states a death from cardiac problems.

Edit: Uhh... the page has been updated with overdose being a suspect cause. My mistake.

[KentaRawr!]

I've heard of the mentioned movie, though this is my first time hearing the man's name. Even so, news of any death is always saddening news.

[Yamaneko]

I already saw the first posthumous meme. I will spare you guys the details.

[Shiny]

Whoa. I am shocked to be honest. Usually when I find out a celebrity is dead I think it was probably drugs or they were just really old, but this came as quite a surprise. I was looking forward to him receiving rave reviews for his performance as The Joker, but now he won't be here to hear/read them. :(

[scrumpleberry]

Oh my god.

I thought people were taking the piss when I saw at first. That's such a terrible shame. RIP.

[Heath]

Really surprised by this. Certainly something you don't expect about a 28 year old who didn't have any known medical problems. Wow.

[Madame Adequate]

Bloody hell this is extremely strange. I didn't even know he had heart problems. That would make The Dark Knight his last film now. Rather depressing news.

Sad indeed, but if he's as good as it looks like in The Dark Knight, it'll be a hell of a note to go out on.

[DK]

When I looked at this thread, Heath was the last person who posted and it was really weird.

Anyway, gutted news, always sad when someone dies so young.

[Mirage]

Oh no.

[Fatal Impurity]

Damn I'm really peeved at this...he was awesome in "A Knight's Tale"

[XxSephirothxX]

:skull::skull::skull::skull:, I thought this was going to be a viral marketing campaign for The Dark Knight. Fucking bummer.

[Fonzie]

Today is sad. :(

[The Fat Bioware Nerd]

This is a big surprise I honestly thought Jack Nicholson would die this year because he's pretty old but Nicholson's replacement died instead.

I wonder what happens to Heath Ledger's character in The Dark Knight...Christopher Nolan will have to recast The Joker if he reappears in the sequel.

Hmmm I wonder if Jack Nicholson jinxed Heath Ledger because Nicholson was furious about not being able to play The Joker again.

[Madame Adequate]

Hmmm I wonder if Jack Nicholson jinxed Heath Ledger because Nicholson was furious about not being able to play The Joker again.

Yes, he used his voodoo powers to murder Heath Ledger. :rolleyes2

[Shiny]

People are actually thinking that Mary-Kate Olsen is involved in some sort of conspiracy revolving around his death.

[Momiji]

Ah, that's too bad.

[Dreddz]

Totally unexpected.

[Takara]

People are actually thinking that Mary-Kate Olsen is involved in some sort of conspiracy revolving around his death.

That's the internet for you.

That's really shocking. You expect these kinds of celebrity news from one of the Britneys of the world who are constantly on the news because their life is a real soap opera, not from artists who, despite being famous, try to live like ordinary people.

I feel extremely sad for his young daughter, who'll never get to know her daddy as she grows up.

RIP Heath. You'll be missed.

[Monol]

WOW...poor heath. Fine actor.

So young too :( its a damn shame

R.I.P dude

[Miriel]

I feel extremely sad for his young daughter, who'll never get to know her daddy as she grows up.


Seriously, I saw this picture posted somewhere else earlier and it stabbed me in the heart. So freakin' sad. The poor girl. :(

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/hannahgoesrawr/34yqiye.jpg

[Boney King]

This is the worst thing I have ever heard.

[Yamaneko]

Seriously, I saw this picture posted somewhere else earlier and it stabbed me in the heart. So freakin' sad. The poor girl. :(
She'll be fine.

[Del Murder]

How can someone be fine after the death of a parent?

[Roto13]

This is a big surprise I honestly thought Jack Nicholson would die this year because he's pretty old but Nicholson's replacement died instead.

I wonder what happens to Heath Ledger's character in The Dark Knight...Christopher Nolan will have to recast The Joker if he reappears in the sequel.

Hmmm I wonder if Jack Nicholson jinxed Heath Ledger because Nicholson was furious about not being able to play The Joker again.

Or maybe, just maybe, his death has abso-fricking-lutely nothing to do with Batman. I know it's a pretty crazy theory, but just think about it.

[Yamaneko]

How can someone be fine after the death of a parent?
Financially. Most kids who have lost parents don't have that kind of security.

[Madame Adequate]

Don't be a moron, Yams.

[Yamaneko]

I'm not knocking the situation, dude. I'm just saying there's no need to feel horrible for the kid. Sucks for sure, but she's too young to comprehend and her future is secure regardless.

[Rostum]

Damn, did not see that one coming. :(

[~*~Celes~*~]

ah yes, maybe Yams, but when she's 7 and wants to know where daddy is...finds out he's dead...

I know two girls who lost their father when he got in an accident. He was a semi truck driver and was on his way home from being gone for a few days on a trip and his foot slipped off the brake...he rammed into the back of another semi. Even though his one daughter was only 7, when she's 10 or so, she'll be wondering where daddy is...

[Arc_Master_14]

my friend Jacey came up to me after school and she sounded hella sad so i joked as i usually do about it saying oh did i do sumthin ahaha like an ass then she said no heath ledger died i was all... no your kidding right? then she almost started to cry cuz she like LOVES him

[Shlup]

"Hay, my daddy died, but I has monies so I cool." YAMS YOU ARE GOING TO HELL. I would totally choose my daddy over several million dollars. Up to four, then he's got to start making promises.

Yeah, it's sad. Seemed like the guy's career was on the up-and-up and all. And he was hot. It's sadder when the pretty people die.

[Ace14]

Oh wow he was so young, really like no one saw this coming. To think I was having a bad day today, now I feel bad. His little girl may be loaded, but she'll never have her dad to comfort her or hold her when she's sad. :( I guess she does have a secure future though, but still sad.

[Big D]

Usually, bad news about famous folk does not surprise me, but this one certainly did. 28 is extremely young, and as others have said it seemed that things were going pretty well for him.

The latest reports say his death was accidental - all the medication found in his apartment was prescribed to him. I can't help but wonder if that makes the news harder, or easier for the people who were close to him.

Hopefully The Dark Knight will be a strong film, a good 'bookend' to a short career.

Predictably, but sickeningly, the news parasites are having the time of their lives over this - I wonder of those people have any friends outside their 'profession'?

[NeoCracker]

I think you are all missing Yam's point.

HE's saying that while it does suck, she has more than most have. A secured future thanks to her dads hard work.

Knowing ones parent went out on such a note is very reassuring to a person. Hell, knowing all my dad did for me helped me a lot. It's likely to do the same for this girl.

[Miriel]

Well I think Yamaneko is SERIOUSLY MISSING THE POINT when people express sorrow for a child who just lost a father she must have absolutely adored.

You think about it, and you feel bad and you express that sadness. Most people do that. Most people don't tell those people that they shouldn't feel bad for the kid just cause she's gonna be financially well off. That's ridiculous. That's not the point. She lost her father. Sheesh.




Predictably, but sickeningly, the news parasites are having the time of their lives over this - I wonder of those people have any friends outside their 'profession'?

This is seriously making me want to vomit. I saw earlier that TMZ was running a live feed and I wanted everyone associated with TMZ to be put in jail or something. It's disgusting that even with such a tragic event, they can't just step back and be respectful for ONE DAY. Those fucktard excuses for human beings are stooping so low that it's hard to believe that it's even allowed. That our society allows that kind of disrespect.

[Shlup]

Didn't you guys read the sign?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/ShlupQuack/hesananimal.jpg

[Calliope]

Seriously, I saw this picture posted somewhere else earlier and it stabbed me in the heart. So freakin' sad. The poor girl. :(
She'll be fine.

I agree with Stalineko. While losing a parent is tragic, I seriously doubt she'll be able to remember enough to miss much of him, outside of abstractly missing a parent purely because they aren't there. I'm sure her mother will be loving enough, and she won't have to go without food or shelter. Hell, look at Steve Irwin's kid. She was already making TV shows and crap a couple of months after he kicked it.

[Avarice-ness]

I agree with Yams. e e

Yeah granted it's hard to cope with a father who is not there, but this child will be able to cope -alot- quicker than the general fatherless child.

There are people in the world who would grow up without a dad, live with their single mother and have to get a job at 15 or earlier just to be able to keep the house that they live in. Granted not all families end up like that but...

This girl -will- cope with the death of her father, but unlike the other mass amount of fatherless children out there, she'll prolly -never- have it hard. Yeah, she won't have a father figure (unless her mother remarries or something) but she will -never- go through the hardships that 98% of kids in this situation will go through.

[Miriel]

No one in this thread even MENTIONED the idea that this girl won't be able survive and function after her father's death. Of course she will. It's not like she's gonna die from grief, she's two years old. She probably won't fully comprehend what has happened for years to come.

But to express sorrow for a child who lost her father, and then have people comment that she'll be fine cause hey, she has money, is so beyond ridiculous.

I never buy into the argument that just cause someone has it worse, that a person's pain isn't relevant. If you lose an arm, it's not so bad cause you have your legs? If you lose your legs and arms, it's no so bad cause you still have your heart and brain? She lost her father but it's not so bad cause other kids have lost both their parents? Kids who lost both their parents don't have it so bad cause they got left with a huge inheritance? C'mon now.

I seriously hope that after you people lose a loved one, someone doesn't tell you it's ok cause they have you down in their will for 100k. Such a slap in the face.

Just cause a person is likely to cope with death and eventually move on with their lives, doesn't make the loss of a father, sibling, child, friend any less sad.

[Avarice-ness]

If you lose an arm, it's not so bad cause you have your legs? If you lose your legs and arms, it's no so bad cause you still have your heart and brain?

Most people stay opptimistic and go "Yeah I don't have an arm and a leg, but atleast I'm not dead".

We're not saying that she's not going to feel anything, she is once she can comprehend anything that's even going on around her. It's anyone's right and ability to feel greif.

But you honestly can't say she's a special case. Granted this whole argument started over feeling sorry for her, still, many people have lost their parents at a young age.

My brother in laws father commited Suicide (shot himself) when he was only 3, my brother in law has no memories of his dad and he had a rough life in the literal ghetto, but his father's death wasn't something that he really had to deal with because it happened before he had any memories, yeah he was sad because he never got to have any memories of him but life without a father is how he lived and became conditioned to it.

People take things differently, this morning at work some lady was in "awe" that I wasn't hurt to bad by my parents divorce and him moving away for 8 years. Why wasn't I hurt, because the age of 1 to 13 my dad was off for half the year anyway, so in my mind it wasn't anything different, when I saw him it was just like when he'd come back for break. She said her son was completely broken because his father was always around and then after the divorce the kids may see him once a year. I saw my dad once a year for a month or so too when my parents where together, when they were divorced, same thing.

I was conditioned to it already so it didn't hurt as bad as it did other people.

If somethings all you know, then the pain of losing something you've never known will be dramatically less than the pain of losing something you've known your entire life.

[Jiro]

I feel sorry for his family. His daughter is going to grow up without her father's love. That's going to be tough.
I'm still extremely shocked. No one saw that coming, not at that age. And especially because he wasn't the bad type of celebrity.
RIP.

[Calliope]

If somethings all you know, then the pain of losing something you've never known will be dramatically less than the pain of losing something you've known your entire life.

Exactly. Calm down, Miriel.

[Miriel]

But you honestly can't say she's a special case. Granted this whole argument started over feeling sorry for her, still, many people have lost their parents at a young age.


No one said she was a special case. No one said that other people don't lose loved ones. :confused:

Person dies. Person had a child. People say, "omg, I feel so bad for the kid". There's really not more to it. This isn't about other people. This isn't about other people who lose their parents or how other people cope with grief or anything like that.

It's really really simple. Heath Ledger died. He leaves behind a 2 year old daughter. It is sad news.

Calliope, who isn't calm? Seriously, you guys keep making it about more than it is. Read the posts. Everyone who expressed condolences and sympathy for the family and for the daughter didn't expand any of their comments beyond a simple expression of sadness at an untimely death. This isn't about the politics of death, finances, what other children around the world suffer. Guy dies. Guy has a family. People feel bad for the family. It's only natural. I honestly feel like you guys are taking something really natural (death = sad) and veering it off to a bunch of other topics that aren't really relevant right now.

[Yamaneko]

I didn't expand my initial post either. She'll be fine. Part of that being fine has to do with being financially secure and very young. Simple.

I didn't mean to imply you shouldn't express whatever feelings you want to express on the matter and I apologize for that.

[Calliope]

Miriel, I find it giggletastic when referring to people by their screennames.

We can't help making it more than it is. This isn't Joe Bloggs leaving his daughter to social welfare, this is someone with substantially more influence and wealth than most people will ever have.

*shrug*

[Rase]

The first thing I asked when hearing this was if "The Dark Knight" was in post. This was also the first thing about 95% of the people I told asked.

Anyway, yes, quite unexpected and sad. I was half sure my friend was lying when he told me on the phone.

[Nominus Experse]

Such a shame, really. I especially liked him in Brokeback Mountain.

This last year seems to be some sort of celebrity holocaust..

[Ichimonji]

That's horrible. He was so young, it really is a shame.

[Polaris]

My bro told me while we were talking on msn! At first I thought he was joking but then I went to msn news and it was true! I wasn't expecting it, not at all since he had a little kid! :(

[Loony BoB]

Last week a young father died in a car crash on Kamehameha Highway.

On Saturday, a 33 year old father-to-be also died while on his way home.

Chances are, a few young fathers died today. Possibly thousands, maybe even millions - I'm not sure how many young fathers actually do die each day, but I'm sure it's a very large amount.

But let's talk about the important death of the guy we recognise that may well have intentionally caused his own death instead, because he's worth mourning over because we, er, saw him in that movie.

Relatively speaking, the young girl will certainly be fine. Better now than five years later, anyway. We honestly don't even know if he was a good father. Sure, they'll say it and a lot of us will believe it, but we won't KNOW it. We certainly have no idea how good a father he would have been later on. I mean, Britney is seen playing with happy kids but I sure as hell wouldn't call her a good mum.

[snacks]

It doesn't seem like there's alot we do know about him. In fact I hardly knew of any personal life at all, and this article and talk of a little child is sad.

I did like him in Brokeback, but before that I'd really never heard of him.

[escobert]

I thought he was a good actor and seemed to be a decent guy. I really know nothing of his personal life but did enjoy his movies. It was a shock to see it was him. When I read the name it didn't click and I thought another 80's hair band singer OD'd on coke.

[edczxcvbnm]

Why is this news? Someone died. Lots of people died. Unless he was a great philanthropier then why should I really care? The only thing I am remotely concerned about with this is if they need to do a reshoot for the next batman movie.

[Captain Maxx Power]

Why is this news? Someone died. Lots of people died. Unless he was a great philanthropier then why should I really care? The only thing I am remotely concerned about with this is if they need to do a reshoot for the next batman movie.

How wonderfully heartless of you.

[cloud21zidane16]

It came up as breaking news at the end of news report i was watching, poor guy, what a shame:(

[Cookie]

"We, [Heath's family], confirm the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda, who was found in a peaceful sleep in his New York apartment by his housekeeper at 3:30pm [New York Time]. We would like to thank our friends and everyone around the world for their kind wishes at this time. Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life, but few had the pleasure to truly know him. He was a down-to-earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving and unselfish individual who was an extreme inspiration to many. Please now respect our family's need to grieve and come to terms with our loss privately."

Leading on from what BoB said, this is the only part I find sad; that because he's famous, the whole world has to know. I'm sure lots of great people died that don't get a special mention, not that I think it's anybody's business other than loved ones. His family are going to be constantly reminded that he's dead, it's pretty awful.

[Burtsplurt]

He was very young. Seemed to be a decent guy from what I've seen of him, and Brokeback was a really good performance. RIP.


Last week a young father died in a car crash on Kamehameha Highway.

On Saturday, a 33 year old father-to-be also died while on his way home.

Chances are, a few young fathers died today. Possibly thousands, maybe even millions - I'm not sure how many young fathers actually do die each day, but I'm sure it's a very large amount.

But let's talk about the important death of the guy we recognise that may well have intentionally caused his own death instead, because he's worth mourning over because we, er, saw him in that movie.


I don't think anyone is even making the point that somehow his death is more important than anyone else's. I'd feel sympathy for pretty much anyone who passed away, even more so if they have children. The difference is we often don't get to hear about them. I watched the news last night about a bunch of people I've never heard of dying and it made me sad. Most people are probably the same. So if I express regret over a celebrity dying, what's the difference?

Some people seem to be a bit inhuman over this. Not to mention self-righteous.

[edczxcvbnm]

Why is this news? Someone died. Lots of people died. Unless he was a great philanthropier then why should I really care? The only thing I am remotely concerned about with this is if they need to do a reshoot for the next batman movie.

How wonderfully heartless of you.

Sorry that I don't have the time or emotional energy to pour through the obituaries to care and talk about the greatness of the many decent people that die everyday that I really know nothing about.

This just in. Joe Somebody died today of an apparent heart attack. He was said to be a good father and has 3 kids all under the age of 4.

I could keep going with the made up story but I think I made my point. To me Heath is just as important as Joe Somebody and since this happens all the time, I really can't be bothered to care for this one individual that seemed to be well off.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

But let's talk about the important death of the guy we recognise that may well have intentionally caused his own death instead, because he's worth mourning over because we, er, saw him in that movie.Heath Ledger was an artist who enriched the lives of myriads of individuals through his performances. It's only natural that members of said myriads would mourn him sooner than they would any stranger with whom they never shared any connection at all. Please don't let your crass New Zealand-Australia enmity cloud your sight of this.

[MKusanagi]

I enjoyed his work. It's a tremendous loss to the acting field.

[Serapy]

That's sad :( I truly enjoyed his performances. I wish the best of luck all to his family.

R.I.P


Sorry that I don't have the time or emotional energy to pour through the obituaries to care and talk about the greatness of the many decent people that die everyday that I really know nothing about.

This just in. Joe Somebody died today of an apparent heart attack. He was said to be a good father and has 3 kids all under the age of 4.

I could keep going with the made up story but I think I made my point. To me Heath is just as important as Joe Somebody and since this happens all the time, I really can't be bothered to care for this one individual that seemed to be well off.

But if you felt that way then there's no good reason for you to post in this thread.

[Captain Maxx Power]

Sorry that I don't have the time or emotional energy to pour through the obituaries to care and talk about the greatness of the many decent people that die everyday that I really know nothing about.

This just in. Joe Somebody died today of an apparent heart attack. He was said to be a good father and has 3 kids all under the age of 4.

I could keep going with the made up story but I think I made my point. To me Heath is just as important as Joe Somebody and since this happens all the time, I really can't be bothered to care for this one individual that seemed to be well off.

It's not about emotional energy mate, it's about not being a complete jackass and going "He died? Crap, now I can't get to watch the new Batman movie!". I'm not saying you should go to the rooftops and stare wistfully into the distance for an undisclosed amount of time, I'm just asking you to have at least a crumb of respect. Yes people die everyday, but there's more personal significance in someone such as Heath Ledger due to his activities (Brokeback Mountain probably being the most significant to many people). People can feel bad about someone they knew vicariously from film and media even if they never knew them personally. You can think "So what?" if you like but there's such a thing as decorum.

[escobert]

Why is this news? Someone died. Lots of people died. Unless he was a great philanthropier then why should I really care? The only thing I am remotely concerned about with this is if they need to do a reshoot for the next batman movie.

How wonderfully heartless of you.

Sorry that I don't have the time or emotional energy to pour through the obituaries to care and talk about the greatness of the many decent people that die everyday that I really know nothing about.

This just in. Joe Somebody died today of an apparent heart attack. He was said to be a good father and has 3 kids all under the age of 4.

I could keep going with the made up story but I think I made my point. To me Heath is just as important as Joe Somebody and since this happens all the time, I really can't be bothered to care for this one individual that seemed to be well off.
So is Brett Favre died tomorrow you wouldn't give tow :skull::skull::skull::skull:s eh?

[Breine]

I was personally very shocked when I heard the news on the radio this afternoon. It's still pretty hard to believe, and for some reason I haven't been able to forget about his death all day. It just pops up in my mind every now and then, and I remember how much I actually like and respect his work as an actor. He was actually a brilliant talent, just look at Brokeback Mountain. - it's really sad that he had to die, and it's truly a shame as well.

I guess all the good ones die young..

[Bunny]

Guys, he's the Joker. It's a joke.

[Serapy]

I heard he's finished acting in The Dark Knight. I can't wait to watch it when it comes out. A very strange feeling, isn't it? It's like he died yesterday and the movie with his alive body is out in July 2008.

[Madame Adequate]

Guys, he's the Joker. It's a joke.

Why so serious?

[Tallulah]

Guys, he's the Joker. It's a joke.

I only wish it were. :(

I heard the news this morning when I got up; Chris Moyles (on Radio One) was talking about it, and as he is notorious for wind-ups I didn't believe it at first, but he sounded really serious, for once.

This is a terrible loss. I must admit, I thought he was brilliant in Brokeback Mountain, and count Ten Things I Hate About You amongst one of my favourite films.

He will be sadly missed...

[Araciel]

He was a good actor.

[Bunny]

Guys, he's the Joker. It's a joke.

Why so serious?

Death is serious business.

[BardTard]

The Westboro Baptist church is a bunch of bible thumbers who go around saying "god hates fags" and picket and throw rocks at funerals.They are going to picket heath ledgers funeral because he played one of the cowboys in brokeback mountain.


That's crappy behavior. I hope people treat them in kind when they die.

And that is very sad :(

[Boney King]

Wait, GodHatesFags.com isn't a joke?! All this time I thought it was one of those satirical websites like WhiteHouse.org or The Onion.

[NeoCracker]

No Boney, that site is not a Joke. Saddly.

Second, I quite agree with Kishi.

I mean a guy down the street dies. Sad, but I"m not affected.

Heath, on the other hand, has been making people across the world happy for a long time. He's brought a small bit of joy into a countless number of people.

Yes, I am far more sad that Heath has died then I am for a random guy down the street.

[Avarice-ness]

Access Hollywood (http://www.accesshollywood.com/article/8129/White-House-Postpones-Anti-Drug-Campaign-After-Ledger-Death/)

So because heath ledger died from perscription meds, Bush decided to STOP his anti-drug campaign.

Apparently, the best way to stop saving people from overdoses is by stopping all anti-drug campaigns aimed at perscription drug abuse when someone dies from drug overdoses.

[NeoCracker]

Access Hollywood (http://www.accesshollywood.com/article/8129/White-House-Postpones-Anti-Drug-Campaign-After-Ledger-Death/)

So because heath ledger died from perscription meds, Bush decided to STOP his anti-drug campaign.

Apparently, the best way to stop saving people from overdoses is by stopping all anti-drug campaigns aimed at perscription drug abuse when someone dies from drug overdoses.

Actually Ava, they only said it was getting postponed, which sickens me even more then what you suggested.

Why would they postpone this unless they intended to use the Autopsy report in their speech?

I mean they are planning ways to use him before an autopsy is even given. This tactic is just as bad as the normal Media. (Mind you, if it's postponed because bush is actually stunned by this event, then this argument really has no bearing.)

[Avarice-ness]

Access Hollywood (http://www.accesshollywood.com/article/8129/White-House-Postpones-Anti-Drug-Campaign-After-Ledger-Death/)

So because heath ledger died from perscription meds, Bush decided to STOP his anti-drug campaign.

Apparently, the best way to stop saving people from overdoses is by stopping all anti-drug campaigns aimed at perscription drug abuse when someone dies from drug overdoses.

Actually Ava, they only said it was getting postponed, which sickens me even more then what you suggested.

Why would they postpone this unless they intended to use the Autopsy report in their speech?

I mean they are planning ways to use him before an autopsy is even given. This tactic is just as bad as the normal Media. (Mind you, if it's postponed because bush is actually stunned by this event, then this argument really has no bearing.)

Yeah, With me postpone tends to mean stop because if it doesn't happen't in the next two days I'll completely forget it ever existed. :D

But~ They also said they didn't want to much attention basically (They didn't want to seem "opportunistic in highlighting the issue"), so they did this.

Personally I wouldn't have associated an anti-perscription drug abuse campaign with heath ledgers death at all. It would have been just another anti-drug campaign that's become the norm.

I actually saw this on my local news then decided to look it up. The attention that Bush and Ledger is getting now is -way- more than the attention Ledger would have got if Bush didn't decide to "not be opportunistic".

[Big D]

We don't know yet whether or not he abused prescription drugs, anyway. An accidental fatal overdose is a very real possibility with a lot of strong medications; if Ledger was recovering from pneumonia as some reports suggest, then he'd be even more susceptible.

[Avarice-ness]

We don't know yet whether or not he abused prescription drugs, anyway. An accidental fatal overdose is a very real possibility with a lot of strong medications; if Ledger was recovering from pneumonia as some reports suggest, then he'd be even more susceptible.

It was said that Xanax and Vallium was found.

He may have had a severe anxiety disorder (hence two very strong anxiety meds) that no one knew about and something triggered an episode to where he felt he needed both the meds.

Really it's the only thing that makes sense, but either way there should be no reason that anti-prescription drug abuse campaigns were postponed if Ledger truly had a severe mental disorder that caused him to feel his only relief was in his meds.

[The Devil]

<!--Well thats one that went to hell. Suicide = Bad in god's eyes. Dont you just hate that guy?-->
The gimmick stops when you broach a serious subject. Consider this your first official warning. -- foa

[Markus. D]

It was unexpected... o_o...

[Levian]

Last week a young father died in a car crash on Kamehameha Highway.

On Saturday, a 33 year old father-to-be also died while on his way home.

Chances are, a few young fathers died today. Possibly thousands, maybe even millions - I'm not sure how many young fathers actually do die each day, but I'm sure it's a very large amount.

But let's talk about the important death of the guy we recognise that may well have intentionally caused his own death instead, because he's worth mourning over because we, er, saw him in that movie.

Eh, just seems wrong to me. We shouldn't mourn this guy because some other guys died more tragically? But doesn't that mean we shouldn't mourn those guys again because there's some other guys that died even more tragically than the other guys? I'm willing to bet there's someone with an even more tragic story than those guys too. Looks like we'll never be able to justify one person's mourning then. ;) But yeah, some deaths are more important to some people, while other deaths are more important to other people, that's the way it goes. As for what deaths are more important to the media is obviously decided by fame.


Relatively speaking, the young girl will certainly be fine. Better now than five years later, anyway. We honestly don't even know if he was a good father. Sure, they'll say it and a lot of us will believe it, but we won't KNOW it. We certainly have no idea how good a father he would have been later on. I mean, Britney is seen playing with happy kids but I sure as hell wouldn't call her a good mum.

Cynical, aren't we? ;) Same thing can be said about any dad really. A good dad today isn't necessarily a good dad in 5 years. It works both ways too, a bad dad can turn into a good one. It's unpredictable, so there's not really any point in speculating if someone would be a bad dad or not. It's just that when they die it's better to say they'd make a good one than a bad one, probably. The best thing for those who didn't know him personally would probably be to not mention it at all, but stuff happen.

Surprising news, only seen him in 10 things I hate about you, but good movie.

[Loony BoB]

Eh, just seems wrong to me. We shouldn't mourn this guy because some other guys died more tragically? But doesn't that mean we shouldn't mourn those guys again because there's some other guys that died even more tragically than the other guys?
I don't mourn for anyone unless I have good reason to. People do die every day and I've accepted that. Sometimes they'll just happen to be famous but that won't make any difference to me - once you come down to it, I didn't know them on any personal level whatsoever. I'm not bothered if people are sad that they won't get to experience his acting in future films. I'm bothered that it's considered front page news. I'm also bothered that when Heath dies (I think about the Welsh version every time I say that name, which makes this thread very weird to me), it's such a big deal, but when other people die that are famous, it isn't as big a deal. If it's because he was so young and therefore it's shocking, then I suppose I can understand people talking about how shocking it is, but not how sad they are. Maybe some people just have a little too much empathy.

I'm willing to bet there's someone with an even more tragic story than those guys too.
For sure. I mean, there was a dude that died on the pitch in front of thousands of fans recently. Not the first time that's happened to a famous footballer, either. I find that to be shocking for sure. x_x ...didn't make the front page news though. Even in his home country - it was massively talked about at the time but it wasn't on the front page.

But yeah, some deaths are more important to some people, while other deaths are more important to other people, that's the way it goes.
This is very true.

As for what deaths are more important to the media is obviously decided by fame.
This is somewhat true as well. I would probably appreciate the whole tragedy of the event if I didn't feel it was just made front page news because they figured the masses would be suckered into reading the papers or watching the TV channel. But to me the only reason this is being done on such a large scale is because the media know they can profit from a celebrity death, especially a relatively young one. I'm the kind of person that thinks celebrities should be able to live their lives without constant photographs and all that. There is no way that it should be headlining. It should be a few pages back, to show respect by not making it a way to sell papers.


Cynical, aren't we? ;) Same thing can be said about any dad really. A good dad today isn't necessarily a good dad in 5 years. It works both ways too, a bad dad can turn into a good one. It's unpredictable, so there's not really any point in speculating if someone would be a bad dad or not. It's just that when they die it's better to say they'd make a good one than a bad one, probably. The best thing for those who didn't know him personally would probably be to not mention it at all, but stuff happen.
Yeah, that's all true. But the main point is that I strongly agree that she will be fine, as growing up without a Dad is likely much easier than growing up with a Dad just to have him taken away from you at an age where you understand things much better, such as the ages around seven to ten. That's just my theory, but I'm fairly certain it's the right one.

Of course, it would be better still to grow up with a Dad who doesn't die, certainly. I would just be much, much more concerned with the friends and family that will understand the death rather than the young'n.

I do admit that I am being cynical but I just think it's preposterous that Heath Ledger's death is considered headline news when there is so much going on in the world.

Oh, and I wasn't aware he was Australian until I read Kishi's post. :p

[Madame Adequate]

I don't mourn for anyone unless I have good reason to.

Nor does anyone else. Your definition of 'good reason' is simply different from other people's. I don't give much of a fig for Heath Ledger because I didn't think much of his acting, but I'll still give the nod to decorum before I start being a Bun Bun about it. On the other hand, if Iain Banks died I'd be pretty sad, because even though I didn't know him personally I did know his writing and it wasn't just a bit of fun, it's actually very important to me. Much the same can be said about various artists in various fields. You get to feel like you know someone famous through what they do, even if it's false. So feeling sad when they die is a logical consequence.


Maybe some people just have a little too much empathy.

This is probably the first time I have ever heard the idea that empathy is or can be a bad thing.


But to me the only reason this is being done on such a large scale is because the media know they can profit from a celebrity death, especially a relatively young one.

I fail to see the problem. That's what media does - it sells. Of course they're going to go with what they think will sell best.

[Loony BoB]

As I think I said previously, I disagree with the media being given the legal right to photograph and report on whatever they wish to with regards to celebrities.

[Serapy]

As I think I said previously, I disagree with the media being given the legal right to photograph and report on whatever they wish to with regards to celebrities.

Yes, there are media photos of his dead body being fled away in front of the crowds, I think it wasn't necessary for media to show those photos to the whole world. It just seems wrong.

[Loony BoB]

Yeah, that's rather rude. I also find it not only unnecessary but also insensitive to the family/friends of Heath Ledger that the media are allowed to use his death as a headline to sell their papers. I firmly believe that it's one thing to report on a death and completely another to report on it as a front page article to sell papers. I really do think it should be possible for a family to request such things not to happen, but this is the modern era we live in.

[Rocket Edge]

Very unexpected news, and very sad.

[Miriel]

On the other hand, if Iain Banks died I'd be pretty sad, because even though I didn't know him personally I did know his writing and it wasn't just a bit of fun, it's actually very important to me. Much the same can be said about various artists in various fields. You get to feel like you know someone famous through what they do, even if it's false. So feeling sad when they die is a logical consequence.

Yeah, I actually cried when I heard about Kurt Vonnegut's death. Did I know him, was he a friend, was I ever even in the same room as him? Nope. But his work changed the way I look at life. And to me, the passing of someone who I considered to be a genius was very very sad. But virtually no one around me gave a damn when news broke of his death. But I get it. Different people care about different things. I cried over Kurt Vonnegut but not Heath Ledger, and there are some people who will cry over Heath Ledger but not Britney Spears, and then there are people who HAVE cried over Britney Spears.

It's silly to think that one can only be sad about death if it strikes someone close to us. I was never a huge fan of Heath. But his performance in Brokeback Mountain was one of the most astonishing performances I have ever seen on film. EVER. It was captivating and startling. It was a work of art. And I have no doubt in my mind, that through that one performance, Ledger must have influenced dozens, hundreds, thousands of lives for the better. The loss of such a talent is a shame, no matter what.

[Loony BoB]

I still think that movie was pretty boring, but like most people who dislike the movie, I'm obviously a homophobe. Actually, I am (although not if you use the commonly known definition), but that "if you don't like Brokeback then you're a homophobe" is ANOTHER thing that bugs me and I won't even start. :D

Either way, I'm over this whole thing because today's front page was a bit more fitting and hooyay.

[Germ Hamee]

I still think that movie was pretty boring, but like most people who dislike the movie, I'm obviously a homophobe. Actually, I am (although not if you use the commonly known definition), but that "if you don't like Brokeback then you're a homophobe" is ANOTHER thing that bugs me and I won't even start. :D

Either way, I'm over this whole thing because today's front page was a bit more fitting and hooyay.

I'm gay and even I thought Brokeback Mountain was ridiculously boring.

In any case, the man could act, and I've been looking forward to seeing his take on Joker. It's sad to see him go.

[fire_of_avalon]

Access Hollywood (http://www.accesshollywood.com/article/8129/White-House-Postpones-Anti-Drug-Campaign-After-Ledger-Death/)

So because heath ledger died from perscription meds, Bush decided to STOP his anti-drug campaign.

Apparently, the best way to stop saving people from overdoses is by stopping all anti-drug campaigns aimed at perscription drug abuse when someone dies from drug overdoses.



Access Hollywood (http://www.accesshollywood.com/article/8129/White-House-Postpones-Anti-Drug-Campaign-After-Ledger-Death/)

So because heath ledger died from perscription meds, Bush decided to STOP his anti-drug campaign.

Apparently, the best way to stop saving people from overdoses is by stopping all anti-drug campaigns aimed at perscription drug abuse when someone dies from drug overdoses.

Actually Ava, they only said it was getting postponed, which sickens me even more then what you suggested.

Why would they postpone this unless they intended to use the Autopsy report in their speech?

I mean they are planning ways to use him before an autopsy is even given. This tactic is just as bad as the normal Media. (Mind you, if it's postponed because bush is actually stunned by this event, then this argument really has no bearing.)
Actually, they postponed it out of respect for his death. The White House didn't want to appear to be jumping on Ledger's death as an example. You guys should check your facts and PR releases before you go all crazy.

[NeoCracker]

Access Hollywood (http://www.accesshollywood.com/article/8129/White-House-Postpones-Anti-Drug-Campaign-After-Ledger-Death/)

So because heath ledger died from perscription meds, Bush decided to STOP his anti-drug campaign.

Apparently, the best way to stop saving people from overdoses is by stopping all anti-drug campaigns aimed at perscription drug abuse when someone dies from drug overdoses.



Access Hollywood (http://www.accesshollywood.com/article/8129/White-House-Postpones-Anti-Drug-Campaign-After-Ledger-Death/)

So because heath ledger died from perscription meds, Bush decided to STOP his anti-drug campaign.

Apparently, the best way to stop saving people from overdoses is by stopping all anti-drug campaigns aimed at perscription drug abuse when someone dies from drug overdoses.

Actually Ava, they only said it was getting postponed, which sickens me even more then what you suggested.

Why would they postpone this unless they intended to use the Autopsy report in their speech?

I mean they are planning ways to use him before an autopsy is even given. This tactic is just as bad as the normal Media. (Mind you, if it's postponed because bush is actually stunned by this event, then this argument really has no bearing.)
Actually, they postponed it out of respect for his death. The White House didn't want to appear to be jumping on Ledger's death as an example. You guys should check your facts and PR releases before you go all crazy.
The only way'll I'll believe that is when the Confrence is actually held and they don't mention Heath.

I don't trust PR releases enough to take it as any sort of fact.

[Avarice-ness]

Access Hollywood (http://www.accesshollywood.com/article/8129/White-House-Postpones-Anti-Drug-Campaign-After-Ledger-Death/)

So because heath ledger died from perscription meds, Bush decided to STOP his anti-drug campaign.

Apparently, the best way to stop saving people from overdoses is by stopping all anti-drug campaigns aimed at perscription drug abuse when someone dies from drug overdoses.



Access Hollywood (http://www.accesshollywood.com/article/8129/White-House-Postpones-Anti-Drug-Campaign-After-Ledger-Death/)

So because heath ledger died from perscription meds, Bush decided to STOP his anti-drug campaign.

Apparently, the best way to stop saving people from overdoses is by stopping all anti-drug campaigns aimed at perscription drug abuse when someone dies from drug overdoses.

Actually Ava, they only said it was getting postponed, which sickens me even more then what you suggested.

Why would they postpone this unless they intended to use the Autopsy report in their speech?

I mean they are planning ways to use him before an autopsy is even given. This tactic is just as bad as the normal Media. (Mind you, if it's postponed because bush is actually stunned by this event, then this argument really has no bearing.)
Actually, they postponed it out of respect for his death. The White House didn't want to appear to be jumping on Ledger's death as an example. You guys should check your facts and PR releases before you go all crazy.
The only way'll I'll believe that is when the Confrence is actually held and they don't mention Heath.

I don't trust PR releases enough to take it as any sort of fact.


Here's why I don't believe the respect claim.


White House press secretary Dana Perino said Bush's event had been scheduled for a while.

"We thought it would be better to postpone the event rather than run the risk of anyone thinking that we were being opportunistic in highlighting the issue," she said.

The only actual QUOTE I can get from any thing about this is from Bush's press sectretary and the word's

"... run the risk of anyone thinking that we were being opportunistic in highlighting the issue."

Is really something I can't brush off or translate into "... run the risk of anyone thinking that we weren't going to respect his death by highlighting the issue."

Granted other people in the white house may have said they did it out of respect, but when the press sectretary states it was to not be opportunistic... well yeah, I'm inclined to believe her.

[fire_of_avalon]

So you don't think that in itself is an attempt at being respectful? Sheesh y'all are a group of cynical people.

[Miriel]

I still think that movie was pretty boring, but like most people who dislike the movie, I'm obviously a homophobe. Actually, I am (although not if you use the commonly known definition), but that "if you don't like Brokeback then you're a homophobe" is ANOTHER thing that bugs me and I won't even start. :D

I didn't say anything about the movie, I was talking about his performance. It's the kind of performance that future generations of actors will actually study. Not liking the movie doesn't make you homophobic. Not admitting the brilliance of the performance makes you kinda blind though. :D

[Breine]

I still think that movie was pretty boring, but like most people who dislike the movie, I'm obviously a homophobe. Actually, I am (although not if you use the commonly known definition), but that "if you don't like Brokeback then you're a homophobe" is ANOTHER thing that bugs me and I won't even start. :D

I didn't say anything about the movie, I was talking about his performance. It's the kind of performance that future generations of actors will actually study. Not liking the movie doesn't make you homophobic. Not admitting the brilliance of the performance makes you kinda blind though. :D

Yeah, because he died young, was an amazing talent and there is all this mystery surrounding his death he most likely will become this kind of movie/pop-culture legend like River Phoenix or maybe even James Dean. Maybe even more missed and respected than those two.. I really hope so because Ledger was one of this generation's actors whose undoubtedly blossoming carreer I looked forward to witnessing.

[Xander]

It's true that when we hear of someone we know of, such as an actor dying, it's gonna make people feel sad or something, even though people do die everyday.

I don't think people who mourn/post/are sad by Heath's death, even have to necessarily be fans of him as such.

I saw him in a couple of films, he was kinda cute, that's pretty much all I knew. I didn't admire him as such because he was just some actor to me, yes. But I heard the news and I did think "woah" and I did feel some amount of empathy or sadness for the fact a 28 year old guy had died.

Yes people die every day, and we don't hear about every single one on the news or front page. But whether people even like somebody well known like Heath Ledger, he is really recognisable to them. It's shocking to hear of anyone's death, but sure when you hear of "a 28 year old man died today" you probably won't think much about it, you don't know who they are, what they look like or sound like perhaps, you've had no contact with them.

We recognise Heath through things we've seen or heard, whether we admired him or didn't think anything different of him. I guess what I mean is, sure maybe we do mourn more for him than people we don't recognise or relate to because we knew a lot of him, even if it's just from one or two films. It's going to have that effect on people, I think it's just natural.

But if people were to not mourn or pay condolences to anyone who died, or only feel sad about those they recognise, I'd still say the latter is better. It feels weird and sad and shocking to hear of a death, in my opinion anyway and it's only natural we feel it more for those we recognise in some way. Doesn't mean those other deaths aren't sad, if I read about someone dying in the paper I feel sad, the more information, the more I can know about them the more sad I'd probably feel. If we were exposed to more about all those other people who die everyday maybe people would pay the same amount of respect.

I guess if you only feel sad about people dying if you personally know them, then maybe it doesn't matter if it's some guy or an actor, or whoever else, but I guess some people including me find it sad just because..it's the loss of a life I guess, and I think that's always sad. Not sad like it's effecting my life sure but sad like, hey, RIP Heath and I have sympathy for anyone who has to lose someone close to them.
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