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A Rant About Death


Written by: jupitreas
Published: 29.12.2009


There are certain things in everyday society that never cease to piss me off. In order to function better, we have created a huge amount of norms and little social contracts, many of which are actually quite nice and helpful. Others simply make no sense.

One such thing is the way we deal with death as by-standers. By that, I mean as people who are not directly hurt by the passing of another human being. The deceased might have been only a casual acquaintance, a friend-of-a-friend or indeed, a public figure such as a musician, actor or politician. Life is not Star Wars, my friends. After death, Hitler was not completely forgiven for all his wrongdoings. What is it about the very idea of death that makes every person act weird? After all, it happens to absolutely, and without any exception, all of us.

A musician most likely was not as evil as Hitler but the principle remains the same - we should treat them and see them exactly as we did when they were still alive. If we disliked their music and maybe them personally, dying shouldn't change that. Unfortunately, grief is cool and gives people the opportunity to flaunt their 'sensitivity'. This is grief as a commodity, a fetish with value in society. A selfish tool of achieving self-importance and acceptance by means of hypocrisy. Sadly - hypocrisy based on the death of another individual - the very thing that we're all supposed to be very sensitive about.

Have you ever had anyone close to you die prematurely? Now imagine someone making a huge spectacle of grieving heavily for this person. The catch is - the rabid griever didnt know the deceased all that well, or maybe even disliked them. Doesn't this phony grief cheapen your own pain over the passing of your close one?

Instead, out of respect for the deceased and their close ones, it is far better not to be a hypocrite attention-whore. Michael Jackson suddenly became the biggest American hero when he died because it was fashionable to grieve for the freak.

With this little rant out of my system, let me leave you with the lyrics to a song that I think sums up this whole issue pretty well.

Everybody Loves You (When You're Dead) by Cop Shoot Cop
Everybody loves you when you're dead
And everyone is suddenly you're dearest friend
Nobody talks no dirt about you
But life it just goes on above your head
When you're dead

Everybody miss you when you're gone
They'll reminisce about you
When they hear your favorite song
They'll think that they said something wrong
They'll wonder if there was something they shoud've said
When you're gone

And I'm never gonna tell a lie
And I'm never gonna wear a tie
And I'm never gonna say goodbye
Goodbye

Life is so much better when you're dead
Conversation's easy when there's nothing to be said
But it can get a little lonesome
Maybe you should take along a friend
Like I said

And I'm never gonna tell a lie
And I'm never gonna wear a tie
And if I can't walk, maybe I can fly
Don't ask the reason why
But I'm never gonna say goodbye
Goodbye"






Written on 29.12.2009 by With Metal Storm since 2002, jupitreas has been subjecting the masses to his reviews for quite a while now. He lives in Warsaw, Poland, where he does his best to avoid prosecution for being so cool.


Comments page 2 / 2

Comments: 48   [ 1 ignored ]   Visited by: 187 users
17.01.2010 - 06:45
Culty

Yeah i understand what your're saying and i agree it was wrong of me. I dunno if we have any members from Haiti either, just trying to keep all of my bases covered.
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Gfnttlr
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21.01.2010 - 19:39
Mikyz

When I was in 10th grade, my classmate's father died because of a sudden heart attack, so the class decided to go present their "sincere" condolences. I, for one, didn't have any personal affinity or relations to this classmate and tended to dislike him more than anything, so I found it astonishing how people's opinion about him suddenly changed, everyone became his best friend... Ok, sure I felt sad for him at first but nothing more, nothing less my relationship with him didn't take a turn for the better.

Personally, I think grieving and mourning should only be done if the deceased had a close relationship with me, or had a significant emotional impact on me. I never listened to Micheal Jackson or Pavaroti, I do respect their musical achievements, but I didn't even blink when I discovered that they died. They were not my friends, not significant emotional icons for whom I have personal admiration. I'd rather keep my mouth-shut and watch from the sidelines. All in all, I agree that the attention the deceased from people they never met is annoying, and like dismaleuphony said "Instead of wasting time blabbering on about dead people I've never met, I'd rather spend my time connecting with people who are still alive and worth my ever-dwindling time."
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Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.
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25.02.2010 - 16:10
Shipwrecked

Same kind of thing happened just this year when a kid at school blew his out brains out with a shotgun. Last time I had checked, not many people knew him at all. Yet on the day we were informed that he killed himself, it was like crowds of people instantly acted like they lost a best friend.
My opinion on suicide aside, it was annoying as all hell for so many people around me to put on a different face. Even people that made fun of the guy acted sad about it.
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26.03.2010 - 18:10
Don Martin
le fu-
Written by Introspekrieg on 02.01.2010 at 20:20

It is an annoying reaction when people go into over-mourning, maybe out of guilt perhaps? I remember mildly liking Pantera growing up and seeing the sudden explosion after Dimebag's death was strange. The market apparently opened up to profitability using his "fallen hero" status and I saw his face plastered on shit everywhere. The exploitation of tragedy is an easy way to make a quick buck because of the creation of a new market that rewards those quick to act without thinking it through.

I mean, look at this nonsense: LINK

I hate it too when I watch some Pantera video on youtube the comments section explodes with "Dimebag RIP" comments... He was a great chap, but he wasn't like... Chuck Norris or so
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What a tackastrophe!
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30.04.2010 - 01:48
spiritofvengence

Written by Dangerboner on 30.12.2009 at 07:14

I don't get it either. I understand respecting the deceased's family and close friends by keeping your mouth shut around them, unless the dead person was the biggest asshole in the world, but if a musician who I or others don't like is reported to have died, especially the sell-out A7X drummer, I don't see why people get butt hurt when someone posts something negative. They always say to respect the dead, and ever since I was a child I've never understood it. Why respect the dead? What's the point, especially online?!?! What's the point in saying, "R.I.P."?!?! What is "R.I.P." supposed to do?!?

Posting someting negative online about a dead person on a site like this isn't like going to the person's mom's house and saying her kid sucked.

Written by jupitreas on 29.12.2009 at 20:37

Have you ever had anyone close to you die prematurely? Now imagine someone making a huge spectacle of grieving heavily for this person. The catch is - the rabid griever didnt know the deceased all that well, or maybe even disliked them. Doesn't this phony grief cheapen your own pain over the passing of your close one?

YES

This happened to me when my friend died in 8th grade. The entire school acted like their best friend died, even this one asshole who picked on him.


What exactly was sell-out about him?

On the post topic, I think it's the same thing with Cliff Burton. Were he still alive, none of you would like him because he was a rebel who said "fuck you" to all those who dared call him a sell-out. He wouldn't suck dicks for the fans attention, he would just play music his way and the hell with you if you didn't like it. Then he died, and now everyone treats him like they loved him and shite.
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I'd rather like what I like because I like it, despite if everyone hates me for it, then like what I hate just to be accepted by you.
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30.04.2010 - 16:26
Fat & Sassy!

Written by spiritofvengence on 30.04.2010 at 01:48

On the post topic, I think it's the same thing with Cliff Burton. Were he still alive, none of you would like him because he was a rebel who said "fuck you" to all those who dared call him a sell-out. He wouldn't suck dicks for the fans attention, he would just play music his way and the hell with you if you didn't like it. Then he died, and now everyone treats him like they loved him and shite.


Uh, what is your deal, dude? You've posted only about nine posts, and they usually end up reverting to some troll-ish comment about a classic metal band(s) that you clearly think are over-rated... Yet, you are obviously a Metallica fanboy. I can not find this anything but ironic.
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10.05.2010 - 03:00
spiritofvengence

Written by Fat & Sassy! on 30.04.2010 at 16:26

Written by spiritofvengence on 30.04.2010 at 01:48

On the post topic, I think it's the same thing with Cliff Burton. Were he still alive, none of you would like him because he was a rebel who said "fuck you" to all those who dared call him a sell-out. He wouldn't suck dicks for the fans attention, he would just play music his way and the hell with you if you didn't like it. Then he died, and now everyone treats him like they loved him and shite.


Uh, what is your deal, dude? You've posted only about nine posts, and they usually end up reverting to some troll-ish comment about a classic metal band(s) that you clearly think are over-rated... Yet, you are obviously a Metallica fanboy. I can not find this anything but ironic.


Iron Maiden IS over-rated, and so is Dio!

and what's trollish about having an opinion?

no, i'm NOT a fan-boy because i hate master-of-puppets!

you obviously find nothing trollish in hating on the dead Jimmy "Rev" Sullivan, but then someone says that they don't like Dio or Maiden and they're a troll...mhm, you're VERY mature, Cartman!
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I'd rather like what I like because I like it, despite if everyone hates me for it, then like what I hate just to be accepted by you.
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10.05.2010 - 03:37
Fat & Sassy!

Written by spiritofvengence on 10.05.2010 at 03:00

Iron Maiden IS over-rated, and so is Dio!

and what's trollish about having an opinion?

no, i'm NOT a fan-boy because i hate master-of-puppets!


I'm convinced that you aren't even reading what you're typing. Maiden, Dio, and Master of Puppets being "over-rated" have absolutely nothing to do with this topic on death! Also, you pretty much said something along the lines of everyone who likes Cliff Burton is somehow a "poser" or some shit. If that's not trolling, I dunno what is!
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17.05.2010 - 02:09
spiritofvengence

Back to the subject at hand...

If you people can hate on The Rev after he's died (which, I'm thinking, is the only reason this post was made), all I can say is this...I still don't like Dio or his annoying pop-metal-voice
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I'd rather like what I like because I like it, despite if everyone hates me for it, then like what I hate just to be accepted by you.
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20.05.2010 - 22:32
Culty

Written by spiritofvengence on 17.05.2010 at 02:09

Back to the subject at hand...

If you people can hate on The Rev after he's died (which, I'm thinking, is the only reason this post was made), all I can say is this...I still don't like Dio or his annoying pop-metal-voice


hate to burst your bubble but this article was posted long before Rev's death.
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Gfnttlr
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30.05.2010 - 02:05
Vetrarmegin

Though i've never felt the loss of a friend or relative prematurely, i'm definitely aware of the generic emotions most people feel they must display. In a way, death has a humbling effect on me... reminding me that human lives, regardless of their particular importance to you, are just as easily taken as they are created... if not more so.
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30.05.2010 - 21:48
Ph0eNiX
Fire from Above
Written by Vetrarmegin on 30.05.2010 at 02:05

Though i've never felt the loss of a friend or relative prematurely, i'm definitely aware of the generic emotions most people feel they must display. In a way, death has a humbling effect on me... reminding me that human lives, regardless of their particular importance to you, are just as easily taken as they are created... if not more so.



I dunno, like my main deal with death comes in two parts 1)It happens and 2)It's being out of the human condition.

My early childhood memories are a lot of funerals for family (Lotta old family on mom's side... well there "Was a lot of old family") so for me it's more of the deal of knowing that you're escaping the human condition to move beyond it. The bad, the good the everything has been alleviated on the physical plane of existence. Now weather or not it's reincarnation or not (wasn't gonna roll there necessarily) the fact of the matter is that anything in the world that is a hinderance is gone. In essence they made it out. In a weird way I find myself more happy and hopeful for them in their travels to where ever following that than anything else.

After having a friend go, it did hit a bit differently but all in all I did come to the same feeling with it. We had a cool bond too but the thing I found thru it all was that he's on the other side doing whatever it is he is doing. For me that's still life, just not one in a physical realm.
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30.05.2010 - 22:02
Ph0eNiX
Fire from Above
AS for the large post... I dunno, the thing is that I generally express condolences. Granted i feel how I do on death, we all got a feel on that kinda thing but the deal with me is that even if I don't get what you feel from this specifically I can say "been there" to a lot of stuff.

In itself death has a recurve of showing one to accept a natural loss. Either way it goes, rolls and does it's thing death is ever present and does something to everyone. That's the main thing to keep in mind.

Do i feel some people have a deal of blowing death out of proportion? Kinda... Like if two or more celebs die they should get equal time, not time based on how much they are in the news.

As for social constructs that are bullshit... As long as you're not upholding that which you find "bullshit-tacular" then you're not spreading it and allowing the "norm to stick by your own hand". IT may seem small but it's something.
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03.04.2012 - 21:54
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Written by Introspekrieg on 03.01.2010 at 03:45

If Dio passed on and a7x fans started bashing him in retaliation (highly dramatized i know), how would you react? Merely hypothetical...

People would burn.
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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28.06.2012 - 20:42
mz

Exactly what i was thinking these days. Thank you jupitreas . I also share the lyric on fb
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Giving my ears a rest from music.
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14.08.2012 - 22:43
FOOCK Nam

Respect the dead doesnt mean you need not to dis and off him and his past living related. I think respect the dead or the alive is same in generalized manner of politeness. Unless you feel very closed to some dead ones positively or negatives, it can't be too much intensive of reacting.
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15.08.2012 - 01:23
Guib
Thrash Talker
I totally agree with you Jupitreas... I mean why should it change your way of perceiving things.

I didn't like Micheal Jackson when he was alive and its the same right now... I still hate his guts.. rotten guts I should say. lol

anyways props.

And for the video with that guy Christopher. He's awesome... fuck them hypocrite bastards
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- Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff -
Guib's List Of Essential Albums
- Also Thrash Paradise
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16.08.2012 - 00:12
Oaken
Hipster
I'm not sure if I completely agree with the whole blog, but the thing I totally agree about with you is "Grief Hypocrisy". I dislike people who try to appear sad just for the sake of it. 2 years ago, an 8th grader in our school died, and then you could see people who never cared about him crying. Now isn't that hypocrisy? TBH, I was really disheartened by that event, but I didn't cry.
Nice blog.
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In that case, man is only air as well.
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