My thoughts…on stuff

My thoughts on…Heath Ledger’s death

January 24th 2008 -

I know what you’re thinking. Not another blog post about Heath Ledger’s death. I agree with ya. Just about every other blog I’ve read today has a post dedicated towards his passing. I was gonna wait a little until the flood of Heath Ledger posts passed, but some bastard called me out. (Just kidding Gordon). I even heard some girls on campus talking about it. As I passed, I heard them saying something like, “he’s the Joker in the new Batman movie, so you’ll see him again.” He must’ve been special, as those vapid girls don’t talk about much more than sex and sessions.

Ledger appeared in films such as Monster’s Ball, 10 Things I Hate About You, A Knight’s Tale, The Patriot and many other acclaimed movies. But personally, I didn’t know about him until that movie. You know the one. Bareback…I mean Brokeback Mountain. We Jamaicans never took to that movie, for obvious reasons. I remember one time when I was in a study group when a member of the group started talking about how she watched Brokeback Mountain. We simultaneously got up and went our separate ways. Back then I was perplexed as to why he chose such a controversial role. Now I know why. Such roles are memorable, and that film is what I think, began his meteoric rise in the Hollywood ranks.

After Brokeback, I never held him in high regard. But after seeing his performance in The Dark Knight as the Joker, he instantly became one of my favourite actors. He played a dark, whacked out Joker, exactly the kind of Joker I wanted to see. To hell with whether or not his face is bleached. I want a murderous nutcase hellbent on creating havoc! As to the circumstances of his death, well, only God knows. Signs point to either a accidental overdose or suicide, despite there being no note. I think it’s suicide, despite the family saying it was an accident. I mean, which family would want their child remembered that way. I don’t know what could’ve motivated him to do that. He had a good life, and aside from being separated from his wife, wasn’t going through any crises. But he had been turning down roles lately and in the following interview, saying that he felt “good about dying” since he could live on through his child.

Still far too much emphasis is being placed on Heath’s death. I don’t want to devalue his life or anything, but there are much more pressing issues for the media to cover. Thousands of people are dying daily, victims of atrocities across the world, and I don’t think that they should ignored for the sake of a deceased Hollywood heartthrob. R.I.P. Heath. It’ll be hard, but we’ll have to learn how to quit you.

Related Posts:

1. My thoughts on…Brokeback Mountain’s arrival in Jamaica
2. My thoughts on…Ricardo Montalban’s death
3. My thoughts on…The Dark Knight hype
4. My thoughts on…Don Knotts’ death
5. My thoughts on…Anna Nicole Smith’s death

12 Responses on “My thoughts on…Heath Ledger’s death”

1. 
   Mad Bull Says:
   January 25th, 2008 at 6:27 am

   I agree with your last sentiments. They should report his death, then shut up until the coroner’s report. They really have nothing else of any significance to tell us anyway.

2. 
   cyberfizzle Says:
   January 25th, 2008 at 8:00 am

   Hey, it was a slow news day! So, one has to post about him!
   But, yeah, we should focus on more pressing concerns.

3. 
   Gordon Swaby Says:
   January 25th, 2008 at 8:00 am

   Well that’s how it is, once your important people are going to take about you. And yes i had to call you out:P

4. 
   GC Says:
   January 25th, 2008 at 2:00 pm

   personally inclined to go with accidental suicide
   hey, it could happen
   a person could genuinely know they are taking a bit too much but kind of don’t exactly care

5. 
   kami Says:
   January 27th, 2008 at 6:49 pm

   I was shocked to hear it. Always was a fan of his

6. 
   owen Says:
   January 28th, 2008 at 9:00 am

   you watched batman already? where?

   fox news reports on any crap they find, not saying that his death is crap mind you but fox news really? fox news?

7. 
   Melody Says:
   January 28th, 2008 at 11:13 am

   Unlike others who didn’t give so much of themselves on screen, it hurts to lose him, ’cause he gave himself so totally — that’s why ah felt so connected — R.I.P, Heath!

8. 
   Melody Says:
   January 28th, 2008 at 11:16 am

   Heck — who am I kidding — after Brokeback ah was just as in love wid him as anyone else! An’ I’m pissed that he’s gone!

9. 
   Jamaican Dawta Says:
   January 28th, 2008 at 8:08 pm

   Gone too soon. For some strange reason, when I first read the news on MSN, I took it really hard.

10. 
    Stunner Says:
    January 28th, 2008 at 8:29 pm

    Everywhere I turn I keep hearing about his death. On G4TV the were speculating if his untimely death would affect the release of Dark Knight. I used to like his movies but Broke Back Mountain just broke my ratings.

11. 
    Kim Says:
    January 29th, 2008 at 2:36 pm

    I too had never heard of him before “that movie”. I am sad that’s he’s gone, but like you said there are other important pressing issues at the moment.

    Kim’s last blog post..Quiet weekend coming to an end

12. 
    My thoughts on…the year 2008 | My thoughts...on stuff Says:
    December 31st, 2008 at 10:22 pm

    [...] Heath Ledger passed on, there was the Microsoft/Yahoo merger that never happened, Kern Spencer was sent to jail, Cash Plus collapsed, GTA IV hype took over the world, a relative unknown Bolt struck with 9.72, the New Yorker went a bit too far, the world watched in horror as Esmin Green died abandoned and alone, The Dark Knight pulled off a huge heist at the theatres, a comic legend passed on, Bolt and the other athletes propelled Jamaica onto the world stage, Google created a browser that surprisingly didn’t suck, OJ got canned, and of course O-bomb-a was dropped on the Whitehouse. A fascinating year by any measure. [...]

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