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February 24, 2005
me too
Everyone knows that Hunter S. Thompson put a bullet through the back of his head over the weekend, and a lot of readers have wondered why I haven't commented on his death.
I found out late Sunday night, and I didn't have net access until late Monday afternoon. By the time I got online, anything I would have said had already been written by much better writers than myself.
I didn't want to be one of those people who posts about an event just because everyone else is posting about it, and I didn't want to just say, "Me too."
But goddammit! I hate it that he's dead. I hate it that we'll never get to hear what he thinks about current events. He's one of the people who made me want to be a writer, and I hate it that I will never have the opportunity to thank (or blame) him.
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.wilwheaton.net/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/719
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference me too:
» I Guess now I HAVE to read Fear and Loathing... from My Life as a Lizard
Wil Wheaton writes (and has even sold a few books). He says that HST was "...one of the people who made me want to be a writer..." [Read More]
» death in the afternoon from clayton hackett's immortal reverberations
More links about HST's suicide: William Gibson Salon.com Neal Pollack Warren Ellis cnn on the fact that the suicide seemed to be well-planned. Jackson Specific Wil Wheaton... [Read More]
» ...Guess I'll have to read Fear... Second Attempt from My Life as a Lizard
Ignore the very first trackback above. I am new at pinging and I blew it. This one should link to my blog, just in case you like to blog-hop. [Read More]
» Graduation Day from
Graduation Day [Read More]
I still have never read his works. It's a shame, but, maybe now I will.
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at February 24, 2005 11:21 AM
Gone too soon
Why is that legends, nay icons, always seem to have tragic ends? Elvis, JKF, Janis Joplin, the list goes on and on.
Being a writer I know that tragic history our kind endures. Hemingway et al are, were brilliant writers. A bit of a waste really. Maybe Hunter S. Thompson got tired of his own legend?
Well I am happy to say that generations not yet born will have the pleasure of reading through his works.
Cheers.
Posted by: justintime181 at February 24, 2005 11:31 AM
Right there with you, Mr. Lizard.
Without having read his works, I do recognize his genius and think the world is worse off without him.
It's times like these that someone like him is needed really badly. Hopefully someone will rise to the challenge.
Posted by: jslicer at February 24, 2005 11:31 AM
As a commenter on my livejournal put it best:
We can't die here.... this is BAT COUNTRY!
He'll be missed, that's for sure.
Posted by: Niki at February 24, 2005 11:38 AM
What is it about those creative people who leave us too soon? Why does it so often seem to be connected to abused drugs, or murder?
Justintime181 mentioned:
Elvis, JKF, Janis Joplin, and Hemingway. If we just add Jimy Hendrix, John Lennon, and Hunter S Thompson to the list we have:
Two suicides
Two assasinations and
Three overdoses
And we haven't even touched on Keith Moon, John Belushi, and a depressingly large batch of really cool yet truly wasted lives.
Pass me the Wild Turkey... Dammit!
Posted by: Mr. Lizard at February 24, 2005 11:41 AM
I know you feel like this was a me too entry.. but you have just as much right to post your feelings about this loss to the literary world as everyone else does.. and you did it in your own unique way.
There are so many people that appreciate each and every thought sent out by those who care.
Never be sorry for saying that you care!
at February 24, 2005 11:46 AM
i think it is so strange. i mean sure, he was a writer, and he did drugs and all that... but he was successful! before he died! and he had just done a booksigning! it just goes to show that you cant know what's going on in people's heads and lives...
i had expected a huge influx if business at Borders that day; i made sure we had all his titles and brought out the extras from the back. ONE customer bought his books. i was suprised but i heard Amazon sales shot up so whatev.
at February 24, 2005 11:53 AM
jslicer at February 24, 2005 11:31 AM wrote: "It's times like these that someone like him is needed really badly. Hopefully someone will rise to the challenge."
maybe that someone could be wil...
unrelated to the post...
wil, I am so glad to see you posting twice in three days (no sarcasm intended)... lately i've been experiencing some serious WWDN withdrawal due to less frequent postings by you... i know this is due to things like being busy with an ACTING JOB (congrats!), writing deadlines, comedic committments, family time - uh yeah, so you are a busy guy... however, despite all this, i can't let you off the hook...
i've been reading WWDN since November 2001 and I... can't... take... the... WWDN... deprivation... www.dooce.com is awesome but no substitute for WWDN...
so could you give us a little more frequent lovin'? :)
ciao for now
renee
A Canadian in Chicago
p.s. I got my Cubs ticket-purchasing wristband! Tickets go on sale tomorrow... do you need any?
at February 24, 2005 11:53 AM
Wow, I had only recently seen "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Can't wait for the sequel to come out, and now I'll have to go and do some more Hunter S. Thompson reading.
On another note, some of us at the Wil Wheaton Yahoogroups site were wondering if Wil had ever actually described the scenes he filmed that never made it into Star Trek: Nemesis or the DVD.
--
simonsnowlock8@yahoo.com
Posted by: simonsnowlock8 at February 24, 2005 11:57 AM
I, too, have been suffering from WWDN withdrawal, but understand the delay in posting. You will let us know when your CSI will actually air?
Posted by: rush at February 24, 2005 12:17 PM
A sequel to Fear and Loathing... is coming out?!?! I haven't heard anything about it...but that would be awesome. Unfortunately, I haven't read anything by Hunter S Tompson. I've seen a couple of things on TV, but other than the movie I know nothing of his works. I will have to fix that.
Posted by: C Strick at February 24, 2005 12:32 PM
Yeah wil I feel the same way. I don't want to be a bandwagon moarner but at the same time I realy appreceiated what HST offered us. RIP
Posted by: st0ney at February 24, 2005 12:49 PM
Hey, Wil -- I think MSN is stepping on your WFS tm
Chris Rock
The William F-ing Buckley of stand-up.
By John Swansburg
Posted Thursday, Feb. 24, 2005, at 8:35 AM PT
http://slate.msn.com/id/2113952/
Posted by: evalucent at February 24, 2005 12:57 PM
In my opinion, the most lucid comment to date has been here, http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20050224/COLUMN/102240001
Posted by: Halfjack at February 24, 2005 01:17 PM
It's difficult to imagine a world without Hunter, despite the decline his writing had taken in the last decade or so. I edit a small, underground publication and was so rocked by the death of someone that I'd always considered to be more of a force of nature than an actual human being that I found myself approving sub-par (even for our low standards) contributions simply because the writer unwittingly copied the "Gonzo" style.
Peace, HST. You've finally turned pro.
Posted by: chzimmerman at February 24, 2005 02:16 PM
Sadtimes. I'm bummed.
May the being tending the light at the end of the tunnel be a kind one.
at February 24, 2005 02:54 PM
I've been reading Hunter's column on ESPN.com (Archive=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/archive?columnist=hunter_s._thompson&root=page2) in addition to his books and essays for years. I could say something cliche' like, "Candle burns brightest, half as long, etc." but he hated cliche's.
Hunter, you will continue to influence me for the rest of my days, rest in peace old friend.
Chuck
Posted by: BZSAWS at February 24, 2005 02:56 PM
Will my dear boy, you speak the truth. I had recently dropped a blog echoing some of you sentiments. As I get older and the icons we grew up with (I'm in same age group as you) I almost feel a sense of panic settle in. It' similar to being a kid and starting school after summer. Are all your friends going to be there? Do they still want to be your friends? Am I going to have to settle for what's left?
Luckily I still have icons like you to turn to as a reminder of what joys yesteryear has spurned and what comforts they provide for me today.
Thanks!
www.jabblogthehutt.blogspot.com
Posted by: Kenobi at February 24, 2005 03:18 PM
wow, what a shite typer I can be. Allow me to fill some holes..."As I get older and the icons we grew up with pass away..."
Type-o's I don't mind. Thanks!
Posted by: Kenobi at February 24, 2005 03:21 PM
I'm equally shocked and saddened by HST's sudden, voluntary departure from this life, but after reading the family's explanation of why he did what he did makes me understand him that much more. He died on his own terms--he was not willing to simpy fade away in agony and without dignity, in his eyes. I don't advocate suicide, but after being married to someone with perpetual chronic pain for the past six years, I have a better understanding of his decision.
And I respect that.
That said...Another voice of insane sanity lost to the ages. Damn!
Posted by: spcknght at February 24, 2005 03:29 PM
Wil, I feel your pain. When Ralph Wiley, another Page 2 contributor, passed away, it sent me into a deep funk for a couple of weeks.
Posted by: garybloom at February 24, 2005 03:48 PM
*nod*
at the risk of saying "me too."
Posted by: Sally at February 24, 2005 04:27 PM
Craziness. Madness. Now, where did I put that ether?
Posted by: Keith Coogan at February 24, 2005 06:14 PM
I usually avoid writing about these kind "me too" thing, also. This time I had to mention. And I have to add my "me too" here. Hunter S Tompson has had a big impact on the way I look at things. And I'm gonna miss his unique take on the sports world on Page 2.
Posted by: jcklsgk at February 24, 2005 06:22 PM
It's always sad when someone feels it's necessary to take their own life...Seems to me there's just to much to live for....
Keith (Xgaming) Dick
Posted by: Keith Xgaming at February 24, 2005 06:49 PM
*shakes head*
sorry I haven't heard but then I'm trying to avoid the news - nothing happy there & I don't want to hear about Micheal Jackson.
suicide is a stupid thing - there is nothing that you can't work thur that you have to turn to that
I also don't understand why people turn to drugs to feel good - execrise helps me there (how is the running going??)
Posted by: Reddy at February 24, 2005 07:32 PM
"As your lawyer, I advise you to rest in peace"
Adding to the 'me too' pile, although I wasn't a fanatic about HST's writings and lifestyle, for some reason his suicide has affected me a LOT more than most celebrity deaths have. I'll have to crack open my copy of Hell's Angels this weekend, I suppose, and start putting his memory to rest.
at February 24, 2005 09:17 PM
This sucks just as much as when Bill Hicks died, but we get none of the closure.
Posted by: Sean W at February 24, 2005 10:30 PM
Never knew him. never read him. never saw the movie. but im sure he was awesome
flyhive.blogspot.com
Posted by: flyno20 at February 24, 2005 11:47 PM
HST was an influential individual, there is no question. And while it is always sad for the world when it loses someone of his caliber, I believe that his suicide was HST wanting to maintain complete control over his life and his death... he wasn't going to allow nature to dictate his passing, but preferred to take responsibility for it himself. I know it sounds like an oxymoron, but I believe he was a philosophical pragmatist, and as such, (and I could be totally off base) his suicide was not an emotional decision for him, but rather a practical one in his eyes. The logic may seem twisted, but let's remember who we're talking about here.
RIP, Gonzo - you are missed.
Posted by: Goddyss at February 25, 2005 09:52 AM
I haven't read Hunter's latest work, but the first page (I just read at Amazon) gives a clue to how he felt about our current leaders. It's called, "Hey Rube: Blood Sport, the Bush Doctrine, and the Downward Spiral of Dumbness--Modern History from the Sports Desk". I'm going to check it out... it sounds fascinating.
"It is the beginning of the end of our world as we knew it. Doom is the operative ethic."
It's a bummer he checked out. Maybe he decided things had gotten so weird that he just couldn't take it anymore. Rest in peace, Hunter.
at February 25, 2005 09:58 AM
Oh Dear (insert deity here)..... I didnt even know!!!! I live under a rock apparently, I am now sickened/saddened/enraged. Always people are telling me to be more enlightened and "keep up with the times" I had no friggin clue till I read this blog. Now I know why I live with my head in the sand.......no news is......not knowing that some of the coolest/freakish people off themselves for reasons known only to them.....and thats the way I want to keep it!!! 'cept the real world still creeps in. Any ways... my real comment on this is GAAAARGH, not another ONE!!!!! you'll be missed.......
Posted by: worshipthelioness at February 27, 2005 01:18 AM
There are seven billion people on earth, but when you read an article by Hunter Thompson, you know it's him. That's an incredible feat.
(I can understand why you want to be original, Wil, but when I log onto wilwheaton.net, it's because I'm interested in what *you* have to say.)
Posted by: FNRThomas at February 27, 2005 06:19 AM
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