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February 22, 2005
Suicide Is So Cliche
"Gonzo journalism" pioneer Hunter S. Thompson killed himself yesterday. He was 67. Thompson lived so hard—and glorified the lifestyle he led by writing graphically about it—that this kind of ending was not only unsurprising, it was expected. The quote that best typifies this thinking is from Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner, "He lived longer than any of us expected already." But isn't that sad? There's almost social pressure for renegade wild people like Thompson is "to burn out, [rather] than to fade away." Neil Young wrote those lyrics ("My My, Hey Hey"), but look at Young—he's still going strong after all these years. We need more Neil Young-esque renegades and fewer burn-outs like Thompson whose demise was just predictable. Hunter, you were already a "legend." You didn't have to kill yourself to "prove" it.
Posted by Steve K. at February 22, 2005 07:56 AM
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