WTF: Stop the Heathgasms!

Posted by Kevin Carr (kevin@filmschoolrejects.com) on January 30, 2008

I know I’m stepping into a bear trap with this, but someone has to say it… Enough with the overblown Heath Ledger tribute bandwagon!

I don’t mind giving honor and respect for the recently departed, but things are getting out of hand. The whole thing sent me over the edge when Daniel Day-Lewis dedicated his SAG award to Heath Ledger.

What the fuck?

I’m making a new term for the deification of a celebrity upon their untimely death: the Heathgasm.

Look, I have nothing against Heath Ledger, and I truly feel sorry for him and the family he left behind. This is a terrible time for them and must be painful beyond belief.

But I really find it hard to feel sad for people – whether they be directors, actors or just rabid fans – who didn’t know the guy and are having a massive freak-out on the scale of Britney Spears on an alcohol-filled binge.

The sad fact is that Heath Ledger had some serious problems. The guy was on six kinds of prescription medication. The only person I know who has that many drugs prescribed to them is my grandmother… and she’s in her 80s.

It’s too bad that all these people who are fawning over his dead celebrity status didn’t give a hoot about his problems before last week. That is something that could have made a difference.

Recently, a colleague of mine suggested a tribute to Heath Ledger in the form of his top ten films. The problem is, the guy has been in only 14 films since his debut in 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You – and those include flops like The Four Feathers, The Brothers Grimm, Lords of Dogtown, Casanova and The Order.

There’s a reason why individuals in Hollywood and the studios themselves eulogize dead celebrities, and it’s not out of honor or compassion. It’s about profit and making themselves look good. Look what happened to Anna Nicole Smith when she died from a drug overdose that could have felled a rhino. This is the woman who made a career out of being the butt of people’s jokes. After she died, she was considered a saint.

It’s chic right now to dote on Ledger after his untimely demise, but Hollywood is fickle – and ultimately selfish. Like Shannen Doherty’s character in the 80s classic Heathers, this seems to be more about drawing attention to themselves than to the poor guy’s life.

Would Daniel Day Lewis have garnered as much front-page coverage this week if he hadn’t dedicated his award to Ledger? After all, Julie Christie, Javier Bardem and Ruby Dee (another special WTF for Ruby Dee winning, by the way) all won acting awards, didn’t dedicate anything to anyone and they were buried in the stories.

Enough with the Heathgasms, people!

Not Offended Yet? Read Part Two of this Article Here.

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Robert Fure

I'm glad you wrote this. I feel the same way. Let's not forget Heath Ledger was a coke user who starred in 10 Things I Hate About You.

I'm sure he was a nice guy, his Joker performance looks great, but out of all the people sucking his D right now, barely any actually knew him. It sucks he's dead, but no one is dedicating their awards to the other 50,000 people who died that day.

Michelle Graham

Definitely agree with you on Danial Day-Lewis dedicating his award to Ledger. Wtf? Did you even know the dude? For some, like Naomi Watts or Michelle Williams, there's a legitimate connection to him and it's understandable that they're upset, but when you didn't even know the guy, don't go dedicating awards or pretending you were bestest friends forever. People don't like you for trying to hop into the spotlight on someone else's (dead) coat tails.

Zap Rowsdower

Please, you guys are fucking retarded. Do you honestly think a dude like Daniel Day-Lewis is trying to get his name in the spotlight by dedicating his award to Heath? If he's so preoccupied with fame, why is he so damn selective in his role choices? How come I haven't seen him in the latest Brett Ratner movie? Because he's got more class than that. He was obviously very impressed with Heath's performances, so much so that he is saddened that he can't see more of them? How is that a bad thing? Christ, you people are fucking idiots.

Loukas

The village idiots are here to serve you, by making you look down on us and feel better about yourself my genious friend.

Zap Rowsdower

Thanks, Loukas. Try answering my questions.

You fucking idiot.

Neil Miller

Zap --

First of all, you could make your arguments without the use of terms like "you people are fucking idiots" and "you fucking idiot". No one makes slanderous remarks like this about you around here.

I think what Kevin was trying to say is that he is annoyed by the fact that everyone has placed Heath Ledger on this ridiculously high pedestal. Personally, I didn't see Daniel Day Lewis' dedication to Heath Ledger, but I can say that there is a way that it is out of line. Had DDL said that he was dedicating his award to Ledger because he was a good friend and he was a great person, that is perfectly fine. But it seems like people a making Heath Ledger out to be this prestigious actor. He was a great young talent that had so much in front of him, which is what makes his death so tragic. But that doesn't mean that he is a legendary screen actor. I think it is most respectful to remember people how they were, good or bad, and be mournful of what they had ahead of themselves rather than make them out to be something they were not.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of Heath Ledger, as is Kevin, but I'm not going to go out there and say that he was something that he was not.

Hopefully that answers your questions. If it doesn't, please feel free to ask more and I will try and clarify this for you...

Jordan

yeah, daniel day lewis, what a joke that guy is, he definitely needed the publicity that dedicating his award to heath ledger brought him. i mean, who is he anyways?

all sarcasm aside, watching that moment at the sag awards, after i finished thinking about how touching it was, i went "shit, now a bunch of douchebags are going to say he's doing it for publicity"....such is the way of the internet.

Robert Fure

I was going to make some waves here with my cunning intellect and vile tongue, but Neil's plea for civility has soothed the beast. I shall however, once again, reiterate my opinion that the loss of Heath Ledger sucks, mostly to those who knew him, but also to people who like his movies in a much, much, much shallower and narrow sense. DDL's tribute to him probably wasn't warranted, but I don't care.

Everyone is just praising him like he was the messiah fallen to Earth and sacrificed again. When really he is the dude from A Knight's Tale.

It's the medias fault, really, for focusing a camera on everyone at all times. (And yes I'm aware that FSR is part of the media and yes we did cover Ledger a bit extensively, so cast whatever stones [politely] that you must)

Josh Radde

Wow--

I just read this, Kevin, and I think you're way off base. You're wrong about what Lewis said. I'm reading this two weeks after the SAGs and I'm still fine with what he said. You're forgetting the stage. The SAG awards are about actors paying tribute to actor What Lewis said was that although he didn't know Ledger, his work in Monster's Ball and Brokeback Mountain INSPIRED him. What Lewis said completely captured the spirit of the SAG Awards. I think what he did was classy.

Oh and Neil, you forgot that the guy said we are all "f'ing retarded" not just idiots. You f'ing retard. : )

Ky

A man is dead and all you can do is be critical of him? That says all I need to know about you.

WTF: Stop the Heathgasms!

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