Posted on 08/13/2014 6:44:45 AM PDT by NKP_Vet
RUSH: This is Mark in Des Plaines, Illinois. Welcome to the program. Hi.
CALLER: Hi, Rush. You are such a great guy. I have a question for you about the news about Robin Williams --
RUSH: Before you get to that. Mark, I have never really known and I'm gonna ask. Is it Des Plaines, or Des Plaines?
CALLER: Well, it's Des Plaines.
RUSH: Des Plaines. Okay.
CALLER: English kind of way to say it.
RUSH: Gotcha. Gotcha. Okay. Thank you for that.
CALLER: Yeah. My pleasure. You know, I don't want to sound insensitive, and Robin Williams was absolutely a wonderful talent. But, you know, it used to be that the media would sort of downplay celebrity suicide, which I think was actually a good and right thing. I just feel like they're making a huge deal about this when there's so much other news like Iraq, Israel, Missouri, et cetera, that they should be focusing on. My question is, what do you think the political reason for their doing this is?
RUSH: Well, interesting question. You know, I'm the guy that says there's politics in everything and you've gotta be able to spot it, and you're right, there is here. This really is an example of the dedication the media has to pop culture events and how important it is in the eyes of their audience. Whereas in Washington, the media thinks the world is on fire because of what's happening in the Middle East, your average TMZ viewer thinks the world doesn't make any sense anymore because Robin Williams committed suicide.
The thing I worry about, I really do, they're making such heroism out of this that I hope it doesn't inspire a lot of copycats by people seeking the same kind of fame. And that's been one of my big concerns with social media from the get-go. I saw all these people just giving up every bit of information about themselves, just this desire to have everybody know everything about them, and we know that one of the allures of pop culture media is this desire to be famous and have pop culture media talk about you. And this is one way to do it, obviously. To kill yourself is one way to get the media to spend a lot of time talking about you, if you want to be talked about. I hope it doesn't spawn a bunch of copycats.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: So our last caller from Des Plaines, Illinois, wanted to know, "What is the politics in the coverage of the suicide of Robin Williams?" Well, I believe there is some. But I don't think that the politics is driving it. I think there was, on the part of media and Hollywood, genuine affection for the guy that is driving it, but there is politics. If you notice the coverage is focused on how much he had, but it wasn't enough.
"He had everything, everything that you would think would make you happy. But it didn't." Now, what is the left's worldview in general? What is it? If you had to attach not a philosophy but an attitude to a leftist worldview, it's one of pessimism and darkness, sadness. They're never happy, are they? They're always angry about something. No matter what they get, they're always angry.
They are animated in large part by the false promises of America, because the promises of America are not for everyone, as we see each and every day. I mean, right here there's a story on the Fox News website. Do you know, it says right here, that the real reasons that Robin Williams killed himself are he was embarrassed at having to take television roles after a sterling movie career.
He had to take movie roles that were beneath him, sequels and so forth, and he finally had to do television just to get a paycheck because he was in so much financial distress. He'd had some divorces that ripped up his net worth, and he had a big ranch in Napa that he couldn't afford any longer and had to put up for sale, and a house in Tiburon that he couldn't afford anymore. This is all what's in the Fox News story.
He had it all, but he had nothing. He made everybody else laugh but was miserable inside. I mean, it fits a certain picture, or a certain image that the left has. Talk about low expectations and general unhappiness and so forth. Right here it says that one the contributing factors to Robin Williams deciding to kill himself was "survivor's guilt." It's in the headline.
I read that and I thought, "Survivor's guilt? What? What survivor's guilt? What?" So I read it, and it turns out that three of his closest friends, the story says -- Christopher Reeve, John Belushi, and Andy Kaufman... The source, unnamed in the story, said that Robin Williams felt guilty that he was still alive while his three friends had died young and much earlier than he had.
He could never get over the guilt that they died and he didn't.
Well, that is a constant measurement that is made by political leftists in judging the country. It's outcome-based education: 2 + 2 = 5. "That's fine until the student learns it's 4. We're not gonna humiliate the student by pointing out that he's wrong. If he figures it out, cool. We're gonna take the fast learners and we're gonna slow them down so that they don't humiliate the kids that don't learn as fast as they do. It's just not fair."
So the bottom line is here is it's reported that he died, which is true, but he actually committed suicide. I just really hope that this coverage does not spawn copycats, because the coverage is fawning and glorious, and positive. You have so many people on social media who so desperately want fame. You know it and I know it.
People are voluntarily telling everybody every detail about themselves, casting every aspect of their privacy aside just because they want fame. They want to be noticed. They all want to be on TV. There's a lot of fame and the media's doing every story about this is a story of greatness -- unparalleled, unequaled, unique greatness.
I mean, everybody would love to be spoken of the way the media's speaking of Robin Williams today and last night, and I really hope -- 'cause there's some very fragile people out there -- people don't try to emulate or get this kind of notoriety for themselves by doing the same thing.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: So the police department or the coroner's office, sheriff's department, somebody, medical examiner is giving a press conference now in San Rafael, California, with more details on the death of Robin Williams. They've made it official. He hanged himself as his mode of suicide.
You know, I don't know what else there is to say. I've never been one who thought that suicide was heroic nor something to be glorified. And the reason is simple: We all only get one life, and I don't think there's anything more precious. And, of course, I think that's something everybody alive takes for granted. Well, not all time, some people don't, obviously. But most people just take it for granted.
I also believe that -- well, I don't want to go there. (interruption) No, no, no. I was just gonna say that there's so many people that believe in heaven that it makes somehow, sometimes life on earth just not worth it, 'cause there is something better out there. And that may be true, but it's still a life wasted, and it's the only one any of us ever get. I have always thought suicide was one of the most depressing tragedies and certainly not something that should be reported on in a way that might make others want to do it. But that's just me.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: This poor guy out in San Rafael, California, who's having to deal with questions from the media? He said, "Last question," about five times, but he keeps getting such stupid questions, he feels duty-bound to answer them. The last question I heard before I had to return here to the busy broadcast was, "Was his death accidental?"
"Uh, no, sir. Suicide is an intentional, intentful act. It isn't an accident. Last question."
"Well, where was his wife at 10:30 last night?"
"I don't know where Mrs. Williams was, and I wouldn't tell you if I did."
"Well, uh, is it possible he could come back to life and -- and...?"
"Sir, he committed suicide by hanging. That's the preliminary information we have."
"Well, what do you mean, 'preliminary'?"
"Well, when we finish the investigation, we'll have a final determination."
"You mean -- you mean...?"
"Sir, it just means that everything is normal here. The only thing different is you're here. Everything we're doing is what we do in every circumstance when this happens with any citizen in our county. The only difference is you are here," meaning the media.
"Well, well, was he naked, or was...?"
"Sir, he was clothed. This was not an autoeroticl sexual act, sir."
"Oh, damn! Okay."
(sigh) Man, oh, man, oh, man. The media just... You know, anybody can be... What do you think the percentage is of media people who are actually low-information, incompetent people themselves?
END TRANSCRIPT
Savage had a very good segment about this on his program.
CALLER: Well, it's Des Plaines.
RUSH: Des Plaines. Okay.
--- I always wondered about that, myself.
No. It's Da Plane Da Plane...
One actor, more accurately describing the circumstances, tweeted the following:
"F*** the Red Knight"
He had it all, but he had nothing. He made everybody else laugh but was miserable inside. I mean, it fits a certain picture, or a certain image that the left has. Talk about low expectations and general unhappiness and so forth. Right here it says that one the contributing factors to Robin Williams deciding to kill himself was "survivor's guilt." It's in the headline. I read that and I thought, "Survivor's guilt? What? What survivor's guilt? What?" So I read it, and it turns out that three of his closest friends, the story says -- Christopher Reeve, John Belushi, and Andy Kaufman... The source, unnamed in the story, said that Robin Williams felt guilty that he was still alive while his three friends had died young and much earlier than he had. He could never get over the guilt that they died and he didn't.
Ping to the thread. Could you repost your excellent Solomon citation?
In most places you can’t say it without being considered insensitive, but I have hated the 24 hours of non-stop fawning. For the sake of the weak and desperate the news should have noted his passing and moved on immediately. Give the spotlight to men and women who die for something worthwhile - a soldier, a fireman, a law enforcement officer...
Suicide should not be glorified.
Or at least talk about it as a health tragedy. Someone who was the victim of an illness.
ROFL Wow I believe Herve also committed suicide also many years ago.
Well, that settles that...................
Sorry, I have no sympathy for him (Williams, not Limbaugh).
Yeah - I know. We little people don’t know how tough the rich have it.
People by the thousands, if not millions, admired him.
The man made hundreds of millions in his lifetime but pissed it all away.
Yet in the entertainment world, even a bankrupt, broken down, drugged up, alcoholic has-been like Williams can pretty much have whatever he wants and can live very well if he just shows up for work once in a while.
Yet he let himself get so screwed up in the head he hung himself with his own trouser belt.
CALLER: Well, it's Des Plaines.
RUSH: Des Plaines. Okay.
Clear as mud now, heheh
He didn’t ‘let himself’ do anything. He was mentally ill.
I agree with your sentiments, but your English needs a bit of help:
He hanged himself.
To conjugate the verb:
Is hanged.
Was hanged.
Shall be hanged.
When a man is hung it is not to be discussed in a family oriented forum...
They said that you was hung.
And they was right.
Rush jumped the shark long ago. His rant is nonsensical.
Dealt with a lot of suicides in my time as a Prosecutor. There is never a political component. It is much more complex and usually tied to depression. I have seen Left, Right, Christian, non-Christian, etc suicides. Culture makes no difference. Socio-economic status makes no difference. Politics makes no difference.
No wonder I sopped listening to these so called experts and pundits.
IMO, Rush didn’t say the act of committing suicide was political he said the media coverage of it was political.
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