Philip Seymour Hoffman has carked it

heavymental

Although I didn't know him personally, I feel sad that Philip Seymour Hoffman has died because he was an excellent actor and I feel certain he would have performed in many more excellent films had he not died. I particularly enjoyed his performances in The Talented Mr Ripley, The Master and Magnolia. A loss to the world of acting.

(I'm also sad for the families of less famous people who may have died today or recently and even more sad for the thousands of underprivileged dead from malnutrition and other poverty linked causes. No doubt they are a loss to those that knew them).

bikes`n`guns

A fantastic actor, one of my favourite.

Only 46 as well,, same age as myself, and also the same as a close relative who died last month from a drugs overdose.

Total waste

Anonymous

Of course death is particularly sad when its someone young, or unnecessary or close to you and I was a little shocked/saddened at the news yesterday (also partly because I am same age).

A lot of people also take drugs and that has its own sadnesses.

I tend to lose a lot of sympathy when I find out a celebs death is as a result of a drug overdose (intentional or not) though.

I just do not like how the media/society seem to accept the drug use.

seanoconn

Terrific actor. Sad loss

mamba80

Feel sorry for his family but tbh he threw away his life.
it wasn't an accident doing something he loved nor was he murdered, just another rich idiot with nothing better to do.
instead on bemoaning his loss, it would be better if drug laws were actually enforced on the famous in society.

ballysmate

Heavymental wrote:

Although I didn't know him personally, I feel sad that Philip Seymour Hoffman has died because he was an excellent actor and I feel certain he would have performed in many more excellent films had he not died. I particularly enjoyed his performances in The Talented Mr Ripley, The Master and Magnolia. A loss to the world of acting.

(I'm also sad for the families of less famous people who may have died today or recently and even more sad for the thousands of underprivileged dead from malnutrition and other poverty linked causes. No doubt they are a loss to those that knew them).

My oh my! You have a lot of sadness in your life.
Please don't turn to drugs because you are sad. You know where it leads.

GiantMike

mamba80 wrote:

...it wasn't an accident doing something he loved....

It sounds like that's exactly what it was.

I can't believe class A drugs, that you have to break the law to purchase and consume, are so dangerous.

PercyFlage

mamba80 wrote:

Feel sorry for his family but tbh he threw away his life.
it wasn't an accident doing something he loved nor was he murdered, just another rich idiot with nothing better to do.
instead on bemoaning his loss, it would be better if drug laws were actually enforced on the famous in society.

If it's not black it must be white.

raymondo60

His performance in 'Capote' was unbelievable - one of my favourite all-time films....

entershikari

Carbonator wrote:

I just do not like how the media/society seem to accept the drug use.

I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my life.

In what possible way does society 'accept drug use', we live in a society in which you can be put into prison for choosing what you put into your own body. Laws which ban consensual crimes (crimes where there are no victims) such as homosexuality, prostitution and drug use need to stop. These laws do far more harm to society than the activities which they are trying to stop.

Take Mr Hoffmans story as an example. Pure, un-cut heroin is very unlikely to cause overdose because the doses can be properly measured. Once its made illegal however the black-market is free to cut it with god only knows what; this means the strength of street heroin varies from less than 20% to over 90% so when a dose is measured out the user can't know for certain how much heroin they are actually getting. Not knowing the true dose = overdose.

The drug war killed Mr Hoffman, not heroin

pblakeney

Just say no.

smidsy

46....he looks 66 in most of the photos. Obviously a life of excess, sad indeed (not him specifically but people parting prematurely in general).

GiantMike

He's probably not really dead. Just acting.

GiantMike

entershikari wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

I just do not like how the media/society seem to accept the drug use.

I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my life.

In what possible way does society 'accept drug use', we live in a society in which you can be put into prison for choosing what you put into your own body. Laws which ban consensual crimes (crimes where there are no victims) such as homosexuality, prostitution and drug use need to stop. These laws do far more harm to society than the activities which they are trying to stop.

Careful you don't fall off that high horse. If you went to a party and somebody was taking drugs, would you call the Police to get them to enforce the laws? If not, as a member of society, you're accepting drug use against.

entershikari

GiantMike wrote:

entershikari wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

I just do not like how the media/society seem to accept the drug use.

I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my life.

In what possible way does society 'accept drug use', we live in a society in which you can be put into prison for choosing what you put into your own body. Laws which ban consensual crimes (crimes where there are no victims) such as homosexuality, prostitution and drug use need to stop. These laws do far more harm to society than the activities which they are trying to stop.

Careful you don't fall off that high horse. If you went to a party and somebody was taking drugs, would you call the Police to get them to enforce the laws? If not, as a member of society, you're accepting drug use against.

Yes you are correct that I accept peoples right to do as they wish with their own body; its none of my business. But to say that the media and society as a whole accept drug use is just plain ridiculous.

Drug users are demonised horribly by the media and most of society views most people who take drugs (other than alcohol) as the scum of the earth

GiantMike

entershikari wrote:

GiantMike wrote:

entershikari wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

I just do not like how the media/society seem to accept the drug use.

I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my life.

In what possible way does society 'accept drug use', we live in a society in which you can be put into prison for choosing what you put into your own body. Laws which ban consensual crimes (crimes where there are no victims) such as homosexuality, prostitution and drug use need to stop. These laws do far more harm to society than the activities which they are trying to stop.

Careful you don't fall off that high horse. If you went to a party and somebody was taking drugs, would you call the Police to get them to enforce the laws? If not, as a member of society, you're accepting drug use against.

Yes you are correct that I accept peoples right to do as they wish with their own body; its none of my business. But to say that the media and society as a whole accept drug use is just plain ridiculous.

Drug users are demonised horribly by the media and most of society views most people who take drugs (other than alcohol) as the scum of the earth

But then you're confusing their public stance against drugs with a private profusion of drug-taking in the broadcast and press industries.

bianchimoon

Raymondo60 wrote:

His performance in 'Capote' was unbelievable - one of my favourite all-time films....

yes but is heroin an' acting PED'?

ballysmate

Just been told by the missus that Alexandra Bastedo croaked a couple of weeks back. She would have got it in her day and the object of many a schoolboy fantasy. Probably wouldn't get it now though.

mamba80

entershikari wrote:

Yes you are correct that I accept peoples right to do as they wish with their own body; its none of my business. But to say that the media and society as a whole accept drug use is just plain ridiculous.

Drug users are demonised horribly by the media and most of society views most people who take drugs (other than alcohol) as the scum of the earth

Are they? maybe if you are a thieving crack head in a run down estate but if your are a celebrity, then it is at the very least tolerated and in some cases celebrated.

Hoffman is no more worthy of all the praise he is getting than some squalid heroin user, found dead in her flat, she may have had few other options but he could afford the very best in treatment and help.

bianchimoon

Ballysmate wrote:

Just been told by the missus that Alexandra Bastedo croaked a couple of weeks back. She would have got it in her day and the object of many a schoolboy fantasy. Probably wouldn't get it now though.

Oh i don't know, some weird kinds on here
Ahh the champions, schoolboy memories coming back

Mikey23

I understand that he had a problem years back but had just come out of rehab and his close friends thought he was clean. Thanks guys for explaining what he was in as I hadn't heard of him before.

Anonymous

entershikari wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

I just do not like how the media/society seem to accept the drug use.

I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my life.


The drug war killed Mr Hoffman, not heroin

Nope, it was definitely the heroin he decided to take. No one made him and there were no reports of any gangs or shootings etc.

He was meant to be clever enough to know what he was getting into so he made an educated choice.

Why did you only quote part of my text? I was referring to the media/society accepting drug using celebs mainly.

Anonymous

entershikari wrote:

Yes you are correct that I accept peoples right to do as they wish with their own body; its none of my business. But to say that the media and society as a whole accept drug use is just plain ridiculous.

Drug users are demonised horribly by the media and most of society views most people who take drugs (other than alcohol) as the scum of the earth

So no regard for the law then?

I too think people should be able to do what they like with their own body, but with one important proviso. That it does not affect anybody else, and personally I would say hard drug use does.

I have not noticed Mr Hoffman being horribly demonised. He only seems to be being lorded and no mention of him being scum of the earth.

Kids TV presenters can give drugs to their partners that then OD and die, and cricketers can drive around smashed out of their heads potentially killing you, I or our children/family, but everyone just says what great guys they are :?

I think a swinging celeb would get a harder time!
Phil Mitchell really made a boo boo when he went dogging, snorting coke would have been a much safer bet.

Mikey23

Did he?

bianchimoon

Totally agree carbonator, entershikari there ARE a lot of scum of the earth drugtakers (last night on BBC prog about the routemasters the two tw@ts that robbed two old people on a bus, so they could pay for their fix - they're scum), as well as the majority misguided, the foolish, the rich, bored crowd. One things for certain by them choosing to 'put what they want' in their bodies means a lot more pain and suffering for their families, than for them when they can't get their fix. You blame the system for not allowing them to go and buy it fro a licensed shop, whether the licensed shop exists or not if they aint got the money they will do whatever it takes to get it still whether it's a dealer or a shop makes no difference.

bianchimoon

Mikey23 wrote:

Did he?

I missed that episode to!

joelsim

Feel sorry for his kids.

Struggle to understand how some people get into heroin. Dirty drug like crack.

ballysmate

Joelsim wrote:

Feel sorry for his kids

Pity he didnt consider them before shooting up sh1t in his veins

joelsim

Couldn't agree more.

heavymental

Well I managed to avoid some of the usual 'you didn't know him, why are you sad?' guff with the first post but it seems there's plenty of other guff to make up for it.

Surely there is some understanding in you that drug abuse is a symptom of other problems? It's not really a simple decision to take, or not take, drugs. I think it is something that an addict will slide into for reasons most of us can't understand or imagine. There must be plenty of people here who smoke or drink and don't consider the consequences? Not everyone here is a tee-totaller, surely? Drug addiction is only a situation a few stages on from the 'just one more' attitude we all have at some point.

This is the reason he is being mourned, because his death is a result of a depression or desperation that rehab couldn't reach and that is a situation that's hard for most people to imagine. Addiction/mental health issues aren't a case of 'pulling yourself together'. It's quite challenging by all accounts. Also, he is being celebrated because he produced some wonderful performances in his time.

mfin

Some daft generalisations and judgements on drug users in some of these posts.

Anyway, personally I thought it was an awful shame as he was such a great actor, and I have no doubt he would have gone on to more incredible performances, probably drawing even more critical acclaim than those he had done.