R.I.P. Michael Crichton

[Lunkhead]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/books/1 ... index.html

So that's 2. Who's next? Don't famous people go in 3's?

[Billy's Little Trip]

Who's next? Crap, you don't want to hear who first came to mind.
RIP Michael.

[Reist]

Damn, that sucks. My brother's a big fan of his writing.

[Caravan Ray]

Shame he didn't spend more time writing dumb books about dinosaurs and less time hanging around with cocksuckers from the Heartland Institute exposing his ignorance on anthropogenic global warming. That is the problem when doctors (and worse, writers) think they are scientists.

So a few less fat books in airport bookshops. And one less idiot making a nuisance of himself. He now won't have to live with the impacts of the ignorance he has spent the last few years contributing to. His daughter will though.

[Rabid Garfunkel]

Is Jimmy Carl Black on that list?

[Niveous]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/books/1 ... index.html

So that's 2. Who's next? Don't famous people go in 3's?

It's hard to say because what's the time frame for dying together and then there is the question of what's famous enough to count.

Recent deaths include: Studs Terkel, Michael Crichton, Yma Sumac, Jimmy Carl Black, Jacques Piccard, Shakir Stewart, Dermot Curtis, Bill Stall, Frank Navetta, Buck Adams, William Wharton, S.D. Jones....

Some of those names mean more to some people than others. For instance Navetta may not be important to some...but he was a member of the Descendents. As a musical community, I bet somebody here thinks that's pretty significant.

[jimtyrrell]

William Wharton

I hadn't heard. Birdy was such a good book.

[Reist]

Shame he didn't spend more time writing dumb books about dinosaurs and less time hanging around with cocksuckers from the Heartland Institute exposing his ignorance on anthropogenic global warming. That is the problem when doctors (and worse, writers) think they are scientists.

So a few less fat books in airport bookshops. And one less idiot making a nuisance of himself. He now won't have to live with the impacts of the ignorance he has spent the last few years contributing to. His daughter will though.

That's pretty harsh, dude. He just died.

[Caravan Ray]

Shame he didn't spend more time writing dumb books about dinosaurs and less time hanging around with cocksuckers from the Heartland Institute exposing his ignorance on anthropogenic global warming. That is the problem when doctors (and worse, writers) think they are scientists.

So a few less fat books in airport bookshops. And one less idiot making a nuisance of himself. He now won't have to live with the impacts of the ignorance he has spent the last few years contributing to. His daughter will though.

That's pretty harsh, dude. He just died.

Of course it was harsh. It was meant to be.

Sure, he may have been a lovely bloke in person, and I'm sure many people gained great pleasure from his work - good on him for that.

But that does not excuse the fact that for years now he had been abusing his position of celebrity to publish complete garbage on a subject on which he was clearly ignorant. Stuff that has become quite influential to the the non-scientific, but novel-reading, movie-watching general public. Because he wrote science-fiction, some of his readers we no doubt under the impression he may have been a scientist. He certainly was not a climatologist. His misinformed nonsense has the potential to cause a lot of harm. It is highly irresponsible

And from that, I have drawn the conclusion that the guy was a dick. Dying doesn't change that.

And his crap is still hanging around on his website
http://www.michaelcrichton.net/speech-o ... uture.html

[frankie big face]

Shame he didn't spend more time writing dumb books about dinosaurs and less time hanging around with cocksuckers from the Heartland Institute exposing his ignorance on anthropogenic global warming. That is the problem when doctors (and worse, writers) think they are scientists.

So a few less fat books in airport bookshops. And one less idiot making a nuisance of himself. He now won't have to live with the impacts of the ignorance he has spent the last few years contributing to. His daughter will though.

That's pretty harsh, dude. He just died.

People die, dude. It's not like he was your dad or your brother. Just because someone dies doesn't mean they're above criticism:

Dateline: April 30, 1945
Caravan Ray: Hitler was a fucking jerk.
Reist: That's pretty harsh, dude. He just died.

Michael Crichton was a shitty writer. None of us should even know his name.

[Reist]

Shit, am I really that wrong to think that just because someone's alive they deserve some respect the day they die?

I don't want people talking shit about me the day I die, whether or not I'm a terrible writer. Years later, that's cool, but there's something messed up about saying stuff like that so soon.

ps - he's no hitler, and it's fucking retarded to compare them. Goddamn it people. Just cause you're on the internet doesn't mean you can say stuff like this.

[Billy's Little Trip]

Shit, die? shit, die, hitler, fucking, Elton's penis, retarded, Goddamn

Just cause you're on the internet doesn't mean you can say stuff like this.

[Caravan Ray]

Goddamn it people. Just cause you're on the internet doesn't mean you can say stuff like this.

Somebody should have said that to Michael Crichton before he died.

Sorry if you find it disrespectful Andrew. There are very few things I take particularly seriously, though anthropogenic climate change happens to be one of them. And charlatans piss me right off.

Besides - he is in good company. I have also slagged off Pope John Paul II and Charlton Heston on these boards the day after they died as well (for similar reasons - though replace anthropogenic climate change with contraception and gun ownership).

[frankie big face]

ps - he's no hitler, and it's fucking retarded to compare them. Goddamn it people. Just cause you're on the internet doesn't mean you can say stuff like this.

Fuck you Reist. I can say what I want. I have the same rights you have.

And why does waiting years after someone dies make it okay to say stuff about them? That's fucking retarded. Maybe you need to examine your attitude toward death. You seem to have a hang-up about it.

And yes, Caravan Ray, Charlton Heston was an asshole. When he was alive, minutes after he died and now. Asshole the whole time.

[Caravan Ray]

Caravan Ray: Hitler was a fucking jerk.

That would be Adolf, not Brian.

[Reist]

And why does waiting years after someone dies make it okay to say stuff about them? That's fucking retarded. Maybe you need to examine your attitude toward death. You seem to have a hang-up about it.

I think people have rights to dignity, whoever they are. And there's an obvious difference between saying something the day they die and saying something x years after they die - you have to give it time. Why the hell do I need to examine my attitude toward death? I know what I think, and I think people who talk shit about the recently deceased are assholes.

[Lunkhead]

I propose a Michael Crichton tribute/slagging side fight to settle this flame war.

[Rabid Garfunkel]

Yul Brenner!

Do you believe in the Westworld?

[Billy's Little Trip]

Yul Brenner!

Do you believe in the Westworld?

Dude ... It's just like Jurassic Park. Only with androids!

[Caravan Ray]

I propose a Michael Crichton tribute/slagging side fight to settle this flame war.

I bags "I'm a Little Dinosaur" by Jonothan Richman

[frankie big face]

And why does waiting years after someone dies make it okay to say stuff about them? That's fucking retarded. Maybe you need to examine your attitude toward death. You seem to have a hang-up about it.

I think people have rights to dignity, whoever they are. And there's an obvious difference between saying something the day they die and saying something x years after they die - you have to give it time. Why the hell do I need to examine my attitude toward death? I know what I think, and I think people who talk shit about the recently deceased are assholes.

And that's your right: to think, believe and say whatever you want. But apparently, you are unwilling to extend that right to me, as evidenced by your comments "...you can't say stuff like this" and "you have to give it time." I can say what I want and I don't have to give it time. And you should respect that instead of calling me an asshole.

Remember, all I did was say he was a shitty writer. Which is my opinion and I'm entitled to it. I didn't say he should rot in hell or we should celebrate his death or I only wish he had died sooner. Your overreaction is hilarious.

[roymond]

It's fair to say lots of crappy writers have produced material that has been tremendously entertaining, whether in its original form or as movies, etc. Honest opinions are perfectly valid whenever. The fact that people express things when they die is simply that its a topic of discussion, because...they died. I haven't thought about him for years except a night we rented J Park for the kids, and now when he has died. I doubt I'll be thinking about him much from here on in.