RIP

{{The downfall yes but often also too the uprising to start with. I think the more interesting question here is what is about artists that so many seem to require drugs to produce their art- whether its Shakespeare's pot pipe, Byron and co and their opiates, Beatles and LSD, Amy Winehouse's smack or Prince and his pharmaceuticals- is it that the drugs help inspire and bring out the art, or is there something about the artistic mind that has need for such substances?}}}

Maybe its the only way to find peace ? The pressure on Celebs must be high ( sorry for the pun ) I know people say "if you cant take the heat stay out of the kitchen" & Im sure these "stars" are well aware of the huge responsibility & are told often enough but, I dont think any of us could realise the enormity of it all unless we are in their shoes ? Either that or, theyre fooking crack heads

I think there is a bit of a mix. Drugs are rampant on the industry whether that is music, t.v. or theatre. So people do it because of long hours and boredom, some because of peer pressure and stupidity or get far too much money before they are responsible enough to deal with it.

I do think that there are also others that use them as part of the creative process or to deal with boring reality that isn't quite the same as the other fantasy world.

these people are surrounded by parasites for years, they are isolated by their fame and are vulnerable to all manner nonsense from believing their own fantasy worlds to being deliberately controlled by those who benefit. it must be a horrible life never to know who is really your friend. I often wonder how somebody like Whitney Houston for example had everything life has to offer and then some. Beauty, amazing talent, famous family, wealth and public adoration, you would think she would have led the most wonderful life ever, but instead she ended up in a squalid relationship with an evil dickhead, and ended up dead. that's why I would never like to be famous or fabulously wealthy, they always end up badly.

I think fame is a pitfall for the young - if it hits somebody in middle age (and they have time to anticipate it) it's possible to ride it okay. Somehow that only seems to happen to shakespearean actors who break into movies, though.

these people are surrounded by parasites for years, they are isolated by their fame and are vulnerable to all manner nonsense- Fiogg

{{Was Shakespeare, Byron, Shelley? The Beatles for examples seemed to me to be naturally exploring their psychedelic drug experiences and asking questions and taking inspiration from them, it does not seem to have had outside influences enticing them on to it beyond the zeitgeist of the times everyone is prey to, and arguably they produced, quality, but ultimately forgettable pop until they discovered drugs and their music also became experimental in not just sound but form- classic things LSD inspires, its the same in the artistic world where there are just as many opiate head classic painters as there are modern junkie ones}}

Was Shakespeare, Byron, Shelley? Petty

As far as I am aware Shakespeare wasn't a smack head. He was a hard working writer and probably hadn't time for nonsense. Byron was an aristocrat and they were used to living with a certain amount of hangers on without it turning their heads. Shelley took drugs and died young and probably produced great work inspite of and not because he took drugs. A lot of people took drugs not to get high but to relieve pain as they didn't have antibiotics for TB and other diseases. hard drinking was just a part of being an aristo in those days as well. I thought the Beetles became navel gazing dickheads when they went to India to 'find themselves' quite frankly.

"As far as I am aware Shakespeare wasn't a smack head."- Figg

{{No but they discovered one of his surviving pipes had been used to smoke cannabis in. }}

"Shelley took drugs and died young and probably produced great work inspite of and not because he took drugs."

{{That's the nub of the interesting question- we don't know if they would have produced the same work or not- we cant rerun their life again differently to find out. But I would say no based solely on my own experiences and how that has translated into my writing. Any writer, no matter how good the disguise on page is, betrays some aspect of themselves all the time- we are the sum of our experiences, good and bad, straight and high. In the end even in writing fiction that's all there is to draw on-yourself.}}}

'I thought the Beetles became navel gazing dickheads when they went to India to 'find themselves' quite frankly.'

{{{Me too as it happens- however like the stuff they produced after drug experiences or dislike it, there is a clear musical line to be drawn between there no drugs pop sound and their post drugs psychedelic sound. There is a clear cause and effect here in my view between drug experience and artistic expression.}}

I tend to think there is a difference between conscious drug taking for artistic purposes to gain altered states, and the squalid smack-heading of Whitney Houston for example. I really doubt she took drugs for creative release.

{{{No I would agree, I am not saying all drug use leads to art, or that all art is inspired by drug use- only that there seems a closer link and more common link between the output of artists and drug use. And when it comes to opiates verus psychedelics (generally the two most popular categories) I would say opiates are a dead end, both for the user and the artists output, whilst psychedelics are more likely to spark originality and bursts of creative output- but its long term unsustainable on the mind, especially if there are underlying mental issues already existing, which is another thing often associated with artist and their art}}}

{{{RIP Carla Lane. She was the writer of two sitcoms (though as much drama as sitcom) that broke the mould in so many ways- The Liver Birds and Butterflies- both of which I watched growing up as my mum was fortunately such a huge fan of them.}}}

Rest in peace Casius Clay/Mohamed Ali. An amazing man!

Float like a butterfly sting like a bee.

A huge loss. NYT has a great obituary and short film about him:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/04/sports/muhammad-ali-dies.html

Anton Yelchin only a young'un at 27, died this morning apparently.

I found out through some stupid advertisement side-bar only a few minutes ago. 

I have a heaviness in my chest over this. I liked his acting in many different movies that he was in, and had absolutely no conception that he wouldn't be around to continue making more movies for ages to come. 

I don't know about Star Trek being so great, as the headline 1-minute tributes have been putting out as his major role. I liked him best in Charlie Bartlett and Fright Night. I haven't seen it yet, but I bet he was particularly good in this year's film Green Room. 

Anyway, SHIT.

Very young and was only just getting going. I only know him from Star Trek and thought he did a good job as rebooted Chekov. Either way, RIP!

Stupid lens flare.

azriel wrote:Anton Yelchin  only a young'un at 27, died this morning apparently.

Far too young for such a promising actor.

R.I.P.

poor kid.

{{{ Sad double RIP today.

RIP Caroline Aherne, best known for writing and appearing in The Royle Family, a brutally honest and true comedy/drama on the working class background she was from.





And RIP director Robin Hardy, who directed my favourite film of all time, and the only musical I've every really loved, The Wicker Man- }}}

Michael Cimino, director of The Deer Hunter has passed away, aged 77.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/aug/13/kenny-baker-r2-d2-dies-star-wars

https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/764532827001991168

RIP, he lived to a good age though.