Henry Rollins Feels ‘Disdain’ For Robin Williams & His ‘Purposely Abandoned’ Life

[big_dog]

Punk rock musician and actor Henry Rollins has blasted Robin Williams for deciding to take his own life. In an essay for LA Weekly, titled “F*ck Suicide,” Rollins delivered the sort of by-your-own-bootstraps proclamations he’s become well-known for, excoriating the late comedian for committing suicide and leaving his family behind:

How in the hell could you possibly do that to your children? I don’t care how well adjusted your kid might be — choosing to kill yourself, rather than to be there for that child, is every shade of awful, traumatic and confusing. I think as soon as you have children, you waive your right to take your own life. No matter what mistakes you make in life, it should be your utmost goal not to traumatize your kids. So, you don’t kill yourself. Rollins emphasized that he understands depression, noting that “When you are severely depressed, it can be more isolating than anything else you have ever experienced.” He relayed a story of his old housemate who committed suicide after a long battle with depression.

“The hardest part about being around her was you knew there was nothing you could do to help,” he wrote. “I get it, but then again, maybe I don’t.” And now comes the more controversial parts [emphasis added]: When someone negates their existence, they cancel themselves out in my mind. I have many records, books and films featuring people who have taken their own lives, and I regard them all with a bit of disdain. When someone commits this act, he or she is out of my analog world. I know they existed, yet they have nullified their existence because they willfully removed themselves from life. They were real but now they are not. I no longer take this person seriously. I may be able to appreciate what he or she did artistically but it’s impossible to feel bad for them. Their life wasn’t cut short — it was purposely abandoned. It’s hard to feel bad when the person did what they wanted to. It sucks they are gone, of course, but it’s the decision they made. I have to respect it and move on.
And here’s more:

Almost 40,000 people a year kill themselves in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In my opinion, that is 40,000 people who blew it. Noisey cataloged the internet’s general reaction to Rollin’s “Fuck Suicide” declaration: In effect, many social media users said, “Fuck Henry Rollins.” http://www.mediaite.com/online/henry-rollins-feels-disdain-for-robin-williams-and-his-purposely-abandoned-life/

[DisgustipatedinCA]

1. I like Henry Rollins. I love Robin Williams.

I completely disagree with Rollins on this one, and I think it's in poor taste.

[big_dog]

2. sometimes Rollins goes way overboard in the emotions of the situation at hand

and this is one of those times

[gratuitous]

3. Rollins could have just written, "I don't know what I'm talking about"

And left it at that. For some reason, he didn't.

[Vattel]

19. exactly

[HooptieWagon]

7. Yes, I agree.

I like Henry Rollins, but hes like the Rude Pundit of musicians... always speaks his mind in terms more blunt than a 2x4. He should have been more tactful and understanding in this case, but thats just not him.

[nolabear]

4. The lack of comprehension there is pretty astounding.

The belief that it's okay for him to "disdain" like that in public is just stupid.

[bluesbassman]

5. Fuck Henry Rollins.

Here's a prime example that it is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

[CBGLuthier]

6. Yeah, proves he always was and always will be a poser.

I feel disdain for him and his phony act.

[JaneyVee]

8. This is the opposite of a think-piece.

What drivel. He admits to not understanding it yet he distastefully talks about it anyway.

[OnyxCollie]

9. At some point in everyone's life,

one will have to decide to stop living (unless that decision is made for them.)

When that happens, it doesn't matter if one is married, has kids, or owns a dog; when you die, you die alone. That's the way it is.

There's a peace that comes when one is no longer concerned about waking up tomorrow, or ever.

Those who complain and criticize are the one's who are selfish.

[Egnever]

10. As someone who had their mother commit suicide at a young age

I totally get what he is saying. It changed my life forever and set off a chain of events, I would hope had she envisioned, she would never have made the choice she did.

I have little tolerance for suicide because of the impact it had on my life and those around me. In the end I see it as an utterly selfish choice. People certainly have the right to make that choice. I just have very little patience for it.

As much as I try to understand or empathize with the decision after 40 years of thinking about it I still cant find much more than apathy at this point for people that make that choice. If it hadn't touched me so personally in my life I would likely be much more sympathetic.

[brer cat]

13. What a terrible loss, Egnever.

Your feelings of intolerance are understandable. I know enough about depression to understand how someone reaches that point, but it is terribly sad that they didn't have a way of pulling back. I would never dump on someone the way Henry Rollins did...that is utterly despicable.

[GeorgeGist]

11. Fuck him.

Robin did more good in a week than Rollins will do in a lifetime of posing as mr. toughguy.

[big_dog]

17. +1

k&r

[rurallib]

12. I know little of Henry Rollins

My take this is some pseudo-intellectual trying to cash in on another man's trouble.

As they often say in sports, Rollins couldn't carry Williams jock.

[enigmatic]

14. Loved Robin Williams, Love Henry Rollins

Run into Henry a few times over the years and he's never been less than gracious to both myself and friends, and he's one of the most intelligent people I know. He's had a rough life and watched his best friend die in front of him in a botched robbery in Vience in the 90's and his treatment by the LAPD that night and afterwards was 1000 times beyond fucked up. He hasn't really gotten over Joe Cole's murder and I believe he's wrong wrong wrong about Robin's death and suicide in general.

Henry's a good guy, given to many, many progressive causes over the years. This is a blind spot for him, and I wish he'd think about what he's saying.

But I still love Robin Williams and Henry Rollins.

[mwrguy]

15. fuck Henry Rollins

[KamaAina]

16. Et tu, Henry?

Going all Gene Simmons on us, are you?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025391203

[11 Bravo]

18. Robin Williams was an internationally acclaimed genius. I had to Google Henry Rollins.

[n2doc]

20. I've never understood the appeal of the guy

I guess if you are a punker who has managed to survive and can form complete sentences you must be a genius. But then again I have never liked his music.

[NightWatcher]

21. Henry, go back to your Infinity commercial voiceovers. It wasn't just depression

Robin was sick and starting to suffer from Parkinsons and did not want to go that way. Mr Punk Rocker sure likes to have his nose in other people's business.

[UTUSN]

22. Judgments are on the monstrous specimens among us. About everybody else, we should STFU. n/t

[loyalsister]

23. And thus expresses disdain

for people who have felt suicidal, or attempted suicide. They aren't just trashing the memory of Robin Williams, they are expressing disdain for real people who are alive and fighting urges to end their lives. These comments shows a complete disregard for their existence and struggles.

[LloydS of New London]

25. Fuck Henry Rollins

How the hell did this guy get a platform to begin with?

[VanillaRhapsody]

26. Yeah we will see how well Rollins handles old age....

lets see how he feels when he contracts a debilitating disease that will rob him of EVERYTHING! Hey Henry....maybe he didn't want to put his kids through THAT!