• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman[W:90]

Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

CNN had a pretty good segment with a former addict.
He talked about the bad batch which has a way of circulating the cities in the East.
And ironic that addicts especially in New York city would be trying to actually get this tainted batch due to its strength.
Don't remember the name of the chemical in the batch, started with a "P".

A former student of mine in college was found like this by his Mother.
Pure agony for the parents forever.

My generation has lost 50 years of musicians and talent.
I have lost 38 years of students/student's parents/friends this way.
I have to carry on for those I still tutor and help .

While I have no reason to doubt what you say, I don't see how it's a relevant response to my post directed toward Hicup.
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

It isn't, but I felt enough rapport with you to share my feelings about the thread since you seem to have a long-range in-sight.
While I have no reason to doubt what you say, I don't see how it's a relevant response to my post directed toward Hicup.
The best I can do as an active retired teacher is to still try to make a difference with kids/parents
and use this tragedy as a learning moment when possible .
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

Not really to me.

As an ex-alcoholic/drug addict myself...whenever I watched him, I always assumed he was either a drinker and/or an addict. He just had that look.

No, it's not at all scientific.

It's just something you get used to when you are around addicts (like I used to be).


I managed to quit before it killed me.

I am very sorry that he did not.

There's a lot of truth in saying it takes one to know one.
It bothers me they knew he was high Saturday night, the talk, and did not press the issue.
My wife was a big fan.
Many times I don't catch up to them before they die, as in this case.

R.I.P.
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

Liked his movies....Too bad he was an addict....RIP..
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

The very guilting and shaming in this thread is a product of ignorance and fear, and is the reason why brilliant, sensitive people like Hoffman turn to drugs in the first place, and stay on them in secret. On one hand people will acknowledge that he was a highly talented actor but it seems like a platitude because they fail to realize the kind of intimate understanding of human nature and intense empathy that these kinds of actors have in order to make them big screen material. Then they are thrown into fame and fortune, and it's too much. Societal ignorance and fear keeps these people isolated so that they feel they have to deal with their demons alone. Same thing happens with highly talented musicians all the time.

What does it matter that he is rich and famous? That is all the more isolating. People who claim he had everything and stupidly threw it away are the kind of people who think money can buy happiness if you just have a lot of it.

He recently lost his kids to a custody battle. That's just the kind of thing that would toss a former addict back into turmoil. Most rehab programs in the United States have a very intense anti-drug angle, otherwise they wouldn't get licensed; and people who relapse tend to be worse off because they have had new anti-drug programming put into them by rehab which makes them feel unable to reveal the relapse to anyone.

That kind of isolation plus the low tolerance of sobriety is the perfect recipe for disaster. It's our anti-drug culture courtesy of nanny government, lack of any widespread harm reduction models, and the intense denial of addiction as DISEASE that creates the casualties. NYC doesn't even have a safe injection site with harm reduction resources. In a city that big, it's a crying shame.

Yes PSH is personally responsible for his own actions, but you can't just peg it all on him like he was some careless derelict junkie. Mental health issues are complicated and in isolation they can be deadly.
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

Nameless bum dies on the street of drug overduse... "God what a parasitic loser"
Hollywood actor dies of drug overdose... "O Lord what a tragedy, he was taken before his time, what a genius, its so sad"

That reminds me, Whitney Houston is almost two years sober now you go girl! What an inspiration.
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

Tangibles, unlike Hoffman. Anything else?


Tim-

Wilde's cynicism to the contrary, art (including artistic performances) is tangible. What legacy will you leave behind?
 
Last edited:
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

Nameless bum dies on the street of drug overduse... "God what a parasitic loser"
Hollywood actor dies of drug overdose... "O Lord what a tragedy, he was taken before his time, what a genius, its so sad"

That reminds me, Whitney Houston is almost two years sober now you go girl! What an inspiration.

One accomplished nothing with his life, the other entertained millions and brought extraordinary talent to his craft. Equating the two is beyond absurd.

I'm not going to go on some asshat cry-fest about how my life will never be the same now that he's gone in spite of never having even met him, but I will give respect where it's due. Hoffman may have been highly imperfect, but his career accomplishments have earned him more than to be cast aside like so much trash just because people don't approve of the manner in which he died.
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

****ing asshole.

Great actor. just... I can't stand these famous people doing this junk. You already live the posh easy life all while having people look up to you then you do this stupid ****. Jerk.

Clearly you didn't have a settled enough life so may you find it now. RIP.
To an extent I agree, but y'know I think that there's a huge amount of insecurity in the lifestyle. Never knowing from day to day if you have a role tomorrow, if you have a role how will it be received, and the inordinate level of pressure on the actors vs others in the media making realm. If a director or an editor or some other position screws up their aspect of a media presentation, it'll still be the actor usually that takes the blame....

I do agree that they should have the resource to get and keep their **** together, but to look at it as somehow saying that a posh life (ie materialistically satisfying) is all a person needs to be happy and well adjusted is a bit narrow minded.
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

Nameless bum dies on the street of drug overduse... "God what a parasitic loser"
Hollywood actor dies of drug overdose... "O Lord what a tragedy, he was taken before his time, what a genius, its so sad"

That reminds me, Whitney Houston is almost two years sober now you go girl! What an inspiration.
Hopefully you recognize that for some of us, even the homeless guy on the street dying of overdose is not acceptable and that is part of the reason we want the war on drugs halted and for addiction to be considered a medical issue, not a penal issue.
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

I understand Hoffmans' drug addiction began with drugs prescribed for pain by a doctor. A lot of people start their drug addiction that way.
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

addiction is a life time disease, why the term "recovering addict" is used. You never get well, you just learn to not use 1 day at a time. The "disease" is always latent.

There was some talk about the bags being laced with fentanyl, which is usually given to cancer patient in the form of a skin patch.
Doses are in the mcg.s (micrograms) per hour. A microgram is 1 1/000 of a milligram.

If he mainlined that he would die like he did with the needle still in his arm. He was very talented, as the saying goes "no hope in dope"
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

Glad to hear you made it. Good for you.

every time I read about a story like this the whole thing about legalizing drug use seems to be even more asinine.

Not to derail the thread but why?

Legalization is the only thing that makes sense when you read this
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

That reminds me, Whitney Houston is almost two years sober now you go girl! What an inspiration.
What was Whitney's biggest hit? Her last one.
 
Last edited:
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

Wilde's cynicism to the contrary, art (including artistic performances) are tangible. What legacy will you leave behind?


While this game you're playing might seem childish, I will opine anyway. I will leave four children, a major contribution to how IT business get's done nowadays, my writings and my hypothesis on QM, cosmology, space/time among others. A thriving business, and a well respected tree of individuals who have learned my craft, and went on to practice themselves, and in turn give that gift to their respective protégés'. These people whom have already and will continue to in the future will continue to be productive individuals in their own right.

Now, Hoffman, although I liked some of his movies, and came to appreciate his talent in no way shape or form moved me in such a way that turned into anything that I can put my finger on as to anything I've done in the real world. Has he done so for you, and many others? If so, namely what pray tell. What gift does he bring to you?


Tim-
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

Not to derail the thread but why?

Legalization is the only thing that makes sense when you read this

How do you figure that?
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

While this game you're playing might seem childish, I will opine anyway. I will leave four children, a major contribution to how IT business get's done nowadays, my writings and my hypothesis on QM, cosmology, space/time among others. A thriving business, and a well respected tree of individuals who have learned my craft, and went on to practice themselves, and in turn give that gift to their respective protégés'. These people whom have already and will continue to in the future will continue to be productive individuals in their own right.

Now, Hoffman, although I liked some of his movies, and came to appreciate his talent in no way shape or form moved me in such a way that turned into anything that I can put my finger on as to anything I've done in the real world. Has he done so for you, and many others? If so, namely what pray tell. What gift does he bring to you?


Tim-

Good on you for your accomplishments, I'm only surprised because in my experience the people who are quickest to tear down the successful are those with the fewest accomplishments. However, there is of course the other scenario, which is that you are simply unimpressed by him and his craft, which I suppose cannot be helped. If you're unmoved by him, you're unmoved. All I can say is that you do have a certain ignorance regarding what he does and that very few people are able to bring conviction to their roles in acting as he did. Art may be subjective, but he was extremely talented and, like I said before, has earned more than to be cast aside like trash just because you don't approve of his weaknesses.
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

How do you figure that?
there is the argument it can be better regulated when not driven to the black market. Most junkies will willingly accept pain pills, instead of shooting heroin.

Pain pills are more controlled in dose and purity -there are exceptions to every rule, and some heroin addicts aren't satisfied - wanting to "chase the dragon", (smoking oxycodone),
or the initial euphoric rush one gets when injecting.

But most would gladly be able to get pills from a Dr./clinic ( Dr's cannot prescribe to a known addict). There is a saying about opiate addiction:

"you grow sick and tired of being sick and tired" ( referring to the sickness of withdrawl pangs) - so enabling an addict to function, without using street drugs is preferable
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

Good on you for your accomplishments, I'm only surprised because in my experience the people who are quickest to tear down the successful are those with the fewest accomplishments. However, there is of course the other scenario, which is that you are simply unimpressed by him and his craft, which I suppose cannot be helped. If you're unmoved by him, you're unmoved. All I can say is that you do have a certain ignorance regarding what he does and that very few people are able to bring conviction to their roles in acting as he did. Art may be subjective, but he was extremely talented and, like I said before, has earned more than to be cast aside like trash just because you don't approve of his weaknesses.

But you didn't answer my question. What does he bring to you that was/is tangible? When I watch a figure skater or a gymnast perform I might be in awe of their abilities, and maybe as a young man or woman I might be inspired to take a path to reach higher than them. In this sense I suppose one could make that argument that their talent was so profound that it caused you to pursue a similar path. This is a tangible quality, but isn't it also true that Hoffman's addiction and now death also has tangible qualities to some who might find it so?


Tim-
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

But you didn't answer my question. What does he bring to you that was/is tangible? When I watch a figure skater or a gymnast perform I might be in awe of their abilities, and maybe as a young man or woman I might be inspired to take a path to reach higher than them. In this sense I suppose one could make that argument that their talent was so profound that it caused you to pursue a similar path. This is a tangible quality, but isn't it also true that Hoffman's addiction and now death also has tangible qualities to some who might find it so?


Tim-

I admire his acting skill, and his ability to bring gravitas and nuance to his roles, or "stage presence." It's an ineffable quality which I can't explain because acting is not my profession, otherwise I'd probably have the terminology to explain it better. It would be easier for me if you asked me to explain why a painting was moving. All I know is that it's one of those skills that you don't know to appreciate until some untalented hack takes the stage, as it were, like 95% of the people who act on the Scyfy channel. If this sounds unconvincing to you, it's because any form of art will sound unconvincing to someone not particularly moved by it. I hate to pull the "Man, if you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know" thing on you, but it's just how it goes.

As for his addiction and death, yes, those are technically tangible things, but not ones I think anybody would agree are worth emulating.

Can you accept that he was an accomplished and talented actor, or are you genuinely puzzled by his success?
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

I admire his acting skill, and his ability to bring gravitas and nuance to his roles, or "stage presence." It's an ineffable quality which I can't explain because acting is not my profession, otherwise I'd probably have the terminology to explain it better. It would be easier for me if you asked me to explain why a painting was moving. All I know is that it's one of those skills that you don't know to appreciate until some untalented hack takes the stage, as it were, like 95% of the people who act on the Scyfy channel. If this sounds unconvincing to you, it's because any form of art will sound unconvincing to someone not particularly moved by it. I hate to pull the "Man, if you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know" thing on you, but it's just how it goes.

As for his addiction and death, yes, those are technically tangible things, but not ones I think anybody would agree are worth emulating.

Can you accept that he was an accomplished and talented actor, or are you genuinely puzzled by his success?


I accept that he was a talented actor, I even stated so earlier in this very thread. His success was determined by whether people were willing to part with their hard earned cash to watch him perform. A lot of people did that, including me, however, and not to be too cynical here but a lot of people, including me, parted with my hard earned cash to watch Steve-O perform in the Jackass series. ;)


Tim-
 
Re: RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

I accept that he was a talented actor, I even stated so earlier in this very thread. His success was determined by whether people were willing to part with their hard earned cash to watch him perform. A lot of people did that, including me, however, and not to be too cynical here but a lot of people, including me, parted with my hard earned cash to watch Steve-O perform in the Jackass series. ;)


Tim-

As did I. Speaking of which, how is that guy still alive?
 
Back
Top Bottom