# Hunter S. Thompson didn't choose the most respectable way to go. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 25, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948 "2005-02-25T23:29:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/1 "2005-02-25T23:29:56Z")
[Link](http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2005-02-25-thompson-phone_x.htm) According to the article, he shot himself while on the phone with his wife. I’m aware of the debate recently in here about whether or not he was a coward, so I’ll leave cowardice out of it. But this is just fucked up. It’s not a graceful exit, “leaving on a high note”, or any of that bullshit, its just fucking mean and selfish IMHO. Also: > [@USAToday](#): > > His son, daughter-in-law and 6-year-old grandson were in the house when the shooting occurred. Again: Just fucking mean. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/2 "2005-02-25T23:37:10Z")
Agreed. That poor little kid. And I thought the son was remarkably cool about the whole thing. He refrained from tearing his dad a new post-mortem asshole. I don’t know if I would have been able to refrain. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/3 "2005-02-26T00:17:17Z")
Yeah, fuck that shit. I’ve never been opposed to suicide as a general proposition, and i particularly respect the right of someone who is in pain or has a terminal disease to choose the time and the manner of his or her death. But going out of your way to do it like this is just mean-spirited and cruel. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/4 "2005-02-26T00:23:22Z")
Yeah, and in the kitchen, too. The most difficult room to clean. They’ll be finding skull fragments in the coffee cups for days and days. Well, compassion and thoughtfulness were not HST’s strong suites. The Widow wishes she could have been more supportive of his decision? Yeah, maybe he would have given you time to put some plastic down. He went out like he lived, Rude, Crude and out of control. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/5 "2005-02-26T00:26:28Z")
So the guy was nuts. It’s not as if this was unexpected–he’d only been talking about it & planning it for who knows how long? Seems like his wife was getting tired of it anyway, I wonder what was keeping her from having him committed. It’s not as if he mentioned it once in a flip remark, he was fucking obsessing about it. Did nobody care? He evidently thought not: “Please come home wanna talk to you.” “Not right now, I have to burn off that egg McMuffin I had yesterday. I know you’ve been suicidal or whatever, but can’t it wait? I’m almost up to my workout heartrate and I’m already all sweaty and, I’m just not fresh.” Maybe actions take over where words fail. But let’s all pile on the suicidal looney because we don’t understand his timing. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/6 "2005-02-26T01:01:10Z")
> [@The Sonoran Lizard King](#): > > He went out like he lived, Rude, Crude and out of control. _sniff_… that’s beautiful man, I think \*\*HST[/B}] would want that on his tombstone. Unclviny ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/7 "2005-02-26T01:33:45Z")
Do they have phone records? Or is this just, possibly, his ex trying to cash in and get another 15 minutes? Not saying that it didn’t happen that way, I just want more proof. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/8 "2005-02-26T01:42:28Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > So the guy was nuts. It’s not as if this was unexpected–he’d only been talking about it & planning it for who knows how long? Seems like his wife was getting tired of it anyway, I wonder what was keeping her from having him committed. > > It’s not as if he mentioned it once in a flip remark, he was fucking obsessing about it. Did nobody care? He evidently thought not: > > "Please come home wanna talk to you. > > “Not right now, I have to burn off that egg McMuffin I had yesterday. I know you’ve been suicidal or whatever, but can’t it wait? I’m almost up to my workout heartrate and I’m already all sweaty and, I’m just not fresh.” > > Maybe actions take over where words fail." From what I’ve read, he said nothing to her during that conversation that indicated he was contemplating suicide…nor at that very moment. > [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > But let’s all pile on the suicidal looney because we don’t understand his timing. Not timing…location, location, location. (In the kitchen with his son and daughter-in-law and little grandson in their bedroom, with his wife due home later.) I’ve been resisting saying anything because so many here seemed to revere him and were obviously grieving. But now that this thread has opened up anyway, I’ll second what **The Sonoran Lizard King** said: Compassion and thoughtfulness were not his hallmarks, and he went out the same way he lived, Rude, Crude and Out of Control. The guy was a prick. He made no secret of it and every account I’ve ever read by anyone who happened to have the merest casual encounter with him has only served to substantiate it. Despite the fact that I’ve enjoyed his ability to turn a phrase from time to time, I can’t get too worked up with admiration over either him or the way he “chose” to end his life. I’m sure if the husband or father of most of the posters here who have been singing his praises were to kill themselves in the same way Thompson did, their assessment of that person’s “courage” and “strength” and “choice to end his life his way” would be a great deal different. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/9 "2005-02-26T02:14:35Z")
Hey, I just think it’s a miracle that he didn’t OD. > [@](#): > > Compassion and thoughtfulness were not his hallmarks, and he went out the same way he lived, Rude, Crude and Out of Control. As a huge HST fan and someone that is still reeling from his death, I agree. I don’t see why a man needs to be a gentle and compassionate flower to be considered great. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/10 "2005-02-26T04:58:56Z")
Rude Crude & Out of Control. OK. I know that I would never do it the way he did, well at least not with the same audience. But could it just be that he was a loose cannon nutjob all along who just happened to be able to make a living being a loose cannon nutjob? And so in most respects he was able to avoid the “cray-Zee” label. The inability to gauge appropriate social behavior is also a hallmark of a number of mental illnesses that are ‘cured’ by exactly this sort of behavior with this kind of disregard to repurcussions. I don’t mean to be a one trick pony here and I’ll be among the first to weep for those who had to witness the grisliness. But before we roast the asshole let’s at least consider the notion that he was a nut. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/11 "2005-02-26T05:33:46Z")
The man didn’t even leave a note! Kind of rude I think. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/12 "2005-02-26T05:51:12Z")
I’m not particularly sad to say that this man isn’t great. He’s vanished off the radar and 1 decade from now no one will remember his name. I’ve sure I heard the name some where, but I didn’t know anything about him and don’t really care. He wasn’t a great man. He wasn’t even much of a man. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/13 "2005-02-26T05:56:08Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > He’s vanished off the radar and 1 decade from now no one will remember his name. 1. No he didn’t 2. Sure, nobody will remember his name. Other than writers, and journalists, and historians, and… > [@smiling bandit](#): > > I’ve sure I heard the name some where, but I didn’t know anything about him and don’t really care. Proof that you’re neither an artist or a kindred soul. > [@smiling bandit](#): > > He wasn’t a great man. He wasn’t even much of a man. Why don’t you post here when you’ve made one one hundreth the impact Hunter did? Got any schools of journalism named after _you?_ ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/14 "2005-02-26T06:08:02Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > I’m not particularly sad to say that this man isn’t great. He’s vanished off the radar and 1 decade from now no one will remember his name. I’ve sure I heard the name some where, but I didn’t know anything about him and don’t really care. He wasn’t a great man. He wasn’t even much of a man. 😕 Ok you may or may not have heard the man’s name and \*that \* makes you feel qualified to evaluate him? You’re confusing the words _great_ with _famous_. Here, you may find [this book](http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/catalog/titledetail.cfm?titleNumber=J28006) helpful. Some people here have actually read a paragraph or two that he’s written and have some business being in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/15 "2005-02-26T06:11:45Z")
By the way I found what he did appalling and disgusting. The odds are strong that he did it out of pique. But the man wasn’t _great_ because he was _good_. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/16 "2005-02-26T06:14:52Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > I’m not particularly sad to say that this man isn’t great. He’s vanished off the radar and 1 decade from now no one will remember his name. I’ve sure I heard the name some where, but I didn’t know anything about him and don’t really care. He wasn’t a great man. He wasn’t even much of a man. HST was something of a cult hero, I believe, and most certainly didn’t vanish off my radar, and his name will certainly never disappear from my memory. If the fact that he pioneered a new style of journalism didn’t insure his near-immortality, then the fact that he killed himself before he did vanish off the radar has. As for the OP, while it was an inconsiderate thing to do, you can’t exactly say he was in his right mind when he pulled the trigger (but then, when was he?). Perhaps he just wanted the last voice he heard to be his wife’s. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/17 "2005-02-26T06:50:55Z")
> [@xgxlx](#): > > As for the OP, while it was an inconsiderate thing to do, you can’t exactly say he was in his right mind when he pulled the trigger (but then, when was he?). Perhaps he just wanted the last voice he heard to be his wife’s. Of course, he could have hung up the phone and still accomplished this result. FWIW, i don’t really think this has anything to do with HST’s contribution to American cultural life more broadly—his essays, journalism, etc., etc. There’s ample evidence in this world to suggest that being a great cultural contributor and being a selfish asshole are not mutually exclusive. ---
**Author:** ![robotic\_panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed8c4c/32.png) [@robotic\_panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robotic_panda)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/18 "2005-02-26T11:13:31Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > I’m not particularly sad to say that this man isn’t great. He’s vanished off the radar and 1 decade from now no one will remember his name. I’ve sure I heard the name some where, but I didn’t know anything about him and don’t really care. He wasn’t a great man. He wasn’t even much of a man. Wow. I don’t know what kind of obituary that’s supposed to be, but I hope you’re not a journalist. For many reasons. Thompson was crazy and wacky and all that, but he was willing to write about a different culture (no matter how off the wall), and damned if we don’t need more of that. At least you’re acknowledging he was on ‘the radar’. Will they say the same about you? I know i’ll remember Hunter S. Thompson a decade from now, i’ve got books that will be around until then. You wrote some sort of eulogy there, its just not Thompson’s. > [@mhendo](#): > > There’s ample evidence in this world to suggest that being a great cultural contributor and being a selfish asshole are not mutually exclusive. If he was a REAL asshole, he’d want something crazy and loud and dirty like his remains [shot out of a cannon](http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/4223475/detail.html) or something. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/19 "2005-02-26T13:30:04Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Proof that you’re neither an artist or a kindred soul. You know, I heard this kind of bullshit quite a bit on college about Hunter. I read Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail. I read some of his Rolling Stone pieces. I went to hear him speak at our campus. Know what? He’s one of the most overrated writers and complete assholes ever. He was an inane, gibbering, drug addled blogger before there were bloggers. While he may, indeed, be influential, he was, in my opinion, an egomanical, incoherent jagoff. > [@FinnAgain](#): > > Why don’t you post here when you’ve made one one hundreth the impact Hunter did? Got any schools of journalism named after _you?_ How about you hold yourself to that standard and shut the fuck up? ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948/20 "2005-02-26T13:40:24Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Proof that you’re neither an artist or a kindred soul. Proof that you’re an arrogant asshole. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-s-thompson-didnt-choose-the-most-respectable-way-to-go/291948.md?page=2)