# Kung Fu's David Carradine Dies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691 "2009-06-04T13:59:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/81 "2009-06-05T11:10:27Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > It might be embarrassing, but I find something particularly insidious about your implication that he’d be better off suicidally depressed and miserable than horny and bent. I feel like I’m watching Fox News. That’s about enough of this, thanks, **Omniscient** and **EJsGirl** : let’s not derail this thread about an actor’s suicide or auto-erotic asphyxiation with personal sniping. [If I had a nickel for every time I’ve said _that_ over the years…] ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/82 "2009-06-05T11:34:26Z")
“Bound for Glory” indeed. This is a sad thing, but I have to ask - how does anybody even get into this kind of thing? I’d think the risk of embarrassment from being found dead like this would be reason enough not to do it. I know it’s posthumous embarrassment, but jeez, it can’t be that hard to find someone willing to hold your neck and wax the tadpole at the same time. Do we need a freaking after-school special on auto-erotic asphyxiation or something? In the unlikely event this turns out to be murder some of us are going to be pretty embarrassed, but I don’t think that’s the case. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/83 "2009-06-05T11:56:08Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Whether it was a suicide or a Michael Hutchence, pity the poor maid who found the body. She probably won’t stop running until she hits ocean. Thais are very superstitious, and to come across a dead body like this is their worst nightmare Really? From what I had gleaned about the country (courtesy of the internet naturally) I assumed the maid would just dust around the body and put a little notice on the door handle after locking up. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/84 "2009-06-05T11:56:47Z")
It’s interesting watching how the media is covering the cause of his death. Some say “suspected suicide” some say “accident.” It wasn’t until this morning I heard 1010 WINS say “auto-erotic accident.” Most of the newspapers are still saying “apparent suicide” or “accident.” That bastion of highbrown reporting the New York Post is the only paper to use the words “autoerotic asphixiation” and explain exactly what that means. I was amazed to find people yesterday who didn’t know what it was. Thanks to Cecil I was able to explain it in proper terms and graphic detail. I’ve never seen so many faces like this: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/85 "2009-06-05T12:22:05Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > It’s interesting watching how the media is covering the cause of his death. Some say “suspected suicide” some say “accident.” It wasn’t until this morning I heard 1010 WINS say “auto-erotic accident.” > > Most of the newspapers are still saying “apparent suicide” or “accident.” That bastion of highbrown reporting the New York Post is the only paper to use the words “autoerotic asphixiation” and explain exactly what that means. > > I was amazed to find people yesterday who didn’t know what it was. Thanks to Cecil I was able to explain it in proper terms and graphic detail. I’ve never seen so many faces like this: :eek: I’ve heard in the past of an ethical dilemma about reporting on AE deaths, in that doing so could encourage horny-but-dumb kids to try it. Which seems like a weird line of reasoning, since we’ll gladly tell kids all about other dangerous things (like illegal drugs) and then warn them not to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/86 "2009-06-05T12:24:09Z")
I made sure to tell everyone I talked to about that the “experts” say “Do not do this alone.” Of course, I can’t think of any activity I’d rather not have an audience for. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/87 "2009-06-05T12:32:06Z")
This morning’s news on CNN is the first reference to AEA that I’ve heard. I used to work at an insurance company, and this was provided as the cause of death a lot more often than you’d think. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/88 "2009-06-05T13:41:18Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > That bastion of highbrown reporting the New York Post is the only paper to use the words “autoerotic asphixiation” and explain exactly what that means. I’d have expected the Post to just run a headline saying: “BILL KILLED” ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/89 "2009-06-05T14:01:21Z")
> [@Joe Frickin Friday](#): > > I’ve heard in the past of an ethical dilemma about reporting on AE deaths, in that doing so could encourage horny-but-dumb kids to try it. Which seems like a weird line of reasoning, since we’ll gladly tell kids all about other dangerous things (like illegal drugs) and then warn them not to do it. Perhaps a subtle distinction is that, for your example, a dumb kid would have to first acquire illegal drugs and the average dumb thirteen-year-old may not know where to even start looking. Whereas the average dumb thirteen-year-old could easily find some piece of twine/strap/wire/string to manage to hang himself accidentally if he thought “Hey, you can get off that way?” **mutantmoose** , don’t forget the book of sayings from his show… he’s not the one who wrote them. I found the show totally inspiring as a kid, but he certainly wasn’t a well adjusted philosopher like his character. I would prefer to remember him in a positive light as a good guy who played an awesome part, but he had his personal demons and it did interfere with his career. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/90 "2009-06-05T14:11:09Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I could have provided the poor man with the locations of no less than five BJ bars in Bangkok, none of them far from his hotel. And I am sure that you could find some hot hooker of any particular sex and orientation to manually choke you fairly reasonably priced too … in whatever costume you like. Personally, if I was going to go for AEA, I would prefer it to be by a person, not a rope and alone [and by person, it could be by hand or using a rope, but _there_ and active] but then again, I much prefer sex with a partner than release alone. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/91 "2009-06-05T14:34:28Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > Really? From what I had gleaned about the country (courtesy of the internet naturally) I assumed the maid would just dust around the body and put a little notice on the door handle after locking up. _“Do not inter.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/92 "2009-06-05T14:36:52Z")
Choking the chicken to the end! ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/93 "2009-06-05T15:17:30Z")
Dumb question: I’m into AEA just like all the cool guys, but, um…does one really tie up his \*genitals \*for it? I thought it was about depriving oxygen, but that the monkey had to be free for spankin’… ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/94 "2009-06-05T15:28:27Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > This morning’s news on CNN is the first reference to AEA that I’ve heard. I used to work at an insurance company, and this was provided as the cause of death a lot more often than you’d think. I had read long ago (in a rare news article on AEA) that life insurance companies sometimes refused to pay out on blatant AEA fatalities, instead insisting they were suicides that were not covered by the policy. Supposedly they would do this knowing that the beneficiaries would not want to drag their beloved’s reputation through the court system in an effort to make the insurance company pay up. Ever heard of this happening? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/95 "2009-06-05T15:39:09Z")
> [@Joe Frickin Friday](#): > > I had read long ago (in a rare news article on AEA) that life insurance companies sometimes refused to pay out on blatant AEA fatalities, instead insisting they were suicides that were not covered by the policy. Supposedly they would do this knowing that the beneficiaries would not want to drag their beloved’s reputation through the court system in an effort to make the insurance company pay up. > > Ever heard of this happening? Well, we were credit insurance as opposed to life insurance, and as I remember, we had quite a few suicides, as well (and I believe we paid them). However, the Wiki article on the subject said that it’s an issue. I don’t think it mentioned that they argue the AEA cases, just that they are payable and suicide generally is not. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/96 "2009-06-05T16:25:38Z")
I was just reading on one of the gossip sites, I think TMZ, that Carradine’s\*\* hands were tied behind his back \*\*when he was found. Also, the hotel has been slow on handing over surveillence tapes. Looks like the family has reason to suspect foul play here. [Here’s the link.](http://www.tmz.com/bloggers/tmz-staff/) ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/97 "2009-06-05T16:39:32Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > “Bound for Glory” indeed. Hehe ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/98 "2009-06-05T16:59:50Z")
> [@HelloNinja](#): > > Looks like the family has reason to suspect foul play here. > [Here’s the link.](http://www.tmz.com/bloggers/tmz-staff/) I wondered about that in post #29. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/99 "2009-06-05T17:00:27Z")
Another possibility is that he hired a “playmate” and when things went bad, the other person freaked and ran away, assuming he or she would be implicated in the death. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691/100 "2009-06-05T17:31:25Z")
Saw a mention of his death on the news last night, followed immediately by commercials. I turned to my wife and said, “It’s a tragedy David Carradine is dead and[Billy Mays](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Mays) is still alive and shouting.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fus-david-carradine-dies/498691.md?page=6)