RIP
I was going to come on here today and do a Thoughts post about last week's True Blood before I watch the new one tomorrow, but two things have happened in the last day or so which are much,much more important.
Twin attacks in Norway - i've only just gotten online and I haven't watched TV since Friday, so I'm still catching up, but from what I gather a Christian fundamentalist detonated a bomb and went on a shooting spree. Ninety-two deaths, and police say they're likely to find more bodies. RIP Norwegian victims, this is a heinous tragedy.
Amy Winehouse - I don't know what this "27 club" thing is - supposedly a list of celebrities who died at that age. It's not a fucking club, it's a tragedy. I was never any particular fan of her music, but I'm so sad that this beautiful soul is gone. RIP Amy, you were loved.
Edit:
Okay, I am going to post about True Blood, because I sort of feel like I need to escape from all the real life horror and tragedy of this weekend. Particularly as real life people are being so obtuse and cruel about certain aspects of it. I posted a facebook status earlier to the effect of "RIP everyone who lost their lives this weekend". A woman who I'd always considered a friend then said something like "well, for the Norwegians, yes, but not for Amy Winehouse, she brought it on herself, the Norwegians were innocents who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time". I just don't know how to respond to that. I don't want to get into some petty argument with her, because I really feel like what happened yesterday is bigger than both of our little egos and opinions, but at the same time, she was just so cruel. I mean, I'm not more sad about Amy Winehouse than the victims of the Norwegian massacre, nor did I imply that I was. Over a hundred people died yesterday - 92 in Norway, 33 in a train derailment in China, as well as a British singer. I'm sad, absolutely devastated, for the loss of each of these lives. Amy's cause of death hasn't been determined yet, so it's really not fair to assume that it was drug related. Of course, based on her history that's the most likely cause, but that doesn't mean she deserved it. I can see what my "friend" is saying to an extent - Amy chose to take drugs, wheras the Norwegian students on that island had absolutely no influence over what happened to them, but that's hardly the point right now. Honestly, can't she see that it just doesn't matter? Amy is dead. All these people are, and however it happened, the fact is that they're gone, and that is so horrifically sad. Right now, I just don't care if she took drugs, Amy was someone's daughter, she was someone's friend, and the fact that she was famous doesn't make me more or less upset that she's gone. Facebook posts that say "ppl need to remember that others died this weekend who didn't have any number one songs" are just ... pointless. We know, my god do we know. I'm no less sad about strangers in Norway than a famous singer, and it's disgusting to suggest that I am. Whatever really happened to Amy, she was a troubled woman, and I don't know if I believe in heaven and I certainly don't believe in god, but I hope and pray that she's at peace now. This is not the goddamn time to judge, recriminate, or joke - for fuck's sake, can't we all just have a little bit of compassion and try to stick together right now? We are mourning these people, and just because I didn't know them doesn't mean I didn't love them. Perhaps it was naive of me to assume that others would feel the same way.
I know this might sound mawkish, sappy and overly emotional, but guess what, I don't give a fuck - I'm sending as much love as I can to everyone who was affected, no matter how closely, because I think that's what we all need right now. RIP to the victims in China, in Norway, and Amy - I'm holding your hands through the ether.
True Blood in the next post.