I`ve just read through this thread and I can`t believe that you and other people are actually making the comparison between Amy Winehouse and the Norway massacre, both are tragedies but to even compare them is pointless. One is the tragic death of a singer, which wasn`t over surprising and the other a tragedy totally unexpected but both are tragic losses and should be treated as such.

As for how you can say that her past life is no excuse for taking drugs is beyond me as well. The whole point is that when somebody is that depressed, they can react in any number of ways, whether this be drugs, booze or any other form of self abuse, the point is that when somebody is that down thay can react in any number of ways and to be judgemental of these people shows a real lack of human understanding.

As for some people not caring about what goes on outside England, luckily I don`t know anyone who thinks like that at all.

And thousands of people are currently suffering through a famine in Somalia, but you don't seem to care about that. The fact is it's completely possible to find more than one thing tragic at the same time even if they are not equal in scope.

Just for the record;

UK Newspaper Front Pages @ Front Pages Today

R.I.P. Amy Winehouse | Music | Newswire | The A.V. Club

A nice, respectful obituary here. Better then most of the bullshit the British press are publishing.

I was going to have a go at the people comparing this to the tragedy in Norway but there's no need since some other members have beat me to it.

R.I.P.

Thank God Mr. Sensitive is here.

I was wondering when this would happen. I'm not surprised and I knew it was only a matter of time. I was just really hoping to get a third album out of her before it happened. Is that selfish of me? Yes, but I love her music. What a waste.

People should know that she was manic depressive and refused to take medication. Was that a bad idea? Yes, but it's common for a lot of people. And it should also give you a better idea of why she was such a trainwreck.

or maybe it was the crack and heroin... maybe.

I was diagnosed with bi-polar and have not been on medication in over a year, and I am just fine.

Maybe that is a small percentage of her problem, but not a significant one... at least not compared to the use of crack.

Very sad indeed, but as others have said, unfortunately it hasn't surprised me.

She was a real talent, her music did nothing for me personally but you have to respect the ability she had.

I have nothing to say on her lifestyle, except for different people react to different problems in different ways, we aren't in a position to pass judgement.

Anyway, r.i.p

I was shocked when I heard, but like most not surprised. What was awful I thought was the way Sky news, and I assume alot of other broadcasters as well, showed footage of her body being taken from her flat and put into the mortuary's van, I thought that was a disgustingly classless thing to do.

As for people comparing her death to those of the people in Norway, or other drug addicts, get real. The reason why her death is being looked at as more significant to some people is because they felt like they knew her through her music, and as such feel a greater sense of bereavement than they would for people they have no connection to. The scale of tragedy is irrellevant, as Janszoon said, its about perspective. No one could criticise Amy fans for feeling sadder about her death than they do about Norway, much like the people who have been affected by whats happened in Norway wouldnt be criticised for not caring too much that Amy Winehouse is dead.

tl;dr - RIP Amy

I know, it's really shocking! I was just thinking about her, hoping that she could revitalize her career.

She became another of the 27 club instead. Just sad.

Her music will live on, but it's sad to know that there will never be any more.

R.i.p.

Shocking? Anybody who looked at her within the last few months could see she was already dead... just waiting for her body to catch up to her brain.

Agree,
At first I thought "what?!' then realised, I shouldn't be surprised, which is very sad,

A bit late on the bandwagon. I was expecting her to die. When I heard the news I really wasn't shocked shes been acting kinda nuts for awhile now. Sad to hear she's dead though. She had a good voice.

tragic but not surprising, really

RIP

it is not tragic. Lennon = tragedy, Dimebag = tragedy... Winehouse = casualty.

If you smoke crack, shoot smack and drink and smoke all the time and exhaust yourself on the road and neglect every aspect of your own health and well being it is going to catch up to you.. that is not a tragedy, that is the reality of it. You are bound to die if you live that self-destructive life.

People are throwing out the word tragic so much now it has lost its meaning.

You have a very weird definition of tragedy. A tragedy, in the dramatic sense, is "a medieval narrative poem or tale typically describing the downfall of a great man". I would say Amy Winehouse's life story could very easily be described as a modern tragedy.

I disagree. She was determined to die and now there will be a love fest because people like her music, just like the months long love fest when Jerry Garcia died. Some people are just determined to do what they want and frankly, if it leads to their death, I have no sympathy for them, no matter how good their art might have been. People need to be able to divorce themselves from what they like to hear and the people who create that, especially if those people are fools.

In my opinion, the terrorist attack in Norway is of decidedly more importance than the self inflicted death of Ms. Winehouse and tells us so much more about human beings than her death ever could. However, I suspect that as a story, her death will get way more mainstream coverage than that attack. Is that how it should be? You decide.


No, we lost a drunken drug addict and you need to come to terms with that. There will be no more of what you like because she was seriously undisciplined. When she took her last fix or drank herself into final insensibility, do you think she was in any way caring about what you might be missing? Uh, no.....

http://www.musicbanter.com/lounge/25...ug-thread.html

Is this really the same forum? lol

I wasn't really into her music, I knew her as more of a tabloid character but it's still sad that she only lived to 27.

I was watching Sky News when her death flashed up and they already had a pre-made obituary, a montage of her career and interviews with her ex-teacher, friends etc. saying how much of a loss it was. This was literally about five minutes after the news had broken. I found that really weird.

Congratulations on beating it, then. Other people don't have that luxury. I have seen two friends spiral out of control because of their bipolar disorders. You mean to tell me this still would have happened if she wasn't bipolar? Or at least took some meds?

.

And again you have failed to understand my post.
I wasn't the one comparing Winehouse to Norway.

What really disappoints me about this thread is the way some individuals have come in here and used it as a vehicle for their own self righteousness.
Why on earth people feel the need to express their distaste about the way someone dies is beyond me.
The death of any young individual is a tragedy regardless of it's implications.

I'd appreciate it if future posts in this thread concentrated more on the passing of a talented artist, as opposed to crass comparisons of events elsewhere.
And the merits of who and who shouldn't be mourned more.
Unfortunately, I doubt that'll happen judging by the lack of respect some of the current members display on here these days.

Because the forums overrun with erudite snobs who've spent too much time in school and have been conditioned, based on a meritocracy, to challenge things as a showing of knowledge.

In other words: "we've got a bunch of ****ing want-to-be smarty-pantses waving their dick around."

Its a shame that people can no longer take the high road. I just wanted to say she was immensely talented vocally and for that i'll mourn her loss. She clearly was in the clutches of a huge drug addiction and its sad to see her go down that road so many have before. I really enjoyed her doo wop inspired voice it was a powerful instrument and she should be remembered for it. R.I.P. Amy.

I'm with you, friend. I'm with you.

ahhh, here we go again with the people who i wanna punch in the mouth, the people who think that people are bad for giving more attention to Amy WInehouse than the victims in Norway.

Of course people will feel more of a connection to Amy Winehouse here than they will the victims of the Olso bombings/camp shooting. While one may sympathise with live lost in Norway, they will not feel the same connection to them personally or on an emotional level because they did not know them, they are just strangers to them... the people who will care more are family and friends, they will offer genuine support and it will be a story there. But here, Amy was somebody who many knew through her art, she was somebody people connected to in one way or another and through her art and music we knew her more than we did the people in Norway.

I feel sympathy for lives lost either way, I am not saying people can not feel bad for the people who died in Norway, that is fine. But to say one is more important is to have yer own head up yer ass and talk out of it as well.

Mainstream media will cover it more here because there is more of a connection in the mainstream media. If you want mainstream coverage of the people in Norway, move to Norway.

Well, if you have a mental illness like say Schizophrenia, and you take 10 hits of acid... is this not going to have more of an impact on your illness?

Bi-Polar is one thing, and can be controlled with the medications... which she was not taking. Sure that plays a part in where she was and why she was a trainwreck in some cases. But you start adding chemicals like crack or meth into the equasion and these drugs will do more harm than good.

I am not saying that it does not play a part... but look at the bigger picture.

I wasn't making excuses for her or anything. I also didn't mean it to sound as if that was the root cause for her issues. I was just saying exactly what you just said...it played a part.

yeah, understood. So many factors with her to look at. Bi-Polar is just one peice of the puzzle I think.

Gotta admit I shed a tear or two. I bought her Frank LP when it was first released and was happy to se how big she became.

Why are there some idiots on here saying she some how doesn't deserve two be part of 'that stupid club'? To say she's a turd amongst cheeseburgers is missing the point. Besides Hendrix is the only artist on the 27 list who's truly great anyway.

I'd take Winehouse over that pub rock dullard Jim Morrisson anyday.

Tell that to Robert Johnson, Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, Richey Edwards* and D. Boon.

Oh, and Dave Alexander... considering you have a quote by The Stooges as yer sig.


*presumably

Wow, all I can say is I'm quite disappointed in some of the communities member's posts in here.

What about the idea that anxiety from performing live and being in the celebrity spotlight pushed her toward more substance abuse? Some people here are musicians; they'd know if it sometimes works that way.

No, that is a cop out to try and justify drug abuse. I do not buy that theory at all. Maybe to a small extent I can say there is minor truth to it. But I doubt that defines her and what she was going through.

Reading this thread to say the world doesn't care about the Norway shooting's is not your best source. It is going to be bias towards Amy Winehouse considering we're discussing this issue on a music forum.

The tabloids don't express the views of everyone but a lot of people get papers that conform to their political views. A conservative backer isn't to going to get The Guardian. The newspapers all too often are the voice of the people.

The comparison was there on the basis that more people seem to care about Amy Winehouse than the Norway tragedy.

92 people dying in Norway is far more of a tragedy that Amy Winehouse dying. They were just innocent youths in a politcal camp that were shot dead by a right wing, extremist lunatic. They didn't have a choice, Winehouse did with the drugs and the alcohol. They were the future of Norway, Winehouse was just a mess. The Norway tragedy has far more pressing global concerns, i.e. international terroism than Amy Winehouse dying. The educational person will always choose to read about Norway.

Addiction is not a disease, it is quite different from undoubted brain disorders such as dementia or Alzheimer's. People can't recover from these but they can from addiction. If there is something in their lives that they value that is at stake - but incentives don't do much for dementia. Addicts are not passive victims, this is a gross simplifcation.

It may be impossible, in the late stages of psychological and physical dependancy the break the habit of years without help and the motivation to give up the relief of the next hit must be greatly diminished by the knowledge that you will return to a world marked by the damage you have done to your prospects or to the lives of others.

Guilt, emptiness and a huge and daunting task of reconstruction face the recovering addict. In the early stages, however, it is a different story. There are genetic explantions for addiction and it is true that children of addicts are more likely to become addicts and the other argument is the link between genes and addictive behaviour is the brain.

What makes you think I don't care about Somalia? Stop making generalized assumptions about me that are simply not true. You know nothing about me.

The front page of The Star on Sunday was all about Amy Winehouse with a very small article at the top about Norway. Pick up The Guardian and you can guarantee that it would be Norway.

Thank god Ben Butler is here to preach to us non 'educational people', and tell us what to think. Wivowt him id b 2 dum 2 relize dat norway woz trajic

To say the death of Amy Winehouse is as tragic as the Norway shootings is an insult to the people of Norway. No need for the sarcasm either Mr Smart Arse.

derp derp derp Amy Winehouse. derp derp derp Norway.

Who are you to tell people that one is more tragic than the other? Its about perspective, you care not for Miss Winehouse, and as such have an 'unbiased' view over the two incidents. Some people here are big fans of hers, and feel like they have lost someone they know and love, and are well within their rights to mourn more for her loss than those people in Norway. Unlike you however, they are able to acknowledge the tragedy of both situations without feeling the need to get on their high horse.