Patrick Swayze Can Finally Rest in Peace
Patrick Swayze died today.
I couldn’t stand the way tabloids and magazines showed photos of him over the last few months. Recent photos of the sick Patrick Swayze, battling pancreatic cancer, sunken faced and hollow eyed. Next to them, photos from his Dirty Dancing days, young and strong and vibrant and on top of the world.
Every time I stood at the supermarket checkout line, I would turn away from those photos, and wish that the media would JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE. But they didn’t, just like they didn’t leave Farrah Fawcett alone, just like they wouldn’t leave any of them alone.
Just like vultures, circling around the almost-dead, waiting patiently.
And social media wasn’t much better – rumors about Patrick Swayze’s death started circulating on Twitter long before he passed away.
Some argue that celebrities must accept this treatment by the media – that their fame and fortune must come at a price, and a big part of that price is loss of privacy. Perhaps they have a point. I still cringe whenever I see the typical media coverage of struggling celebrities – whether they struggle with illness, with weight gain, or with other personal issues such as betrayal or divorce.
Patrick Swayze cannot be hurt by the media anymore. May he rest in peace.
Photo by Alan Light
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Kim Woodbridge responds:
Posted: September 14th, 2009 at 6:33 pm →
I normally resent the hype of celebrity deaths but I am oddly upset by this. He was far too young. He was in two great movies from my youth. And he was married to the same woman since 1975 – can’t say that for many famous people.
I didn’t feel that he was being excessively hounded by the media but then I’m a little oblivious. I thought he was kind of putting himself out there and wanted to bring awareness to his illness …
I keep watching the final dance clip from Dirty Dancing on YouTube and wondering what is wrong with me …
Patricia responds:
Posted: September 14th, 2009 at 8:14 pm →
Vered,
I agree with you and hope that he will rest in peace. Pancreatic Cancer could use a voice, but it is so devastating and horribly painful to the body. No one looks good with this one installed…
Thank you for stating the best we could be….hope
Lance responds:
Posted: September 14th, 2009 at 8:19 pm →
May he rest in eternal peace.
And that’s not something easy for anyone famous in this world we live in – a sense of peace sure seems difficult.
I hope that his family finds comfort in knowing he’s no longer suffering.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: September 14th, 2009 at 8:21 pm →
Kim, Patrick Swayze was indeed trying to bring awareness, but the paparazzi photos were unauthorized and horrible.
Kelly@SHE-POWER responds:
Posted: September 14th, 2009 at 9:26 pm →
I loved Dirty Dancing, Ghost and Point Break. When I was younger, I thought Patrick Swayze was just about perfect. then it was only based on his looks and amazing talent, but later I came to realise he was a class act in every way. I admire the positive attitude he brought to his illness and his refusal to just lie down and die. I think loss of privacy is a price celebrities pay to some extent. I think if you actively seek media attention like most pretty young things who call themselves actors these days, then you can’t complain when that media is not complimentary. But if you do your job as an actor and you don’t sell your soul for a headline, then I think you do deserve some basic rights as a human being. The right to take your kids to school un-hounded, enjoy your dinner ina restaurant, to be able to live some semblance of a normal life. I think Patrick Swayze fits into this category and the media were definitely intrusive throughout his treatment. May he rest in peace.
Kelly
Davina responds:
Posted: September 14th, 2009 at 9:45 pm →
Hi Vered. I remember hearing about Patrick’s illness a while ago and was saddened by the news. I haven’t been too aware of the media coverage lately as I’ve been removed from watching the news and reading newspapers. But I do notice the magazines while waiting in checkout lines and always find myself shaking my head over the pictures and the STUPID headlines. You got it right by saying, “Just like vultures, circling around the almost-dead, waiting patiently.” Rest in Peace Patrick.
Robin responds:
Posted: September 14th, 2009 at 11:01 pm →
Hi Vered – yeah, I think it’s awful the way the media blatantly feather their own nests without any concern for the people they are hounding. When my father died my feeling was such relief that he was no longer in pain – may Patrick rest in peace, indeed.
Hayden Tompkina responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 1:45 am →
I don’t think this is the “price” of fame. Celebrities used to exist just fine pre-paparazzi. In fact, the paparazzo phenomenon is fairly recent.
I find paparazzi to be invasive, intrusive, and highly confrontational. If they acted like a paparazzo to a “regular” person, they’d get slapped with a restraining order.
Abfeierman responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 1:52 am →
Let him rest in peace! Amen to that.
janice responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 5:33 am →
I haven’t seen all the photos etc because I’m a bit of a deliberate recluse when it comes to magazines and my local shop displays the magazines away from the checkouts. I’m glad; it means I can hold on to my teenage memory of Dirty Dancing. What worries me most isn’t the paparazzi. It’s the folk who buy the magazines and papers their photos appear in; their photos wouldn’t sell if no-one wanted to buy. We should all work on dealing with the car crash ogling fascination that’s such an awful part of human nature.
Tracy responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 5:33 am →
I agree and I also think that consumers, as a group, bear some of the responsibility. So many times I’ve heard people cluck-clucking and tsk-tsking about how awful this or that photo or article is yet they continue to purchase the magazines.
I do agree with Kim that some of the media exposure was Patrick wanting to talk about his illness to help others, but a lot of the tabloid headlines I saw over the months were incredibly distasteful.
At the risk of sounding smary, it’s not just the celebrities we are hurting when we allow this to go on, it warps our own sense of humanity and decency.
My best wishes to Patrick Swayze’s friends and family in their time of grief.
Dr. J responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 8:13 am →
Cancer has affected the lives of almost everyone I know! There is so much sadness and loss from this terrible disease.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 8:31 am →
Thanks everyone for your comments. I usually stay away from covering celebrity news – I don’t like celebrity culture – but just like Kelly and Kim pointed out, for our generation Patrick Swayze was a sort of a hero – the “perfect” man – talented, handsome and a decent person.
It’s hard not to feel sad about the death of a childhood hero, and it’s one of the things that makes you realize that each and every one of us will eventually have to face death. No one is invincible.
Paparazzi is a terrible phenomenon. I agree that just like other issues with the media, consumers bear some of the responsibility. As long as consumers keep buying those magazines, the magazines will keep paying paparazzi and the paparazzi will continue to hound celebrities.
Don Mills Diva responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 8:54 am →
Everyone is saying it and it’s true – he just seemed like such a classy individual in an industry where class is in short supply.
Lori Hoeck responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 9:13 am →
Hi Vered,
He played tough guys and was a tough guy til the end.
As for the vultures — once again entitlement rears its ugly head. Until we switch the country’s value system back to respect, integrity, and compassion, these types will feed at will.
LeAnn responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 10:17 am →
When I first heard the news, I thought – hoped – that it was another Twitter rumor. So sad that he really is gone. Rest softly, Patrick.
Marelisa responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 11:27 am →
My first year in college the walls of my dorm room were covered with Patrick Swayze posters. I must have watched “Dirty Dancing” 100 times. He was my celebrity crush. I’m so sorry he’s gone.
RC - RC Rambling responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 8:37 pm →
Since my career has me working with healthcare (that other career – when I’m not doing the firefighting stuff), I frequently participate in discussions around cancer.
His death is yet another reminder of the devastation of cancer, and of the work that still needs to be done to find more treatments – and hopefully, someday, a cure.
Cath Lawson responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 9:14 pm →
Hi Vered – I too found many of the pictures disturbing. And it was terrible when folk were saying that he was dead months ago, but it was being kept a secret.
Pancreatic Cancer is a horrible illness and unfortunately, in 97% of cases, it goes undetected until it is far too late.
My uncle died of pancreatic cancer in June. He was the same age as Patrick Swayze. But he died within weeks of being diagnosed.
He said that he’d had a bad back for a good while – but he’d injured his back a few years ago at work and he just assumed that the pain was from that. And he hoped to have chemo, to prolong his life but he had some sort of blockage (sorry forgot the technical term), so they couldn’t do it.
It was such a shame – he had really bad luck with his health – lost his arm 15 years ago in an accident and he had a lot of pain from nerve damage ever since. He had to take a lot of drugs as a result and I can’t help but wonder if some of that medication didn’t cause the cancer.
Barbara Swafford responds:
Posted: September 16th, 2009 at 12:00 am →
Amen Vered,
Well said, “Just leave him alone”
But we know the answer to that – it’s that kind of news that sells. I find it to be pretty pathetic when the “rags” resort to that. And….I won’t buy them either.
The Lawyer Mom responds:
Posted: September 16th, 2009 at 1:11 am →
I’ve got no platitudes or beatitudes for you. But I did love Ghost and that’s how I’ll remember him in physical form.
Dominique responds:
Posted: September 16th, 2009 at 2:21 am →
I was surprised to hear of his death (haven’t been following the American entertainment scene) Glad that is finally able to rest in peace and not have paparazzi at his doorstep.
J.D. Meier responds:
Posted: September 16th, 2009 at 9:03 am →
I think it’s sad. So much life, and then he’s gone.
One of the things that stood out for me is I remember somebody telling me why they like him. They thought he was full of good values and down to earth.
John Hoff - WpBlogHost responds:
Posted: September 16th, 2009 at 4:07 pm →
I second …. all that! I can’t stand that show TMZ, which is nothing but a bunch of paparazzi jerks who follow and annoy celebrities. I mean really? Really? They are just people like you and me. I could care less what Brad Pitt ate for dinner.
Mike Goad responds:
Posted: September 16th, 2009 at 7:58 pm →
We’ve just “surfaced” after nearly a week without internet and even longer without news so this is about the first we’ve heard on this. We knew he was badly ill, but we pay almost no attention to entertainment news even when we are home, so hadn’t heard much details. He had a talent that was cut far too short by this illness.
Jannie Funster responds:
Posted: September 17th, 2009 at 3:15 am →
Just as you say Vered, as long as people keep buying those tabloid mags, the paparazzi will continue on very strong.
As to what Cath Lawson says about how hard it is to detect pancreatic cancer, it i well worth donating to cancer research, a lot of strides have been made with other cancers.
Dot responds:
Posted: September 17th, 2009 at 6:40 am →
May he rest in peace until he’s well rested, then get up and DANCE!
TessMarshall@TessMarshall.com responds:
Posted: September 17th, 2009 at 8:07 am →
Vared,
I agree the media is insane. And no I don’t buy the magazines so I don’t contribute. However I saw him on a talk show and he admitted he was still smoking, I thought that was pretty crazy. Just shows how strong addictions truly are. May he rest in peace. Amen.
Nurit responds:
Posted: September 17th, 2009 at 8:45 am →
It wad hard for me to see as well. Reminding me of how my dad who has just recently passed away looked (even worse!). Horrible.
I don’t think that “fortune must come at a price”, emphasis on the “must”, but in a big way this IS part of their job. That being said, I would LOVE to see celebrities stand together and do something about it! Make a change. Same for putting a stop to the “must” of being skiiny, going through plastic surgery, walking aorund almost naked in public/stage/movies. But they don’t anything. With all their fame, fortune, connection, public support, and power, they do nothing.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: September 17th, 2009 at 10:40 am →
Thank you again, everyone, for your comments.
RC, I read that there are more and more forms of cancer that are curable or at least are not an immediate death sentence. I hope medicine continues to evolve in this direction.
John, I don’t get it either – who cares what they do, what they eat, etc. I know people care, but I don’t know why.
Nurit, I guess in many ways, they feel powerless and controlled by the media.
Michelle @ Find Your Balance responds:
Posted: September 17th, 2009 at 4:49 pm →
Farrah, Michael and Patrick all in such a short span of time. It’s really been quite a year. All the more reason to care for your body and mind like your life depends on it. Because it does.
Karl Staib - Work Happy Now responds:
Posted: September 18th, 2009 at 8:43 am →
I’ll always remember Patrick Swayze as a roll model. He tried movies of all types. He wasn’t afraid of cross dressing or being a bruiser.
I’m not an actor, but I hope to live a life where I’m not afraid to try new roles that challenge me.
Bonnie Gray | FaithBarista responds:
Posted: September 18th, 2009 at 11:22 am →
Vultures. Some people just like to circle around other’s demise – whether personally or physically. All I can say is those of us who are doves or sparrows who love life, peace and beauty, will outnumber them. I wish there were more positive voices in the media. I am waiting for the tide to turn and we get back to be being the sunny, optimistic Amercan’s that we have always been. I think that’s way American Idol, You Think You can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, etc. are so popular. The truth is, people really want happy, not depressing.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: September 18th, 2009 at 2:16 pm →
I sure hope we will outnumber them, Bonnie. By the way, I think the vast majority of people are good – it’s just that the bad and corrupt have the ability to disrupt our lives despite their relatively small number.
natural responds:
Posted: September 20th, 2009 at 7:53 am →
unfortunately it comes with the price of being famous. things will never change.
Kendrick responds:
Posted: October 29th, 2009 at 10:14 pm →
Patrick Swayze was one of my favorite actors. i always watch his last television series which is The Beast.
acnegurlash responds:
Posted: November 17th, 2009 at 7:52 am →
Patrick Swayze is one of the best actors in Hollywood and we are going to miss him.