The leader of the rock band Hell on Earth said Monday that an onstage suicide will be conducted during a private St. Petersburg concert this weekend in defiance of a new city law designed to stop the act. 'The show will go on,' Billy Tourtelot said. 'It will be available on the Internet and it will be in the city limits (of St. Petersburg).' Earlier Monday, the St. Petersburg city council unanimously approved an emergency ordinance that makes it illegal to
conduct a suicide for commercial or entertainment purposes, and to host, promote and sell tickets for such an event." (09/29/03)
Via: Rational Review
Article comments
1 - Christian Hauschild
Sick. Just sick. Not that somebody would like to kill themselves, or in public for that matter, but that somebody would go watch it. I'm not surprised it has been made illegal.
2 - Natalie Davis
I believe that it has been made illegal to hold such a show and to sell tickets for it. Yes, the whole thing is sick. As for the public suicide itself, that's just stupid. What good is getting 15 minutes of fame if you're not around to reap the (questionable, IMO, but many people crave it) benefits of it?
3 - The Theory
the way i'd understood it, it was not as much about fame as it is about making a statement for the good of the cause.
4 - Andrew Ian Dodge
I believe people should be able to die in the way they wish. However, I think this publicity stunt probably hurts the cause of "death with dignity for the terminally ill" rather than helping it.
5 - The Theory
i agree, it would hurt more than help, but the band and the fan both think it will help. I'm not going to be a judge of that. Just sayin' *I* don't think they're doing it for the fame.
6 - Natalie Davis
Admittedly, I was being snarky when I said that bit about fame.
Yes, they have the right to choose their form of exit. I'm still disgusted by the marketing of the whole thing, though.
7 - frost@work
Well, having a family member who committed suicide, I can wholeheartedly say that suicide is selfish and self-centered. There is no dignity in suicide.
There is certainly no dignity in selling tickets to a public display of cowardly behavior.
8 - Tom Johnson
I quote the article linked above:
Not doing this for fame, huh? Even if this guy genuinely wants to off himself, and even if he genuinely believes in his cause, the band is backing this for sick laughs and the thrill of the publicity, nothing so noble as standing up for a cause they believe in.9 - Natalie Davis
Suicide is selfish and self-centered. I've been in your shoes, frost, and I've also been the one rushed to a hospital against her will. People have the right to be selfish and self-centered, sad to say, whether anyone likes it or not.
10 - frost@work
yeah, people also have the right to feed their kids McDonalds 24/7... that doesn't make it ok. I have the right to walk around in bikini briefs all day, but nobody wants to see that either. Yes, you have the right to be selfish; however it doesn't make you any less of an ass just because you can.
11 - zak
im fuckin pissed i wanna c that motha fucka die and i cant find the web adress
12 - Eric Olsen
Um, I would suggest doing volunteer work in a nursing home - much better for the soul
13 - jak_nelson
Stupid. Just to get more then 10 people to show up to their shows. dumb asses
14 - tracy wiott
your not veterans are you? to be raped and thrown to a curb after being the bravest to serve the U S A with one's life if they deemed it necessary, all of you who judge the acts of the sane who never served anyone but themselves, don't deserve an opinion' let alone to be heard as if you matter, if you never served the frame of mind for god and country you are still only observers who have not gained the right to judge. tracy wiott
15 - tracy wiott
god loves the sinners and the saints SHAME on the churches who keep us americans as a whole devided with such indifference that any american thinks they have the right to condemn anyone that is solely The Almightys right not the hairbrained assholes who think they have earned a right to even speak of the matter of living and dying or santioned murder in our states in the Great U S OF America looking from a distance seperated from the emotion of another human being, How reckless americans judge. One must ask what if it were them their kid their dad their mother, since when did god give anyone the right to murder ever even in war? Are the hairbrained asshole politicians even read the bible it is God who said though shall not kill' We do not ordain ourselves God! To kill and niether does any state in our union of the united states of America make themselves more almighty than God, murder is murder no matter how it is implemented' Shame on our politicians and churches who host the biggest hyprocrites a society like ours can produce, It sickens me so that I am an American who will say screw America she is wrong and her people paying their taxes with no conscience of how the politicians and government of the people are disfiguring our great graces unseen and over shadowed by a government that will kill you if you know too much of it's dirty deeds, afterall it is the working class who supports this country the same country that would leave you homeless in the steet even after you may have served in the armed forces or led a good judged life where and when does a government ever be there for americans in bad times? They don't they steel and forccloser on your homes and render you homeless then try to tell the masses that people want to be homeless! For gods sake if we can't come together in gods name which is obvious lets come together as fucking Americans and put our moms and dads back in office instead of career politicians who serve only the people hehiving them the most money. The checks and balances in our system are given to the wrong part of our government the ones who raise their salaries and outsource your jobs and try to sell to americans that all the fucking illegal mexicans in our god damn country are doing jobs americans won"t dont want and won't do bullshit that is just rich republicans too lazy to mow their own lawns or pay a decent wage to an American to to it , when do americans break the cycle of america fucking americans and not even charge illegal immigrants coming here raping our welfare system when the cross the borders illegally they are stealing from me you and every american