Enough With the Tabloid Obits

Why is there such an intense focus on drugs when a celebrity dies? Yes, Heath Ledger was found face-down on his bed (and yes, naked, although the relevance of that information escapes me), with bottles of prescription drugs around him. And understandably, the public wants to know why the presumably healthy 28 year-old actor and father died. But why can't we just report the basic facts and wait until the toxicology report comes back before saying anything more? Let the Ledger family and Heath's fans grieve, and allow Heath some dignity in death.

It is thought that Heath Ledger was only the last in a long line of young celebrities to die of a drug overdose. River Phoenix died of an overdose of heroin and cocaine at 23. He had hinted at suffering from sexual abuse as a child at the hands of members of his parents' cult, the Children of God, and has been remembered for saying "I wish sometimes that I wasn't as conscious as I am." Kurt Cobain died at 27 of an overdose of heroin and a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. He battled chronic bronchitis and pain, which led to emotional problems and drug addiction. And there have been others, of course, but of those who have died before age 30, plenty have been due to accidents or illness. Drugs, I guess, are sexier media fodder, drawing public attention for their mystery or illicitness - never mind that most of the drugs on Heath's bed have been advertised on TV during the dinner hour.

Heath Ledger was a gifted actor, perhaps best known for his role as the brooding Ennis Del Mar in the film "Brokeback Mountain." It was a phenomenal performance, full of emotional nuance and depth, winning him the American Film Institute award for Best Lead Actor, as well as Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA Award, and SAG nominations in the same category. Never before has so much been communicated with so few words or such spare body language (or mouth movement). His role could not be reduced to just a "gay cowboy"; rather, he simply played a man dealing with his love and attraction for another man in a difficult time and setting. And while he was not gay himself, Heath Ledger did gay men everywhere a great service in his wholehearted, genuine, unapologetic portrayal. His Ennis was as masculine as the Marlboro Man, undoing what some might have thought was the damage wrought by such films as "The Birdcage" (1996), "To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar" (1995), and "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" (1994) which were (and continue to be) enjoyed within the gay community but which also perpetuated the stereotype of the gay man as a flaming, effeminate homosexual, drag queen, or transvestite.

The toxicology report will be out soon, and then perhaps we'll know more about why Health Ledger died. Until then, can we not just acknowledge his artistic accomplishments and mourn the loss of a young, talented actor who did not seek the spotlight in his personal life, who apparently rejected stardom in Hollywood and just did his art?

Photo credits: top: Wikipedia.org, bottom: IMDb.com