George Michael Died Of Natural Causes

[MargoTester]

A Coroner's report has confirmed

[vulcan42]

Sqad, thank you.

[anneasquith]

The man is dead, his chosen lifestyle is nothing to do with us.

[andy-hughes]

Talbot - //mikey4444
I would challenge anybody if they said that they were long term "users" but not addicts....the very notion is risible.




That logic would make me an alcoholic. //

I would absolutely agree with that point.

What arises here is the prurient attitude of people towards rich talented famous people who are drug users.

If Joe Blogs drinks four pints every night and dies in his sleep, no-one would bat an eyelid, or consider that his drug use (and that is what it is!) was a contributory factor in his death.

But because it is George Michael, and he has spent time in rehab - and we don't know conclusively why, only what the tabloids report - we must sniffily conclude that he was an addict, and that helped to kill him.

George Michael was light years away from Joe Bloggs in terms of his talent, and the good he did, less so perhaps as a flawed human being, but I bet his family wish he had been Joe Bloggs, so the world would not be pronouncing negatively on something that they actually know nothing about.

[Sqad]

A-H

"But because it is George Michael, and he has spent time in rehab - and we don't know conclusively why, only what the tabloids report - we must sniffily conclude that he was an addict, and that helped to kill him. "

I don't know about "sniffily" but to me that would be a reasonable conclusion.

[jno]

surely it wasn't drugs that killed him, it was his Gay Lifestyle?

I expect one of the Mail's columnists will spell this out in due course.

[andy-hughes]

Sqad - //A-H

"But because it is George Michael, and he has spent time in rehab - and we don't know conclusively why, only what the tabloids report - we must sniffily conclude that he was an addict, and that helped to kill him. "

I don't know about "sniffily" but to me that would be a reasonable conclusion. //

It may be, but I should have made myself clear, when I said 'sniffily, I was referring specifically to the tabloids, and people who derive their opinions from them - rather that specific AB'ers on this thread - apologies for that confusion.

[Jackdaw33]

Everyone dies of natural causes; the heart stops beating. Perhaps someone will correct me.

[andy-hughes]

jackdaw - //Everyone dies of natural causes; the heart stops beating. Perhaps someone will correct me. //

It's not quite that simple.

If the body dies because of old age or disease, then that is natural causes.

If the heart stops because someone has put a bullet through it, that is unnatural causes.

Anything that is introduced from outside the body - drugs, violence, etc. creates a situation where the heart stops at a time when it would have carried on beating.

That's the distinction.

[mikey4444]

Sqad ( 13:58)....."mikey is saying ..I think, that habitual drug abuse must have an effect on the body......and i agree with mikey.

Thanks....that is exactly what I am saying, and yes, of course he was an addict.

[andy-hughes]

mikey - //Thanks....that is exactly what I am saying, and yes, of course he was an addict. //

You cannot know that - the only people who can know are Mr Michael himself and his doctors - anything else - especially from this distance, is assumption.

[emmie]

addict or no, and i chose to believe not, the poor guy has passed on, and left a body of work that few can emulate.

[Sqad]

A-H is quite correct in his definitions.
BUT from a layman's point of view, 53 years of age is hardly "old age", cardiomyopathy could be due to many things and a fatty liver................could one regard that as "Natural Causes?"
Cardiomyopathy can be caused by drug abuse.
Fatty liver can be caused by drug abuse.

BUT.....all defined as "Natural causes"

I ask "what message" does this send out to teenagers re. drug abuse?

[emmie]

sqad more people die from alcohol related illnesses and no on bats an eye. How many celebs roll out drunk from parties, snapped worse the wear, what message does that give to young people, or perhaps they just don;t care.

[mikey4444]

Sqad.... "what message" does this send out to teenagers re. drug abuse? "

Exactly my point ! It sends out the wrong message.

Children and teenagers look up to people like Michael, and what they can see is that its OK to abuse drugs for years, because at the end you only die from natural causes. Its "cool" to abuse drugs apparently.

[Sqad]

emmie....I agree.
This thread is about just one celeb, but my comments relate equally to others.

[ummmm]

Mikey - how many children do you have?

[Dinapal]

There was a debate earlier about lowering the drink/drive limit.
One opinion was it should be zero and any one driving with more than zero is immature, irresponsible and had no business behind the wheel as they are potential killers, blah, blah.
George Michael ,it seems, is not an addict in the views of some and I note is beyond reproach having crashed a vehicle (twice) under the influence of drugs.
I take small comfort that with his early demise he will no longer be mounting pavements and crashing into photoshop windows and ,potentially, taking innocent pedestrians with him.
No villification here by his fans 'just because he kept them entertained?'

[mikey4444]

Mind your own business Ummmm !

[hereIam]

What's how many children he has to do with anything ...

[sp1814]

Mmikey4444

To be honest, children and teenagers stopped listening to George Michael about two decades ago.