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Crazy that's basically a week after that concert but what a send off.

A lot of my formative years spent listening to Sabbath. I tend to thing of Black Sabbath was so closely linked to Warhammer. I wonder how many tiny little plastic lads have died in battle while on of their tracks was on in the background..

And Shunsaku Tamiya died too, what a shame.

 Olthannon wrote:
Crazy that's basically a week after that concert but what a send off.

A lot of my formative years spent listening to Sabbath. I tend to thing of Black Sabbath was so closely linked to Warhammer. I wonder how many tiny little plastic lads have died in battle while on of their tracks was on in the background..

Something I never knew about Ozzy (or Jack) : https://www.ozzy.com/archives/news/ozzy-osbourne-patient-number-9-limited-edition-in-ukrainian-flag-colors

Terry Gene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan dead at 71.

Not a perfect human being by any stretch of the imagination, but still a legend.

Good sweet Lord this has been an awful week for celebrities. Malcolm-Jamal Warner gone way too young, music legend Ozzy Osbourne gone, and now Hulkster? Of course they say these kind of deaths come in threes, so hopefully this is it for a while.

Whilst I never followed wrestling Hulk Hogan was a familiar name I think to anyone in the 90s - he was everywhere doing cameo's and such.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPnZ4vu08aA

He also had a reality TV show. Hogan Knows Best.

He lived longer than most of his peers in the wrestling community. The industry was really hard on its "stars".

Saw announcements today for Chuck Mangione who was apparently a big deal in the jazz community (and in the King of the Hill fandom?? Apparently he played himself in that show)

July has been rough. Stay safe out there.

Looks like I got beat to this one. RIP Chuck Mangione.

https://variety.com/2025/music/obituaries-people-news/chuck-mangione-dead-feels-so-good-jazz-horn-player-1236469147/

 Easy E wrote:
He lived longer than most of his peers in the wrestling community. The industry was really hard on its "stars".

Huh. Did they have trouble getting healthcare for some reason?

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

 Easy E wrote:
He lived longer than most of his peers in the wrestling community. The industry was really hard on its "stars".

Huh. Did they have trouble getting healthcare for some reason?

Healthcare was one of the reasons why AEW was formed. I remember reading that the WWE has its stars as essentially independent contractors. And if you get hurt, there's no money/support coming in.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

Huh. Did they have trouble getting healthcare for some reason?

IMHO, its a swirling mass of issues. . . Many are known steroid users. Combine that with other substance abuse, plus the physical nature of the work, and you get a terrible combination of factors. Post-mortem examinations found that Chris Benoit (who murdered his household, then himself) had massive amounts of CTE damage in his brain. There's been others who go by way of drug overdose. And that's all without addressing the "macho" personalities that the industry attracts, many seem to avoid medical treatment for even minor things.

 Lathe Biosas wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

 Easy E wrote:
He lived longer than most of his peers in the wrestling community. The industry was really hard on its "stars".

Huh. Did they have trouble getting healthcare for some reason?

Healthcare was one of the reasons why AEW was formed. I remember reading that the WWE has its stars as essentially independent contractors. And if you get hurt, there's no money/support coming in.

Maybe if the performers had some sort of collective bargaining they may have been able to get basic protections. I wonder why it never happened?

Hulk Hogan was openly and extremely vocally racist. I can't fathom thinking, let alone saying, some of the things he said.
He's on tape calling his daughter's boyfriend a N-word and lamenting that she wasn't dating an 8-foot-tall NBA `explicit` instead.
He was also involved in union busting, amongst other questionable activities.

Oh, and of course, he abused steroids and lied about it while telling kids to eat their vitamins. I don't believe in wishing ill on the dead, but this man should not be celebrated.

It’s fair to recognize the massive influence he had in turning professional wrestling into the pop-culture juggernaut it became. His larger-than-life persona helped define an era—and for a whole generation of fans, he was the heartbeat of WWE’s golden age. Tearing your shirt wasn’t just a gimmick—it was a ritual. A symbol. Growing up, that meant “wrestling.”

But it’s also important to consider what wrestling demands of its performers. The punishing schedules, constant travel, chronic injuries, and the long-term physical toll—all often endured without lasting support once the spotlight fades. The bumps aren’t fake. The surgeries aren’t staged. And the trauma isn’t temporary. CTE is real. It alters cognition, erodes emotional regulation, and can lead to violent outbursts, impulsivity, and deep instability.

You can acknowledge the legacy and still call out the flaws. I could tally up the faults of every individual mentioned in this thread. Not one of them is perfect. Every last one of them is human.

 Jammer87 wrote:
It’s fair to recognize the massive influence he had in turning professional wrestling into the pop-culture juggernaut it became. His larger-than-life persona helped define an era—and for a whole generation of fans, he was the heartbeat of WWE’s golden age. Tearing your shirt wasn’t just a gimmick—it was a ritual. A symbol. Growing up, that meant “wrestling.”

But it’s also important to consider what wrestling demands of its performers. The punishing schedules, constant travel, chronic injuries, and the long-term physical toll—all often endured without lasting support once the spotlight fades. The bumps aren’t fake. The surgeries aren’t staged. And the trauma isn’t temporary. CTE is real. It alters cognition, erodes emotional regulation, and can lead to violent outbursts, impulsivity, and deep instability.

You can acknowledge the legacy and still call out the flaws. I could tally up the faults of every individual mentioned in this thread. Not one of them is perfect. Every last one of them is human.

Pretty sure I never broke attempts to unionize or used racial epithets. Pretty sure I never took billionaire money to destroy a news org either.

I'd take the opposite approach - you can acknowledge how much impact someone had despite who they were, without equivocating or excuse making.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

 Easy E wrote:
He lived longer than most of his peers in the wrestling community. The industry was really hard on its "stars".

Huh. Did they have trouble getting healthcare for some reason?

Oh you cad! You know he was a union-buster for McMahon. Jesse "The Body" Ventura talked openly about it.

He lived long enough to go from hero to heel.

Jazz singer and stalwart of the British 'guest performer slot' in what used to be called Light Entertainment shows Cleo Laine has died. A much more worthy loss to culture.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce78ddyjl76o

And the hits just do not stop coming.

Apparently James Carter Cathcart, the voice actor for a number of notable Pokemon characters, has died.

 ScarletRose wrote:

 Jammer87 wrote:
It’s fair to recognize the massive influence he had in turning professional wrestling into the pop-culture juggernaut it became. His larger-than-life persona helped define an era—and for a whole generation of fans, he was the heartbeat of WWE’s golden age. Tearing your shirt wasn’t just a gimmick—it was a ritual. A symbol. Growing up, that meant “wrestling.”

But it’s also important to consider what wrestling demands of its performers. The punishing schedules, constant travel, chronic injuries, and the long-term physical toll—all often endured without lasting support once the spotlight fades. The bumps aren’t fake. The surgeries aren’t staged. And the trauma isn’t temporary. CTE is real. It alters cognition, erodes emotional regulation, and can lead to violent outbursts, impulsivity, and deep instability.

You can acknowledge the legacy and still call out the flaws. I could tally up the faults of every individual mentioned in this thread. Not one of them is perfect. Every last one of them is human.

Pretty sure I never broke attempts to unionize or used racial epithets. Pretty sure I never took billionaire money to destroy a news org either.

I'd take the opposite approach - you can acknowledge how much impact someone had despite who they were, without equivocating or excuse making.

Ah yes, the moral high ground—now with comment privileges.

Look, if the standard is absolute moral purity before acknowledging a contribution, we’re going to have a very short list of people allowed in the "Made a Difference but Wasn't Awful" club. Hogan’s legacy is messy, no question. But impact isn't erased by personal failure, and context isn’t the same as excuse-making. I'm going to continue to use "Hey Brother" whenever I !@#$ want.

People can chew gum and walk at the same time. I can say he helped shape an industry and call out his racism, union busting, and hypocritical grandstanding without spontaneously combusting from cognitive dissonance. That's nuance—not apologism.

But hey, if we’re only honoring saints, you better start revoking statues, street names, and half of recorded history. Want help writing the bylaws for that review board?