Linkin Park are back together, but their reunion has already been marred by controversy. The band’s new co-vocalist Emily Armstrong was part of a group of Scientologists who showed up at the courthouse to support That ’70s Show actor Danny Masterson during his 2020 rape trial, where he was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. The choice to have Armstrong fill in for the late Chester Bennington received quite a bit of backlash, notably from Cedric Bixler-Zavala of the Mars Volta/At The Drive-In. His wife Chrissie Carnell-Bixler was one of the four women who pursued rape charges against Masterson, and now, she has spoken out against Armstrong as well.
People that have reservations over her Scientology situation, I understand. People that are upset that LP got a new singer, regardless of who it is, I believe are selfish morons. When band members die or leave, the band should be allowed to move on. Chester was one one of a kind, and it’s super sad that he’s not still here, but when the lead singer in your band not only dies, but kills themselves and fucks over the band, then replacing that person should not be controversial at all. Mental health issues are real, and I have empathy, but Chester’s actions were ultimately selfish and the closest victims are now under fire for continuing forward.
Imo joy division becoming new order was the right way to handle such tragedy, it’s different because Linkin park were a record company manufactured band but he was in from the start and pretty much the only person anyone recognized plus he wrote a lot of the songs.
Otherwise you get record companies selling you tickets to black flag thirty years later who might as well be a cover band, it’ll get to the point recognized names are still topping festivals a hundred years after the first original member died of old age. It benefits no one but corporate copyright holders.
Nah, a simple name change solves the problem, as mentioned with Joy Division/New Order.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when Dio took over they should have renamed the band itself to Heaven and Hell, Sabbath lives and dies with the combo of Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill.
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It’s not victim blaming to point out that suicide is a selfish act that has living victims. Like I said, it’s sad, but the reality is that when Chester killed himself, the band, his family, and those others closest to him were abondoned.
I’ve never been in the position Chester was in, and I don’t fault him for ending his pain, because as I mentioned, I can empathize with the situation, but he’s not the only victim.
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You’re making an awful lot of assumptions about something you don’t know any fucking thing about. You have no idea the shit that has gone through my mind and the demons that I’ve faced. You have to be completely ignorant to not see that others are affected by suicide, that they are victims all the same, but the difference is that they have to keep on living with it.
You don’t think that Mike or anyone else had to sit there and live with survivors guilt, or wonder what they could have done to help him? Or his wife left with kids to raise all on her own, you don’t think that it’s selfish of him to leave them all high and dry? Fuck that. Maybe in your magic bubble where there aren’t consequences for actions, but not in the real world.
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I’m not removing this comment bc I think the discussion about suicide has some merits but please stop with the name calling and review the community guidelines. Thanks
You should talk to a therapist, it might help your situation.
Username checks out?
It was somewhat selfish when you are in the situation Chester was in, and it’s psychological. He had a responsibility to fight that demon for his wife, kids, and family.
It was not his fault he had the demon to begin with at all, and it wasn’t completely selfish. We aren’t responsible for the mental ailments we are born with, but we are responsible to work on them and not cause others to suffer because of them. Chester had all the resources in the world to fight that battle.
I still completely empathize with the amount of pain he must’ve been in to make that decision, but I don’t absolve him of all responsibility from it. I don’t hate him or think he was a bad person for it at all, though. I very much hope he rests peacefully and his family can heal.
I think people with late stage cancer and people who suffer from severe physical pain are a different conversation, entirely.
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No I think it’s kind of different for physical pain, especially incurable.
I have suffered with depression all of my life. If I didn’t have responsibilities like a family, pets, etc. I probably wouldn’t be here today. I’m not saying I’m better than Chester, nor am I saying that I was at the same level of suffering he was.
I feel a lot of sympathy for him, and don’t think he was weak for it or anything. I do think that he abandoned his responsibilities, though. That’s all. No hate or disdain here. I feel for everyone involved. You seem like a good and empathetic person, FWIW. I just disagree a tad bit, that’s all.