The Death of Mitch Hedberg: An Attempt At Some Insights
In the issue of Spin magazine that came out this week, I have a piece entitled "alt comedy goes rock and roll." It's a trend story on the convergence of comedy and rock and roll, and it looks at a number of comics who embody this spirit. One comedian who did was the late, great Mitch Hedberg, who died on March 29, 2005, in a hotel room in Livingston, New Jersey (nearly all of the original obits had this wrong, reporting his death as being on March 30th, due to an initial discrepency over the time of death; some continue to misreport the facts; others have the story right).
The article I had originally intended to write was a profile on Hedberg, and an examination of his life and perplexing death. For a variety of reasons, that piece grew into the article that ran instead. But as a result of my initial reporting, I uncovered the autopsy and toxicology reports, which were completed in early May by the State of New Jersey. Under the state's Open Public Records Act (OPRA), I filed a request for information with appropriate governmental agencies. Several weeks later I received the reports.
Sadly, they confirm what many suspected all along: That Hedberg died of "accidental" causes (as opposed to natural causes, as was originally reported). The cause of death was listed as "multiple drug toxicity," including cocaine and heroin. The autopsy is simply a statement of facts. It does not detail how or when or in what precise manner the items found in his bloodstream killed Hedberg. Nor do they account for how or in what capacity his heart condition (called peripheral pulmonary stenosis) may have impacted him, if at all. At least one doctor that I spoke to said the condition likely had nothing to do with it. Again, I am not making a claim either way. Nor do I know precisely what Hedberg was doing that night.
In fact, I was so resistent of making a judgment that at no point in the article is the word "overdose" used. That term has come via the Associated Press (and various others who picked up the AP story) coverage that picked up on my reporting.
As many of his friends and loved ones have said, how he died is less important than the fact that he was taken early, and that the loss is tragic. As a fan and an appreciator of his particular brand of genius, I agree with this. However, as a journalist reporting on a public figure, I do feel that the information reported in the article is both justified and relevant. I am sorry that the truth turned out to be what it did, especially for his family. I interviewed his parents for the original article, and they are kind, warm people. Sadly, Hedberg was planning to get help after the tour he was then on, according to what his mother told me. But taking a break proved difficult for him. As his fans well know, he toured non-stop, mainly because he wanted to constantly deliver for them. Like a spinning top, his existence seemed rooted in perpetual motion. Come to rest too long, and the laughter might stop.
Nearly everybody I spoke to about Hedberg suggested that he lived his life to the fullest, and was aware of the consequences of his actions. Despite what was clearly a dark habit, he seemed full of lightness and altruism, and tales of his generosity to fans and other comics are legion. Far from having any sort of death wish, he seemed instead to have a 'life wish.'
As many seemed to believe, he simply pushed life too far.
I do hope that the news does not serve as an "I told you so" for many who wanted to reduce Hedberg and his act to stoner babble (or whatever other stereotype people applied). That would be an unfortunate legacy for man who was so gifted, so unique and who, by all accounts of those I interviewed, was a truly kindhearted person (rare in everyday life; rarer still in the world of entertainment).
As for reasons why, perhaps Hedberg himself said it best: "I'm tired of chasing my dreams. I'm just gonna find out where they're going and hook up with them later."
Comments
It is nice to read your kind words here. It seems as though you appreciated Mitch Hedberg's talent and kindness.
However, as a "journalist reporting on a public figure", you must have known that the story would be picked up and reported, not for the fact that he was funny, kind and genorous, but that he overdosed. You also must have known that those closest to him probably chose to keep that private, or didn't realize what happened. I'm not sure what sort of "public figure" Mitch was, and how reporting this was a service to society.
Isn't part of responsible journalism also deciding what not to print when it isn't important? He was not the President - just a kind and funny guy, who brought laughter to many people's lives. It was no secret he used drugs, but by reporting this news from many months ago, you've reduced him to just another junkie who offed himself carelessly. The news of the overdose was reported in more places than his death was in the first place.
If the death certificate was available the "Freedom of Information Act" why did no other journalist make this information public. Are you the most responsible one?
I hope your need for "responsible journalism" will balance the re-opening of barely healing wounds for his family this holiday season. I can only imagine what a "Happy New Year" this will be for them.
Posted by: SuzyS | December 29, 2005 01:20 PM
In reply to the comment above: First off, I think that anybody who wants to comment should actually read the SPIN piece, in context, and not the AP reporting that is simply based on that longer article. It may not alter your opinion, but at least you'll be judging the actual source (this person may have read the full article; I'm not suggesting she didn't).
As for whether this was "newsworthy" or not...This was a decision made by editors at a professional publication. It was not an easy decision, but it was not a frivolous one either. The facts around his death were in question. No, he was not the President. He was a comedian. But simply reporting the facts is not a moral judgment. And the desire to shield others from the truth is not a reason to withhold that truth. I am sorry, at a personal level, for what this does to his family.
I don't know what other reporters were looking into his death, or whether they made efforts to uncover the autopsy reports. I'm not sure how this is relevant.
The reports were gathered through proper channels, and the state of New Jersey deemed them worthy of being released.
As for the timing...Spin would have published this news earlier but for a variety of reasons (as is typical of magazines) the article was held for the year end issue.
I realize that for his fans, this is a very personal subject, and they guard his legacy with a sense of duty. But the facts that surround his cause of death do nothing to change the reality that he was a brilliant comic, a warm and kind person and a loving son.
Posted by: Peter Hyman | December 29, 2005 01:57 PM
Peter,
I understand that you're getting a lot of negative emails. Just want you to know that I'm a HUGE Mitch fan and, to me, your article is full of affection and truth, and that's the best combination anyone can hope for.
You did nothing wrong. Everyone wants to gloss over the real reason Mitch died, but in their hearts, I think they all suspected this.
Bless you for having the courage to print it. There should be no shame or blame involved. Mitch was an honest guy and I sincerely believe he'd rather have the truth out there.
Take care. Chin up.
Colleen
Posted by: Colleen | December 30, 2005 02:02 PM
Seriously, couldnt you have waited with something like this? The timing is suspect at best.
let the man rest in piece. your NOT an investigative journalist. Thanks for ruining some people's holiday season. Ho Ho Ho.
PS - Mitch would have told you to FUCK off.
Posted by: ryan | January 3, 2006 10:26 AM
As a huge fan or Mitch, I understand the outcry of his fanbase at the timing of this report, but as a writer who has studied journalism, I understand the reality of the situation. People who are concerned about Mitch's reputation, and the reopening of his family's wounds are not interested in hearing that Spin has a journalistic responsibility to report the truth, even if as a reporter, your feelings on the issue are mixed. I do not know for sure, but I believe that Spin reported Mitch's death when it occurred, and probably reported the cause of death as being related to his heart condition. Spin has a responsibility to correct that, regardless of how the truth may hurt.
Posted by: Robert | January 3, 2006 01:52 PM
Guys, don't shoot the messenger. It's the message you have an issue with and Mitch, may he rest in greater peace, is responsible for that.
Posted by: June | January 5, 2006 08:27 PM
I think journalists have a responsibility to report the truth. If they withheld information simply because it may hurt somebody's feelings, NOTHING would ever get made public. Besides, Mitch and his family were both fully aware of his extracurricular activities. In refernce to a previous post: 1. I find it hard to beileve that Mitch would have told anyone to F*off 2. I'm sure it's hard to take criticism from someone who can't spell the word PEACE.
Posted by: Cindy | January 6, 2006 01:17 PM
"I have long hair, and see, people associate long hair with drug use. I wish long hair was associated with something other than drug use, like 'an extreme longing for cake'. People would see a guy with long hair and say "damn, that fucker eats cake, he's on bundt cake". Mothers telling their daughters "don't bring the cake-eater over here anymore, he smells like flour. Did you notice how his eyes widened when he found out your birthday was fast approaching?" - Mitch Hedberg
I remember i was just flipping through the channels one day and i happend to come across Mitchs famous special on comedy central I instantly realated to his smart allicky yet heart felt approach on things assureing that even if the joke was aimed at you, Mitch wasn't gona let it hurt your feelings and you would still laugh for instence "I went to a restaurant, and I saw a guy wearing a leather jacket, eating a hamburger, drinking a glass of milk. I said, "Dude, you are a cow. The metamorphosis is complete. Don't fall asleep or I will tip you over." - Mitch Hedberg, The point is that Mitch was a master of looking a things in the light that they "actaully" and qwite literally were, "(Stares at hand.) Man, if you were missing a couple of fingers, you drew one fucked-up turkey. " I think that he would want us to know what happend and for us to learn from his own fualts, after all one thing tht we can be sure Mitch Hedberg was addicted to was life as he treated everyone with kindness, and of coarse their is no acctual way to know what mitch would have thought about all this, it's been said that even his friends and family members didn't understand his way of thinking at times (it was most likly not saying "fuck you." to somebody) so the best we can do to keep Mitch's voice and words around is to try and see the world through those sunglass's and when things seem rough to just think to ourselvs "I can't wait 'til this set is over, 'cuz I've got a roll of Lifesavers in my pocket, and pineapple is next!"
also if you really want to keep the Mitch spirit going go to your local supermarket buy a loaf of bread and give the whole damn thing to a family of ducks as Mitch often said he liked to feed them the food of thier natural envirment
"A duck loves bread, but he does not have the capability to buy a loaf. That's the biggest joke on a duck ever. "
Posted by: Pat | February 10, 2006 06:43 AM
After seeing Mitch on the Letterman show (on shrooms) for the first time I was amazed by the fact that there on t.v. was someone who thought like me and found things that I would find funny funny. After that peformance his name was etched in my mind for years, hoping every comedian I saw was him, until now after waking up on this sunday morning and seeing Mitch on a rerun of a Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal I punched his name in google and was deeply saddened to read of his passing. Now I am determined to be the next big Mitch Hedberg fan. At the very least, the spark he had in him was immortalized in videos and cd's so that people like me, who discovered him too late can still laugh our asses off anytime we want. He was a great & funny dude,and he will be trully missed.
Posted by: Mark | February 19, 2006 09:50 AM
He had white horses
And ladies by the score
All dressed in satin
And waiting by the door
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
White lace and feathers
They made up his bed
A gold covered mattress
On which he was laid
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
He went to fight wars
For his country and his king
Of his honor and his glory
The people would sing
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
A bullet had found him
His blood ran as he cried
No money could save him
So he laid down and he died
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Posted by: thomas.eaves@gmail.com | March 14, 2006 09:06 PM