Death is a weird fucking thing and even if a person is total shit, the news can still feel like a gut punch. I just got word that Hulk Hogan has passed and there’s a whole lot of conflict and mixed emotion. I’m a child of the 80s and I was big into Wrestling, especially the WWF as a kid, and this hits a bit different since this is the guy who literally told us to eat our veggies and say our prayers.
My stepfather was a cunt.
I had every reason in the world to hate that motherfucker and I thought I’d feel relief when he passed. It wasn’t that simple. I found myself being more angry than anything else. By every scale, the guy was a horrible human being who didn’t give a fuck about anyone else and even sold out his own family. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the world is a better place without his presence and yet for some fucking reason, it was still a shock that took a while to process and come to terms with.
Terry Bollea was a piece of shit.
As an adult, I’m fully aware of this.I’ve posted memes trashing the asshole for being a racist and yet, my inner 8-year-old is spinning, unable to separate the man from the character. During the 80s, I was proud to be a Hulkster and had the posters and the stupid yellow headband. It was a big part of my childhood and that’s the part that’s grieving now.
No, I’m not sticking up for his sorry ass.
Again, the man himself was a total cunt but the character he played was an icon. Yes, it’s a shame that the guy was a total hypocrite and fraud who could never live up to his stage persona. Figuring out who he really was and what he stood for was disappointing to say the least for me and a whole lot of people who grew up in that era. He let us down.
Good grief…
I don’t think it’s just him. We also lost Ozzy and Malcom Jamal Warner and it’s forcing a whole lot of people over the age of 40 to take a good hard look at our own mortality. These are people, icons, that had been around for so long that we never thought that it was possible that they would pass; they seemed almost immortal and yet here we are, having to face the ugly truth.
I’m not grieving him.
I’m grieving a character, a concept. I’m grieving another part of my youth that’s gone. I’m facing the years and my own eventual demise. It’s a reality check and another painful reminder that this ride doesn’t last forever and we better make the most of the moments we have.