Being gloomy is Lana Del Rey‘s thing. Her first song was ‘Born to Die,’ her video clips are dark, and she’s even sad in the summertime.
Glamorous agony is this girl’s jam.
So when the 28-year-old pop singer (whose real name is Lizzie Grant) says things like “I wish I was already dead” in interviews, it fits with her sad-glam image.
But are we really OK with one of the most successful pop stars on the planet wilfully marketing suicide as romantic?
Because that’s what she’s doing — trading on the idea that dying at her age would be beautiful, like it would preserve her fame forever.
When she was asked recently about legendary musicians who died too young, specifically at age 27 — like Amy Winehouse and Kurt Cobain — Lana said she wished she was dead. She later denied telling The Guardian that, but journalist Tim Jonze has the recording.
Kurt Cobain’s only daughter is not OK with it. Not OK at all.
Frances Bean Cobain, who is now 21, has just publicly asked Lana to stop romanticising death and suicide – in particular, her father’s.
The only child of Cobain and Courtney Love, Frances was 18 months old when her world-famous father took his own life. It’s one of the most high profile suicides in pop culture memory, a death that shook the rock industry, Hollywood, and Nirvana’s many ardent fans.
So, where someone like me might take offence to Lana’s comments in an abstract way, Frances Bean Cobain knows exactly what she’s talking about. Her string of pleading tweets to Lana are poignant because this woman knows how permanently devastating suicide is.
When Frances was accused of ‘attacking’ Lana Del Rey by suggesting she stop making early death look cool, she responded with this:
I’m not attacking anyone. I have no animosity towards Lana, I was just trying to put things in perspective from personal experience.
— Frances Bean Cobain (@alka_seltzer666) June 23, 2014
I, for one, am so glad Frances did put things in perspective from her personal experience. There’s nothing more powerful.
Memo to Lana Del Rey: Suicide is not romantic. Dying at the age of 27 is not glamourous. Death is not cool. It’s permanent. Be as moody and sexy-sad as you like, but don’t treat suicide like a smart career move, or try to make it look hot.
Just don’t.
What did you think of Lana Del Ray’s comments?
Top Comments
Death and suicide are serious issues and it's not cool to glamorise them. Frances has a point.
Out of two douchebag parents you get a smart kid like Frances. Wise words.
I know! Her mother is one of the worst people ever, she is so trashy and such an utter moron. Yet Frances is quite articulate and seems very intelligent, not to mention wise and deep. Must have good grandparents.
Two douchebag parents? Kurt? He may have been a drug user, but I hardly see how he was a douchebag. He fought against sexism, racism and homophiobia. He had depression and despite this, wrote amazing, iconic music. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've only heard good things about him. Please don't define all of a person because of a drug habit or mental illness. :(
I'm sure Kurt would be proud of Frances, sounds like a lovely young woman.