PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

So now I’m in hot water with DeadHeads.  It happened at a Rat Dog concert at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia.  I done went and said something that ruffled a few feathers.

To explain, DeadHeads have always been creative in tying the DeadHead experience to cartoon characters.  Pretty much everyone from Bart Simpson to Bugs Bunny to Scooby Doo has been co-opted by DeadHeads.  Heads were always shameless in combining a fondness for cartoons with their love of Jerry’s guitar noodling.

And even after the show is over, the creativity continues to fester.  So South Park is the hot new show that everyone is in love with.  It stands to reason that some creative Head will find the tie in to the Dead.  At the Rat Dog show, I finally saw it.  Someone had a shirt with the South Park kids riding the bus on tour with the Dead.  Of course, Chef was the bus driver.  It was a moment bound to happen.

Now it was tasteless and insensitive but I couldn’t resist myself.  I yelled out, “Oh my God!  They killed Jerry! You bastards!”

Suffice to say, there were more than a few offended DeadHeads.  Like, “Heyman, that’s not funny.  It’s too soon.”  I mean it has only been 3 years.  We need more time. 

I guess some of these folks are still in denial and while I ain’t cruel, my humor can be a little sick at times.  I just wish people wouldn’t take it all so seriously.  We’re all saddened by the loss but it isn’t worth the trouble of getting so worked up.  I kind of suspect Jerry himself would have chuckled at the faux pas.

5-24-98