It's Awkward When Bad People Die

It is. How can anyone manage to acknowledge that Jesse Helms was absolutely the pits, make it clear that they think death is a very serious thing, and say that their heart goes out to his family (who I'm sure are very nice people) without looking like they themselves are committing the kind of cultural insensitivity that Helms made the centerpiece of his career? It's really a mess.

Enjoy our elegy for Mr. Helms, "It's Awkward When Bad People Die".

Click the play button below to hear the song.

It's Awkward When Bad People Die

Another infamous villain has suddenly passed away
And any good obit won't try to show it but the point will get across either way
So can we reconcile the record with the sons and the daughters that cry
All I can say without reservation is it's awkward when bad people die

Maybe Vlad the Impaler was a hell of a guy off the job
And Stalin was married, when pallbearers carried his coffin she wept and she sobbed
So I'll try to mix my misgivings with a tactful and tasteful goodbye
With that kind of person all I know for certain is it's awkward when bad people die

So cue up the footage
I'd rather not
My heart goes out
And blah blah blah
The well worded elegies
will tick through the wire
Insensitive is as insensitive does, so let's throw a log on the fire

I used to be driven to anger whenever your face made the news
As for reacting to the sound of your passing, mostly I'm just confused
Because your legacy it will fester long after the tributes subside
It just goes to show, wherever they go, it's awkward when bad people die
All that I know, it just goes to show, it's awkward when bad people die

Max and the Marginalized are a band and a blog. They do a song every week on the Huffington Post, all 41 of which are available for download here. Add them on Facebook.

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Comments

[mlaiuppa]

Well, if the death of Jesse Helms inspired the creation of that song, then he did accomplish one positive thing, even though not *in* his lifetime.

And hopefully the song will live longer than Helms memory. Quickly forgotten would be the most gracious eulogy he could have.

[KillTheMessenger]

The correct responses are

"It was time!",

"Thank God!"

and

"Good riddance!"

What's the problem?

[lezlie]

That's really all you can say. Had the same problem with Falwell! My sympathies to the family.

[SeriousBlack]

And it'll be the same with people like Boooosh and Cheeeeeeney. You almost gotta feel sorry for their families. Almost.

[CharlieMarlowe]

For Falwell, a simple UNRAPTURED will suffice

[CharlieMarlowe]

for Falwell, how about UNRAPTURED.

[RobBob]

My sympathies, and my congratulations.

[Eric8869]

I have no sympathy for his family. He had no sypathy for the families of AIDS victims. He had no sympathy for families affected by racism.

As late as 1995, when an old friend wrote him to recommend compassion for people like her gay son, who had died of AIDS, Helms wrote back to say, "I wish he had not played Russian roulette with his sexual activities.""

[anon004]

"As for reacting to the sound of your passing, mostly I'm just confused
Because your legacy it will fester long after the tributes subside"

Excellent!!