Paul Walker’s recent death sparked a lot of controversy as the famous actor from the “Fast and Furious” franchise died in a car accident. Immediately after I received the news, I thought that the death was simply a scandal to promote the franchise. I read a couple of news articles and found that they all had cited TMZ for their information. Thus, like the cynical man that I am, I assumed that the reports were all created falsely. In the end, I was very wrong.
After the confirmation of his death by his publicist, Ame Van Iden, I began to contemplate why I rushed to the conclusion that his death must have been a hoax. For starters, the day before his death, there were alleged reports that Paul Walker had died. Of course these reports were later deemed false, but reports of this type only served to encourage my skepticism. In addition to this, the circumstances of his death seemed too ironic. The fact that the movie star from the racing movies died in a racing accident seemed too obvious. There is no way that the man that had been in six big budget racecar films could have passed away in such a manner. However, this was exactly what had happened. It led me to ask myself, did he die doing what he loved or was he stupid for racing on the street?
Before I elaborate on my thoughts regarding this question, let me first give some back-story on the circumstances of the situation. First off, Paul Walker did die in a car accident, but he was not the driver. Instead, he was in the passenger’s seat of his friend Rodger Rodas’s red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT. In addition to this, he was not driving on a regular road. The accident took place on the Rye Cannon Loop in Valencia, a circular road separate from the traffic of Los Angeles. The New York Times article indicates that speed was definitely a factor in a crash and that authorities found a mangled piece of red metal engulfed in flames in place of a car when they arrived at the scene. Finally, Walker was an avid car enthusiast outside of Hollywood, enjoyed racing, and owned a car collection.
Now that we have the facts, we can make an educated decision. It is truly hard for me to stick to one side, because I think Walker acted in a somewhat idiotic manner, but also died doing what he loved. I truthfully would love to say that Walker is a great man who will be remembered for his accomplishments, but I do not believe this. The man had a daughter, who he had recently made an attempt to connect with. Any man who has others dependent on him should not step into a sports car and engage in drag racing. Although there were factors out of his control, like him not being the driver, Walker still had enough control to prevent his own demise. This is not a man who is forced to speed along the side roads of California to express his passion. Walker has the resources to buy himself a full paramedic team in addition to a racetrack. He could have opted for a more controlled circumstance, but instead he decided to be the passenger of a speeding Porsche. At the end of the day, there were decisions that Walker had control over. He was not an innocent man who was forced to be the passenger of a race.
I am truly divided on the topic because I think there is something to be said about expressing your passion. For, at the end of the day, maybe being in a car that is rushing down a Los Angeles street is what gave Walker the drive to live. I cannot judge his decision, because I myself do not feel the urge to step inside a sports car to break the speed limit. Sadly, this may mean that I will never be the star of a racecar franchise. Let us take a minute for the memory of Austin’s dreams…
Beyond the death of my dreams, I found this article especially interesting because it related to the concept of expectation versus reality. Constantly in our IDC class, we encountered art where we would walk in with one conception and walk out with another. This is exactly the topic of our final project. We are using irony by reversing stereotypical situations to show how what we expect to be true does not always end up being the reality. I found it interesting that the article directly connected to our final project, in essence connecting with our analysis of our semester in IDC.
For one of my final blog posts for this class, I pose to you the question: was Walker justified in his decision to race or should he have stuck to the special affects of Hollywood? Is there room for daredevils who are also fathers to express their passion or should a man know his place in this world and first consider his or her responsibilities before he makes a decision?
In the words of one of my favorite films, A Knights Tale:
“Can a man change his stars?”
“Yes William. If he believes enough, a man can do anything!”
Paul Walker’s death is a real tragedy. However, I think people are reacting to the possible end of the “Fast and Furious” series more than the tragic circumstances that led to his unfortunate death. I understand that they are avid fans of the movie series, but there has to be certain amount of respect given to the life lost. As for the question you posed in your review, I think I somewhat agree with your judgment of the situation. I think he should have thought out his decision of entering a drag race, but then again, how was he to know that something that he had done for all his life would today be the cause of his death? One can deem his act irresponsible only if one were to look at it in retrospect. Had he made out of the race without alive and healthy, no one would have said that he had made an irrational decision; instead, people would have applauded his zeal for car racing. It does not matter if he was in fact at fault because the truth is we have lost a talented actor to the biggest reality of life.
Paul Walker’s decision to get in a speeding Porsche was foolish. In my opinion, anything that has such a high potential for death should not be entertained. At the same time, I have to acknowledge he did what he loved. At a young age, you are taught to do what you love. I completely agree with this statement as long as what you love doesn’t interfere directly with another person’s happiness. A life is infinitely worth more living if we loved every bit of it. People engage in dangerous activities all the time doing what they love and most of the time we don’t have any qualms concerning their choices. I do not acknowledge his decision as one with rationality, but he did what he wanted to do. He may have been a father that left behind his family, but hopefully his daughter will remember him as one that pursued his desires and passions instead of one that made foolish decisions. Like Austin, I feel like I am in no position to pass judgement on this case.
Ya getting into that porsch was definitely not the brightest idea. The article made no reference to whether the two guys were intoxicated? Or judging by that car, perhaps their bodies were so mutilated there was nothing to draw a sample form? Either way, I agree with the majority of the comments, if you have a young daughter who is dependent on you, you need to take less risks.
It is very tragic but ironic to hear that Paul Walker died from a car accident. I can definitely understand how you thought the news of his death was a scandal to promote the franchise at first because the cause of his death was very ironic and many franchises have used such methods to promote themselves.
Personally, I think Walker died doing what he loved. We have to remember that everything we do has its risks and unfortunately, death often comes unexpectedly. Although racing may have a much higher risk and danger than what most of us would grow up to pursue, it is his interest and his choice. However, I do think that he should’ve cared about his daughter and his own safety more.
I really liked how you connected this article to our IDC class and how expectation is different from reality. I definitely agree that unexpected things can occur at any moment. As for your question, I think Walker was justified to pursue what he wanted and live out his passion, even if it means putting himself in danger. As a professional racer, I’m sure he is aware of all the dangers associated with racing and it is not up to us to judge if he made the right choice for himself or not. I don’t think his death was a result of his irrational decision; I think it was just unfortunate that he died so young at the age of 40 doing what he loved.
When I first heard about Paul Walker’s death, I also thought it was a scandal. I thought it was a bit strange because he lived by the motto “ride or die,” and riding actually led to his passing. It’s hard to decide whether or not he died doing what he loved, or doing something irresponsible. While I agree that he should’ve been more cautious, considering he has a young child, I also believe that he rightfully pursued his passions. Walker couldn’t have known that participating in an activity that he did so often, without prior injuries, would lead to his death. Unexpected accidents occur all the time, and although the actor undoubtedly put himself in a dangerous situation, he was simply doing what he loved.
The thing about life is that it’s short and it should be enjoyed. The extents in which some people attempt to satisfy their boredom are through mediums of entertainment that can be very dangerous. Furthermore the death of Paul Walker was basically as ironic as it gets. As a movie star who reached stardom and fame through his performance in the Fast and Furious film series, his death epitomized the symbol that he stood for in the movies he acted in. Furthermore it is strange how people react to the decisions of others. If Walker had been victorious and escaped unscathed from this drag race he would have likely been praised greatly for his bravery and execution of the optimization of his movie personality. This would have also possibly affected and influenced how many people would have shown up to see the next Too Fast Too Furious movie.
Doing what you love is important in this world. It is better to be happy with what you are doing, than being miserable with something you are doing. For Paul Walker, cars wasn’t just a hobby and a career. It was his life. Life isn’t without death, as it comes at the most spontaneous times. This was one of those times, and it is a shame he had to pass away at such a young age. I feel like the risks did not outweigh the benefits in Walker’s case, and he enjoyed every moment of it. I agree with the fact that the public is making a bigger deal out of the movie series than actual passing of Walker – a real controversial and immature thing to do.