“Hope I die before I become Pete Townsend,” wrote Cobain in his diary. Pete doesn’t seem offended so much as saddened in his review of the just-published journals of the suicidal muse of the ’90s.
It is desperately sad for me to sit here, 57 years old, a huge chunk of life still ahead of me, and contemplate how often wasteful are the deaths of those in the rock industry. We find it so hard to save our own, but must take responsibility for the fact that the message such deaths as Cobain’s sends to his fans is that it is in some way heroic to scream at the world, thrash a guitar, smash it up and then overdose.
Comments
62 responses to “Pete Townsend reviews Kurt Cobain's diaries”
much better to scream, grow old and jack off over little kids
It is desperately sad for me to sit here, 41 years old, having enjoyed listening to The Who
and his solo efforts since I was young, and contemplate how often wasteful are the lives
of so many artists, especially ones like Pete Townsend, who should take responsibility
for the fact that the message such child pornography sends to his fans is that it is in
some way heroic to scream at the world, thrash a guitar, smash it up and then allegedly
produce and distrubute child pornography.
I can’t believe Pete is such a creep!
I can’t believe we’re so gullible as to believe what our piece of shit media tells us. Do we really think its that simple? That he’s guilty and now he’s just a gross man? Perhaps he is but think of all the posturing jerks out there who just love to beat someone when they’re down. Think of a corporate-owned media that loves to say “we got the bad guy,” when they’re the very ones profiting off of kiddie porn. Think of the not -quite- a -woman Britany Spears practically naked at any given moment or the 13 year old Calvin Klein models or the 15 year old supermodels on the cover of Cosmo. Pete Townsend isn’t the scum. Not the real scum at least.
Outrage over Pete Townsend
Here’s something odd. Back in November I posted a link to Pete Townsend’s review of Kurt Cobain’s diaries. Now that the pedophile (or paedophile, for British readers) arrest story has broken, it seems that people must be Googling his name and somehow f…
I have never made any connections between gary glitter and pete. I still hope this is proved wrong. Beatles dying, townsend doing such a thing(hopefully not)-
When commenting on Kurt Cobain’s journals, Pete Townsend said, “I sometimes get letters from people who write and draw like Cobain. I put them in a file marked ‘Loonies’.” As a Nirvana fan, I would readily concede that Kurt Cobain was, in all likelihood, “loony”. But on the surface, he at least appears to have done far more damage to himself than to others. I wonder how many children may eventually meet Kurt’s fate as a result of being exploited by paedophiles and sexual predators such as Pete Townsend?
Hey guys, Pete has been vocal on his site for almost two years about doing this research about child porn. Do you think that someone with his intellect would go on his website and publicly state that he was trying to abolish these sites, all the while using them for his own personal pleasure? Think about it.
It’s pathetic. Here’s a guy who has been ranting about his anger over the complacency of the law when it comes to this filth for almost two years via essays he’s been writing on his website (which, obviously, none of you have read) and you’ve already convicted him. Maybe, just maybe, he actually WAS doing research. Hey guys, the cops do it too. Do you think they build a case against child porn without viewing it? If Pete was building a case against it (which he’s been doing acording to his website diary posts over the past TWO YEARS) it’s disturbing, but I’m willing to accept it if he makes a difference using his fame to raise awareness. After all, what have you done to stop it? I can assure you, no matter what you’ve done to stop, Townsend has done a great deal more.
Innocent Until Proven Guilty
Oh Yeah, Ryder was doing research on shoplifting.
Thanks for all your hard on work, Pete.
Who are we to judge? Do you thing that epics like Tommy and Quadraphenia just come from the imagination? Pete has been a public icon for generations…(my generation…) Do you think that an interest in child porn would stay undercover for so long? Hell, you people forgive Micheal Jackson for more overt acts than Pete has even been charged with. (none at this moment) Lets forget the internet FBI lynch mob and get back to what is real… Show me proof that Pete had underage children in his control: And I will then believe. Until then, its just Ruby Ridge all over again…
can,t you see the real me doctor? doctor? in this song pete exposed himself as a pedophile..we now see the real him.
hi i am leonie i am 14 i think it is discusting i think he should be put AWAY, the pedrofile (pete) ewww as if you would that is wrong
Hello there,
I for one think Townsend is telling the truth when he says he was doing research. Townsend has always been honest-sometimes to a fault. The pictures of him being driven away in the car show the face of a man with nothing to hide. If Townsend was into pedophilia, he would be the first to own up to it. Remember years ago when he owned up to “Rough Boys” being some kind of confused gay song, and that he was actually “a woman”? Townsend is a great artist and a spiritual seeker. His intentions are noble.
Look, a year ago Pete wrote an essay on his website that explained how he came to be a vigualanty against child porn on the internet. This 6 page essay (again, written by Pete himself over a year ago) goes into great detail about his disgust and need to do something about it and his growing frustration in the authourities complacecy over this matter. Read it first before you shoot your mouth off and accuse him of anything.
Here is a link to that essay. Read it and weep members of the lynch mob….
http://www.thewho.org/020116adifferentbomb.pdf
Honest. doesn’t anyone one remeber the YEARS he spoke against drugs and rock stars who used drugs only to disclose much later he was a herion and other drugs of choice user/abuser. I think he is in denial about why he views kids. No matter the reason, it is sick!
I’ll give Pete the benefit of doubt, but looking
at his essay, “A Different Bomb”, dated 1/02:
On his own experience:
“…I remember no specific sexual abuse, though when I was young I was treated in an extremely
controlling and agressive way by my maternal grandmother. This is not unusual. It might be described by some as insignificant. Almost everyone I know experienced similar stuff at some time or other – many friends experienced more extreme ‘abuses’ and have no obvious adult vices as a result…”
On his awareness of public attitudes and law enforcement:
“…On the issue of child-abuse, the climate in the press, the police, and in Government in the UK at the moment is one of a witch-hunt…”
He continues to discuss how demand drives it’s creation:
“…However, what many people fail to realise is how – by visiting their websites – we directly and effectively subsidise pornographers. This is true whether we do so unwittingly or deliberately, out of curiosity or a vigilante spirit…The terrible part is that what they found on the internet will almost have certainly found them by return…it is to say that because their visit was undoubtedly recorded by the site or sites in question, the pornographers who run those sites would have found validation and commercial promise for their activity. They would then have redoubled their efforts in this area…”
On accidentally seeing a horrible, indefensable
and terribly violent image when searching for legitimate contacts to help a charity fundraiser:
“…I reached for the phone, I intended to call the police and take them through the process I had stumbled upon – and bring the pornographers involved to book. Then I thought twice about it. With someone on trial who had once been connected with me – however loosely – I spoke off-the-record to a lawyer instead. He advised me to do nothing. He advised me that I most certainly should not download the image as ‘evidence’. So I did as he advised. Nothing.”
This does not appear to be current, because he forgot both his own advice and the advise of his
lawyer.
In addition, he allegedly used a credit card to pay for child porn.
WHAT IS PETER TOWNSEND TRYING TO STUDY FOR HIS RESEARCH? HOW WOULD THESE PICTURES HELP HIS RESEARCH? WHY COULDN,T PETE JUST FIND A WEBSITE ON STUDIES OF SEXUAL ABUSE INSTEAD? THESE QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED IN TIME.
For what it’s worth
To the people I referrred to in Outrage over Pete Townsend, who are busily debating the story over in the discussion area of my Pete Townsend reviews Kurt Cobain’s diaries entry, I feel that I should pass along this report from the Smoking Gun, which l…
Townsend did not have the official jurisdiction to access child pornography for ANY REASON! If I want to start a war on drugs, that does not give me, a civilian, the right to purchase and sell those drugs to gain information and access to drug dealers I hope to expose to police or even kill. Leave it up to the cops Townsend!
The kids are allright.
Rough Boys.
Pictures of Lilly.
I’m you friendly Uncle Earnie
I’ll weep for Pete, Thank You.
OH, yeah, research. I bet he was only viewing the websites because he likes to read the “articles”. I’m also sure that o.j. is an innocent man and oh, by the way, Santa Claus is real, as well as the easter bunny and the wizard of oz.
I really hope people understand thats hes not what the press build him up to be. They take pride in bring a man up to the heights that he reached and as soon as they get there bring them straight back down.
I don’t know Pete as i guess you guess dont but i am a huge fan of talent and am interested in what comes with it. I have only got into the music of the Who and pete and Johns work, but since then I have paid close attention to interviews and books things like that. Pete seems a man who wants to know more. If he was abused as a child there is no doubt that it would be something that you block from your memory. If he needed to be jogged or reached it there is no doubt in my mind that this was completely the wrong way to go about it, and with hindsight i’m sure he realises. One thing to think about is that Pete is a recovering drug and acholol addict. If he lies he can spiral back down that road. That is the reason that he becomes brutally honest i believe.
He apparently told the police what was going on as well, they knew, so why didnt they say no its too risky. as the information retreived by the police and just handed to them they had to act after a paper leaked a story that possibly they shouldn’t have not knowing the full story. Now valuble reasearch into the horrific topic from one of the most influential men is not going to happen, due to aspects that we dont know about. One thing i am sure about is that Pete isnt a child porn addict.
Why is everyone so quick to decide that Townsend is a pedophile? Why not wait and see how this thing plays out? It irritates the crap out me that everyone jumps to conclusions without bothering to consider all of the details.
The simple fact is that through out Townsends adult life any time he or moon got out of line Daltry would knock him out. everyone who has statet false things without the police presing charges owe god an appology and must learn to hide their stupidity better because most of us do not want to experience it any more. Who wouldn’t be jelous of Townsends talent?
I’m afriad I have to agree with the majority of posters-there is no acceptable reason for viewing child porn, unless you are connected to law enforcement-plenty of research has already been done and a man of pete townsends intelect would know that.
I dont think it is altogether unreasonable to give Pete the benefit of the doubt, but really, like the last post said: he could have read used sexual abuse websites instead of PAYING with a credit card [his OWN]…I personally think all these guys are jaded beyond belief…..I use the internet alot and I have never inadvertantly run across a two year old being buggered by a man—-I dont have a good feeling about this.
While we KNOW Pete Townsend is interested in child pornograhy, what we BELIEVE depends on who we TRUST. Child Pornagraphy is an abomimation and makes people angry and rebel. Sounds like Pete to me.
Don’t judge until you KNOW all the facts.
Choose who to BELIEVE from all the facts.
TRUST your judgement based on the FACTS.
I think that this all thing isn’t about Pete,guys..It’s about Kurt…Can’t you see that he was afraid of becoming big famous rock star, like Pete was (and is..) and he wasn’t worried about Pete’s sexual life… That is all what is it about and there’s nothing much to discuss about…
I’ve just read the above comments.. and what a load of twat . If Pete Townsend was genuinely a paedophile, then, by this stage a lorry load of accusations would have come forward from “victims” claiming Pete abused them.. or took them to his house..done A B and C to them.. NONE of this has happened.. and he’s how old??? It’s well been established that paedophiles come with a history book of abuse behind them. The police deliberately throw cases like Pete’s into the public eye for the dogs to have their day, and see who else will come forward with accusations.. this hasn’t happened.. why? because he’s not a child molester! and if he was he’d have a shit load of “victims” out to get rich. And so what if he visited child porn sites..who the hell on this earth knows what his motives were? .. my verdict.. (and Im not a fan of the Who’s or Petes..in fact I think they’re crap) Pete is owed a big apology ! and I hope to God he gets it.
you dumb fucks
Kurt Cobain used heroin and his blood only began to itch when his high blew out!
I guess Pete Townshend likes bald heads for more than one reason eh? You like the ten-year-olds, don’t ya Pete? You like the smooth, chemically unaltered feel of a small childs buttocks, don’t ya you self-richeous, holier than thou has been?
It’s (youthful) weiner feinds like you who cause people to get hooked on smack in the first place you overrated, child-fornicating prick!
Hi there! Im from sweden. age 16. just want to tell you that, pete townshend, ican`T explain, he is like a god or somthing, i love him. you know, he is doing great songs! but firs of all, he is a great speaker. a wonderful person. oh bajs. What the terrible Kurt Cobain said, is just fucking crap! he said that pete was a “Comersial Foundation” Kurt was more worse! HATE NIRVANA, evry one els love them so! by by by Joakim (im sorry, for the english translate)
kurt kan bajsa.
geez, has somebody pissed in the gene pool around here. Look folks, maybe he’s guilty, maybe he’s not. But the fact remains, if the police had sufficient cause they would have charged him. And he was never accused of physically molesting anyone…so some of you need to get a life. That said, sometimes it’s hard to separate the artist (the human being) from the art…so what are so of you alarmists going to do now?…start burning ‘Alice In Wonderland’ books because it was written by someone who was “believed” to be pedophilic in his heart?
I feel the need to respond to the comments accusing Pete Townsend of being a pedophile. Today I learned that Pete Townsend has been cleared of charges of possession of child pornography, but will spend the next 5 years on a sex offender registry. He admits he did access child porn sites but insists it was for a book he is writing about his experience of being sexually abused as a child.
I personally believe him. What is strange is that the other day I was reading the story of the murder of JonBenet Ramsey at http://crimelibrary.com and found where Stephen Singular, the author of Presumed Guilty
It’s your f-g law thats lunatic – not Pete! If he were interested, he would have saved pictures on his computer – which he didn’t. I have looked into child porn once myself – since everybody was discussing it, I wanted to see what it looked like. I am thankful that I don’t live in England!
KURT IS DEAD YOU PEOPLE!!! give him peace and let it go…just dont discuss his death, none of us will ever know what was going on in his head..JUST SHUT UP!!!!! you guys really think you know?? its so pathetic…KURT COBAIN WAS A GREAT HUMAN BEING, DEEP INSIDE HIS HEART….I LOVE HIM,AND I ALWAYS WILL…lets not fight with mr townsend whoever he is,because as he said before, he is a 57 yr old man, what could he possible know about kurt donald cobain, his mentality and his vision? tv was nearly begining to exist!
fuck u!
I believe Pete Townsend has been aquitted of child pornography charges in England.
fuck off Pete aint no pedo, but so what if someone wants to grow up a bit then kill themselves, if i was at the same level of greatness as cobain id probably kill me self, an when i am at the same greatness, or just to down i’ll kill me self, your gonna die anyway.
well he was cool, but now hes just a sick perv. Sorry pete, regular people have no sympathy for rich and famous people. You’re fucked.
life sucks and u cant do any thing about it death always comes suicide just brings it sooner suicides an alternive so kill me pls kill me now kill overhere kill me overthere
ahh yes, pete townsend…how ashamed i feel, yet do we know? what im getting across is that we dont know if he is the sicko they say he is. sadly, i had a poster of the man in my freakin room, but now? i dont think so, i feel that he watches me as i undress!!!
Guilty or not he has to live with with people looking at him in a different way which must be Hell on Earth, Pete is not guilty just bloody stupid
Most of you people are full of shit. First of all the main reason that pediphelia exists in the first place is as a reaction to the stifiling sexual repression which exists on this planet and especially in the fanatically fundamentalist Christian dominated West. The fact is that if most western men weren’t disgusting gross fat pigs there wouldn’t be such a hysteria about somewhat intergenerational sex.
But because western men are by in large COMPLETELY GROSS of course the thought of them engaging with a young person is completely repulsive. But that is because the men themselves are repulsive. I am from sweeden where we don’t have the fanatical sexual hang ups that you people in America and Britian do. I had sexual relations when I was 14 with an amazing man who happened to be 38 at the time. It was totally consentual. He was and still is in excellent shape because he takes care of himself (Unlike the fat pigs that American men seem to be) I still am in contact. There is no guilt on either of our parts.
You people need to wake up. You are the problem, NOT PETE TOWNSEND.
Lise Schmidt
Well, besides what Tony Baloney said, if you
ever saw pictures of child abuse you don’t
want to see that twice. I saw them on a site
against child porn. If you are doing research about different kinds of child abuse, in a scientific way or if you are investigating,
one has to see the whole thing.
I simply doubt the motivation
of Mr. Townsend.
In fact, being told that murder by smashing
the head of a human doesn’t actually need
closer research to judge, right?
Pete Townsend is innocent. He has always been unedited in his thought processes. I am not surprised that he would go to the source for research, and be misconstrued. i am new to this sight, but if indeed, he made references to his research before,—what is it with all of this moralizing? Child pornography is vile. I believe Pete is an advocate of this ideal. He is only guilty of trusting public opinion to understand him.
I am shocked at all you wankers out there. You have no idea what the truth maybe but still you blow it out of your ass. It’s your fucked up attitude to truth and reality that keeps us all down…fuck all of you “negative creeps”
I am shocked at all you wankers out there. You have no idea what the truth maybe but still you blow it out of your ass. It’s your fucked up attitude to truth and reality that keeps us all down…fuck all of you “negative creeps”
There’s no justification for the shit that pete townsend has had to endure from the media and the majority of the public. If he was genuinely a paedophile, why the hell would he publicly admit in the national press that he had accessed a child porn site as soon as the allegation arised? Surely if he was some sort of pervert he would keep it to himself and would have viewed these websites on regular occasions. Not only did the guy own up and apologise publicly, but the police found no trace of any images stored on his computer and has been cleared as a result. Has no one heard of the phrase innocent until proven guilty? If pete townsend had been a normal everyday guy would there really have been so much controversy? The guy has been made a public scapegoat for the thousands of real sickos who regulary view this kind of filth for their own personal pleasure.
Pete is a big hero and an icon. He does not deserve all this dumb talk from people who know shit. PT isn’t guilty so why bother in the first place???
None of these comments actually talk about what Kurt Cobain was refering to. I am almost certain that it had nothing to do with child porn. I don’t even think that he necessarily had a problem with Pete Townsend in particular, it was a comment that links up with the “better to burn out than fade away”,he just didn’t want to be in his fifties and still singing “smells like teen spirit” and never be able to live any sort of private life. besides, it was in his diary, which he didn’t want or expect people to read. I think that what Pete said about Kurt was more immature and insulting. the guy’s dead, leave him alone! Pete is the one whose comment seemed bitter, and it was intended to be read. Pete, I never did have a problem with you until now.
In response to Lise Schmidt:
I am working in an office right now and no offence, but your comment actually made me laugh out loud. You are saying that the only reason that child porn is gross is because western men are gross so the porr kids have to fuck ugly guys? I do have to agree that Swedish men are good looking, my long time boyfriend is Swedish, but having consensual sex when you are fourteen is illegal but hardly disgusting. That is not what this issue was about, it was about raping like children, not consensual 14 year-olds. I believe that in sweden the legal age of consent if 15, so that technically having sex at all at 14 is illegal but usually ignored, although I am sure looked down upon, especially with someone so much older. What this is is pretty much the sickest thing on the planet. destroying little children and hurting them. If you think that that is not a big deal, then I hope that it was simply a language misunderstanding. menl
in response to andygirl:
If you are on discussion page on the subject of Kurt Cobain, then maybe it is a bit hypocritical to criticize us for talking about him. Besides, what this discussion has turned in to is not a discussion about KDC’s image or vision, it is ppl’s response to Pete Townsend’s response to something Kurt said about him in his diaries. You say that since Pete is old there was hardly even TV? What are you talking about? The age that you sound, he probably heard about KC before you were even born. And what planet have you been living on not to know who Pete is? He is the one that you are calling stupid. So, none of this is an insult of Kurt Cobain. Yeah, you love him and I love him, but he doesnt belong to you, other people are allowed to love him too? and one more thing: earth to andygirl: this whole debate was about PT and his allegations to child porn not KC vision…maybe you should stay at home and listen to his music or maybe look up Pete Townsend and hint! LISTEN TO HIS rather than talking utter crap.
Dom
I feel disgusted at your behaviuor towards Pete Townsend if he wasnt as famous as he was there would be no stiuation at all he used to have a family (he is divorced i know) and children and that leonie kid along here your are a ponce.
So who’s the best songwriter? Pete or Kurt? I think it’s Pete. Although, Kurt was pretty awesome. I also believe that Pete is innocent.
Pete Townsend is an innocent man and the best rocker to ever live.
There is only one thing posted here that casts a shodow of a doubt on Pete’s case and that is that he apparently lied about his drug use. Does anyone have any further info on this?
I’d also like to ask why nearly all those who post here that are convinced of Pete’s guilt are so inarticulate and unreasonable to the point of blathering. How does that help the prosecutions case? I like Pete and hope it’s not true that he is guilty and I am very upset about this whole thing but I don’t go off yelling a knee jerk “FUCK YOU”.
Who cares id Pete did ? MILLIONS of people in America do every day ! Pete just gets the rap becuase he is famous. Go bug the creep down 2 blocks from you he does it also.