Arnold Schwarzenegger on death: “It truly pisses me off”
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito get into it about the afterlife, which the ex-governor doesn't believe in
Aux News Arnold Schwarzenegger
The concept of mortality really grinds Arnold Schwarzenegger’s gears. In their new conversation for Interview Magazine, Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito eschewed the fluffy friendly stuff for going deep on childhood memories and the idea of an afterlife, which, by the way, the Governator does not believe in. “Anyone that tells you something else is a fucking liar,” as he says himself.
Schwarzenegger concedes he doesn’t know what happens to the soul, but he’s certain we’ll never see each other in these bodies again, “Except in some fantasy,” he says, dismissing a handful of major religions’ teachings in one go. “When people talk about, ‘I will see them again in heaven,’ it sounds so good, but the reality is that we won’t see each other again after we’re gone. That’s the sad part. I know people feel comfortable with death, but I don’t.”
This is remarkably candid for the press tour of the new Netflix action-comedy series FUBAR, but Schwarzenegger is not afraid to tell the world that he “will fucking miss the shit out of everything” when he passes on to the great hereafter. (Or to nowhere, as the case may be.)
Agreeing with DeVito that life is “the best” (“[To] have fun and to go to the gym and to pump up, to ride my bike on the beach, to travel around, to see interesting things all over the world” are the action star’s examples), Schwarzenegger is seeking someone to blame for the fact that we don’t get to live forever. “I don’t know what the deal is, but in any case, it’s a reality, and it truly pisses me off.” DeVito observes, quite accurately, that the actor-politician does not want to die. “No,” says his Twins co-star. “What the fuck? What kind of deal is that?”
Well, it’s a good question! You can read the full, essential dialogue here.
56 Comments
Yeah, I mean, I don’t want to die either. Death kind of sucks!
When you’re 88, and the discount caregiver has left you stinking in your adult diaper for 5 hours, that kind of sucks too. When you have health and wealth—skies the limit.
Hey, I’m a discount caregiver! I keep trying to get the elderly residents to call me Pillboi, but you know…dementia.
The wealthy are the most frightened people in the world which is why they’ll do unspeakable things to keep it.
Hey, I’m taking better care of my parents than that!
You’d have to enforce a limit on childbearing and we all know how well that would go over.
Death: Look man, I’m just doing my job here!
Think about it this way, Arnie: You’re not going to be bothered by it after it happens.
The ancient Greeks used to claim that if you weren’t bothered by not existing before your birth, why should not existing after your death bother you? I’m not sure I buy the argument, but it’s there.
Before I existed I lacked the potential to wonder “Who is my daddy, and what does he do?”
“And is he the rich bodybuilder/actor/politician that my mom works as a maid for?”
Si!
Not existing before my birth pisses me off to no end. I missed out on a lot.
That’s what history books and libraries are for.
Glad to know that I, sometime around high school, unwittingly gave myself the knowledge of the Ancient Greeks.
In the butt?
Whatever is ‘there” that isn’t “here” has got to be better than this, because this is a never ending shitshow. Everyone has to go. We shouldn’t be afraid.
Perhaps, but fear is often not logical.
Yeah, I understand. Sometimes I’m terrified, sometimes not. It’s a shame that our culture is so fear-based anyway. I think most of us are more afraid of the dying process, and why not? I support “assisted death” although it’s unlikely our culture ever will. Until then I will never shame anyone’s name for doing what they need to do.
You make me laugh, Death. I’ll kill you last!
I lied!
I… won’t be back!?
“No. Otherwise you’ll be hearing from my lawyers.” – Jesus™
That’s Armageddon!(I’ve seen producer Samuel L. Bronkowitz post on occasion too!)
You’ll cream your jeans when you see Catholic High School Girls in Trouble!
Death on Schwarzenegger: YOU WILL COME AROUND ON THIS SUBJECT IN THE END.
I see a Pratchett reference, I give the star.
“but he’s certain we’ll never see each other in these bodies again”
Is there an afterlife I’ve missed in which people keep their corporeal bodies???
Same. Dying’s for suckers.
Christopher Hitchens put it succinctly and humanely: death is, ultimately, a good thing, because it allows the next generations to inherit the earth. Wishing for any other result is a form of gluttony.
That almost seems more like an argument for imposing a Logan’s Run-style age limitation.
Not at all. That would be assuming that the elderly contribute nothing to the world, which is false and shitty. Just because we shouldn’t live forever (which is true) doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be able to live out our lives.
Yeah yeah I know, and I don’t disagree. I guess it just seems weird to me because it’s a surprisingly inclusive opinion coming from Hitchens. Like, I could see a preacher giving the very same kind of response to the congregation. Kinda hurtful to Highlanders, though.
I don’t want everyone to live forever. I just want me and my friends and a bunch of other people that I like or admire to live forever. Maybe like 500 people. And maybe their immediate families, too. So a couple thousand, tops. Would that be OK?
Well, that isn’t Logan’s Run. That sounds more like Zardoz.
The Robert Silverberg novella “Sailing to Byzantium” is a good read about immortality and those who are born without it.The Yeats poem isn’t bad either.
I think if people could live indefinitely they’d take better care of the Earth.
The next generation can have it, and welcome.
“Wishing for any other result is a form of gluttony.”Weird how the insanely rich Republican politician would be into that…
You know who doesn’t give a shit about death? Chuck fucking Norris.
Yeah, but that’s because he’s a profoundly stupid person.
I have always been entertained by Arnold. Lately I find myself respecting him.
He (hopefully his preferred pronoun) took down Trump and took over ‘The Apprentice’!
Yeah he gave a great interview on a podcast a few years ago (which one escapes me) and I gained a fair bit of respect for him from it. Seems to have a good head on his shoulders, which makes it strange he is (was?) a Republican.
THIS IS A FINE HOW DO YOU DO.
“I don’t get it. Is this a pitch for a movie?!” – Arnold’s agent while having a heart attack on the toilet
I mean, well, yeah. I agree with every word he said.
Also: This guy wants a word.
“The Grim Reaper is an existential girly-man!”
Amd if he’s wrong and there is life after death bit now annuld is in HELL Yeah life sucks yeah !! yeah !! lol
What a relief that Arnold knows all about “reality.” Jfc, what a monumentally arrogant man. No one should be telling anyone what to believe about what may or may not follow. People love leaders like this. Hitler was an Austrian too.
Oh for fucks fucking sake. The farts have truly taken over your brain.
For all his flaws Neil DeGrasse Tyson put his finger on my beliefs on the consciousness extending into the afterlife… “Do you remember things from before you were born?” he asks. So why think we will be around after we die?
Best part of the interview wasn’t even alluded to:SCHWARZENEGGER: Yeah. It was really funny. And then there was, at the same time, a guy that was gay, and he was a very, very good training partner of mine, and always invited me over to his home. He had the most sophisticated gymnasium.
DEVITO: Back then what was the whole concept of gay? You knew he had a boyfriend?SCHWARZENEGGER: No, no, no. He said so.DEVITO: He’d say he’s gay.SCHWARZENEGGER: Yeah. There were certain days where I couldn’t go early enough to the gym before they closed, so I would just go to his house and I would train there and he would have women there. Maybe they were lesbians, who knows? They would watch us work out, and they would be very casual and funny. We’d be laughing.DEVITO: But there were no sexual things going on?SCHWARZENEGGER: No.DEVITO: It was just the men and women bodybuilders.SCHWARZENEGGER: That’s right. All straightforward stuff.DEVITO: Okay. Well, that sounds like an interesting part of your life.SCHWARZENEGGER: Yeah. Very interesting. There was a community, and there was harmony.