Bob Flanagan, CF 'Artist"

[azdesertrat]

Has anyone else seen the documentary titled 'Sick' made by Bob Flanagan?
Bob Flanagan was an artist who had CF. He died in 1997.
This film is strictly 'Adults Only'. I think this movie would be offensive to most people. Do not allow children to see it.
In fact, I am in no way endorsing this movie, nor am I recommending anyone see it.
I would just like to know how many others have seen this movie, and if so, what did you think of it? I'll share my opinion with anybody interested in this.
Thanks.

 

[bookperson]

I've seen it. I actually own a copy of it. I think his attitude belongs to an older, more nihilistic generation of CF sufferers. I don't think it is appropriate to fixate on one's inevitable death the way that he did at this point in the "grand CF narrative".

 

[erock77]

I also own it. Haven't watched in a while but I enjoyed it. Some of the graphic mutilation scenes were a bit rough to watch, but I thought he was funny and insightful and his actions and humor kind of taunted the disease and what it was doing to him. I also found it interesting to watch someone deal with being at the end of their life. Spoiler: he dies at the end. I found his personality and CF perspectives more interesting than the S&M stuff, I would have liked to know him.
The documentary is very raw, graphic and not for everyone.

 

[rubyroselee]

I bought the documentary when I was in my early 20's, and was definitely not what I expected it to be. I ended up throwing it in the trash right after I watched it and had nightmares about it for a couple weeks. But I think it was just because I had never seen someone deal with CF like him and I had never seen someone actually dying of CF before. And I would consider myself a fairly open-minded and hard-souled lady that doesn't usually let things like that get to me. But overall, I'm glad I watched it, glad I threw it away, and glad there was Bob who was open to sharing his life and perspective with the world.

 

[hammerpocket]

I discovered Bob Flanagan just a short time before Sick was released, I think, and though it was a few years before I saw the movie, I did buy the book Bob Flanagan: Supermasochist (link below). I was just finishing up my undergraduate degree in studio art at the time, so I was also interested from that angle. I have a vivid memory of describing to my CF doctor at the time Flanagan's piece that involved him being lifted by his feet upside down out of his in-gallery hospital bed. My doctor's reaction: "That's very satanic." That was the last time I discussed art with that doctor.

Not long after that, I moved away from that very conservative part of the country to begin graduate school. Somewhere I managed to get a rented copy of Sick on tape. I found it by turns fascinating, shocking, amazing, and disturbing. It definitely had an influence on the work I did in grad school, which for the first time was pretty directly focused on CF. (One of these days I need to upload the video I made as part of my graduate thesis show; I'm sure folks around here would find it interesting. No nails involved!) I'd like to see the movie again someday. It's actually available for streaming on Netflix right now.

Link for Bob Flanagan book (says "LAST COPIES!"): https://www.researchpubs.com/shop/last-copies-bob-flanagan-supermasochist-2/

 

[azdesertrat]

That's what I found most interesting...
Obviously, I had never seen another naked man (or woman) with CF.
Bob's body very closely resembles mine.
Take out all the piercings, & I could be looking into a mirror.
Now I know what my poor wife has to look at! Damn, is she a brave woman or what?
Let's face it, men with CF aint that attractive.

 

[hammerpocket]

For me the scenes of the CF camps were interesting. I wasn't diagnosed until college, so even though I'm old enough, I never experienced that sort of thing.

 

[azdesertrat]

Yea, I thought that was kinda odd that a CF summer camp would let an avowed practicer of S&M be an entertainer there. Of course, it was in CA., right?
I don't know how risqué they allowed him to be, but if I remember right, what they showed of him at the CF camp was a tad on the risqué side.
Like you, I never socialized with anybody with CF; not until I started coming on this website. I never went to CF camp or anything social like that. I've only personally known one man with CF & now he's dead. He was killed in a traffic accident last April.
I guess there were some redeeming qualities to the movie, just not a whole lot. Not in my mind anyway.

 

[erock77]

Azdesertrat: I don't recall Bob being that risque at the camp. He was a mature adult and I'm pretty sure could manage not to do an S&M act in front of kids. The Stenzel twins had camp with Bob as kids and loved him, they talk about him a little in their book Power of Two.
Also as a CF man, my body appearance is holding up pretty well. Going to the gym and getting out in the sun probably helps. Though I'm not 49 or post transplant yet.

 

[johncreasy]

Take out all the piercings, & I could be looking into a mirror.
Now I know what my poor wife has to look at! Damn, is she a brave woman or what?
Let's face it, men with CF aint that attractive.

I have to disagree, without tooting my own horn I get a lot of compliments about my body by people who don't even know I have CF.

However I work very hard at the gym and nutrition for my results, also I do have pharmaceutical assistance, which I believe more people with CF should have (helps me keep a very healthy weight BMI is above 25!)

Given your age, I'm sure you would be elligible for TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy), if the doctor has an open mind. It would increase your muscle mass and energy levels greatly, even people who don't have CF can get it once they are over 40 due to testosterone levels not being at their optimum level.

As for the Bob Flanagan movie off, I found it very degrading and quite insulting (coming from a pretty cold/morbid person myself).

You also have to understand he came from a different era, there wasn't nearly as much support as there is today in terms of medication, part of him would be very mad at god/society I think (behind the whole artistic/comedy act).

 

[Lena Bean]

So, I first saw the movie when I was a teenager with my Mom. I think I was 16 or 17, I'm not sure, but I am 22 now. I loved it and still do. I respect him, and although he did some things I would never do myself, I think it was a good way of showing CF and that many of us live in offbeat ways. I think that many people are a little too judgemental of him. I don't think it's any of our place to judge it. And honestly, it was the first time I saw another CFer that WASN'T a normal person who dressed like everyone else, listened to the top 50, and did what society expected of them. I loathed other people with CF for the most part until I came across him. I have always been a bit off beat and morbid myself, and although I am much more reserved than he is, and view my CF as a blessing to keep me humble from God, I view Bob as sort of a kindred spirit to myself in how I have viewed CF before I found God when I was younger.

Besides, who are any of us to judge him for being risque or into S&M. If you say you have no skeletons in your closet that people would think are just as strange, you're probably lying.

Edited for a typo.

 

[RobinB29]

I'm watching it now, I get him. I'm not into S&M personally but I get it. I think his obsession with pain is about taking control over pain. I think maybe he went to far, sort of becoming obsessed with enduring pain. I like his morbid sense of humor, though I could gave done without seeing so much of him....

 

[aslong]

Crazy Bob!

I was one of the Campers that had the privilege to know Bob. I had no idea he lived that life style until years later, after he had passed away. He was an entertainer and so much fun! His personality provided a much needed break from the day to days. I remember waking up one morning and going to the chuck wagon to eat breakfast. Bob was on I.Vs at the time (I had never been on I.Vs) but it was the 80s/early 90s he stood in front yelling "crack-sicles for sale" and during pirate days (a themed dance) I was amazed that he was able to make the little plastic sword go all the way through is nose... (a plastic sword used for drinks)--- I did not know he had a piercing.

And when he sang... he was funny. He made up words and he would sing with all he had. You could see his veins popping out and his face turning red.

I miss those days.

When I ordered his book... it was a funny story. I thought how awesome bob has a book out. I was a naive 18 year old. I ordered it from the bookstore. When it came in the teller was giving me funny looks. When I opened the book... I was immediately dumbfounded. I was in total shock. I think I have the book somewhere around here hidden. That was the supremacist book. I read the book that journaled his last days and that was very good to read... very real.

Just my thoughts and experience
Have a great day
Amy Long
36 wcf