Chicagoist: Is Gene Lee Not Dead?

April 1, 2008

Is Gene Lee Not Dead?

This sure looks like Gene Lee in the New York Times this weekend, photographed on a skateboard in Berkeley. Photographer Peter DaSilva says he took the photo February 13, 2008. We thought Lee died in December.

By Margaret Lyons in Miscellaneous | Link | Comments (19) | Recommend this! |

Tags: death, gene lee, new york times

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Comments (19)

[1] | 04/01/08 07:32PM

Gene Lee: "April Fools!"

[2] | 04/01/08 07:54PM

I would hope that this isn't a joke.

[3] | 04/01/08 08:32PM

That sure as hell looks like him...

[4] | 04/01/08 08:39PM

Writing in from the Bay Area, I can safely tell you that there is no shortage of happily strange-lookin' folks scooting around on skateboards.

The article/picture could be from a while ago, though... who knows... had he been in Berkeley before he passed away?

[5] | 04/01/08 08:42PM

The picture's from two six weeks ago.

[6] | 04/01/08 08:52PM

Two weeks ago would be mid-March. The article says the pic was taken 6 weeks ago. But there is one picture in the photostream that shows Gene Lee wearing very similar (cleaner?) shoes.

[7] | 04/01/08 10:17PM

Like Spook I really hope this is not a joke. I used to see Gene around my neighborhood and for some reason that picture made me a little sad.

[8] | 04/01/08 10:55PM

This would be a joke by whom? The New York Times? I don't exactly see them engaging in an April Fools gag involving a somewhat obscure Chicagoan.

The facial expression in this pic compared to the NYT one would certainly add to the "conspiracy". And come on, the muscular thighs, the knee socks, the skateboard? I want to believe.

[9] | 04/01/08 11:05PM

Don't know about him being in NY... but Jean Le is currently alive and well and living in Oakland, CA. He's been spotted and talked to by two people. The death thing was a hoax.

[10] | 04/02/08 10:50AM

I'm sure your right MissRobyn, I know many friends of his and they all assured me it was a hoax from the very begining.

[11] | 04/02/08 10:55AM

Yeah, from what I understand, that dude is seriously fucked up (not just mentally unstable but a narcissistic asshole), and the whole death thing was a hoax on his part. I never thought he was this cool, artsy, eccentric guy but a guy whose "art" or schtick was sort of this "I want/need attention and make people think of me as some sort of wonderful character." In reality, his schtick becomes old really fast, and when he realizes that people can see right through him, he pulls this kind of crap.

[12] | 04/02/08 11:11AM

Bombast, I disagree. Why, because he wears underwear in public and dances. Long live Gene.

[13] | 04/02/08 11:36AM

Gene was the only cool thing left in Wicker Park, well Myopic Books is still around, but that's about it

[14] | 04/02/08 11:44AM

well, there has never been proof of his death other than a myspace bulletin. not the most accurate of sources.

[15] | 04/02/08 12:31PM

I contacted the photographer to find out when the photo was taken. He said that he snapped at as Gene was quickly zipping by on his skateboard on February 13, 2008!! He's totally hoaxed us all. But why?

Read about it on my blog:
supersensibleperceptions.com

[16] | 04/02/08 03:02PM

I heard about his "death" back in December - soon thereafter two of his friends confirmed it was all an attention getting hoax.
which I find to be completely and insanely lame

[17] | 04/02/08 05:47PM

well that's fucked up. Was dancing in hotpants not enough?

I never saw him as any sort of "artist".....more as just a street performer. Eh, whatever.

[18] | 04/02/08 11:12PM

so the -ist sees a myspace post and 'reports' it as news? who did you call to confirm the death? police? morgue? hospitals? friends? "we thought [he] died in December"? "we thought"? you're able to report what you think as fact? that's some pretty sloppy work going on.

stick to the food and drink reviews and some pop culture commentary, chicagoist, and leave the reporting to professionals. wouldn't want you to continue to embarass yourselves.

[19] | 04/03/08 12:18AM

Oooh, listen to Perry White over here.