Was Christine Chubbuck trying to make a political statement with her suicide on television?

by ChildOfALesserCod

Most of the comments on this discussion focus on depression and suicide and how terrible it is that she traumatized so many people by doing it live. But this comment states that she specifically requested the broadcast be recorded that day (when it usually wasn't) and in her suicide note, asked that it be released to the public. Is there more context to this act related to the time period, war protests, the rise of television, and violent and bloody war footage being broadcast for the first time?

TrampStampsFan420

This is a very difficult question to answer as nobody can really understand her full rationale in regards to her suicide. Several people (source 1, interview with family members) in her family have stated that there were several notable reasons for her suicide ranging from general depression and a lack of close relationships in her life. It is known that in the year prior to her suicide that she had an ovary removed and doctors told her that if she couldn't get pregnant ASAP that it wouldn't be possible, a tough dilemma when Chubbuck was a virgin with no real relationship prior to her suicide.

This question of political motivation is hard to answer, her last quote " In keeping with the WXLT practice of presenting the most immediate and complete reports of local blood and guts news, TV 40 presents what is believed to be a television first. In living color, an exclusive coverage of an attempted suicide" does make it seem like it was politically motivated but she was also known for self-deprecating humor and a feeling that she never amounted to much (source 2).

In short; probably not. She wasn't known to be overtly political and the motivations for her suicide were primarily driven by personal reasons and mental illness rather than an ideology. She was more than likely a woman on her last leg in life in her mind and couldn't fathom herself going forward kind of like a female incel in that regard.

Source 1: https://vimeo.com/45732760

Source 2: https://people.com/crime/christine-chubbuck-brother-remembers-journalist-who-killed-herself-on-air/