Interpret a status?
June 8, 2012 4:01 PM   Subscribe

Can anyone seriously interpret this "status" posted by a friend for me?

He wrote:
"I am the Angel of Death. The Time of Purification is at hand. Loving the end of the semester."

The first 2 sentences are from the Simpsons, but I don't know in what context. He is a big fan of the Simpsons, and could be making a joke, but if anyone can seriously take a stab at trying to interpret what this could mean, I really appreciate it.

The reason why it worries me a little is that this person is prone to severe depression/anxiety.

Anyone?
posted by purpleperson to Education (13 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
It would be interesting to interject my interpretation of what these three phrases mean, but anything I would say would be meaningless in terms of answering your question. You're asking us to take some random quotes with no context other than knowing the person is prone to depression/anxiety (and those are two very different things) and either provide you with this person's state of mind and/or mental health, and perhaps predict future behavior... we just can't do it.

I would just caution you not to put too much weight in any answer you get to this.
posted by HuronBob at 4:06 PM on June 8, 2012 [7 favorites]


If this is concerning you, then you should call your friend and see how you feel after you speak with them. It doesn't matter what anyone here thinks, and we don't know enough about your friend to give you an informed opinion.
posted by Nightman at 4:07 PM on June 8, 2012 [8 favorites]


He's slaying his tests and purging his system of all that stress/over-stuffed brain full of knowledge? If you hadn't pointed out the first two lines were from The Simpsons, I would've been pretty freaked.

Spoiler: everyone loves the end of the semester! (just not the week before that)
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 4:07 PM on June 8, 2012 [2 favorites]


You can't interpret disordered thoughts any more than you can get a joke if it's not really a joke. I suspect that it's just a "sigh! Made it to the end of the semester!" thing. But if you're concerned...ask him how he's feeling. Meet up with him. Have lunch. Catch up.
posted by inturnaround at 4:08 PM on June 8, 2012 [1 favorite]


I believe this fellow intends to get really drunk once his other obligations are behind him.
posted by wobh at 4:09 PM on June 8, 2012 [7 favorites]


Do not interpret this as a real threat. He's obscure referencing. It happens. Back in the livejournal days I would post things like "I'd wake up with blood on my ass and then we'd get high" from Strangers With Candy for a laugh and be chagrinned when I got messages of concerned inquiry. It's not really the best idea to post references that are threatening/worrying to those who don't get it, but since you recognize the source material I think you can breathe easy.
posted by yellowbinder at 4:14 PM on June 8, 2012 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Have you seen that episode of The Simpsons? It's great! It's the one where Marge starts working at the nuclear power plant, and Mr. Burns likes her, and she gets promoted and he actually talks to her and takes an interest in her (unlike his other employees), and she's all sweet and naive, and suggests doing "fun" company things to boost morale because the workers aren't happy, and you think, "ha, yes, I could see how someone working a mundane job like Homer's would be bored and unhappy," and then it cut-screens to this guy up in the lookout window contemplating shooting up the place and you're like, "ha! I wasn't expecting that at all! That's hilarious!"

Have you ever been in college and experienced finals week? It sucks! It's a time when you're constantly stressed out and underslept and there's all this pressure from yourself and your family and your teachers and you always have that one friend who seems to never have to study and is getting all the attention from Mr. Burns to go out and do fun things while you're stuck in your room under a mountain of notes and sometimes you just think, damnit, this would all be vastly improved if I could just start shooting shit up because goddamn I'm so sleep deprived where's the coffee oh god two hours until this paper is due kill me now.

...Wait. Where was I? Oh yes, The Simpsons.

He's just glad he's done with finals week. Finals week is stressful. "Like!" it and move on.
posted by phunniemee at 4:17 PM on June 8, 2012 [8 favorites]


The responses here seriously worry me. No one in this thread can tell you if you should be worried or not. Please give your friend a call and see how they are doing.
posted by Nightman at 4:26 PM on June 8, 2012 [1 favorite]


Why don't you ask him?
posted by John Cohen at 4:27 PM on June 8, 2012


Response by poster: Phunniemee, you answered everything I needed to know. THANK YOU!!!!
posted by purpleperson at 4:27 PM on June 8, 2012


Throughout the term these courses begin to loom in the corners of your mind like shadowy demons. As finals approach they take corporal form and stand in front of you as snarling monsters blocking your path to summer and glorious freedom. The writing of a final exam is the ultimate catharsis. You gather knowledge and stamina like Gandalf gathers lightning upon his sword to smite the Balrog. Four months of buildup, four months worth of facts and formulas, and weeks of full-tilt preparation, and it pours out of you. Everything you have is launched at the foe and simultaneously purged from your mind, never to be thought of again. You walk out of that room feeling fifty pounds lighter. The demon corpse lays smoldering at your feet. It is easy to let the power go to your head a little bit.

(Somewhere there is a mixed metaphor in here. You Shall Not Pass! Um.)
posted by PercussivePaul at 4:47 PM on June 8, 2012 [1 favorite]


Make sure you invite him out for a drink to "celebrate", so he know you're there.
posted by Lt. Bunny Wigglesworth at 6:59 PM on June 8, 2012


Despite the fact that it would make my mother predict a murderous rampage, I'd say your friend is kicking ass and taking names with finals... as others have mentioned.
posted by sadiehawkinstein at 9:47 AM on June 9, 2012


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