Kurt Cobain Death Description on Memorial Plaque Sparks Debate

A plaque reflecting on Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain from a new exhibition at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture has stirred up a debate on the wording involved, as the plaque references the manner in which the late singer died.

Content Warning: Language ahead may be triggering.

It was April 8, 1994 when Cobain died by suicide at the age of 27, and the exhibit in question is about the “27 Club,” a group of musicians who were all at near the height of their fame when they perished at the young age.

As for the wording in question, the museum used the verbiage that Cobain had “un-alived himself” at 27. The phrase “un-alived” has been used on the internet in the past as a form of slang or an alternative to using “died by suicide,” largely as a means of circumventing censorship on various social media platforms.

It should also be noted that the museum added a placard that discussed the social context of using the word “un-alive” in speaking about mental health. In it, they mentioned that the “guest curator” of the exhibit had done so as “a gesture of respect towards those who have tragically lost their lives due to mental health struggles.”

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website. Resource information is provided for free as well as a chat message service. To speak directly to a professional, call 1-800-273-8255. You are not alone and help is available. Every life is important.

What People Were Saying About the Use of “Un-Alived”

The discussion started with one person on the X platform posting a photo of the exhibit’s plaque, adding, “Real photo my friend just sent me from the Nirvana exhibit at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle.”

A second person on the thread then shared the placard sharing the context of the word “un-alived” as it was used, but added, “There’s a placard next to it that talks about the social context of ‘unalive’ in how people talk about mental health but this is still stupid.”

The original poster of the photo, then shared more of their thoughts on the matter, explaining, “i didn’t intend to be the mouthpiece for how regressive and (arguably) offensive this is, but @MoPOP it might be worth checking out the pretty unanimous consensus on your decision to phrase this the way you did. Using ‘unalived’ seems particularly tone deaf when it’s referring to maybe the most famous instance of suicide as a result of mental illness of all time, especially in a museum that has used paraphernalia from his life and career as a focal point for decades. just my two cents.”

“This is what [sci-fi writer] George Orwell was warning us about with 1984,” responded one person to the chosen verbiage. “That moment when it wasn’t the government but youtube and social media which caused newspeak from 1984 to become a real thing lmfao
And people still say that ‘these are private companies, they don’t have to allow speech they don’t want!’ Yes they do, they are the town square now,” added another person.

“Are they afraid their museum is going to get demonitized by YouTube?,” noted another person, referencing the slang use as a way to not run afoul of algorithms. “Wouldn’t want your museum exhibit to trip the TikTtok censors,” added yet another.

READ MORE: Kurt Cobain’s Legacy – 30 Years Later

Among the detractors, one person spoke out in favor of the decision to alter the language.

“Am I the only one that sees no problem with this? It’s family friendly language,” stated one person, weighing in on the discussion. “I literally don’t see how this is more respectful [than] saying he committed suicide,” responded yet another person.

“Literally just say ‘died by suicide.’ It’s not that hard,” added another person.

“It’s MOPop who cares,” added one additional commenter, suggesting the museum is not worth this kind of energy. “Their exhibits talk in internet lingo all the time because it’s about pop culture. It’s basically a glorified collection showcase. Twitter people saw the word ‘museum’ and lost their shit.”

See reactions below.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website. To speak to someone on the phone, dial 1-800-622-HELP (1-800-622-4357) or send a text message to 1-800-487-4889.