When I heard news reports earlier today indicating that “Kung Fu” icon David Carradine may have died from autoerotic asphyxiation, my first thought was of one of my all-time favorite scenes from “The X-Files.”

Wait, I take that back. My first first thought was that you shouldn’t be taking sex tips from Michael Hutchence. (What, you didn’t too? I’m the only sick puppy around here?) But after that I thought of the classic “The X-Files” episode “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose.”

In it, the psychic Bruckman (played by Peter Boyle) has a conversation with our hero, Fox Mulder, implying how the conspiracy-busting FBI agent will eventually die:

Clyde Bruckman: You know, there are worse ways to go, but I can’t think of a more undignified way than autoerotic
asphyxiation.
Mulder: Why are you telling me that?
Bruckman: Look, forget I mentioned it. It’s none of my business.

It was probably the funniest part of what was probably the series’ funniest episode. Almost a throwaway line, the shock of it cracked me up at the time. And really, it still cracks me up now. Hey, if you like to get your freak on at 72 years old, more power to you. But be careful. You’ve gotta admit, that’s a pretty embarrassing way to go.