RIP, Robin Williams
It looks like Robin Williams may have hung himself yesterday after years of battling depression – subject that many of you among us know about. I’m not in the habit of eulogizing folks who commit suicide, for fear of encouraging others, but as Blackfive and Laughing Wolf point out, he deserves recognition for his support for the troops.
He was my generation’s Jonathan Winters, he was a genius of entertainment. He probably saved the Happy Days show in the late 70s with his portrayal of Mork. But, the fact that he entertained the troops when they most needed entertainment will save a place in our hearts always.
Category: Blue Skies
My last deployment in Balad, 07-08 he was there with some other celebs. I watched the section so my Soldiers could go see him and the others. They said he was the one that hung out with them and talked like a regular guy. A gifted entertainer and an Exceptional American. Ooppss!, Don’t need to say Exceptional too loud, some Liberal asshole my get offended. Screw em! R.I.P. Robin.
This was posted at the Stolen Valor site and is worth a few minutes watching.
IMHO, I don’t think that eulogizing folks who commit suicide is necessarily a bad thing, far from it, I think it may raise awareness to factors that drive folks to this behavior (Drug abuse, mental health issues i.e. depression, PTSD, bullying, etc), more than it would encourage some to emulate it.
He had the good manners to respond in a respectful way, whether or not he actually understood what was going on.
He may have been using supposed ignorance as a comedic device. However, I think I could see in his body language and his eyes that this was a moment to be taken seriously.
God speed, Mork. The angels and saints are laughing their asses off even as we “speak”.
That was what struck me in this clip. He didn’t know what was going on, but had the sense to follow the lead of the military, and show respect to their custom, even to the point of removing his hat, and not looking around. My respect for him went up with this video.
Neither the world, nor life, is getting any easier. I liked Robin Williams, and I hope he finally has found the peace he sought.
To a large degree we’ve become a Red State/Blue State country. It’s rare for a guy to be so admired from both sides of the political spectrum. A good man gone too soon.
He was a liberal’s liberal and a very disturbed man with a long history of drug and alcohol abuse, in and out of rehab I don’t know how many times. His publicist put out the word about Williams suffering severe depression. That sounds better than drunken doper, I guess.
He was funny, sometimes.
You know, I stand with many veterans who drinking issues or mental health issues, so, do me a favor and get the hell off of your high horse, Air Cav.
Robin Williams managed a 20 year stretch of sobriety and sought help when he needed it. Who the fuck are you to sling any kind of hate? People like you piss me off.
There are many vets who self medicate because of the stigma of having a mental illness, PTSD or the need to chat it out with someone and often refuse medical help while serving. Better to be a doper, drinker with a kind heart than a heartless bastard vet who doesn’t get it.
Thanks for saying what I was about to. I have been sober since 4/1/1989, and but for the Grace of God there go I… It will always be there, that one small step back into the darkness.
@ 2/17 Air Cav Let me guess you’re either in politics or a lawyer?? Only someone in those vocations would say what you did.
Rest In Peace Robin Williams. Thank you for all you gave to our nation’s history of humor and comedy and especially to our troops. Humor cuts through all lines and a little respite of laughter, in a combat theater goes a long way for morale and speaks volumes about the folks willing to come and entertain the troops. Thank you again Robin and God bless and keep your family through this tragic time.
Amen, Sparks.
I also admire him for his work with the troops. He was a very gifted man but had the addiction to cocaine kick his ass. He fought that war and cocaine won…
Yep, he was indeed about as far from me politically as anyone could. Still, I respect his art and his willingness to put politics aside to support our troops. He was one of the few remaining lefties whose performance I could enjoy without the entertainment value being lost due to a political agenda.
His touring with the USO said it all. RIP, Robin.
We all have to face our inner demons….regardless of what we do in life. I guess his demons finally won.
I concur with Pinto Nag, perhaps now he’s found the peace he sought.
Robin Williams was many things. He was a cocaine addict and an alcoholic. He was a husband to three different women, one of whom sued him, alleging he gave her herpes, a case that was settled out of court. He fathered a number of children, and whether he was a Dad or just a biological father, I don’t know. He was the darling of both the liberal elites and the run-of-the-mill libtards. He enjoyed lambasting Palin, Bush, and Cheney, but said nothing but cutesy-pie things about Obama who himself spoke of Williams yesterday. And in classic liberal fashion, he went out a victim. He was a victim of “severe depression,” at least according to his publicist. After decades of drug and alcohol abuse, failed marriages, and liberal politics, yeah, I’d say the man had some problems. So now he is dead, by his own hand, reportedly. Okay, then, what’s for lunch?
Are ya done?
Yeah, I’m done. I actually have nothing against the guy. My beef is actually with our culture, where mere entertainers are lauded and regarded as heroes of some sort. It is this that disgusts me.
Especially when they battle addiction….we love a great celebrity rehab story…
Most of those people you wouldn’t want in your home because they are not trustworthy as they are always fucking each other’s wives and doing drugs.
But America loves her drug addicted celebrities and genetically gifted athletes. Our heroes are the Kardashians, the Paris Hiltons, and the like.
We can’t separate the art from the artist. Someone can make you laugh with a performance and still be a big turd as a human. Someone can impress you with the speed of their run while carrying a football and still be a murderer awaiting trial. We seem to struggle to separate the action from the individual when it comes to performance in entertainment based activities. We assume because someone is great on screen they must be great as a human when there is no data to support those claims. We assume the gifted athlete must be a gift to us all, again without evidence.
Most Americans can’t identify Pranav Mistry or Pattie Maes, two scientists who are working in a field with great promise at the MIT labs. Most Americans can’t name their legislative delegation but those same Americans complain an awful lot about those legislators.
Williams was a funny guy who was deeply flawed. He took time to try and do the right things (support the troops by funding the USO, fight childhood cancer through generous support of St. Jude’s) and appears to have failed miserably many, many times at basic things like marriage.
It doesn’t make him a hero, but it doesn’t make him a villain either. It just makes him another poor bastard who couldn’t stave off the darkness in his soul that takes almost 40,000 other Americans every single year.
You ranted extensively for having nothing against the man. And since this thread had to do with his death, your attack on him was, at best, thoughtless.
Laughing Wolf mentioned the bitterness that has permeated your posts recently, and I have to agree with his assessment. If you’ve got something on your chest, Air Cav, this would be the place to mention it.
Congratulations on being the only perfect person on this board
You are not usually brutal when discussing a death, Air Cav. Are you okay?
You really are the biggest dickhead around, aren’t you? My mother always taught me never to judge anyone unless you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. My cousin killed herself due to the same type of mental illness as Robin Williams you stupid fuck. And she wasn’t a doper or a drinker.
I also take care of my sister-in-law who is severely bipolar. She gave up the self-medicating part when she crashed into the mangrove forest near home and lived to tell about it. And her meds keep her mostly sane.
So fuck you and fuck you again for being just like the liberals you seem to despise. Robin Williams never played the victim which is EXACTLY why people are so saddened by his death. He was a stand up person who understood that his comedy did not have to please everyone and if you were offended it was your own fucking problem. I see nothing wrong with that But I am not giving you a pass to talk shit that you know nothing about.
Not sure why on this and some other recent comments you’ve become such a bitter sanctimonious asshole, but may you find what you need, and hopefully the tact and dignity to drop it.
I’ve noticed the bitterness, also. Air Cav has been on TAH for awhile, and this isn’t like him. He also won’t respond, or hasn’t of late, to questions like this. Red flag, maybe?
Agree with your comment above, this came across as intensely personal on his part. Not buying to blow off.
For me, the change and lack of response is a red flag. There was a poster at Blackfive who did the same, and was battling some demons of his own as it turned out. We actually ended up talking in private about those issues. He got help, and last I heard was doing well though I have not heard from him of late. I was quite serious about hoping AirCav finds what he needs, for peace and to move forward.
2/17 Air Cav…I caught your point brother and I’m sorry I was preoccupied yesterday and didn’t post this then. You’ll get no scolding from me. We all have our opinions here and your opinion is valid. We here in America, spend far too much time concerned with the likes of the Kardashians and their meaningless ilk than the truly meaningful matters Obama and his ilk are doing to destroy our nation. Obama and his posse love it that way. It keeps the ill-informed masses occupied and careless for where our nation is headed. Until time to vote then those same ill-informed people are in a booth somewhere in America thinking, “who would Kim Kardashian vote for?”. I’s a sad state of affairs. I did like Robin Williams for what he gave back to the troops despite his politics. Many of his comedic community on the other hand, only feel good when bashing anything common sense, pro American and conservative and lauding anything liberal that Obama and Hillary say and do.
Besides, Air Cavalry covered, supported and bailed out my lowly 11B ass and platoon in Vietnam more than once and I doubt I would be here if not for them. So your opinion is as valued in my book as that of anyone here. God bless the Air Cavalry. I can honestly say I probably owe my life to those guys.
Occasionally brilliant, occasionally talentless – his highs were very good and his lows were very missable. Hate to see anyone suicide; at least his demons are stilled. Suicide is always harder on this left behind – my sympathies to his family.
Robin Williams said this about Joe Biden; We still have great comedy out there. There’s always ramblin’ Joe Biden. What the fuck? Joe says shit that even people with Tourette’s go “no…”
He was very insightful even with his manic improv, a good guy for supporting the troops to be sure but a man with some really dark demons. It’s always tragic to see someone take themselves out, but addicts often find it difficult to avoid those dark thoughts about ending the struggle by ending life.
“Gooooooooo-OOOD MORNING, Viet Nam ! ! !”
Based on a real individual, actually. I never knew that.
http://www.armytimes.com/article/20140812/NEWS/308120055/Airman-portrayed-by-Robin-Williams-reacts-actor-s-death
Yep, Adrian Kronauer (or spelling somewhat similar to that) – kept up anti-war protesting up at least through GW 1. A classic case of a film making a dickhead look better than he was.
The same with Patch Adams.
Um, David . . . I think you might be wrong about Cronauer. His politics seem relatively common-sense conservative:
http://www.historynet.com/adrian-cronauer-air-force-radio-announcer-in-vietnam.htm
He’s also a self professed “card-carrying Republican” who took an active part in Dole’s (1996) and Bush’s (2004) campaigns.
What little I’ve read about the actual Patch Adams, however, does make him seem somewhat leftist/alternative.
Believe the last time I saw him, as mentioned, protesting with some other left-wing types. Could be I was mistaken – would not be the first, nor probably the last, time that has happened. If so, apologies to AK for mixing him up with someone else!
I actually listened to a speech by him at the U.S. Army JAG School (about 10 years back)…and Hondo’s account fits my memory better.
He wasn’t talking about politics then, but about MIA/POW issues, if I remember; but a little of his “worldview” seeped through. His speaking voice and style were a lot like Robert Bork’s, which may have colored my impression somewhat.
I interviewed Adrian Cronauer for my enlisted heritage paper in Airman Leadership School back in 1998. I think you may be a bit off David. He took time out of his day for a phone interview with an Airman for a paper that no one but my instructor would ever read. At that time the only political agenda he was involved with as a promoting a constitutional amendment to ban burning the US flag. Not the most liberal cause I can think of. He politely stated that the character in the film was much more Robin Williams than Adrian Cronauer.
“Da Nang me, Da Nang me, ought to take a rope and hang me”
Damn…..
My brother said it was rather fitting that Williams’ death be in the headlines as a distraction from what’s going on in Gaza, Iraq, and the Ukraine, which I didn’t entirely agree with, but I was surprised and impressed to hear such an opinion from the kind of person I knew him to be. Then he followed that up by making a concession for Jacko because of his music touching people all over the world (nyuk nyuk) and promptly undid that notion. At this point I think maybe he just hates white people.
I’ll never forget one time I saw Williams with Johnny Carson. There were one or two other guests scheduled but Williams was on such a roll, Carson just went with him through the end of the show. What a talent; what a loss. RIP.
I met his older brother Todd on a couple of occasions. Among other things, Todd founded the Toad Hollow winery and was known as “Dr. Toad.” There must have been something in the genes, because Todd also had a sharp sense of humor, although he was far less manic than his brother.
He made me laugh….
Y’all have to give 2/17 a break. I understand how he feels, it took quite an inner struggle to squeeze out the few words that I did about Mr Williams. But this scolding shit for someone expressing the way someone feels is for some place else, not here.
Re: Robin Williams: in regard to his addictions, I wondered many times what it was that made him so energetic all the time.
Then I ran into someone who was diagnosed as a manic depressive, which is now bipolar. When he was in one of his highs, he was funnier than hell, but when he hit a low, it was the depths of hell for him. His solution was a drug called lithium carbonate, which evens out the mood swings, but also flattens emotional responses. It worked for him. but unfortunately, my friend went off it and sank into a ‘low’ that he couldn’t escape, and killed himself.
If Williams was self-medicating with drugs and alcohol, it was the wrong thing to do.
I prefer to remember the fact that he was funny and good at what he did, and let it go at that.
yeah, but self-medication and losing yourself in obsessions is what most of them do. (Have two in the family, and each has their individual and seemingly ever changing demons.)
Good grief. When is his sainthood going to be announced?
The celebdom in America is pretty ridiculous. Even the President who doesn’t acknowledge jack shit was able to take time out of his vacation to say something.
I feel bad for his kids, otherwise I don’t really care, but apparently I should care.
With respect to the TAH contributer above and his comments about Robin … I might recommend taking it off line in an email rather than asserting that something might be something wrong.
Perhaps someone needs to drop him an email.
That is all!
Well, I am heartened that a few of you got my point. Unfortunately, others of you actually made my point.
“Not sure why on this and some other recent comments you’ve become such a bitter sanctimonious asshole…” Thanks for that. Your concern is deeply touching, Laughing Wolf. Now, hold the door for me, will you? Or would you like to draw lots for it?
I, for one, feel that you’re entitled to your opinion. Laughing Wolf and I both commented on the general change to your posts for several months now, and we ARE concerned about you.
This is the second time I’ve enquired about you in about six months. You’ve avoided answering me both times. If you don’t want to talk with me, I understand, but at least connect with Jonn or one of the other guys if something is wrong.
You are indeed entitled to your opinion. It was multiple posts of it in such a strong fashion that got my response, and if wasn’t to your liking, consider how it came across. I will agree with Pinto Nag, if you won’t respond to him, for crying out loud reach out to Jonn, CV, or someone if there is a problem.
I hope you understood I was agreeing with you AirCav, I don’t always make my points as well as I should but I have long been disheartened with our pop culture worship in this country.
If my point came across as missing your words, you have my sincere apology. Your posts often express a sentiment I share and I enjoy your words.
I would be terribly disappointed in myself if you thought I was piling on with my words.
I think it is possible to love and appreciate the genius in Williams’ comedy and yet recoil somewhat at his personnel choices in life.
That being said, you have to wonder at who his “inner circle” was. By that I mean, if you or I had invited Williams to dinner, would we expect him to entertain us and be the comedy genius? Or would we accept him if he didn’t tell a single joke and talked about baseball, the arts or music while having a Dr Pepper? Did his massive talent mean he always felt he had to be “up” and performing?
Where does the clown go when he is crying on the inside?
Wow! All this over a celebrity? And because some of us consider most of them to have done nothing to deserve the adulation that they get?
Meanwhile, I am still a little sad that one of the few lefties for whom I had some respect succumbed to his frailties. They often do, which is one minor reason not to be one.
Now, I don’t know a great deal about William’s political views. I can say, though, that his willingness to do USO shows and interact with the Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors he entertained makes him at least somewhat redeemable in that sense.
As for how he died… I don’t like suicide. It’s a sad way out, because I believe there is always an answer to a problem, and that things can always get better if you hang on long enough. I’m sad to see the man go, even though his personal life was far from perfect, because he was just that: A man. A man who had problems, and by dying lost his chance to rectify them and become something better. In my mind, that’s the real tragedy here.
Very few deserve to die, and in my book Robin Williams didn’t. He was not the best man, but I’ll be damned if he wasn’t one of the funniest.
I am neither homicidal nor suicidal and, yes, I came back one too many times with my message. I was taught not to speak ill of the dead and I violated that rule. I suppose that–no, I know that–my intent was not to disparage Williams but to counter the hero worship being heaped upon him. Drugs and alcohol abuse have taken many lives and ruined many others. No one has to tell me about that. And suicide as a result of alcohol and drug abuse is an answer but it’s always the wrong one. There is hope where there is life. As for me, perhaps I will cool my heels for a while and limit my readings for the forseeable future to Snow White and innocuous writings such as that. And PN, I am sorry if I avoided answering any matter you raised to me. I do not recall saying, “I’m not going to respond to her” but maybe I did. Thanks.
You don’t have to be homicidal or suicidal to have something acting as a burr under your saddle. Your tone has changed, and I hope you will reach out to Jonn, Pinto Nag, or someone to talk about that burr or why more than one of us feels it is there. FWIIW, the Blackfive commentor I mentioned earlier had some issues related to work that caused the change we noticed.
Fact is, I agree with you about suicide being the wrong answer. Depression, along with alcohol/drugs/self-medication, is a nasty thing however. Whatever your intent, you came across as attacking those with those issues, as one particular comment back up there should have clued you.
That said, I should have taken more time and perhaps been kinder and gentler. However, I’ve been putting my main time today, when not working to get M:V off the ground, to joining with others (such as RangerUP) to try to use this to get people, particularly troops/veterans, to stop, think, and get help. In the process, I was rougher than I should have been and will say so.
Withdraw if you want, but that will be your choice. Me, I hope you will reach out to PN in private and talk.
You know, Air Cav, you’re right. You didn’t have to shit all over a dead guy by calling him names and mocking his life while you were angry that you felt he was being hailed a hero. He is after all somebody’s kid, husband,friend,and father.
The difference between a guy like him and my father aren’t too stark. But he managed sobriety, while raising his kids and obviously he was a good friend, person in spite of himself and his addictions.
My father? Not so much. I’ve been regaled with stories about what a mean SOB he was growing up and he was no better as a user of every conceivable drug out there his whole life who stole, lied and cheated to get ahead for a fix. The one lesson I learned from having a dad like him was how to forgive that he couldn’t be the son, brother, father everyone expected.
No doubt you could search the internet and find many a story about the stand-up citizen who hides the addiction and dies, tragically and is hailed– and equally so about the SOB everyone hated that “finally got what he deserved”. But not really, hmm?
In my life, I’ve always preferred finding the upside.
What is the upside of Williams death by suicide? It is that maybe one day, having a mental illness won’t be such a stigma. Sure, it’s happened to Cobain, Houston, Jackson, Monroe, but nothing really changed, did it?
Maybe THIS time it will be different. We’ll never know until it happens again, will we?
Because having star power means you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. And if you’re not a star but an every day Jody…Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
We don’t need pussyfooting and Snow White…just some caution. I am not easily offended, but my experiences on this matter made me want to pummel your ass. That being said, I may have missed your real point and for that I apologize. Likewise, thanks for realizing you stepped over the line.
I’ve stayed out of this sidebar argument until now. This will be my sole comment on the matter. 2/17’ Air Cav’s rmain point should have been blindingly obvious, DefendUSA. The vast majority of people in the US today are shallow creatures who worship celebrity vice substance. We laud sports and entertainment “heroes” while forgetting (or kicking to the curb) those who do things that benefit society dramatically more. That disgusts 2/17 Air Cav. It disgusts me too. I suspect it disgusts many of the regulars here. Further: you’re being hypocritical as hell. Above, you castigate someone for voicing an opinion with which you disagree – apparently because his opinion touched a nerve due to your personal background and experience. And you also say above that he’s being “just like the liberals you seem to despise”, then you tell him to go f**k himself using different words – because you disagree with him. News flash for ya, lady: you’re doing the same damn thing yourself that you accuse him of doing – e.g., you’re being “just like the liberals you seem to despise”. How so? You disagree with him, so you denigrate him for his opinion vice argue rationally. And you seem to be continuing to do so in your last comment above. Pot, meet kettle. Look, I’m sorry you have personal experience with those afflicted with issues such as those which apparently led Williams to off himself. However, best I can tell you don’t know a damn thing about 2/17 Air Cav’s personal background and experiences in this respect. (For the record: neither do I.) For all you (and I) know, the man may well have had the same bad experiences you have, or worse – but drawn a different conclusion from them. Above, 2/17 Air Cav has acknowledged the fact that he was indeed too blunt in his comments here. Laughing Wolf has done much the same. That makes two people involved in this contretemps who have offered an apology. Frankly, I think at least one – and more likely, two or more – other individuals still need to… Read more »
Hondo,
I did apologize because I missed his point- And I attempted to explain where I was coming from. I can see that you may not like my words because I can come out swinging alot of the time. So, sorry for that- perhaps in the future I should temper myself more and a “but” in the apology should never be.
In any case, I did attempt my amends and I am sorry it wasn’t enough.
Me:
“I am not easily offended, but my experiences on this matter made me want to pummel your ass. That being said, I may have missed your real point and for that I apologize. Likewise, thanks for realizing you stepped over the line.”
Maybe some of this is generational, Hondo.
Was about to blow a gasket myself, but you covered it quite well. All I would add is that it is particularly sad to watch anyone suffer the negative results of poor choices they have made. Celebs have a larger audience among those who live vicariously through them, or whatever the fascination is with them.
The point being that we must all live with the results of the choices we make, good and bad. Yes, that includes the vitriol expressed toward a brother in arms who not only has the basic rights afforded all of by accident of birth, but those earned by defending them for us all.
Air Cav:
I hope you understood my last post yesterday, not as another castigation but to show where I was coming from in my rants against your words. Sometimes I miss what others see as obvious. I apologize.
2/17 Air Cav…Again sorry for the late posting and follow up a day late and a dollar short. Brother I hope you never stop posting here. I have always been helped and informed by your comments. You are an obviously very intelligent man, smarter than me by a long shot. I for one and I KNOW I am not alone would miss your presence and input here on TAH. I will never let a matter like Robin Williams or anything else divide me from a brother veteran over a difference of opinion, outlook or viewpoint. I just will not let it happen. My brothers and sisters here mean more to me than any issue of the day, currently at hand. I respect everyone’s opinion here no matter who. Well except VWP. We are all good between you and I. I am sure you are good with all the others as well. I don’t see in your posting any deep seated troubles or problems brother. I see a brother stating his views, which I caught your meaning behind and understood. To those who maybe did not catch 2/17 Air Cav’s meaning in his comment and jumped his shit for it, I see where everyone kind of rethought their own posts. But, your or my liking of Robin Williams and the tragic circumstances of his death, a death close to me in my family as well, is not something I will allow to come between me and my family here on TAH. All of you here, I consider an extension of the family I had in the the years I served. I am glad I found TAH and a safe place to write my views on matters of the day in a safe place, among brothers and sisters, military and civilian, who understand and support one another. Even if I disagreed with 2/17’s opinion, I would stand beside him in his right to sound off here. We don’t attack one another. There is a whole nation out there who does not understand us or the service we gave and they attack us… Read more »
Well I’m not a brother and I never served, but, as usual, I agree with you Sparks. Thank you for bringing the focus back to the big picture. I think there are big battles on the horizon that do not involve us fighting among ourselves. For whatever reason, I like the intelligence, humor, and camaraderie that is consistently to be found here, and I am grateful to be allowed to participate. Take care of yourself Sparks, and again, thank you.
GDContractor…Yes you are my brother. Always will be.
We are on the same page my friend, nice post solid point and well taken at this end.
OK … Good to see we are sharing our toys again.
On Williams: it is a sad way to go, I enjoyed his work from day one, I got nothing else.
Agree Master Chief. Glad we are all back to hating commies and not each other.
Williams was a genius in my opinion. A genius who destroyed himself. That is just sad.
Hating commies, the French and bicyles lanes.
Who the fucht needs a bicycle lane anyway?
MCPO NYC USN Ret. A big ROGER THAT! Especially bicycle lanes.
Twice in my life I have had someone close to me take their life. Both times it left the people close to them wondering why, examining the events of the days leading up to the death.
Above all other things we as humans value life. Just the thought of our own mortality has kept us all up at night. I cannot fathom the despair and hopelessness those commit suicide must feel.
George Carlin once said the job of any comedian is to remind you of shit you already knew. Robin Williams had a way for making everyday events or items hysterically funny. I admire that talent. I do not see him as a hero to be worshiped or sainted. I see this as a sad end to a funny man who in his own way brought some joy into the lives of countless people.
His death reminds me that what may seem like a trivial problem to one person is an insurmountable obstacle to another.
He was a hard man not to like. I’m not one to hem and haw over the death of celebreties, but he seemed like he did a lot for service members.
On a personal not he had a slight physical resemblence to my older brother who passed away. They also shared the same talent to light up a room with laughter when they came in.
I find his death very sad. It seems so many really funny people are crying on the inside and can’t seem to quiet their inner demons.
So many of his movies were funny, but with heart. My kids, now grown up, were quite shocked at his suicide.
I also find it sad that his death gets so much attention when most people don’t know the name Louis Zamperini, a real hero who recently passed. Where were all the talking heads a few weeks ago, hashing over every aspect of his life?
Maybe it’s because actors and their characters seem like they’re in our lives. We see their movies, interviews, antics in the paparazzi, etc. and maybe feel like we know them, but we never hear about people like Mr. Zamperini except for an obituary, maybe.
An interesting essay on the tears of a clown-http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/robin-williams-why-funny-people-kill-themselves/
I don’t see how you can say most people don’t know the name Louis Zamperini. Sure, perhaps many don’t recognize the name as they would Robin Williams. But still, Louis’ death was noted across the national media. His story was a national bestseller for months, and the book was adapted into a movie sure to be a hit this coming Christmas.
RIP.
Robin Williams did a helluva lot more to support the troops than loads of others have done, politics aside.
I’m not going to let pettiness dampen the good things Williams did for many people.
He will be missed.
hey aircunt 2/17,your a piece 0 shit. That being said,I met him once at KAIA when he and his guys got stuck on a lay over at the PAX terminal,my boss asked me to take them to our local shithole dfac(supreme),he was very nice and signed a pancake for me,hahahahah what a guy,RIP,the Genie has left the bottle forever.
I actually know a guy who met Williams in Afghanistan.
I didn’t know that about him until today, actually. It was really cool.
He ran 1:59.4 half mile! 🙂
Politics aside, he seemed to be one of the good celebrities who spent a lot of time helping others.
http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/robin-williams-had-deep-running-roots
I have waited until now to post for specific reasons.
I know a few people in my lifetime that have taken themselves deep. So I won’t argue the merits of that particular issue and will, instead, talk about the things I have observed throughout his career.
When he came up here for a “tune up” on his sobriety, last month, he walked into the local Dairy Queen and took pictures with the kids working there. Very unassuming and not the usual diva shit you get from the other celebrity types (having their “posse” of 6-10 people along to show us little folks how important they are). I have heard from others, that he did that kind of thing a lot, when he would be here, walking through the skyway system in Mpls. all by himself and just meeting and greeting us average joes, for another example.
He provided of himself to our troops and made them laugh when they needed it most. His politics, aside, he was a great entertainer and the world is a lesser place without him. That the media went into full coverage for 24 hours shows that he did affect many around the world with his humor and kindness. That he was deeply flawed made him human.
Everyone can have their own opinion about him, but that is neither here nor there.
I never enlisted to be “rock star famous”. I enlisted to serve my country, and all I asked in return was for them to take care of me if I was injured. (and they have, not always perfectly but they have)
I do not need to be treated as a hero, held up on some pedestal from which I can just as easily be dragged down into the mud from…
acknowledgment? Sure, we get Veterans Day to do that. We have memorial Day to remember our fallen.
Are we owed anything more? Seriously? Time to knock that massive chip off our shoulders, take care of each other, and stop fucking worrying that the general public has less attention span than a gnat.
I refuse to drag another man in death through the mud to advance recognition of myself and my fellow veterans. That is beneath US, WE are better than that.
You should be concerned about the American public’s attention span, rb325th. Entities that don’t pay attention to their surroundings and learn from past mistakes don’t tend to fare very well in the real world.
I can only concern myself with so much, and their attention span while concerning overall to me… in the context of making this a contest between who gets more attention when they die, I am all set.
My point was, there is no need to tear others down to do it, or to bring to light some egregious foul against our Veterans. That type of behavior should be below us… Selfless Service…We need to take care of our own, because throughout history no one else has.
I wasn’t speaking about anything to do with a funeral, rb325th. I was commenting on your advice above for everyone to “stop f**king worrying that the general public has less attention span than a gnat.” You introduced that subject. The discussion previously concerned what the US public chooses to value, not the public’s attention span.
Speaking in a different context, John Stuart Mill once said: “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” The context may be different, but the principle is still applicable here.
Apathy and ignorance can destroy a society as surely as can conquest.
The USO facebook site has picture after picture and nice stories about Robin Williams entertaining the troops overseas in Iraq.