Robin Williams - many layers of tragedy

[Doug Kerr]

The death of actor Robin Williams is a tragedy on so very many levels.

And it has engendered many dreadful things that are far too banal to qualify as "tragedy".

Noted gasbag and serial polluter of the AM broadcast band Rush Limbaugh has informed us that the tragic life and ultimate death of Williams was to be expected as a result of the inherent unhappiness of the "political left".

Limbaugh characterizes this as that "The leftist attitude is one of pessimism and darkness, sadness -- they're never happy, are they? They're always angry about something. No matter what they get, they're always angry."

He goes on to say, "He had it all but he had nothing. Made everybody else laugh but was miserable inside," Limbaugh said. "I mean, it fits a certain picture or a certain image that the left has. Talk about low expectations and general unhappiness and so forth."

Well how about that. We learn something every day. In the case of utterances from Rush Limbaugh, all we learn is about Rush Limbaugh. Ooh!

A few years ago, shortly after Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, a family member began sending me generally-mindless diatribes denigrating the president. They were invariably full of factual errors. misquotations, faulty conclusions, and (worst of all) bad grammar, spelling, punctuation, and gaudy and/or careless typography.

I gave a critique of one of his early offerings, pointing out the grave errors of fact. He said, "I never knew you were such a liberal".

I guess it is my aversion to error in fact (or gaudy typography) that makes me so (a) liberal and thus (b) unhappy.

I am so grateful for the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It assures that the AM broadcast band will never fall victim to dead air. Air with a smell like that of death, but not itself dead.

Am I angry? Rush Limbaugh has neither the ammunition nor the aim to make me angry.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Chris Calohan]

Rush Limbaugh has made a living out of needlessly scaring people to death or trying to make his father happy or whatever psychological ailment he himself is constantly in the grips of. He's far more tragic than Robin Williams ever was.

Depression is an insidious condition that, as William's himself put it, "it's not that it lies in wait for you to let your guard down, it is more that it is always there and never gives you a chance to put your guard up."

I have never hear Limbaugh make a statement that made sense, came from factual information or had any intent other than to hurt someone else. Now, there's tragedy in its worst light.

 

[Don Ferguson Jr.]

Rush should read this article written by Dick Cavett.

I guarantee you that thousands, hearing of Robin’s death, asked how he could do it when he had everything: fame, wealth, adulation, family love. And another supposed insulator against the worst of the blues, plenty of work. No combination of those adds up to insurance. And the hectic, nerve-wracking ups and downs of fortune in show business are, of course, a major factor for emotional disequilibrium.

You yourself may have thought, “How could he do this to his wife and kids?” Easy. Because what’s been called the worst agony devised for man doesn’t allow you to feel any emotion for kids, spouses, lovers, parents … even your beloved dog. And least of all for yourself.

I know Robin knew this. His death recalled a moment with him years ago in a small club. He came off stage after bringing a cheering audience to its feet. “Isn’t it funny how I can bring great happiness to all these people,” he said. “But not to myself.”

The non-actor has a major advantage because it’s harder to hide the symptoms. The actor knows how to act. To play having fun. Too often it’s “He was the life of the party that night. And then he went home and…”

http://time.com/3106170/robin-williams-dead-dick-cavett-suicide-depression/

 

[Asher Kelman]

The death of actor Robin Williams is a tragedy on so very many levels.

Doug,

A tragedy is the waste of human potential. Robin Williams did not waste his talent, but used it to enlighten us and lighten our burdens by uplifting millions of people worldwide. His values were also respectful of others and no doubt he'll inspire generations of entertainers and movie stars to come.

His untimely death removes a great and unique contributor to our lives and many charities he supported. But more so, by his pro bono public service and an entertainer who devoted private time to uplifting other people who were hit hard by tragic illnesses and even returning soldiers, altered by the deprivation and anguish of war - when he could just have kicked back like the rest of us, and extended his leisure time.

So the loss here is felt by so many who were touched by his involvement, commitment and generosity to do good.

In this context, the like of U.S. venomous talk-show hosts, is well below worth of my time.

Thankfully, Robin Williams will live on in his great body of theatrical work and the memories people he touched hold of him. Three of his movies are about to be released over the next months. That's how productive he has been all his life.

Asher

 

[Doug Kerr]

Just for thoroughness, the online press has now reported thus:

[Rush] Limbaugh claimed on Wednesday that he never said Williams killed himself because of his political views, and that his comments were "misquoted, purposely taken out of context" by the liberal media.

He said he was actually criticizing the media's coverage of Williams' death. "I don't presume to know why Robin Williams committed suicide," he said. "I didn't know yesterday, and I don't know today."

"They are the ones trying to tell us why," he continued, criticizing the liberal media. "They are the ones trying to explain it. They are the ones justifying it. They are the ones glorifying it."​

That damned liberal media, with their proper punctuation and all that other sissy stuff.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Chris Calohan]

There's "wishy" and there's "washy," and there's Limbaugh who's both.