RIP Robin Williams

[texaspackerbacker]

Not that its not ridiculous to cheapen peoples mental health issues because it is, but Robin Williams wasn't just sad he had bipolar II disorder. I have no doubt we've seen him in the middle of a mania episode in his comedy--euphoric, talking quickly in a stream, thrill seeking, delusions, even hallucinations. His depressive episodes would include not just symptoms of baseless sadness but also a crushing sense of hopelessness, anxiety, disinterest, constant physical pain for no reason, even more delusions or hallucinations, even straight up psychosis. Symptoms like that and your free will is clearly compromised. Chemical reactions in your brain are calling the shots.

Yeah Right!

First of all, as an expert (?), would you not agree, all that crap could also be caused by decades of drug use (and by that, I mean hard recreational drugs, not prescriptions for whatever)?

Clinical "depression" has been conjured up by modernist psycho-therapists as a major justification for their existence and fat income. We should feel something for people with ACTUAL reasons for being depressed, but for somebody with a comfortable life and plenty of God-given talent (I include athletes, show business people, and a helluva lot of others in this) to somehow see there situation and life as depressing or not worth living? Who in the hell is gonna EMPATHIZE or sympathize with that? Certainly not me, and I would suggest the great majority of people honestly stating their feelings - the hell with all this p.c. crap.

All I ever said about Robin Williams is I don't care for his style of comedy - which you did a good job of describing, and that his suicide was way over-hyped for reason of his damn politics. John Wayne died; Bob Hope died; Both were 100 times the entertainer of Robin Williams; Both lived out their lives with honor and decency, and did not resort to drug use (to my knowledge); Both were decent America-loving people who did not share the sick politics that infests most of the media and entertainment community; And neither got a tiny fraction of the sick wall to wall coverage Williams got. The only other one treated like that was Michael Jackson - another real piece of work.

[Zool]

I do love a good "opinion stated as fact" rant. You're really on a roll there guy. Some day you'll be dead. I hope there aren't people celebrating, but if you're like this in real life, I bet there will be a few.

[3irty1]

Yeah Right!

First of all, as an expert (?), would you not agree, all that crap could also be caused by decades of drug use (and by that, I mean hard recreational drugs, not prescriptions for whatever)?

Clinical "depression" has been conjured up by modernist psycho-therapists as a major justification for their existence and fat income. We should feel something for people with ACTUAL reasons for being depressed, but for somebody with a comfortable life and plenty of God-given talent (I include athletes, show business people, and a helluva lot of others in this) to somehow see there situation and life as depressing or not worth living? Who in the hell is gonna EMPATHIZE or sympathize with that? Certainly not me, and I would suggest the great majority of people honestly stating their feelings - the hell with all this p.c. crap.

All I ever said about Robin Williams is I don't care for his style of comedy - which you did a good job of describing, and that his suicide was way over-hyped for reason of his damn politics. John Wayne died; Bob Hope died; Both were 100 times the entertainer of Robin Williams; Both lived out their lives with honor and decency, and did not resort to drug use (to my knowledge); Both were decent America-loving people who did not share the sick politics that infests most of the media and entertainment community; And neither got a tiny fraction of the sick wall to wall coverage Williams got. The only other one treated like that was Michael Jackson - another real piece of work.

No bipolar disorder is mostly genetic although made worse by environmental stuff like growing up hard. Drugs or alcohol abuse also make it worse, but bipolar disorders also make addiction worse.

John Wayne died slowly of stomach cancer, Bob Hope was 100, of course its bigger news that Williams kills himself at 63. Maybe to an old bastard like you he was just another hippy but that guy WAS our childhood. He was the Genie, he was Mrs. Doubtfire, he was Peter Pan, we even watched him in English in Dead Poets Society. The fact that he did higher brow comedy too meant we never had to outgrow him and most of us never did.

To be honest I don't even know what politics you're talking about but I don't care. I know my buddy met him in Afghanistan so I'll be you've got some common ground.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Robin was one of my favorite comedians and loved his acting. His ability to entertain and make people laugh is what is being missed. I'm not seeing a thing about politics.

[Striker]

He was one of the funniest men to ever live, with a surprising amount of dramatic depth when the role called for it. Even with his troubles with addiction (in and out of rehab several times) and depression, he never stopped giving to others (USO, Comic Relif, children's hospitals). From the sounds of it, he was a truly great man who lost a battle with his demons.

[MadtownPacker]

Nanu, nanu, thanks for all the laughs, RIP man.

[texaspackerbacker]

Robin was one of my favorite comedians and loved his acting. His ability to entertain and make people laugh is what is being missed. I'm not seeing a thing about politics.

Never mind politics. If you like his form of humor, fine, that's your opinion. Mine is that his idea of humor was kinda sick/not really funny - it was all down hill after he played Popeye.

[texaspackerbacker]

No bipolar disorder is mostly genetic although made worse by environmental stuff like growing up hard. Drugs or alcohol abuse also make it worse, but bipolar disorders also make addiction worse.

John Wayne died slowly of stomach cancer, Bob Hope was 100, of course its bigger news that Williams kills himself at 63. Maybe to an old bastard like you he was just another hippy but that guy WAS our childhood. He was the Genie, he was Mrs. Doubtfire, he was Peter Pan, we even watched him in English in Dead Poets Society. The fact that he did higher brow comedy too meant we never had to outgrow him and most of us never did.

To be honest I don't even know what politics you're talking about but I don't care. I know my buddy met him in Afghanistan so I'll be you've got some common ground.

OK, granted, he was part of your childhood, and granted, I do see him as just another hippie or at least just one of many of that variety of humor that I just don't like. I bet you liked Seinfeld too hahaha - and Cheers and Friends and a bunch of others which I ridiculed to my kids, calling them "half hour crap shows". If that's your cup of tea, then a big "whatever".

As for the political aspect, that didn't really make a difference. I also disliked the humor of Fraser/Kelsey Grammar, and I think he was a conservative hahahaha. The only way politics comes into it is with the networks and the leftist entertainment community in general building up one of their own despite his ignominious demise. I wish I could think of a comparable talent with Williams - there really are a lot of them, but very very few who are not of that same sick political persuasion. The only name that comes to mind is Tom Selleck - who, to me, is just as talented an entertainer as Williams, and about the same age range. I ask you, if he died, would they make him out to be some kind of an icon like Williams?

And I say again, ANYBODY who kills himself is basically making a statement about himself. Who are we to judge him differently than he judged himself - not worthy to go on living?

[Cheesehead Craig]

Never mind politics. If you like his form of humor, fine, that's your opinion. Mine is that his idea of humor was kinda sick/not really funny - it was all down hill after he played Popeye.

Fine. We'll also agree to disagree that John Wayne was 100 times the entertainer that Williams was. To me, John only played one kind of character. He was rather limited actually.

[3irty1]

OK, granted, he was part of your childhood, and granted, I do see him as just another hippie or at least just one of many of that variety of humor that I just don't like. I bet you liked Seinfeld too hahaha - and Cheers and Friends and a bunch of others which I ridiculed to my kids, calling them "half hour crap shows". If that's your cup of tea, then a big "whatever".

As for the political aspect, that didn't really make a difference. I also disliked the humor of Fraser/Kelsey Grammar, and I think he was a conservative hahahaha. The only way politics comes into it is with the networks and the leftist entertainment community in general building up one of their own despite his ignominious demise. I wish I could think of a comparable talent with Williams - there really are a lot of them, but very very few who are not of that same sick political persuasion. The only name that comes to mind is Tom Selleck - who, to me, is just as talented an entertainer as Williams, and about the same age range. I ask you, if he died, would they make him out to be some kind of an icon like Williams?

And I say again, ANYBODY who kills himself is basically making a statement about himself. Who are we to judge him differently than he judged himself - not worthy to go on living?

Why does it have to be "not worthy" instead of "not worth it"? I'm sure you can imagine a situation hopeless and painful enough to warrant suicide, maybe not his but at least one.

You don't think if Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Sly Stallone, Sarah Michelle Gellar, the Rock,or Adam Sandler offed themselves tomorrow it wouldn't be the only thing on TV? All those guys and gal are conservative. If the news is all about Robin Williams its because he's super famous and everyone loved him, not because of politics.

[bobblehead]

He was a reported cocaine addict for quite a while in the 80s. Super talented people always have that huge flaw.

Not to sound like tex, but that "flaw" isn't anything to do with his talents, its with the culture. I can be sad that a guy who brought me laughs and joy is gone, but the drugs, the other stuff. Those are choices. Its time for our nation to stop excusing choices and point out that they have consequences. A guy that had it all made bad choices. Science isn't positive about the chicken or the egg when it comes to drug use and bipolar disease, but we are sure that the combination usually ends this way. That should be the message. Mourn him, miss him, celebrate the good things he did, but also be honest about what drugs do to people.

[bobblehead]

I have no doubt we've seen him in the middle of a mania episode in his comedy--euphoric, talking quickly in a stream, thrill seeking, delusions, even hallucinations.

I've seen James woods do similar rants/episodes. Watch Vampires, much of which Woods ad libbed. Woods is a harsh righty though, and Tex is correct about one thing, Hollywood/media would not be quite as over the top if it was woods who died. Personally I believe that bipolar can be caused by excessive drug use. I have witnessed it. Its also scientifically proven that drug use alters the brain chemistry so it makes sense. I wish we could just be honest about that as a society and teach kids that this is the likely result of becoming addicted to drugs, and is not simply a bi product of having talent. Kids want to emulate Robin, lets not give them the convenient excuse that drug use is ok because its not your fault...your simply talented and different, you can't help it.

[texaspackerbacker]

Why does it have to be "not worthy" instead of "not worth it"? I'm sure you can imagine a situation hopeless and painful enough to warrant suicide, maybe not his but at least one.

You don't think if Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Sly Stallone, Sarah Michelle Gellar, the Rock,or Adam Sandler offed themselves tomorrow it wouldn't be the only thing on TV? All those guys and gal are conservative. If the news is all about Robin Williams its because he's super famous and everyone loved him, not because of politics.

That's the point! Those others (none of which I've heard are conservative - Arnold certainly wasn't - but whatever) didn't and likely wouldn't. A weird known druggie? Not so much of a shock. It isn't the fact that it's big news that's bad. It's putting this guy on a pedestal. "Everybody" loved the guy? I sure didn't - which was basically my original point. He acted like a damn fool, which I, for one, don't see as funny. I never cared for Steve Martin, Jim Carrey. or going way back, Jerry Lewis or Jonathan Winters either, and arguably all of them were more talented.

As for your first line, EXACTLY! Can't you see the difference between somebody who really has a bad situation - the great majority of them in and out of show business still don't off themselves - on the one hand, and some rich arguably talented idiot who has everything to live for who judges himself and finds himself unworthy? We are suppose to empathize/sympathize with THAT? I don't think so! And don't give me any "he couldn't help it" crap.

[red]

The Fisher King. RIP.

GREAT MOVIE!!!

his death hit home hard with me.

[Zool]

Not to sound like tex, but that "flaw" isn't anything to do with his talents, its with the culture. I can be sad that a guy who brought me laughs and joy is gone, but the drugs, the other stuff. Those are choices.

It's that line of thinking that had people with asbergers and autism in mental institutions. Depression and addiction are real illnesses caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. I'm not excusing it or saying I agree with drug usage. What I am saying is look around and tell me hyper successful people aren't generally addicts to something.