OT - Nanu Nanu no more... Robin Williams has died

[Devland]

I apologize for my post. This hit too close to home and my emotions got the best of me.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

Maybe the most brilliant mind in entertainment ever.

He will be missed.

RIP Robin Williams.

 

[Tommyboy]

This was a great video that I had somehow not seen before tonight.

 

[B1GEast]

one of my favorite episodes, robin williams was a comedy genius, but also a talented actor, may he rest in piece. If you have never seen Survivors with Robin Williams, watch it, it's absolutely hysterical.

 

[Vuce]

One obscure Robin Williams memory for me was his guest appearance on a show from the 90s called Homicide Life on the Street. It was a very good series on NBC (predecessor of The Wire). Williams was in an episode where he was with his family visiting Baltimore and his wife or kid gets killed and he does a wonderful job acting in it. So many great memories of him. Great talent, terrible loss.

 

[ZooCougar]

So sad. I just can't believe it.

 

[zymurg]

Yes an absolute genius. Carlin was too but in a totally opposite manner . Carlin was a guy who had thought out twisted observations that nobody would think. Incredible. But prepared ahead of time mostly.
Williams however operated on a different plane entirely in that pretty much everything was improvised on stage. His mind was that quick. Being a total improv comic in my opinion is the single hardest thing to do in show business.

In 1978 I watched this at 11 years old with my father when it first aired and have kept a VHS copy ever since. He may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I can promise that his approach to this show is mind blowing for how he does it. A mortal comic couldn't last 4 minutes . A fact that is shown in this video when he plucks john Ritter out of the audience late in the show for an improv session. Ritter was in his prime on threes company at the time and was a talented and very funny guy in his own right. Williams makes him look like he is standing still as far as being quick on his feet with material.

He is coked out of his mind here. ( hey it's the 70's ) but is still incredibly sharp and his just a study in psychic energy.

As 8893 once a generation. I don't even know if that is accurate. I can't think if anyone like him in any generation. He will be missed.

The only comic talent who compares with Robin Williams in my memory is Jonathan Winters. Sadly while Williams has a rather extensive
catalogue available for viewing; Winters has very little. Williams acknowledged him as a mentor wayback; he played the big egg on Mork and Mindy. Try "The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming" and "It's a Mad, Mad World."

Ernie Kovacs had the inventive wackiness, but not the improvisational ability. I say this despite the fact that Kovacs had a daily comedy
hour long show in the fifties broadcast live. These daily shows are lost, what is available are his later comedy specials. They are very good,
but, not the quality of the daytime shows. His movie catalogue is very thin, but try "It's a Mad Ball" and "Our Man in Havana."

 

[superjohn]

He had an amazing mind and was an amazing comedic talent though his style wasn't exactly my cup of tea. I thought he was an absolutely brilliant dramatic actor, that aspect of his talent was always underappreciated.

 

[Fishy]

The only comic talent who compares with Robin Williams in my memory is Jonathan Winters....

Ernie Kovacs had the inventive wackiness, but not the improvisational ability."

Winters is to Williams what I think Kovacs is to Letterman.

If I were limited to watching just four people, those are the four I would chose.

 

[selles]

I apologize for my post. This hit too close to home and my emotions got the best of me.

No need to apologize, you were right.

Listened to Robin Williams and Eddie Murphy comedy tapes non-stop growing up. "Prime Minister Botha, white courtesy phone...does the name Custer mean anything to you?" RIP Robin, you were a genius.

 

[Dove]

I'm huge fan of stand up and I still can't fathom how Robin Williams was wired. He was exhausting and I loved his style. He did this Ghadafi bit that still slays me to this day.

 

[superjohn]

Winters is to Williams what I think Kovacs is to Letterman.

If I were limited to watching just four people, those are the four I would chose.

Letterman just doesn't fit in with those heavyweights.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Letterman just doesn't fit in with those heavyweights.

I think he does although I don't know Kovacs. Letterman's legacy suffers since he's been mailing it in for the past 10yrs or so, but even in doing that he's managed to turn mailing it in into an entertaining bit. And occasionally, when a guest is really Hollywood stupid Letterman will sharpen his caustic fangs and rip them up like the old days.

 

[Sprague03]

Samuel F. "Sam" Pickering (born September 30, 1941) is a writer and professoremeritus of English at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.[1] His unconventional teaching style was an inspiration for the character of Mr. Keating, played by Robin Williams in the film Dead Poets Society.[2] Pickering specializes in the familiar essay, children's literature, nature writers, and 18th and 19th century English literature.[3] Pickering has published many collections of non-fiction personal essays as well as over 200 articles.

 

[SubbaBub]

Letterman just doesn't fit in with those heavyweights.

You are underestimating his contributions to TV and comedy. He suffers because his shtick is a that of a much younger man. It doesn't work after you bring your heart surgeons on your show to take a bow.

If you remember things like the Merv Griffin show you understand how he changed TV. He's no Carson, talent wise, but Carson was a complete insider and never overtly broke the facade of pop culture. It was always a wink or an inside joke. Letterman was the first rebel TV host.

Kimmel, Fallon, O'Brien, Ferguson, are all derivatives. Even the cable news pundits owe some of there ability to say certain standards unfriendly things to Dave.

 

[superjohn]

You are underestimating his contributions to TV and comedy. He suffers because his shtick is a that of a much younger man. It doesn't work after you bring your heart surgeons on your show to take a bow.

If you remember things like the Merv Griffin show you understand how he changed TV. He's no Carson, talent wise, but Carson was a complete insider and never overtly broke the facade of pop culture. It was always a wink or an inside joke. Letterman was the first rebel TV host.

Kimmel, Fallon, O'Brien, Ferguson, are all derivatives. Even the cable news pundits owe some of there ability to say certain standards unfriendly things to Dave.

I can appreciate that he changed some things and early on he was pretty funny it's just that his show has been brutally bad for a while now.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Samuel F. "Sam" Pickering (born September 30, 1941) is a writer and professoremeritus of English at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.[1] His unconventional teaching style was an inspiration for the character of Mr. Keating, played by Robin Williams in the film Dead Poets Society.[2] Pickering specializes in the familiar essay, children's literature, nature writers, and 18th and 19th century English literature.[3] Pickering has published many collections of non-fiction personal essays as well as over 200 articles.

Pickering is the man, and rode (rides? I think he might have retired) his bike to CLAS for class. The only 8am class that you had to be a senior to get into.

 

[SubbaBub]

I can appreciate that he changed some things and early on he was pretty funny it's just that his show has been brutally bad for a while now.

Like I said, a young man's shtick.

 

[amory]

RIP to one of the greats. Grew up with his comedies and really appreciated his talent as a dramatic actor as I got older. It's rare that a celebrity death gets to me, but this one does.


Internet culture is especially annoying at times like these. Lots of people trying to come up with poignant internet eulogies for the guy. Can't just be sad, gotta be the most sad

Huffington Post rated this tweet the "Most Heartbreaking", so good for Evan Rachel Wood I guess.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I was reading the CNN article on his death and this passage just kind of floored me:

"There had to be two people in the room" with him, his friend Bob Zmuda told CNN's "New Day." "Then you were an audience, and then he came alive."

But one-on-one, Zmuda said, Williams "had no social skills. He couldn't handle it... I knew this man for 35 years and yet it was like I was in an elevator with a stranger."

A lot of these comedians are so funny with such great stage presence but are incredibly introverted and struggle socially when they're off-stage. Just a crazy dichotomy.

 

[bobbygt]

He was one of these guys where I didn't love most of what he did, but I especially loved some of what he did.
Good Will Hunting/Genie from Aladdin/Dead Poet's society/World According to Garp.
RIP. "It's not your fault."

Great list there- I'd also throw in the Fisher King, a role that in many ways seems to have encapsulated him as a person.

 

[Kembacity]

Samuel F. "Sam" Pickering (born September 30, 1941) is a writer and professoremeritus of English at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.[1] His unconventional teaching style was an inspiration for the character of Mr. Keating, played by Robin Williams in the film Dead Poets Society.[2] Pickering specializes in the familiar essay, children's literature, nature writers, and 18th and 19th century English literature.[3] Pickering has published many collections of non-fiction personal essays as well as over 200 articles.

This was the first thing that came to mind, having taken a class with Pickering as a UConn student

 

[Huskies4ever]

A lot of these comedians are so funny with such great stage presence but are incredibly introverted and struggle socially when they're off-stage. Just a crazy dichotomy.

So true.

 

[superjohn]

http://morningafter.gawker.com/cowa..._source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow He has a huge public forum and this is what he says about Robin Williams before he's even put in the ground, what a lowlife.

 

[Tommyboy]

http://morningafter.gawker.com/cowa..._source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow He has a huge public forum and this is what he says about Robin Williams before he's even put in the ground, what a lowlife.

I think it might be more like one of the comments on that page:

"My first thought is that maybe Shep has lost someone to suicide and is still harboring a lot of guilt/anger at the loss."

I know I have dealt with this personally and initially I kinda felt the way the same way. But who knows, he may also be just a low life.