kungfuwaynewho | (no subject)

Ah, guys. It's been an emotional couple days. I honestly feel as though I am grieving for a family member and not just an actor.

Unlike a lot of people my age, my first experience with Robin Williams was in Mork and Mindy. I watched a lot of Nick and Nite as a kid. As a weird, hyperactive child, I had such an affinity with Mork, though I wasn't remotely conscious of it at the time. This might sound strange, but I really do feel like Mork was a positive role model for me growing up.

And then there was Hook, and Aladdin, and Jumanji, and Mrs. Doubtfire. Hitting high school age, I saw him in more dramatic roles - Good Will Hunting, Insomnia, Dead Poet's Society, Awakenings. (Dear God, was he wonderful in Awakenings.)

One of my little sister's favorite movies is RV. Not one of his most critically acclaimed roles or films, not by a longshot. But I've seen it probably ten times with her, and every time I watch it, the scene where he's typing up his report and climbing on top of things trying to get cell phone reception makes me laugh even harder.

There are still many movies of his that I haven't seen. I think it will be a little while before I get to them.

I saw a comment somewhere yesterday that put it best for me. Robin Williams wasn't just an actor, and he wasn't just a comedian. He was a part of our culture.

I just miss him so goddamn much.

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I get it.

I'm not as emotionally invested in actors as you seem to be in him but I can honestly say that he made my life a little bit happier with his work. I had some fun times with his movies and characters:)

That's how I want to remember him (as heartbreaking as his dead is).

I've never been this affected by a celebrity's death. I tend to be fairly emotional anyway - I cry constantly watching TV and movies - but I was a wreck over this on Monday. IDEK. I was crying at work, I couldn't fall sleep because I kept thinking about it, etc.

But you're absolutely right about trying to remember him doing what he did best. My sisters and I will probably end up watching RV this weekend, actually.

Celebrity deaths often sadden me, but it's pretty easy for me to move on. And...I can't from this one. I've been feeling sad and antisocial and horrible. He was a huge part of my childhood, and of the culture, and it just doesn't seem possible that he's not here anymore. He's like the favorite uncle that you see on rare occasions, but those occasions are invariably the best times ever.

I agree with what you're saying. The favorite uncle who was funny and lovely, and in whose place there's now this Robin-Williams-shaped hole.

Edited 2014-08-14 08:08 (UTC)

Exactly - though yesterday I was able to read an article and not start crying, so that was an improvement. I think for me, it would be bad enough if it were just that he wasn't here, but that he chose not to be here...that makes it tough.

I just teared up over a tribute from the Aladdin cast from the Broadway show for him. I don't even know why but the sadness comes in weird waves. Realizing that he was a source of joy for so many people but was struggling so much himself crushes me every time.

That comment definitly puts it best.

Ugh, that killed me, too. That and the Good Will Hunting bench and the Mrs. Doubtfire house. I just keep thinking that if he had only known how much people loved him...

I missed this when you first posted it - I found out about it on the last day of our honeymoon, and I just yelled "WHAT!" out loud to my computer. Then, when Greg and I moved to Memphis, we didn't have cable in the new place yet, so we watched Good Will Hunting and Dead Poets Society (both on VHS) and Death to Smoochy, and then when we got our cable hooked up, we watched The Birdcage. He was one of my favorites; my brothers and I watched his full HBO comedy special back before YouTube when you had to spend a whole day downloading a video, and we could recite the entire bit about the origins of golf. (Although, we usually didn't, because our parents were in earshot and it was pretty crude.) Plus, obviously, Aladdin, Jumanji, and Fern Gully, and the girls and I had a weird affection for The World According to Garp in high school. I hadn't even heard of Awakenings, though - that just got added to my Netflix queue.

Ugh. Yeah. I normally cry during the "Oh Captain My Captain" scene *anyway* - so...yeah. It's hard to watch a lot of it now. I watched the scene from Louie again and it just hits you right in the gut.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0asL5VaWzM0

I haven't watched anything yet - and probably wouldn't have been able to the last two weeks anyway - but I think I'm finally ready now. I was able to watch Billy Crystal's tribute from the Emmys without crying at work, which is an accomplishment, let me tell you. I'll probably go with Good Will Hunting, as it's been years since I've seen it, and it may be his best role.

Oh, I wanted to let you know I am still working on your wedding present! I'm just really slow. But it will be coming! Eventually! (That's what she said!)

That Billy Crystal tribute was sweet. I've been able to watch his performances without too much trouble, but there are those occasional moments where his characters deal with death/suicide/depression, even in a comedic way, where it's like, oof, that one hurt.

Aw, thanks! Shoot me an email when you're finished and I'll send you our new address. :)