Robin Williams found dead in his Bay Area Home...

[bennyboy]

Oh man! Why!

Why it had to be him?!!
I had Jim Carrey in the pool.
Damit.

So….
The guy who made a movie about suicides going to hell now committed suicide ha?…
That's ironic.

You're a prick.

[Nine]

I think this has been the first time a celebrities death has really gotten to me. I'm going to watch his movies every night for the rest of the week.

[DeistPaladin]

It's sad that there's this taboo against mental illness. Even if they seek help, they may still be looked down on or mistreated. That just makes suicide all the more appealing.

I sincerely hope that once we're past mourning our loss and the passing of such a great man, his tragic story helps to generate further awareness of the subtle-but-grave dangers of depression.

This disease can be a quiet killer. Some of the preliminary testimonies I've heard are that people are shocked by this, that no one saw this coming. People who are depressed and on the verge of suicide often show signs of recovery outwardly, but this is only an illusion. My understanding is that people at this terminal stage of depression feel a sense of emotional relief because they think they have a "solution" to all their problems. Anyone who's been profoundly depressed who suddenly seems cheerful or otherwise rebounds for no apparent reason may be in need of an intervention.

Whatever the details turn out to be, Robin Williams died of an illness. We're starting to understand that more. Perhaps if his tragic end helps us to see depression for what it is, others might be saved.

---

Robin Williams was a comedy legend and spread laughter around the world. He gave so much yet forgot to save some laughter for himself.

He was a multi-dimensional man, manic yet deeply reflective, joyous yet melancholy, wore his heart on his sleeve and yet his demeanor was clearly different from his nature.

These apparent paradoxes shouldn't be surprising. Comedy is, after all, a method of dealing with pain and grief. In a perfect world, comedy would not exist. Comedy satirizes the absurd and the corrupt, it attempts to make light of pain we endure, and underscores misfortune and injustice.

[Napoléon]

Lol, am I the only one who got that Napo was being sarcastic?

I actually wasn't being sarcastic.

[StealthySkeptic]

I'm definitely ordering at least Jumanji on Blu-ray ASAP so that I can make sure I manage to keep a piece of my childhood. I think the last time I watched it was on VHS and I'm not sure how well we took care of the tape.

Oh, and I found another good picture. The Internet's great for stuff like this.

[Jackalope]

I didn't know the man except in the way we all knew him, but I know his illness well. The news was not so surprising - but still leaves me feeling very sad for him, and particularly his family and friends.

We should remember him for his work, to be sure, but we should also remember that there are many many more who suffer from mental illness. Perhaps you have someone in your life who does? Perhaps we can best honor the memory of a man who made us all smile, laugh, and sometimes cry by reaching out to those in need.

[My imaginary friend is GOD]

Right in the childhood. I remember him in Flubber, Jumanji, Aladdin.

Oh, and great, now everyone in my life is going to be watching me more closely because they know about my depression and don't want me to pull a Robin Williams.

[DeistPaladin]

He was a big player in some of the movies that I consider to define my childhood:
...
Good Will Hunting

My opinion: Robin Williams was the only good thing about that movie. He made the movie work as well as it did by the force of his talent and personality. The movie starred Matt Daemon who's emotional expression range is as flat as a pancake and his character stuck me as a tiresome "Marty Stu".

Props to Robin Williams' efforts and talent that this movie worked at all.

[StealthySkeptic]

He was a big player in some of the movies that I consider to define my childhood:
...
Good Will Hunting

My opinion: Robin Williams was the only good thing about that movie. He made the movie work as well as it did by the force of his talent and personality. The movie starred Matt Daemon who's emotional expression range is as flat as a pancake and his character stuck me as a tiresome "Marty Stu".

Props to Robin Williams' efforts and talent that this movie worked at all.

I can definitely see why, and would not call Good Will Hunting my FAVORITE movie for those reasons. But it's still a Robin Williams classic because Robin Williams can turn almost anything to gold.

[John V]

Come on, he did a lot of good work, but he also did a lot that was forgettable and was in some notable bombs as well. He couldn't turn it all into gold.