29 December 2014

Gentlefolk,

If you were asked to guess what name or event was the subject of the most searches on Google in 2014, what would you say? Malaysian Airlines, ISIS, Ukraine, Putin, Ebola, Gaza, Michael Brown?

No, none of these.  According to Google, the most searched name or event in 2014 was ....

Robin Williams (and his death).

I was a fan too, but I had no idea that he was soooooo popular, that his appeal was soooooo great.

Robin Williams was an extraordinary comedian and actor.  I would like to dedicate this post to his memory, for all the laughter, pleasure and entertainment he brought to countless millions around the world.

A profile

Robin Williams was born in Chicago on 21 July 1951. His father was a senior executive with Ford.  When Robin was 16 the family moved to the San Francisco area. He worked as a bartender and ‘stand-up comedian’ while studying acting. 

His big break came in 1978 in his role as Mork  the alien in the popular TV series Mork & Mindy (1978–82).

His movie debut was in Popeye (1980). Some of his better-known films include: The World According to Garp (1982), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), Awakenings (1990), Hook (1991), The Fisher King (1991), Aladdin (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Jumanji (1995), The Birdcage (1996), Good Will Hunting (1997), One Hour Photo (2002), and Night at the Museum (2006).

Robin Williams had great depth as an actor, appearing in an amazing variety of roles. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Dr. Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting. He also received two Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Grammy Awards throughout his career.

He was married three times and had three kids: Valerie Valardi (1978-88, son Zak); Marsha Garces (1989-2010, daughter Zelda & son Cody); and Susan Schneider (2011-)

On 11 August 2014, aged 63, Robin Williams committed suicide (by hanging) at his home in Paradise Cay, California.

What drove this remarkable talent, much loved and much admired, to end his life?  Some people blamed depression, others alcoholism (after 20 years on the wagon he was drinking heavily again). His wife speculated that the trigger may have been a diagnosis of early-Parkinsons Disease. His last movie was 'The angriest man in Brooklyn' about the meaning of life - could that have triggered something?  

We’ll never know what drove this brilliant man, who seemed to have everything, to take his own life. A harsh reminder how little we really know of what goes on in anyone's mind.

I like President Obama's tribute: "He was one of a kind.  He arrived in our lives as an alien and ended up touching every element of the human spirit."

Robin Williams was a master of “one-liners’. I think it is fitting to farewell him in the company of other ‘one-liners’ – see table below.

Table 1: A selection of famous & infamous one-liners (alphabetical, after Williams)

Robin Williams	“See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a penis, but only enough blood to run one at a time.” “Ah, yes, divorce...from the Latin word meaning to rip out a man’s genitals through his wallet.”
Woody Allen	“Having sex is like playing bridge; if you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand.”
George Burns	“The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and have the two as close together as possible.”
George W Bush (2003 comment on Iraq)	“Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties."
Mariah Carey	“Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can’t help but cry; I mean, I’d love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff.”
Tom Clancy	“I believe that sex is one of the most beautiful, natural, wholesome things that money can buy.”
Billy Crystal	“Women need a reason to have sex; men just need a place.”
W.C. Fields	“A woman drove me to drink – and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her.”
Zsa Zsa Gabor	“I never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.”
John F. Kennedy	“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
Steve Martin	“You know ‘that look’ women get when they want sex? Me neither.”
Groucho Marx	“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.”
Spike Milligan	“Money can't buy you happiness, but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.”
Ronald Reagan	“I am not worried about the deficit; it’s big enough to take care of itself.”
Brook Shields	“Smoking kills; if you’re killed, you’ve lost a very important part of your life.”
Elizabeth Taylor	“When the sun comes up, I have morals again.”
Mark Twain	“Don't go around saying the world owes you a living; the world owes you nothing; it was here first.”

The most prolific ‘one-liner’ in history was probably the great Chinese sage Confucius who, 2,500 years ago, was the first to proclaim the Golden Rule: “Treat others as you want them to treat you.” His 497 sayings are contained in a book called The Analects. 

Robin Williams is in good company.  May he Rest in Peace.

Here are some photos of Robin Williams

In  his High School Yearbook, he was described as the funniest in his class, and also the LEAST LIKELY to succeed.

While filming Popeye in 1980 Robin took time out to visit a Playboy Club.

One of his greatest comedic performances was as Mrs Doubtfire (1993).

Master of  'one-liners'.

Robin Williams with his 3 children  (Cody, Zak & Zelda) and second wife Marsha Garces. 

Robin Williams in 2014 (aged 63).

...

That's it for this post.

Last night we had a few people around for an end-of-year dinner (Vera excelled herself yet again!), and on Wednesday night they will return to help us see in the New Year.  I'll include photos in a future post.

Keep well and keep smiling.

Alex & Vera Olah
English teachers at the China University of Petroleum, Qingdao
www.upc.edu.cn/english/
Monday, 29 December 2014