I couldnt have predicted how upset Robin Williams death would make me. But now that I think on it and see so many of your memories it makes total sense. He presented himself, seemingly at all times on-stage and off, as the perfect performer: always extremely giving of his talents and time; offering all his energy to excite people and make joy for them. I sometimes found his being on too much at times, but I also never read it as neediness - more as a desire to give the people something to remember. All the time. No matter what. His biggest impact on comedy, as I see it, is his steady dedication to performing in front of people. In this respect, Robin Williams did more for live comedy than almost any star of his stature. Even after he became a giant movie star, he would still famously pop up on stages unannounced. And not just big clubs or theatres, and not just in major cities. Anywhere and everywhere. I would gather that if you looked at the Facebook Pages of comedy fans anywhere in North America, youd see stories from every corner of the continent about him surprising an audience there. This consistent presence as a live performer did so much to legitimize live stand-up and improv and made thousands of lifetime fans. On the other hand, he also raised audience expectations so high that its nearly impossible for any other comedian to live up to. What he did - be funny and giving and genuine in public nearly 100% of the time for 35 years - seems impossible, but we do owe it to his memory and our audiences to at least try to do the same. And see what it did for him. Millions of people all around the world sharing their memories and talking about how much they loved him. Everyone feeling like they knew him. Damn, what an incredible legacy.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 00:22:41 +0000
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