Predictably, after saturation coverage of the Israel/Gaza conflict, with occasional coverage of mass Christian martyrdom by ISIS, the news reverts to its center of gravity: celebrities.
Many people envy the rich and famous, but Robin Williams is yet another illustration of the fact that talent and success is not the secret to happiness. From what I've read, his career has been dogged by substance abuse from start to finish.
As a stand-up comic, he had few equals. Jim Carrey is a great physical comedian, but lacks his knack for repartee. His idol, Jonathan Winters, comes to mind.
Williams also stared in a string of hit-and-miss movies and TV shows. I confess I'm suspicious of comedians who feel the need to prove that they can play serious roles.
I didn't watch him very often. I may have seen him on Dick Cavett back in the early 80s. He had a great gift for mimicry and improvisation. I saw just a few of his films.
I imagine there must be something ultimately unsatisfying about so much comedy. Although a few literary satires like Gulliver's Travels have perennial worth, due to their allegorical reserves, most comedy is extremely topical and ephemeral. Like watching fireworks. Dazzling, but it comes and goes in a flash. Brilliant, but forgettable. After every performance is the inevitable letdown. It isn't cumulative.
His ability was imitative rather than creative. He didn't create memorable characters, like Peter Sellers. Unlike Groucho Marx, he didn't have a knack for quotable one-liners. Much less an all-around genius like Charlie Chaplin.
Presumably that's one reason–beyond testing his versatility–that he tried his hand at serious drama. Likewise, when so much of your comedy routine is based on pop cultural allusions, you have to be an omnivorous consumer of junk food media.
In addition, I imagine the aging process, abetted by years of substance abuse, eroded his vocal range and mental alacrity. Hard to compete with your younger self.
1. On facebook I'm finding some fellow Christians liking or posting "RIP" in connection with Robin Williams. I don't understand how Christians can do that when we have no reason to think he was saved. Though, I do hope he was saved and rests in peace. It's not uncommon to hear non-Christian friends jokingly say, "No rest for the wicked" when they know you're a Christian (thinking they're quoting a specific Bible verse). It's understandable how they would be uneasy about the subject of judgment/hell and so make fun of it. But I think it may be doing a serious disservice to non-Christians whenever we wish RIP to dead non-Christians because we're in essence denying the reality of perfect judgment by God sometime after death which necessarily results in a sentence to hell if one hasn't had Christ's righteousness imputed to them (which is normatively received by conscious trust in Christ prior to death).
ReplyDeleteIt's such a well known fact that comedians tend toward depression that it's almost a universal "joke." It's one of those chicken or the egg questions. Which came first or is the cause of the other. It seems to go in both directions. Here are just some examples of comedians who struggled with depression:
Jonathan Winters (whom Steve mentioned), Drew Carey, Jim Carrey, Owen Wilson, Rosie O'Donnell, Ben Stiller. The list can go on and on. Even some of these have attempted suicide.
Some comedians successfully committed suicide, e.g. Ray Combs, Freddie Prinze etc.
2. From the testimony of many comedians, apparently the life of a comedian can be very lonely and depressing in itself. You have the constant pressure to be light-hearted AND actually BE funny even when you're depressed/discouraged.
Add to that the fact that comedians often don't receive a steady income from their trade. Some are itinerant, alone and have meaningless transient trysts from place to place (leading to a vicious cycle).
Add to that the fact that many entered comedy because it was a coping mechanism they developed as a child for various internal/personal or external/situational difficulties.
Add to that the fact that making people laugh can be one of the greatest natural (almost addictive) highs which you can have withdrawal symptoms from. A depressed comedian may no longer be able to get people laughing and so miss that high, resulting in a vicious cycle of feeling like a failure, passing one's prime and depression.
Add to that the pressure of having to constantly be creative comedically. Hence the extreme hate comedians have for fellow comedians who steal jokes (e.g. Dane Cook).
Doing comedy often requires deep reflection and clarity of thought. So it's not uncommon that when (non-Christian) comedians seriously think about life they know it's depressing and futile (without God) so that they often realize they're basically peddling lies by focusing on insignificant and unimportant aspects of life that's passingly and trivially cheerful (if their comedy is the light-hearted kind). For example, Jerry Seinfeld's material.
Or some actually draw from the darkness of life to create their comedy. That was true of George Carlin all his life, but especially in his latter years. Carlin was SO negative, pessimistic and hopeless in his "comedy" and that's one of the reasons why his routine was filled with expletives, profanity etc. For example, his skit on The American Dream"
Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.- Mel Brooks
I've heard some comedians claim that it's their joy and privilege to be able, even if only momentarily, to lighten the burdens of life that are on his audience by helping them forget their problems for a while. But where do they themselves find such relief? In some comedic circles it is so competitive that all they'll find is aggression and rivalry from fellow comedians. Moreover, it is often difficult to find help from their fellows since many of their fellows are themselves discouraged and depressed.
DeleteDown the years/decades many have noted the similarities between comedy and philosophy (e.g. here, here etc.).
DeleteBoth question fundamental assumptions and ask "why?" Then attempt to give an answer. But why isn't there just as high an incidence of depression among philosophers comparable to that of comedians? Maybe because comedians are more honest about the futility of life than philosophers. While philosophers have the advantage of having logical tools, philosophical language and philosophical ideals to help cope with life which comedians don't have. Though, that's no guarantee since Woody Allen was a philosophy major and yet suffers from depression.
" I confess I'm suspicious of comedians who feel the need to prove that they can play serious roles. "
ReplyDeleteEveryone's entitled to their opinion but his work in Dead Poet's Society, Fisher King, Good Will Hunting, Awakenings (opposite de Niro), One Hour Photo, Insomnia is all solid. He would never win a best actor award but he was not out of his depth or embarrassing himself in dramatic roles. I'm not sure he felt a "need to prove" himself; perhaps he just wanted to test his abilities and evolve as an entertainer.
"His ability was imitative rather than creative. He didn't create memorable characters"
The genie in aladdin should be enough to dispell that which was pretty much completely improvised by him as disney writers attest. Yes impressions were one of his talents, but he did not rely solely on that like a comedian doing ventriloquist routines all day.
Pinoy,
" I don't understand how Christians can do that when we have no reason to think he was saved. Though, I do hope he was saved and rests in peace."
You just answered your own question. Further, there is a time and place for certain conversations. I hope you wouldn't go to an unbelieving friend's funeral and correct grieving family members who say RIP by chiming in "well you know we have no reason to believe John was saved actually" or if a believing friend's child dies and you say "well everything happens for a reason" - they don't need to hear that at that time.
"It's such a well known fact that comedians tend toward depression"
Yes and there are some comedians who may not have depression at all. I never heard of Bob Hope or Billy Crystal or Steve Martin or Smothers Brothers or Tim Conway or Carol Burnett or Don Rickles fighting with depression but perhaps they do - who knows. The point is I'm sure there are quite functional and happy comedians that exist, just as there are many depressed lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc all across the globe.
"From the testimony of many comedians, apparently the life of a comedian can be very lonely and depressing in itself...Add to that the pressure of having to constantly be creative"
So can the life of a musician, or a writer, or a painter, or a ballet dancer.
"I've heard some comedians claim that it's their joy and privilege to be able, even if only momentarily, to lighten the burdens of life that are on his audience by helping them forget their problems for a while."
Yes, which is why a lot of them perform for troops overseas.
"But where do they themselves find such relief?"
Family, friends, etc. Just like non-comedians do. Does that mean it works for everyone? No, as RW shows, but of course many Christians suffer from depression as well.
We may be talking at cross purposes. My comparison was more specific. I'm referring to the way Sellers could use his gift for mimicry to create memorable characters like Dr. Strangelove, President Merkin Muffley, Chauncey Gardiner, Inspector Clouseau.
DeleteIt isn't just acting ability, ad libbing, or impersonation, but the integration of these talents to produce very distinctive characterizations which no one else could do.