I just keep asking myself. Yes "summer" is over, but the ominously named "Summer of Death" feels like it just keeps rolling along. With Patrick Swayze death last week it seems like my own mortality is catch up with me. When you consider who we've lost since June, it really makes it all too real to consider (more than just celebrities). I won't list them all but I will isolate a few who made an impact in my life.
Dom DeLuise - Dom exemplified the jolly big guy. I don't really remember a movie with him in it when he didn't have a smile on his face. For me, the Cannonball Run movies (who could forget Captain Chaos) were the ultimate in indulgence bringing meaning to the term "All-Star cast". Yes, the movies plot-wise were ridiculous but its motivation was pure comedy. Dom was the center of this. Dom was bombastic and his energy and comedic timing was impeccable. He was a mainstay in Mel Brooks' films with his turn as Julius Caesar in History of the World, Part 1 being one of his best. Hilarious. He was a true throwback in many ways, the way he mugged or his use of physical comedy. They don't use actors like this anymore...
Because it's damn funny...
Farrah Fawcett - She was one of the first women who made me lose interest in toys. The other being Lola Falana. Farrah was the very definition of girl next door ... though many of us could never live in this neighborhood. Of course, she was an original 'angel' and that made her a superstar. She was part of a Hollywood 'it' couple with Six Million Dollar Man, Lee Majors. I really don't know if I cared as a young boy why she didn't make it through the police academy but the fact that she was funny, hot and tough was the ultimate. Much of what she did after Charlie's Angels I did not follow, but she was definitely a turning point for me.
David Carradine - He will always be Kwai Chang Caine to me. Hell to anyone who ever watched him. David spent most of his career knowing he would be forever tied to this iconic character. I spent many days watching reruns of Kung Fu. I wanted to break boards, kick the ass of a group of bullies and walk off into the next town all because David made it cool. From Caine to Bill, David could build tension out of complete and total calm.
Because Kung Fu teaches us about life...
John Hughes - Wow. This one is a biggie. Mr. Hughes. This man's movies more than spoke to me or my generation for that matter, he guided me. Very few have captured the voice of disenfranchised youth so effortlessly. Breakfast Club still holds up to this day. Who can't relate to an athlete, a princess, a brain, a criminal and a basket case? Hell, it's probably even more relevant now. Save Ferris. Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? It all still means something. Long Duk Dong is the foreign exchange student we likely knew. And who, like Duckie, didn't make mixtapes for the girl we secretly pined for. If Hollywood remakes any of these, they will never be anything close to what the originals were. The 80's, in all it's plastic and superficial glory, were a moment in time that exemplified excess and Mr. Hughes' movies capture the angst and vulnerability of the children of that decade. Beyond those movies, he had other favorites like Vacation which had to be the nightmare we all had of being trapped in a car with our parents for a long trip. So many more... I call him Mr. Hughes because for me anyone who can give a voice to so many deserves that kind of respect.
Because you can't possibly be expected to handle school on a day like today...
Patrick Swayze - Dude, this was a man's man. This guy could play a badass like Dalton in Road House (I don't care what you say, you love that movie) and then be every girl's favorite dance instructor (Johnny Castle is the coolest name). Ghost was one of my favs because it made you believe love could transcend anything ... even death. Point Break was a great 'you are a bad guy but we can still be cool (even though I'm a cop)' movie before Fast and the Furious was ever conceived. No one played a big brother like Patrick could: Darry in The Outsiders, Jed in Red Dawn or Truman in Next of Kin. Patrick Swayze was the everyman. The ultimate man on a mission. Even if the movie was horrible, you always felt like Patrick Swayze was going to make the most of it.
Because trailers of old movies are cool...
Michael Jackson - He was the single biggest icon of my childhood. Honestly, regardless of where you land on what you believe he did or didn't do, you can't deny his impact. As a child of color, what Michael represented was that anything was now achievable. There was no longer a glass ceiling. My friends and I used to put on shows back in the day where we'd perform MJ's songs. The funny part is that we would practice for hours and hours trying to get the toe stand right or spin around at least twice or do the moonwalk with perfect amount of smoothness. I was no different from any other kid up the block, in the next city or the next country. MJ had that impact. He inspired. I listened to his music nonstop when he died...it felt like part of my childhood had gone with him. The controversy around his death is not the way I choose to remember him. He was a true artist. At the risk of being hyperbolic, it bares stating that we will never ever see someone who will have the impact on music, entertainment, charity and controversy the way Michael Jackson did.
No matter what these people mean to you, we can all agree that loss of any kind sucks. I don't think you can really prepare yourself for it no matter how hard you try. I have learned this a lot over the last couple of years and more recently in the past month (RIP TM). It doesn't get easier the older you get. I'd like to think your kids do keep you young and that is the best we can hope for in terms of immortality. This feeling is universal mainly because this summer has been one to remember and even though these people are famous, the loss isn't any easier for their families (or us). In the final analysis, they are just like us... human. Because of this, I think I will try to open my eyes now... and embrace as much life as I can.
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