The Smiley Smile Message Board

"It is so sad that a person who brought so much joy and laughter to the world could not find the joy within himself and who's life ended so tragically. I had the pleasure of meeting Robin on a flight from London. Robin was genuinely warm, kind and very very funny! He was very generous in his praise of The Beach Boys music, however we were more blown away by his kindness and talent. We will really miss him! This is really messed up...Peace and Love...M.L."
very nice tribute if I must say so....

That was nice.  Such shocking news, Williams was such a talented guy and a great dramatic actor with such a lovable personality.  Good Will Hunting has always been one of my favorite movies.  Just a terrible loss.

He was so good in so many different kinds of movies, but mostly I remember him as just an insanely funny comedian. I remember him being on Carson's farewell show, which could've been a very somber affair, but Williams was having none of that, he came out firing on all cylinders, and Carson was loving every minute of it. RIP Robin :(

Very gracious post by Mike. RIP.

I just posted this in the Sandbox - it seems some of the BBs world is united in grief for a true artist and genius:

(http://oi61.tinypic.com/i2m3o1.jpg)

Nice post from Mike Love. I am truly saddened by the death of Robin Williams. What a talented funny man he was. RIP.

Brian('s people) now posted something as well.

RIP Mork.

Its not considered one of his best but I think Robin Williams was great as Popeye.

RIP

I feel  sorry for the people left behind. His three children and wife.

I expect to be flamed for opinion but so be it. Suicide is the ultimate act of selfishness and cowardice. Suicide wrecks the lives of those left behind.

Hi all,

Wonderful post Mike.  It is sad that Robin wasn't happy.  He will be missed.

My favorite!  ;)

I loved the Popeye movie when I was kid. I still have the Soundtrack LP from 1980, with all songs written by Harry Nillson and conducted/arranged by Van Dyke Parks (who by the way is in the movie playing the piano during a fight scene with Bluto, played by the amazing Paul L Smith).

We all know it wrecks lives and you can label it selfish or cowardly if you like, but that just gives the impression that you haven't even the vaguest understanding of the issues. I consider myself to be lucky to have had only very occasional and very brief bouts of depression and anxiety, but from even those brief moments of utter despair I can understand why some people end up seeing no alternative. I can't adequately put into words how I felt at those times, but feelings of utter despair, fear, helplessness and a total absence of hope or joy is about the best I can do (and as I said, I've been lucky in comparison to many people who have likely experienced these issues for much longer periods - I can only imagine how awful some people must feel). I'm lucky to have an incredible wife who was with me and just about kept me going until I felt better, but in my mind at that time there was only one way to stop those feelings of utter despair and fear. If I had to live a life like that, I'm not sure how long I'd be able to do it. It's not a rational act, so why judge people who do it as though it is?

I apologise if I've got you wrong here, I just struggle to understand your viewpoint. I think a little sympathy and understanding for someone who (seemingly) felt unable to live their life any longer seems in order. You can feel sorry for the people left behind without calling the person who took their own life selfish and cowardly. You might even feel sorry for all of them.

It is the toughest decision anyone could ever make. The amount of personal anguish one must go through to get to the point of committing suicide is something very few people could understand. Depression robs you of your sanity - at your lowest point, rational thought becomes nearly impossible. To blame the deceased, to call their actions selfish or cowardly isn't fair, imo.

A line from the book Cloud Atlas sums up my thoughts:

“People pontificate, "Suicide is selfishness." Career churchmen like Pater go a step further and call it a cowardly assault on the living. Oafs argue this specious line for varying reason: to evade fingers of blame, to impress one's audience with one's mental fiber, to vent anger, or just because one lacks the necessary suffering to sympathize. Cowardice is nothing to do with it - suicide takes considerable courage. Japanese have the right idea. No, what's selfish is to demand another to endure an intolerable existence, just to spare families, friends, and enemies a bit of soul-searching.”

I think it is a terrible act, one of the worst things those left behind could go through. However, I do not blame those who commit suicide...the inner turmoil, the void; it all snowballs out of control until you feel you can no longer live that way.

I believe a beach boys song was featured in Good Morning Vietnam.

I was very sorry to hear of Robin Willams passing. Loved his work in "one hour photo", seriously good actor.

"I Get Around"!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuk8AOjGURE

No flaming here (Stephen Newcombe), I agree with you re:selfishness and cowardice.  The hurt is far greater for those who are left behind.  But I think it is important to understand that those in the grips of addiction, depression and various other mental illnesses often turn to suicide out of frustration after trying to cope and not having success.  Getting rid of the stigma of mental illness is the first step and is key for many people to realize that they are not alone and that there are many different avenues to explore to manage and or recover.

There are no winners in this scenario.  Suicide isn't right, but it isn't fair to blame Robin.  Who knows what he was going through.  So sad.

For me, this just one of the many inspirational aspects of Brian Wilson's story.  He overcame so much.  Abusive father, extreme drug abuse, demented abuse from an svengali  who was supposed to help him, etc.  And look at what he has accomplished and what he has given us in the last 25 years.  It can bring me to tears and often does.  While some like to mourn what was lost (changed voice, stoic face, lack of showmanship, fluctuating weight) Brian's renaissance and legacy is that of a survivor.  Reminds me of the cheesy but wonderful scene from Rocky Balboa.  "It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward.  That's how winning is done"  Brian Wilson may have been broken a few times and he may now be a different guy, but he is winning and that is what makes his career full of comebacks a joy to behold.  I am very happy that Brian found a way to not give into the darkness.  Sorry for the festival of "heart on the sleeve" blubbery, but I am heading to San Fran tomorrow to see Paul McCartney for the first time and after seeing 41 BW/BB shows I am wondering why I waited so long to see Paul and feeling pretty full of  many emotions.

It's not really a decision, or a choice, in the common sense, either. People in these situations don't perceive any alternatives. Any maybe sometimes there aren't any. I find it tough to speak about cowardice or even selfishness in these cases. Again, as long as we stay civil on this topic.. depression as a topic is something BBs fans are familiar with, after all. And like Panteluk said, having Brian still with us is a blessing.

The act itself was cowardly and selfish but the man himself was anything but. Robin fought his demons for decades while giving people joy and he must have been in an unbearable place in the end to think this was his only option left.

Wasn't "Sloop John B" also featured? Or am I getting it confused with another Vietnam movie.

I do recall a scene in Good Morning Vietnam where they are discussing possible live entertainment for the troops, and after a few group names are mentioned Robin says, "Why don't we just get The Beach Boys?"

I am still in shock and so saddened by Robin's death. It always seems the level of grief is directly proportional to the amount of joy and happiness that that person bought you. And Robin Williams brought me a LOT of joy and happiness!

Why is it that the funniest people are often the saddest?

I would argue with you on that one, if this were the right kind of forum. Different people have different views (and probably experiences) on the matter - let's leave it at that.

It's always a tragic circumstance and reason for more suffering, that's for sure.

Hi all,

Depression and suicide are both awful.  Lack of confidence is another awful thing.  I fel bad for him and others like him.  I wonder why he didn't seek help?  There are people who believe killing oneself is selfish and cowardly.  Yet try to think about the pain he was in even though he was making the world laugh and smile.  On his facebook page Brian does say to talk about depression.  It is time people did.  Depression is a killer.  It takes the joy out of the person who has it and the people around that person.  Those who can should seek help.  To handle depression by buying a dress or eating a cookie doesn't help.  It just makes it worse.  With the dress all one has is a pwerson in a dress who is depressed.  With the cookie it is simply a distraction.  The problem is still there.  Best to talk about it or see a therapist.  Depression isn't pretty.     

Good Morning Vietnam - and its OST which made the rounds back in the day - was THE channel for my love for the Beach Boys. IGA was the second Beach Boys' song I ever listened to, thanks to the movie.

Robin did seek help throughout his life, and only recently he had been in rehab and even the reports last night said he was being treated for "severe depression".

It is the sad truth in many cases that there simply is no cure - It is a step-by-step, day-to-day process of dealing with it and managing it on an individual basis. Those who have not gone through it simply cannot and will not understand what daily life can be. You could be sitting in your favorite chair, watching television like any normal day and all of a sudden you might get a wave of feelings that make you numb, or go right to your gut where you feel like there isn't much hope. Paralyzing, almost crippling feelings that can come and go at random. You can have great friends, something really fun to look forward to the next day, great personal or professional success, and you can still get those awful feelings wash over you. Then it's the process of dealing with it in the moment, and working through it.

That is even a very mild scenario. It cannot be classified since everyone dealing with it has different experiences centered around the same thing.

With creative types, especially entertainers, imagine the absolute joy, the emotional high of connecting with an audience. Hearing them laugh, hearing them clap in appreciation, seeing a room full of smiling faces connecting with you on stage. Then the gig is done, you wake up the next morning...back to your own reality. The same feelings you deal with through the depression are there again, or they are lurking in the shadows. You hit ultimate highs, the thing you do to connect with people and experience that joy is over and done, maybe another gig is in the works for that night, but in the moment you're zapped back into reality. Eating cereal, watching TV...Bam, there are the thoughts again.

It's more a case of managing it than it is or may ever be finding a cure.

Robin I'm sure saw and realized his fans loved him and supported him, he was a very generous and giving person by all accounts who enjoyed giving back some of himself to millions of people, but underneath all of that were whatever issues he had to deal with and manage on a daily basis. God bless him and everyone who deals with those issues.

An excellent post and this sentence sums things up in a nutshell.

Wow, I always thought you were a good guy Stephen but I find your words to be utterly disgusting. f*** you.

Not going to flame you, rather voice my opinion that unless you've experienced some degree of clinical depression, or mental illness, you have no idea how debilitating, how utterly hopeless, it can be. There's a time and a plaice to say what you have, and it's not here and now.

I would generally agree that it's a selfish act that inflicts far more pain on your loved ones than the pain he was living through.  With that said though, like others mentioned when somebody gets that depressed they're no longer thinking rationally.  They get in a place where they think nobody cares about them, nobody will miss them, etc.

The strangest part of something like this is that Robin KNEW that people cared about him, certainly knew his children did.  He was married at the time; and he was a very intelligent guy.  Even with that he got in a place where he thought it was a good decision to end his suffering and heap it on his wife and children instead. 

Ultimately what it comes down to is it's a damn shame all around.  When you watch his movies and see the moments where he gets reflective and tender, I imagine that was how he lived most of his life.  Such a tragedy for his family, I hope they're full aware of the irrationality of it and can get over all the guilt he just handed them. 

I get Around and Warmth of Th eSun were in Good Morning Vietnam. There was also discussion about getting The Beach Boys to play a show. I think Don't Worry Baby or Surfer Girl was also featured on the closing credits.

I think it was "Don't Worry Baby". Not 100% sure, though.

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Paulos' choice of words was harsh, but I can understand the nature of his reaction.

Let's be friends here.

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This is a very emotional topic and issue that hits home with members here  - both those who have directly dealt with it themselves or those who have been affected by family members and friends who have dealt with it.

Above all, please be respectful even in a strong debate or disagreement, and consider the effect something like this has on all parties involved and the feelings which are triggered whenever something like this happens with a public figure as well-known as Robin Williams.

In a more direct way, please stop the expletives. What was said was said, I wish it didn't come to that, but let's move on. No actions taken unless it keeps escalating: Just an appeal to everyone to avoid that kind of interaction especially where emotions are so strong.

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To be honest - I'm suprised the word in question wasn't blocked, or changed to "f*ck". Anyway..

It used to be auto-changed to "foda" if I remember right.

Being killed by depression is just as selfish as being killed by a physical illness.  Which is to say it's not at all selfish.

In his state of mind, he probably thought he was helping them, not simply ending his own suffering. Mental illness warps logical thinking, no matter how intelligent you are - that's why it's called mental illness. It affects the very way you think about things.

Maybe I have had direct experience of this. Consider that, fuckwad.

You guys need to knock off the childish banter.

He killed himself in a manner similar to L'Wrenn Scott. They were both found by their personal assistants. I feel sorry for the people walking in on that scene. The fact that his wife didn't go to check on him in spite of living in the same house is also sad.

This is what brian posted on FB

"I'm very distressed to hear about Robin Williams. He made the world laugh through his pain and was a very special talent. It's time the world starts talking about depression and taking it seriously. Love and mercy to Robin's family and friends." - Brian



"Hook" is one of my favorite movies. And the soundtrack by John Williams is brilliant. If you have a chance, check it out. I guess, due to the innocence of the (Williams') character it's kinda something you'd expect from Brian too in all it's beauty and melancholy at the same time. Really a fantastic piece of work. I'll put it on tonight in tribute to Robin Williams.

The fisher king was an amazing movie

 We all process tragic events in different ways. Grief, shock, and yes, anger at the deceased. Attacking one another isn't going to bring Robin Williams back or help anyone find peace.

As someone who does suffer from severe depression and has attempted suicide on more than one occasion,  i can say from first hand experience that every day is a daily struggle.

Well this board is lucky to have such a great guy Billy! :)

  I really liked the fourth and final season of MORK & MINDY. The show wasn't a hit by that point, but the addition of Jonathan Winters as their son Mearth rescued the series from the the banality of seasons two and three.  The final year was a different realm.

  

Didn't SmileHolland just post right above you, saying not to make this personal or curse someone out(in response to the post you quoted)?

In any case, i do understand your feeling in this matter, though, ad i have sadly been on both sides.

Thank you Smile Brian...means a lot.

First test for the new board administrator Guitarfool.  Did he bring down the ban hammer?  No.  He turned his head.  Count your blessings, childish banterers!!

The worst part of real depression is the feeling of "this will never end." You feel like the rest of your life is going to be spent in a deep, inescapable mental hole. There's no correct view on the issue - Robin left a lot of pain behind for his family and friends to bear, but if he was going through so much pain that he felt he had to end his life, clearly he was really suffering. In the end, I feel bad for everyone - Robin, his family, his friends and his fans.

It's also really hard to tell just *how* depressed you are when you're depressed. It warps your thinking to the point where you can be at your lowest point ever and think things are "normal." Hell, I've been in that position before and refused to believe the doctor that it was "severe" depression.

This article is worth a read by anybody, too: http://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2014/aug/12/robin-williams-suicide-and-depression-are-not-selfish

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Just another voice saying Depression isn't a choice and suicide takes life the same way any other disease does.

Hopefully as a society we get more understanding of mental illness.  Seeing some of the reaction online seems like we have a way to go however.

'He was rich and famous with a lovely family, how could he let cancer kill him and leave his family behind' would never come out of anyone's mouth.  Should be the same with depression.  

You don't know what I did or didn't do, Mikie, and it didn't involve turning my head at all.

Well, in this context I think that "discomfort" may be the wrong word. It is a mental impairment not a physical one. For example, when one is drunk one makes decisions that they might never consider making when they are sober.

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I'm gonna be blunt and say that it doesn't make sense because you haven't been in that position. It warps your thinking so badly, it's not until you're in treatment and everything else where you look back and go "oh, sh*t."

First of all, don't assume I dont know what depression is. I know very well what depression is, thank you.

I have also experienced the destruction that suicide causes. Its the gift that keeps giving. Its like a bomb going off. It destroys generations. Families, friends. Its abhorrent.

Not in my family but a (once) close friend. Don't want to go into detail but aware ambiguity makes it look like my family and its private stuff. Im feeling awful even writing about it, but for some deluded reason feel the need to defend myself and am mortified a bunch of strangers are thinking bad things about me. Coming here is a bad habit I intend to break.

Whilst I welcome any debate on my earlier comment, I do not expect to be sworn at, then be accused of being childish by Mikie (pot /kettle)

I appreciate this topic brings up emotion. Paulos, its cool. :)

I'm bowing out, and off this board. Should never post angrily. Suicide makes me angry, sorry but it does.

Posting here should be enjoyable, not stressful. Not going off on a huff. I just have no reason to post here as I'm  not really much of a Beach Boys fan anymore. Habit rather than identity.

Seeya, and sorry if I offended anyone :)

Nah, don't go - I enjoy your posts, Stephen. It was just a sarcastic 'piggy-back' response to what Cincinnati kid said and I rescind my statement. It's not really a subject for debate nor is it funny as far I'm concerned. It's a real disease. Brian Wilson has it. Many, many others have it. And I'm sure you can relate to the subject matter. I think Brian can closely relate to Robin. Robin Williams self-medicated his depression for decades with coke and alcohol and it overtook him. He just got so tired of the endless cycle that he just finally threw in the towel.

That's a shame Stephen, really enjoyed your posts.

I honestly cringed when Paulos said "f*** you", that wasn't needed at all.

He deleted his account   :o

What a shame...he was really funny.

Hey Guys,
Obviously death (especially suicide) brings on strong emotions (my little sister killed herself in 2009) and being human we are prone to doing and saying stupid things sometimes. I think the spirit of forgiveness is VERY important in this situation, and the last thing we need in this world is more pain. Please let's forgive each other for our transgressions, and rise to the occasion of creating more love instead of more pain, and PLEASE everyone forgive everyone else, for the pain we have inadvertently caused others. I love you, and I know you love me too, and THAT"S more important that anything else in the world. PLEASE nobody leave the board, and PLEASE nobody hold any permanent grudges. Let's just let time and love do it's thing, and the rest will take care of itself. If ever there was a group on the internet who could pull this off, it's this one. Please lets give it a shot.

 :hug

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 :angel:

Well said!

Ever hear about the "sad clown?"

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Depression has negative effects on those who love the depressed one. If your mind is twisted by depression you think your loved ones would be better off without you. I wouldn't wish anybody anything bad to happen, but I hope that those who unepathically condemn suicide as a selfish act will make their own experiences with suffering from depression. It may change the way they judge people.

With all respect, Micha, but I think you shouldn't be "that kind guy" defending the less fortunate & so on. This is a message board, everyone has a right to voice their opinion, however controversial it may sound. It is interesting to hear from different angles. So what if we disagree? Can we not agree to disagree & call it a day w/o throwing insults? Your last sentence doesn't make sense, because Stephen said that he did experience depression.
My take on issue is having will is the key.

Hey Rangerover, Micha expressed his opinion, stop shitting on him for doing so. That's the core of your bullshit message, eh?

Stop trying to be the god of the forum.

And Micha, Jesus, stop throwing insults! I've never seen such insolent behavior on this board ;)

What now? I didn't say anything remotely bad, even added "with all respect" sticker, if you didn't notice. And the bit about throwing insults wasn't even in reference to Micha's post. Stop being snarky for no reason. Stop singling me out of all the people, the mess on this thread started before I arrived.

The irony.

It's not easy for me to express myself, though I try to be logical. I just wanted to say that no one should jump over Mr. Newcombe, he knows what is depression & as a result, he's angry & doesn't get why kill themselves to hurt their family, is all. Your "stop trying to be god of the forum" was pointless, given most of the time, I compliment everyone here. Never did I big myself up, if that's the right phrase.

I completely sympathize with Stephen's viewpoint, no matter how much I disagree with it. Fact is, A LOT of people here have first hand experience with this topic, and have a right to be emotional about it. Micha's opinion is just as valid as Newcombe's.

You could say that initially, avoing unnecessary b-words & "god of the forum" comments. I never even called you names, I don't like when people use cuss words referring to me. Please, no more of that stuff.

I shouldn't've even had to have said it initially. Everyone here has a right to their opinion...Micha as much as anyone else. You've never called me names, but I guess I'm not "that kind guy defending the less forunate" or maybe I'm not "cute" enough. Who knows.

Fucking hell...cut out all this fighting.  Got fired over the phone a few hours ago, come here hoping to get my mind off the hell my life has become, and I see this nonsense? Cut the fighting out, take it to PM,  whatever. Just quit this incessant bickering.  Please.

That's sh*t

This thread would do well in the sandbox at this point.

Despite having argued with him on more than one occasion I'm sad to see Stepthen go.

Keep the faith Billy. You have many friends on here who are rooting for you.

Agreed on all accounts.

Apologies for the bickering Billy, just had a few too many to drink tonight :-\

It's alright guys. Thank you.

Reports are that Robin's fortune had been drained to pratically nothing by 2 divorces. This makes me so angry. If you have children with someone then you pay child support every month to help pay to raise them as is your duty. Other then that once the family home is sold and the proceeds split you owe your ex f*** ALL. Get a job ladies and earn your own money.

It's sad to hear that reports started coming out that financial issues were weighing heavily on Williams in recent years, brought on by that divorce and other issues. He had a ranch which I believe he sold to cover some of it, he took a job in television to make money only to have the show canceled after (I believe) one season which also was tough to deal with, and in recent months he apparently didn't look healthy or didn't seem to be himself.

But the worst part I heard was that he was worried about a trust he had established for the children of his friend Christopher Reeve after he died, to care for them after their father was gone and after what I assume were massive medical bills, which again Williams apparently paid those bills for the family as well. One report said he was worried he would not be able to maintain the Reeve children's trust due to his own financial issues which had him near-bankruptcy.

I'm not suggesting finances were the main cause, but how messed up is it that a man who basically supported not only his family but also voluntarily supported the family of his good friend ends up so distraught over money?

Something is broken here...as in, it just ain't working.

I've been against moving active threads around too much in the past, but this thread brings up some interesting points. It's not necessarily related directly to the Beach Boys, but at the same time it can be a good conversation related to issues members here both feel strongly about and have opinions on covering many sides of the issue.

But...it really isn't a topic related to the Beach Boys. I'm leaning toward moving it.

Going forward...for this thread and others like it, would it be better to have these discussions in the Sandbox? Thoughts and opinions?

My opinion on putting such threads in the sandbox.  Sometimes a topic or event is likely something most associates here would feel strongly about such as the loss of a Robin Williams.  When I heard the news I went to the sandbox but there was nothing there.  I was glad someone posted it here under the the heading of Mikes facebook comment.  After a while, yes.  Move such threads to the sandbox.  Regulars will know to look there if they have more to say or want to read the posts.  But I think, on occasion, an "off topic" discussion could justifiably be placed here for a period of time to be decided by the moderator.

Billy's ex-boss sounds like a right pr!ck and that needs to be acknowledged on the higher profile main board at this stage.

Gutless!

Well put.

I apologise for nothing.

I've asked Craig to delete my account, despite there being some fantastic people but others drag it down. Might be back in future but who knows, take care everyone.

Thought I'd share a really great book that really opens your eyes on how to combat depression.  It's called The Feeling Good Handbook by David Burns.  He writes a series of self-help books on the subject.  

http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Good-Handbook-David-Burns/dp/0452281326/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407952107&sr=8-1&keywords=feeling+good+handbook

While depression is not easily controlled, it can be controlled and conquered with the right tools.

Amen

Thanks guys

The true chickensh*ts are coward bosses who fire others over the phone. Not Mick Jagger. Sorry man.

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People on this board love to delete their accounts after an argument  :lol

I've never understood it, just log off.

Shame to see another one go.

Don't worry. Whenever someone announces to everyone that they are going to leave, it always means they'll stick around. If a person really leaves you never notice it until long after they're gone.  :lol

I find it hilarious  ;D

They will regret leaving when the movie, album and other stuff come out later this year  :lol

I feel sad whenever a member leaves even if i didn't necessarily agree with their views.
 

Even OSD :p

It's probably for the best.

If they can't take a heated debate which results in an insult maybe a message board is not the best place for them.

I never like to be insulted but if I receive an apology in the end I'll always take the high road and move on.

Well that escalated quickly....

Agreed with Shady.

Nope. I've tried. Used to be able to (just as there used to be an 'ignore' button - ah, to have that back...) but not for a few years now.

I could be wrong but I thought this had been shown to be a myth...

While Robin Williams may well not have been happy about his financial situation, I can`t help but feel that again the depression and mental illness was probably clouding his views to some extent if this was a massive part of his anguish. He was still earning a fortune after all.

From Al's Facebook page:

What would Shady Wilson do?.. Completely agree with everything you said here.

Well, I must plead guilty of posting my answer before reading the rest of the thread. But I think you misread what he wrote: He wrote he had experience with "this" and I think he meant experience with suicide, as he later told us. He didn't say he "experience depression" but uttered his opinion that he "knows what depression is".

Two more things: Why shouldn't I be a kind guy defending the less fortunate? And what was the insult in my post again?



You got me puzzled there for a moment... until I noticed the smiley. :)

Because it sounds like a hippie move. Idk how to explain it rightly.

No, no. I was referring to Paulos, he insulted Stephen in a gross way. Just happened that I was quoting you, is all.
Friends? :3d

Still don't get what's wrong about it...



OK. :)

I've met Paulos, he's a gentle guy really, but of course one should argue with someone whose views you disagree with, not hurl insults, even if I sympathize with Paulos' feelings.

Stephen was strange in a way, in PMs he once gave me good advice about a post of mine which I only in retrospect understood that it might hurt some other poster's feelings, but then again he put himself down in an unnecessary and sad way.

This reminds me of a thread where a poster - I don't remember who - basically said Dennis deserved no pity because it was "his choice" to ruin his life with drugs and alcohol. I couldn't make him understand that commiserating someone and trying to understand his behavior doesn't mean excusing his actions which the poster thought I was doing... But I digress.

Because someone says so...  :)

A sad note I'd like to add, in my *very* humble opinion, is that I have a hunch that feelings of deep creative stagnation as artists were more than likely notable factors in both Robin Williams as well as Dennis Wilson's downfalls. For creative geniuses, doing repeated drek (as they probably viewed it) like Night at The Museum III to pay the bills, as well as the umpteenth traveling jukebox Beach Boys show could probably have been contributing factors wearing on both of these fragile souls. Obviously that's just a part of it, and there were absolutely lots of other factors involved.  

What's wrong with the Night at the Museum films? They're enjoyable family films that Robin should have felt proud to be a part of.

I agree, they're quite enjoyable films.

I think that by the time you're making a part 3 of most any franchise, you're cashing in for money to pay off your debts... I doubt it fulfilled any artistic desire. I'm sure his problems ran far far deeper than that, of course.

Oh, and I forgot: Billy, I wish you all the best, that you may find a new job soon, a better one than the one you've had (whatever it was)!

Let's face it, if you're thinking of killing yourself, you're not in a proper frame of mind; you're not thinking about the untold damage it could cause to those left behind. There is no right and wrong here. It's a whole fucking mess that most of us will be lucky enough not to encounter and probably shouldn't pass judgement on those who have

Although, a lot of the time, the person thinking of killing themselves actually believes that the ones they leave behind will actually be better off if they're gone. Sad.

Yes, but as I said, they're not thinking logically

Robin Williams was, arguably, the most fearless artist of his generation in  any field in any genre.  It wasn't just that the guy knew how to make you laugh, he told you the truth and a truth that was hidden beneath the laughs. People like Williams are able to see the world and see how f***ed-up and absurd and how patently unfair this world is and point out, using humor, that very fact.  To be that brilliant at expressing that with comedy, you have to conversely know and have experienced depths and despair and depression. People ask "why would  such a funny guy be depressed". His depression was what contributed to his brand of humor.  They were different sides of the same coin.  Being in tune with his contemplative and dark side was what made him an even more brilliantly dramatic actor (for a truly disturbing performance, try the 2002 film ONE HOUR PHOTO). That dramatic side is what made his comedic side make sense.

This is a guy who has more than earned enough success in his career doing all kinds of films that, at age 63, he should have had the luxury to be a Bill Murray and be able to pick and choose the projects that he wanted to do instead of the projects that he needed to do in order to pay the bills.  What is sad about the end of his career is that even the "safe" choices that he was forced to make weren't paying off (how many of you even knew that there had been a 2013 Robin Williams TV sitcom?). Nothing against Night at the Museum and other family popcorn fare.  But perhaps Williams wanted more and was frustrated that the inability to have that was out of his hands.

(for a truly disturbing performance, try the 2002 film ONE HOUR PHOTO).

Andy, that's a great movie! 8)

It's called manic depression, it's a mental illness.

Allow me to quote in full little-known British comedian Alan Sharp's lovely Facebook post on the subject:

Depression is an ugly motherfucker. It takes so much light out of the world, and for those of us on the sidelines it leaves us impotent, wanting so much to help but completely powerless to do so, knowing we're making things worse by being there but scared of what will happen if we leave. RIP Robin Williams. You made so many people happy in life, most of us will never know why one of them couldn't have been you.

I wish Robin had gone back to the stand up fulltime if he wasn't getting the acting roles he desired. I hate to think that Robin felt he had nothing left to give the world. I was talking to a friend at work today about his passing and we both agreed that in a world where someone famous dies every month, this has hit us both hard.

Family popcorn fare was a huge part of his career though and always had been. One of the things he was most famous for.

As he was reportedly worth $50m and had a $35m house to sell, he wasn`t in the desperate financial situation that some are suggesting.

Surprised that no one has mentioned the new statement by Williams' wife that he was clean and sober but in the early stages of Parkinson's disease.

Late in the thead but I have seen the words "decision" and "thinking" regarding suicide here and elsewhere.  From what I know the mental state before suicide is pretty distorted and irrational, forms of psychosis and psychotic depression.   So there ain't a lot to work with in terms of making a decision.

The time to take action is long before, when one feels bad but not that bad yet.  It's a pride thing, people tend to be afraid to ask for help, seeing that as weak.  Just the opposite is true,  revealing faults and weaknesses is a sign of strenghth and confidence.

From what I understand Williams was under great financial pressure, which is a common predicate to depression and suicide along with romantic problems, career problems.  So those problems are the warning signs for  many of us.

Exactly correct!

Glad you mentioned it. 

It makes a difference. 

He appeared to have worked hard on his sobriety. 

What is clear is that he is missed.