I think that for Americans of my generation Williams has ALWAYS been hugely famous and the-funniest-man-in-the-world. Even if we were turned off at times by the needy manic quality of his stand-up comedy and talk show appearances or by the goopy sentimentality of some of the film roles he chose and the performances he gave in them (both of which, given his death, seem now like aspects of bipolarity), he was nonetheless simply part of our mental and cultural furniture. And that is why his death seems epochal, a feeling which is likely magnified if one is Californian (especially Northern Californian) or moves in "liberal" circles (where Williams was active).
I often have a San Francisco sports radio channel on as background noise in the house (don't judge). Today the hosts have dispensed with speaking of baseball, football, and golf (except for Williams's great monologue on how that last game was conceived...) and instead are allowing callers to share their memories of Williams's greatest moments and of their encounters with the man himself, who lived most of his life in and identified strongly with the Bay Area. It has been interesting to hear one story after another of an unfailingly kind, generous, and philanthropic Williams who apparently was thoroughly decent (and better) on numerous occasions, even as he negotiated (on one hand) his successful and lucrative career and (on the other) his challenges with addiction, depression, and marital disharmony.
This piece also comes from the world of sports journalism. I find it the most rewarding and perceptive analysis of Williams that I have read today (warnings: it doesn't pull punches in criticizing some of his work and it rather revels in profanity):
http://grantland.com/hollywood-prosp...ath-1951-2014/
Linear Mode
