Ossie Davis is dead

[Bluke4x4]

Ossie Davis, known for his memorable roles in Bubba Ho-Tep, Dinosaur, Dr. Dolittle, and many other movies I have not seen, died on February 4, 2005. He was 88.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

We're on a death spree, it seems. Johnny Carson, [the guy who played whatshisname in Law and Order], Canto e Castro (a great Portuguese actor), and now Ossie Davis...

<shudder>

[DGMacphee]

Da Mayor is dead. Long live Da Mayor.

Incidently, today I learnt he gave eulogies at both Malcom X and Martin Luther King's funerals. Hunt down his eulogy for Malcom X -- it's one of the most beautiful things you'll ever read.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Can't you just link us lazy bums?

BTW, as far as eulogies go, it has to be pretty good to top John Cleese's for Graham Chapman.

[DGMacphee]

No, I can't because I don't know where to find it on the web. But I'm sure it's out there. Trust me, you lazy bums, it's worth finding.

[BOYD1981]

why the hell do people care so much when a celebrity dies? somebody from my town died the other day, don't see me devoting a thread to him.
damn celebrity worshippers.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

People care when they see that someone who made that mark on the world died. Whoever small that mark is, it's always an achievement. Am I saying being in a film means making your mark? Well, no, of course not - truth be told, I don't really know who Ossie Davis is. But other people do, so I guess he must have made his mark. Look at it this way, many people know his name. That means he made a mark. Other people, like Brando and Mercury and Elvis and Bogart, still are remembered and hommaged and praised. They made a bigger mark, and are treated accordingly.

"Regular everyday people" tend to die unnoticed, so to speak, and that isn't always fair, but sometimes, the funerals and feelings and general love for the departed is much more sincere and precious than, say, the love Bogarts' fans felt for him.

Besides, this is a public place. It's usually public matters that are posted, and while a celebrity's life SHOULDN't be public... well, people liked him/her, so they make it their business to KNOW about said celebrity, so like it or lump it, it becomes public. Private sorrows usually aren't posted in such a public place. Although I'm sure that if they were, the responses would be very sympathetic - this is a very caring community, after all.

[Babar]

Om Puri, the guy who played the evil priest in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (among other things) also died last week.

My town's "Jesus lookalike" also died last week. That is, he looked like the usual pictures that represent Jesus. I didn't even know the poor guy's name, but I was very friendly with him.
It DOES seem like there are a lot of people dying recently. Or maybe I am just more aware of it now.

[DGMacphee]

why the hell do people care so much when a celebrity dies? somebody from my town died the other day, don't see me devoting a thread to him.
damn celebrity worshippers.

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise your neighbour was one of the most prominent black actors in history as well as one of the leading social advocates for black entertainers, which includes but is not limited to delivering a eulogy describing Malcom X as a "black shining prince".

In other words, you're an idiot, Boyd. It has nothing to do with being celebrity and all to do with being someone who actually did something important.

But hey, if you think your neighbour achieved as much with his life as Ossie, then start your own thread. Just don't resort to writing your usual bonehead commentary in this one.

[TerranRich]

BOYD, shut up already. You say that everytime we honor a loved person and a cherished role model.

[HillBilly]

truth be told, I don't really know who Ossie Davis is.

Well, you don't even know who MC Hammer is, so I'm not too suprised. 



But I don't know him either, so I guess I don't have much to say.

[BOYD1981]

In other words, you're an idiot, Boyd. in this one.

me an idiot? i'm not the one getting all pissy because somebody said something about celebrity worship.
if somebody having a different opinion to somebody else makes them an idiot then the world would have imploded under the weight on humanity's stupidity, moron.

[Nacho]

I don't think you are an idiot BOYD...

But your opinion in front this posts (which are mainly made for receiving healing words from the mates of a very sensitive community), approach you a lot to stupidity, in my honest opinion.

Bluke4X4 was looking for polite words about a person he admired enough to care for him. If you don't have something nice to say... please... shut up.

[earlwood]

Just thought I'd post Malcolm X Eulogy that DG was talking about

"Here - at this final hour, in this quiet place - Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its brightest hopes -extinguished now, and gone from us forever. For Harlem is where he worked and where he struggled and fought - his home of homes, where his heart was, and where his people are - and it is, therefore, most fitting that we meet once again - in Harlem - to share these last moments with him. For Harlem has ever been gracious to those who have loved her, have fought her, and have defended her honor even to the death.

It is not in the memory of man that this beleaguered, unfortunate, but nonetheless proud community has found a braver, more gallant young champion than this Afro-American who lies before us - unconquered still. I say the word again, as he would want me to : Afro-American - Afro-American Malcolm, who was a master, was most meticulous in his use of words. Nobody knew better than he the power words have over minds of men. Malcolm had stopped being a 'Negro' years ago. It had become too small, too puny, too weak a word for him. Malcolm was bigger than that. Malcolm had become an Afro-American and he wanted - so desperately - that we, that all his people, would become Afro-Americans too.

There are those who will consider it their duty, as friends of the Negro people, to tell us to revile him, to flee, even from the presence of his memory, to save ourselves by writing him out of the history of our turbulent times. Many will ask what Harlem finds to honor in this stormy, controversial and bold young captain - and we will smile. Many will say turn away - away from this man, for he is not a man but a demon, a monster, a subverter and an enemy of the black man - and we will smile. They will say that he is of hate - a fanatic, a racist - who can only bring evil to the cause for which you struggle! And we will answer and say to them : Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him, or have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he ever do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence or any public disturbance? For if you did you would know him. And if you knew him you would know why we must honor him.

Malcolm was our manhood, our living, black manhood! This was his meaning to his people. And, in honoring him, we honor the best in ourselves. Last year, from Africa, he wrote these words to a friend: 'My journey', he says, 'is almost ended, and I have a much broader scope than when I started out, which I believe will add new life and dimension to our struggle for freedom and honor and dignity in the States. I am writing these things so that you will know for a fact the tremendous sympathy and support we have among the African States for our Human Rights struggle. The main thing is that we keep a United Front wherein our most valuable time and energy will not be wasted fighting each other.' However we may have differed with him - or with each other about him and his value as a man - let his going from us serve only to bring us together, now.

Consigning these mortal remains to earth, the common mother of all, secure in the knowledge that what we place in the ground is no more now a man - but a seed - which, after the winter of our discontent, will come forth again to meet us. And we will know him then for what he was and is - a Prince - our own black shining Prince! - who didn't hesitate to die, because he loved us so."

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

God bless him, it IS beautiful.

[BOYD1981]

Bluke4X4 was looking for polite words about a person he admired enough to care for him. If you don't have something nice to say... please... shut up.

how do you know he admired him?
he could have just posted that because he found out and didn't have anything else to do and assumed that he's the only person that knows.
and people telling me that they think i'm stupid and to shut up doesn't bother me in the slightest, i'm entitled to have and express my own opinions and i shall continue to do so, and i can also do so without resorting to tell people i think they're stupid and think they'll take notice when i tell them to shut up.
a more intelligent thing to do would have been to just delete my original post rather than replying.
anyway, i hope more people die soon so they can all get their own special thread, or even better, if they all died at the same time so there could be one big thread for all of them, now wouldn't that be swell?

[TerranRich]

Hmm, heated words. Heated...erm...or should I say flaming?

[Peter Thomas]

how do you know he admired him?
he could have just posted that because he found out and didn't have anything else to do and assumed that he's the only person that knows.

I'm sorry boyd - I love you, you know that (not like THAT) - but that just made me laugh. I'm not saying these forums are void of attention-seeking, whoring dummies, but Bluke isn't one of them (from what I can tell). And as much as I agree that celebrities more often than not get worshipped for dumb reasons, Ossie wasn't one of them. This guy was like Saint Theresa except black and male and slightly less wrinkled. And more fluent english.

[DGMacphee]

me an idiot? i'm not the one getting all pissy because somebody said something about celebrity worship.
if somebody having a different opinion to somebody else makes them an idiot then the world would have imploded under the weight on humanity's stupidity, moron.

WOW YUO SURE SHOWD ME

Let me put it this way: If say Ben Affleck had died and someone started a thread on him, I'd expect at least someone (especially you) to say "OMG! WHO CAERS!! HE'S JUST A CELEBRITTY!" and it wouldn't matter to me at all.

It's not that you have a different opinion, stupid. It's that you're, as always, stating an opinon without much thought being put into what you're actually saying. And since you were being thoughtless as usual, I think I have every right to call you an idiot. But then again, I should take that back since your knowledge of astrophysics (explained with shitty metaphors) exceeds all bounds. Wait till I call the Nobel Academy to award you the Dipshit Peace Prize... IN SCIEANCE!!1!

[BOYD1981]

you know, you're really not that funny.
but then again you're not all that predictable, i was expecting one of your usual pictures of Mr. T and something "witty" under it, well done, you have truly surprised me.
also, rich, if anyone is flaming it's DG, he started namecalling and it isn't because of what i said, it's because of the simple fact he doesn't like me, which is okay, he's a special person and i wish him and his family well.