Rebuilding Rob

I swear, I had no intention of writing about this, but here goes…

Unless you’ve living under a rock lately, he probably heard that Matthew Perry passed away this past Saturday. He was just 54 years old, which is enough to give me pause.

I must admit that I was never a big fan of friends. I watched the show during the first one, maybe two seasons. Back when they look like real young people, instead of looking like movie stars, trying to play 20 and 30 somethings. So I must admit that I don’t have quite the sentimental attachment to the show as millions of other people seem to.

Even in the short time that I watched friends, Chandler was by far my favorite character. He was witty, sarcastic, and had a deadpan approach to humor. I remember seeing him in the movies, Fools Rush In and The Whole 9 Yards, where he played characters in the same vein as Chandler.

I also remember him playing a suicidal teen in an early episode of Beverly Hills 90210. Similarly, he also appeared in3 episodes of Growing Pains, as Carol’s boyfriend, who, ironically, enough, does as a result of drunk, driving.

Professionally, Perry will be best remembered as Chandler; but the man himself said that he would rather be remembered for the work he did, helping recovering addicts like himself. I read a clip from an interview recently, where he had said he was very good at helping people on the road to recovery; even if he wasn’t very good at the recovery process himself.

Perry’s demons were publicly known. Watching episodes of Friends, one could see the fluctuations in his weight from season to season as he battled his demons.

I’ve always been fascinated by the way that once people die, particularly celebrities, we put them on this pedestal; as if death suddenly has elevated them to be in a beautiful human being, or an extraordinary artist. Does anybody remember when it was suddenly OK to listen to Michael Jackson records again – but only after his death? Why is it that we only give people their flowers after they’ve died?

We always tend to do this, when famous people die, but I think there’s more to it in the case of Matthew Perry. Granted, Friends was an enormously popular sitcom. Like it or not, friends was something of a touchstone for a generation; or at least, a highlight of a particular moment in time. Maybe it’s because fans understand that they will never get a “true“ Friends reunion.

In a sense, this is almost like the changing of the guard, once again. The world has lost its share of 80s celebrities: Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Prince . Now the universe is plucking off some of the celebrities from the 1990s as well. It’s just another reminder that I’m getting older. Because, you know, the “Rob: season 50“ category on this blog, my achy legs, or the fact that I am becoming more attracted to silver foxes and “milf“ types wasn’t an indicator already…

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. All of your views, likes, follows are greatly appreciated! Be sure to follow me on social media as well. Check out some of my most recent posts:

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The article “Requiem for a Smartass” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob