Date: April 22, 2025
Author: Casey Thompson
I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, and I feel like I need to get it off my chest. I don’t understand people’s attachment to Robin Williams. I know that might sound cold or even terrible because so many people loved him deeply. I get that—he was an iconic figure in comedy and film, and his death left a huge hole for so many people. But for some reason, I just don’t get it.
It’s not that I don’t recognize his talent. I do. It’s undeniable how innovative and entertaining he was. He brought an energy to the screen that was unlike anyone else’s. It’s just that his style of humor—the rapid-fire, go-go-go energy, the almost frantic wordplay—has never quite resonated with me. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s just a personal taste thing, but I often find myself feeling overwhelmed by it instead of amused. It’s like I’m watching him perform, but I’m not really connecting with the humor. I can see it’s clever, I can see it’s sharp, but something about it just doesn’t land for me.
I guess what really trips me up is the way people seem to connect with him, not just the characters he played. I see so many people who adore his off-the-cuff, improvisational style, like they’ve discovered some secret language that I’m just not fluent in. I can’t help but feel like I’m on the outside looking in, like I missed the memo on how to truly appreciate his comedic essence. It’s almost like everyone around me got the joke, and I’m stuck in the back row, confused by the punchline.
And that makes me feel bad, honestly. I hate feeling like I’m not in on something that means so much to others. I think about how his passing affected so many people, how they still miss him, and I feel bad that I can’t quite share in that grief the same way. I mean, how do you express sympathy for someone who meant so much to so many, when you just don’t understand what they saw in him? It feels like I’m missing out on something, and that bothers me.
It’s a strange place to be in—respecting his legacy, acknowledging the impact he had, but not truly understanding the depth of his influence the way so many others do. I think about how people still quote his lines, share his interviews, or get emotional when talking about him, and I can’t help but wonder what it is that I’m missing.
But I guess that’s the thing with art, right? Everyone sees something different in it. Maybe I’m just not meant to fully understand the magic of Robin Williams the way others do. And that’s okay.
