On Robin Williams' death

I haven't posted something in so long, and it feels kind of strange to do so now. But, over the past couple of days I have felt a little more introspective, which has lead me to post a couple of things on Facebook that are more serious than typical for me. Anyway, I thought I would re-post my reaction to Robin Williams' death here. 

From my Facebook:

I just wanted to flesh out a comment I made relating to the tragic death of Robin Williams that struck a chord with me. I wrote, "I think we collectively feel the loss of [this] 'joy giver' much more acutely today because of the cascade of horrific stories that have dominated the news feeds, which feel so overwhelming."

Even a cursory reading of current events makes it plainly evident that darkness is spreading in many corners of the world, and even in certain places here at home. There is a prevailing sense that evil has the upper hand. And the trend lines are not positive. Our society places great value upon those relatively few individuals who lift us out of despair by making us laugh, love, think, sing, etc. For many, these celebrities provide a respite from suffering, fear, and sadness. Robin Williams was one of those individuals--a light in the darkness. His light was extinguished in an unexpected and tragic way today--and the darkness advanced yet a little more. 

I added: 

There are precious few "joy givers" in this world, which makes us feel his loss so much more intensely. This sadness is exacerbated by the idea that Mr. Williams apparently didn't know how much he was truly loved. Another important point, I think, is that as our entertainment options have become increasingly digitized, our choices have increased substantially. Prior to the internet and cable TV there were only the networks on which our favorite shows were broadcast once a week (or during holidays). It was a shared experience that helped to shape our culture. The explosive growth in our entertainment options has been mostly positive. But arguably it has had at lease one deleterious affect in that many of us no longer share the same heroes/villains. I think this is one of the reasons for our collective sadness.