Belushi.

March 5, 2002 5:01 PM

Belushi. Even before he died, John could drift off into space and become an angel, a tribal God of comedy, and I worshipped him. 20 years later, I still do. Bye-bye John.
posted by xowie (12 comments total)

20 years, huh? My word, time flies. I remember that John Belushi was the walking definition of funny. Just about every self-proclaimed "outrageous" comic running around today owes something to this man.
I also remember that John and Thurman Munson were the first two celebrity deaths that saddened me as much as if I'd lost a freind.
posted by jonmc at 6:31 PM on March 5, 2002

John Lennon's was the first death that mattered to me. (I was nine and still hadn't lost any close relatives or pets.) John Belushi's was number two. Great link, xowie. Thanks.
posted by jpoulos at 6:34 PM on March 5, 2002

Oh, for the days when people stayed home to watched Saturday Night Live!
posted by ParisParamus at 7:44 PM on March 5, 2002

Damn, that just crushed me. And I'm sure that the DEA-types counted Belushi's OD as just another casuality in the war on drugs, but a *good* one, since it got them a lot of publicity. Grr. I still miss John Belushi, the world is a much sadder place without him. If there's any justice, he's in heaven, enjoying all the killer green he could ever want....
posted by Lynsey at 7:52 PM on March 5, 2002

Lynsey, that's the nicest thing I've read all day.
posted by Optamystic at 10:12 PM on March 5, 2002

It's good to finally hear the story of John's life and death from the perspective of one of those who helped perpetuate the habit which led to his demise.

His stamina was astonishing. He would come by after shooting the film on Friday, hang out for a few hours, leave late at night, fly to New York, rehearse "Saturday Night Live" the next day, and I would watch him from L.A. live that night. The next morning he'd be banging on my door...

At least now we know. It wasn't the drugs that killed him: it was the jetlag. I'm glad someone finally straightened that out.
posted by ZachsMind at 11:11 PM on March 5, 2002

The author of this little ego-trip gets to play Hollywood Drug Butler to the Stars, probably made a bundle of cash in the process, yet manages to paint himself as a victim of just about everyone, including a rampaging Bob Woodward. Sickening.

We miss you, JB.
posted by groundhog at 6:07 AM on March 6, 2002

Get out of here! John Belushi? Funny? Go back and look at his movies. Go back and look at the old SNLs. The man made his name in National Lampoon's "Lemmings," show, and for only one reason: He had the guts to make fun of Joe Cocker's spazbo gesticulations at a time when rock stars (even Cocker) were considered gods, and above mere satire. We were blown away by the sheer bravery of someone our own age pointing out the obvious (that many rock stars are ridiculous), and went on to believe that Belushi had some kind of limitless supply of arrows in his comedic quiver. He did not. He burned out, blew his mind on drugs, and died a slug's death. He, like John Lennon, didn't have the talent to live up to the overblown adulation he received. Joe Cocker, for whatever reason, lived on.
posted by Faze at 12:20 PM on March 6, 2002

I will suppress the nearly overwhelming urge to type up a screed and just say that as an actor--a comic actor (using my best Jon Lovitz voice)--I disagree with pretty much everything Faze says (minus some of Belushi's terrible movies). The man was a fireball.

And the Lennon knock just seems weird and pointlessly bomb-throwing.
posted by Skot at 12:33 PM on March 6, 2002

It's not even bomb-throwing. It's shit-flinging.
posted by jpoulos at 4:59 PM on March 6, 2002

Faze, from this old thread, I know that you have good taste. Please go rent a copy of Best of Belushi and take another look at "Samurai Delicatessen" and "Luck of the Irish" and review your comment. I wouldn't wanna have to change my mind about your judgement.
posted by jonmc at 5:18 PM on March 6, 2002

John Belushi, 20 Years Later
posted by surfmoc at 9:07 PM on March 6, 2002