Carrie Fisher (1956-2016)
December 27, 2016 10:09 AM   Subscribe

 
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posted by Joey Michaels at 10:09 AM on December 27, 2016


This. Fucking. Year.

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posted by SansPoint at 10:09 AM on December 27, 2016 [27 favorites]


Dammit.

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posted by From Bklyn at 10:10 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


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posted by Windopaene at 10:10 AM on December 27, 2016


).(
posted by thelonius at 10:10 AM on December 27, 2016 [7 favorites]


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posted by double bubble at 10:10 AM on December 27, 2016




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posted by drezdn at 10:10 AM on December 27, 2016


Vader's nooooooooooooo is appropriate now.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 10:10 AM on December 27, 2016 [8 favorites]


For fuck's sake.
posted by Bibliogeek at 10:10 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


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This is hitting me pretty hard, I have a hard time finding the words to express how much I appreciated her writing and wit, some of my favorite films I only realised later had been through her hands. She was amazing.
posted by Carillon at 10:10 AM on December 27, 2016 [27 favorites]


GOD DAMMIT, 2016, AFTER YOU TOOK GEORGE MICHAEL WE HAD A DEAL.

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posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:11 AM on December 27, 2016 [22 favorites]


What is 2016 trying to teach us? .
posted by mrdaneri at 10:11 AM on December 27, 2016 [6 favorites]


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Fuck this fucking year.
posted by skycrashesdown at 10:11 AM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


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posted by mikelieman at 10:11 AM on December 27, 2016


The entire galaxy mourns.

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posted by Beethoven's Sith at 10:11 AM on December 27, 2016 [13 favorites]


FUCK FUCK FUCK
posted by corb at 10:12 AM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


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posted by dogstoevski at 10:12 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


. This makes me crazy sad. Less for our movie star, Carrie Fisher, more for our outspoken, hilarious, caustic Carrie Fisher. I'm looking forward to the 3rd series of Catastrophe to get to see one more bit of her.
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:12 AM on December 27, 2016 [74 favorites]


That's very sad. It's going to give her scenes in the next movies hard to watch.
posted by codacorolla at 10:12 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


Not even one hope.

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posted by Samizdata at 10:12 AM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


Rest in peace, Ms. Fisher. You were a terrific talent that managed to shine and create remarkable work despite lifelong struggle. Thank you for what you gave to us.
posted by LooseFilter at 10:12 AM on December 27, 2016 [7 favorites]


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posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 10:13 AM on December 27, 2016


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Damn it, I thought she'd pull through.
posted by threetwentytwo at 10:13 AM on December 27, 2016 [13 favorites]


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posted by valkane at 10:13 AM on December 27, 2016


The Force is with her.


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and fuck you 2016. I'm now shuddering at the thought of someting out of the Tower of London
posted by infini at 10:13 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


At least she'll still visit us as a Force ghost

Right?

fuck.
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:13 AM on December 27, 2016 [28 favorites]


Pray 2016 does not alter the deal any further.

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posted by mubba at 10:13 AM on December 27, 2016 [58 favorites]


What a damned loss. I wish I had an iota of her zeal for life, her grit, and gift with words. That being said, I suppose it's somewhat apropos to be losing the leader of the rebellion right now.
posted by jacy at 10:13 AM on December 27, 2016 [36 favorites]


Well, crap.

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posted by Thorzdad at 10:13 AM on December 27, 2016


It's because of people like her who have a platform and speak out about their own mental illness, that the stigma is slowly lifting. She was a tremendous advocate.

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posted by 80 Cats in a Dog Suit at 10:13 AM on December 27, 2016 [119 favorites]


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God damn it. I was really hoping she would pull through.
posted by dellsolace at 10:13 AM on December 27, 2016


Oh, god damn it. I am so sad. Thanks for everything, Carrie.

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posted by Sophie1 at 10:13 AM on December 27, 2016


I liked her a lot as an actress.

I loved her as a writer.

RIP.
posted by maxsparber at 10:14 AM on December 27, 2016 [11 favorites]


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posted by ElDiabloConQueso at 10:14 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by Skorgu at 10:14 AM on December 27, 2016


Carrie Fisher drowned in moonlight, strangled by her own bra.

Peace and love to her family, both real and for those of us who knew her through her writing, acting, and other talents.
posted by miratime at 10:14 AM on December 27, 2016 [97 favorites]


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posted by condour75 at 10:15 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by angelchrys at 10:15 AM on December 27, 2016


This hit me harder than I thought it would, even with the "warning" of the last few days to get ready. I'm of the next generation -- the one that grew up with her as a not-quite-current sex symbol, but still iconic -- but Carrie Fisher seemed eternally youthful. Sure, she looked older than the not-yet-21 she obviously was in Star Wars, but she never looked her age, ever. Even as she battled her demons, she still felt like that kooky aunt who was way younger than your mom and blew through town every year or so and sent postcards with gorgeous foreign stamps on them, and always got you either the absolute best Christmas present or something exceptionally weird that you only realize years later was an awesome present (she forgot birthdays, though, or else was wildly off on how old you were).

She's not gone. She's just hiking the Himalayas again.

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posted by Etrigan at 10:15 AM on December 27, 2016 [130 favorites]




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posted by pointystick at 10:15 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by Captain_Science at 10:15 AM on December 27, 2016


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Maybe I'll be able to write more later. In short. The first woman hero I knew as kid. She messed with the whole damsel in distress trope. She took charge. Princess Leia helped shape me in so many ways. Adult me appreciated adult Carrie, how she dealt with her troubles, her outlook, her attitude just her.

So much love for so many reasons.
posted by Jalliah at 10:16 AM on December 27, 2016 [38 favorites]


Just saw Rogue One yesterday and <SPOILERS>After seeing the CGI version of her, thought how much I was looking forward to seeing the real deal next year.</SPOILERS>

She was a role model for a generation for being a kick ass woman both on and off screen.

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posted by gwint at 10:16 AM on December 27, 2016 [8 favorites]


And pats and skritches to Gary, who was always at her side. :(
posted by miratime at 10:16 AM on December 27, 2016 [10 favorites]


At least young SW fans got a chance to see her on the big screen one last time. RIP.
posted by Beholder at 10:16 AM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


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posted by Canageek at 10:16 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by Small Dollar at 10:16 AM on December 27, 2016


I've really enjoyed watching her as Rob Delaney's acerbic mother on Catastrophe. I was never a big Star Wars fan, but loved Postcards from the Edge.
posted by BooneTheCowboyToy at 10:18 AM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


Can we set 2016 on fire yet

Fuck this one hurts
posted by schadenfrau at 10:18 AM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


. for all of her amazing work. (Catch her in Catastrophe, if you haven't seen it. She's amazing.)
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:18 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by Bacon Bit at 10:18 AM on December 27, 2016


I... I didn't think I had any tears left for this fucking year.

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Fuck.
posted by The Bellman at 10:18 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


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posted by Artw at 10:18 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


fuck

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posted by postcommunism at 10:19 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by grumpybear69 at 10:19 AM on December 27, 2016


to me, she's royalty
posted by French Fry at 10:19 AM on December 27, 2016 [21 favorites]


This is going to be an even harder one to process.
For dudes my age, Princess Leia was a strong, uncompromising female hero given to us at early enough an age that it didn't seem as revolutionary to us as it must have to boys born even just a few years earlier. It wasn't a subversion of roles to us, it just *was*
It's because of Fisher's perfectly-balanced performance that a whole generation of men grew up never thinking twice about women being leaders. Why wouldnt they?
That a part in a low budget 1970's space opera could leave that kind of long cultural tail is huge and it wouldn't have left a legacy that resonant with any other actress in the role.


posted by Senor Cardgage at 10:19 AM on December 27, 2016 [124 favorites]


carrie was on record enjoying obese male fans dressing up in slave leia drag. Internet, you know what to do.
posted by joeyh at 10:19 AM on December 27, 2016 [54 favorites]


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posted by Wobbuffet at 10:19 AM on December 27, 2016


I just listened to her Fresh Air interview.

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posted by i_have_a_computer at 10:19 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


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posted by Joe in Australia at 10:20 AM on December 27, 2016


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We just saw her on 8 Out of 10 Cats!
posted by Kitteh at 10:20 AM on December 27, 2016


Postcards from the Edge is terrifically readable and smart. Highly recommended.
posted by latkes at 10:20 AM on December 27, 2016 [10 favorites]


I don't know why this is hitting me so hard, but I am actually crying in front of family right now. Possibly because it's bringing back thoughts of losing my own mother at a similar age to a heart attack. I wasn't sure if it was best for Ms. Fisher to survive, not knowing how damaging her heart attack had been, but I harbored a small bit of hope. And now, I cry.
posted by dawg-proud at 10:21 AM on December 27, 2016 [7 favorites]


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posted by Blue Jello Elf at 10:21 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by riverlife at 10:21 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by nickmark at 10:21 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by holmesian at 10:21 AM on December 27, 2016


No. No no no no no.

I think it was Cracked who pointed out how Princess Leia had just witnessed the destruction of her entire planet and everyone she had ever known, and yet was expected to comfort Luke, who was unhappy over the death of his mentor whom he had only known for a few days.

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posted by Melismata at 10:21 AM on December 27, 2016 [124 favorites]


I was dealing somewhat okay with this until I noticed that the pinned tweet at the top of Gary The Dog's Twitter feed was dated 12/23 and shows him waiting for her to come home. And now I'm a teary mess.
posted by ashirys at 10:22 AM on December 27, 2016 [40 favorites]


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posted by Silverstone at 10:22 AM on December 27, 2016


This series of tweets by Julie DiCaro summed it up perfectly for me.
Few characters loomed larger for Gen X women than Princess Leia, perhaps the first heroine we saw, as children,

sometimes out-battled them, and frequently took charge of the situation.

Leia wasn't afraid to yell, correct the men around her, or tell everyone to shut up.

She was beautiful, but also smart, pushy, and bossy. All the things many of us were told girls weren't supposed to be.

Later in life, she became a hero to me for who she was off the screen. A brilliant, funny writer who struggled with mental illness

and wasn't afraid to talk about it. Her tweets were a biting commentary on society and usually hysterically funny.
posted by AFABulous at 10:22 AM on December 27, 2016 [55 favorites]


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posted by monocultured at 10:22 AM on December 27, 2016



My sister is sitting in the theatre waiting for Rogue One to start. Said there were all these gasps, word spread and now the theatre is crying.
posted by Jalliah at 10:22 AM on December 27, 2016 [47 favorites]


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posted by wintersweet at 10:22 AM on December 27, 2016


sigh.

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posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 10:22 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by jabo at 10:22 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by get off of my cloud at 10:22 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


🌟
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:23 AM on December 27, 2016


A brave, beautiful, brainy, bold woman. Witty, vivacious, and way, way too young.

(and co-signing Senor Cardgage's comment.)
posted by entropicamericana at 10:23 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


Dammit.

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posted by allthinky at 10:23 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by Karmakaze at 10:23 AM on December 27, 2016


That's 137 posts now in 2016 tagged with "obituary", compared with 95 in 2015. Two data points aren't a trend, but seriously, WTF 2016.

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posted by wanderingmind at 10:23 AM on December 27, 2016 [14 favorites]


She has become more powerful than we can possibly imagine.
posted by pjern at 10:23 AM on December 27, 2016 [56 favorites]


Talking to my teenaged Star Wars obsessed niece about her, and I had the sudden realization of the influence Carrie Fisher had on my very young life. Star Wars came out when I was 6. Thanks to her portrayal, plus Lynda Carter, plus the daily example of my mum, I learned women could be tough and heroic. Never thought of how big her influence was in my life before.

I'll miss her and forever thankful for her Leia.
posted by honestcoyote at 10:23 AM on December 27, 2016 [14 favorites]


This year has been an advent calendar of death.


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posted by FallowKing at 10:24 AM on December 27, 2016 [9 favorites]


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I saw Rogue One with my 12-year-old daughter last night. There was an audible gasp in the audience when Leia appeared and I couldn't help thinking that 2016 would get her yet. So sorry to be right.
posted by bgribble at 10:24 AM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


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posted by benzenedream at 10:25 AM on December 27, 2016




Dammit.

She was one of the best role models for me as I tried to live more openly with mental illness (not that hiding it was going to keep being an option). She showed me that I could be bipolar as all fuck and still hope to be funny and classy while I found ways to get by.

This post is about her, not me, but damn, did I look up to her, maybe more so than anyone else we lost this year. What an amazing woman!
posted by bibliowench at 10:26 AM on December 27, 2016 [18 favorites]


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Far, far too young. I can't with the words right now.
posted by ultranos at 10:26 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


I think it was Cracked who pointed out how Princess Leia had just witnessed the destruction of her entire planet and everyone she had ever known, and yet was expected to comfort Luke, who was unhappy over the death of his mentor (whom he had only known for a few days).

I'd like to think that was because Leia, as so memorably played by Fisher, is so very much stronger than Luke.

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posted by Doktor Zed at 10:26 AM on December 27, 2016 [32 favorites]


Jesus fucking Christ.

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posted by chococat at 10:26 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


Shit. I have so much respect for her. This is just way too sad. I feel like she had so much more to say to (me) all of us.
posted by heyho at 10:26 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


welp.

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posted by Theta States at 10:26 AM on December 27, 2016


I don't remember the first time I saw someone on Tumblr refer to her as Space Mom, but that's how I thought of her from that moment on. I'm not usually one to get seriously upset at losing celebrities, but this feels like losing a family member.
posted by Sequence at 10:27 AM on December 27, 2016 [16 favorites]


This is going to be an even harder one to process.
For dudes my age, Princess Leia was a strong, uncompromising female hero given to us at early enough an age that it didn't seem as revolutionary to us as it must have to boys born even just a few years earlier. It wasn't a subversion of roles to us, it just *was*
It's because of Fisher's perfectly-balanced performance that a whole generation of men grew up never thinking twice about women being leaders. Why wouldnt they?
That a part in a low budget 1970's space opera could leave that kind of long cultural tail is huge and it wouldn't have left a legacy that resonant with any other actress in the role.



At Christmas dinner I was talking about how when we were kids and would play act shows and movies Princess Leia was the only female character that I can ever recall a boy agreeing to play. Didn't happen often because usually one us girls would play her but I do remember a few times with boys being okay with it when one of us wanted to play one of the boy parts.
We would play a lot of different things but beside Leia I don't recall any boy playing a girl part ever.
posted by Jalliah at 10:27 AM on December 27, 2016 [19 favorites]


Very sad, but not surprising as the toll her drug abuse took was apparent during her public appearances for TFA.

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posted by riruro at 10:27 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


So the first actor to be replaced by a synthespian while still alive dies a week later? I thought American Flagg! was supposed to dystopian, not optimistic...
posted by nicwolff at 10:27 AM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]




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posted by mondo dentro at 10:28 AM on December 27, 2016


From the Richard Adams thread, but also appropriate:

My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today.

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posted by fight or flight at 10:28 AM on December 27, 2016 [17 favorites]


My eyes were opened to her being so more than a pretty actress after I listened to her read "Wishful Drinking." What a bright candle, now snuffed. Peace to you, crazy/wonderful lady, and to your daughter and to Gary.
posted by wenestvedt at 10:28 AM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


It should be some comfort that thousands of people are feeling like this. And it is.

But damn do I feel alone right now.

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posted by rewil at 10:29 AM on December 27, 2016


(@),o_o,(@)
posted by gatorae at 10:29 AM on December 27, 2016 [26 favorites]


Oh, for-- God damn it.

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posted by lovecrafty at 10:29 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


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posted by 4ster at 10:30 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by carter at 10:30 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by thedarksideofprocyon at 10:31 AM on December 27, 2016


Oh, my GenX heart. Princess Leia (and Wonder Woman) were my heroes as a little girl in the 70s. And Carrie just kept giving and writing and kicking ass. When she showed up in The Force Awakens as "General" my heart soared.

I am heartbroken and my husband is quietly sniffling behind me.
posted by kimberussell at 10:31 AM on December 27, 2016 [13 favorites]


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posted by Vortisaur at 10:31 AM on December 27, 2016


There is a great disturbance in the Force today, as millions of fans cry out in grief.

Thanks for everything Carrie.

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posted by nubs at 10:31 AM on December 27, 2016 [18 favorites]


I'm in tears at work and I don't know how to stop.

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posted by numaner at 10:31 AM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


Oh no. She was way too young. Fuck.

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posted by homunculus at 10:31 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:31 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by lovermont at 10:32 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by Sphinx at 10:32 AM on December 27, 2016


She was awesome, and she'll be missed. :(
posted by mordax at 10:33 AM on December 27, 2016


This year is absolute fucking garbage.
posted by tobascodagama at 10:33 AM on December 27, 2016 [12 favorites]


My wife and I were watching Rogue One when she had the heart attack - I came out of the film wondering about a certain special effect, and googling it brought up the news. Was really hoping Fisher was out of the woods with the news yesterday that she was stable...

2016, man.

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posted by Gaz Errant at 10:33 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by JamesD at 10:34 AM on December 27, 2016


I read Wishful Drinking when I was coming out of a period of suicidal depression. It was so freeing to laugh about it. Here was someone who had been down the same dark road I was on, understood it from the inside out, and still had the wit to turn it into comedy. I was already coming out of the depressive episode, but I believe hearing from someone else on the inside really helped.

Thank you, Carrie Fisher, for that.

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posted by JustKeepSwimming at 10:34 AM on December 27, 2016 [11 favorites]


Watch: this hilarious Carrie Fisher interview is why we will always love Carrie Fisher

Only thing missing was Gary biting the interviewer's face off for asking a question about Fisher's weight.
posted by tonycpsu at 10:34 AM on December 27, 2016 [16 favorites]


i hate this year

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posted by skye.dancer at 10:35 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


Remember. The Force will be with you. Always.
posted by octobersurprise at 10:35 AM on December 27, 2016 [7 favorites]


Few characters loomed larger for Gen X women than Princess Leia, perhaps the first heroine we saw, as children,

For film. You can find a few on Television, some of them cartoon characters, but it's a short list. Holly from Land of the Lost comes to mind. Trixie from Speed Racer. Uhura from Star Trek. Velma from Scooby Doo. That's all I can think of.

There really ought to be a TV series about a young Princess Leia maybe similar to the Young Indiana Jones.

RIP.
posted by Beholder at 10:36 AM on December 27, 2016 [11 favorites]


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posted by Ilira at 10:36 AM on December 27, 2016


The email alert from the Wall Street Journal said "Carrier Fisher" had died.

Fuck you, WSJ.
posted by chavenet at 10:37 AM on December 27, 2016 [7 favorites]


rewil: "It should be some comfort that thousands of people are feeling like this. And it is.

But damn do I feel alone right now.

.
"

Is it okay if use the Force to give you a big hug remotely?
posted by Samizdata at 10:38 AM on December 27, 2016 [9 favorites]



posted by bz at 10:38 AM on December 27, 2016


I have many things to say and lack the ability to say any of it.

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posted by seyirci at 10:39 AM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


Her poor mom, no mother should have to bury their own child.
posted by PenDevil at 10:39 AM on December 27, 2016 [37 favorites]


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posted by Shmuel510 at 10:39 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by w0mbat at 10:40 AM on December 27, 2016


.

I cried on Christmas morning while prepping breakfast because I was listening to David Bowie, unaware that news about George Michael's passing was about to be announced. Fuck you, 2016. Fuck you in the face, you dumpster fire piece of shit year.

Upset I will likely be back here on the Blue one more time for a similar reason in the next 4 days because 2016 has been like this. Geezus.

Thank you Carrie Fisher for being so awesome. I will miss you.
posted by jbenben at 10:40 AM on December 27, 2016 [11 favorites]


No no no no no no no no no no.

Just.

NO.

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posted by cooker girl at 10:40 AM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


That's 137 posts now in 2016 tagged with "obituary", compared with 95 in 2015. Two data points aren't a trend, but seriously, WTF 2016.

At this point, in a nod to Pratchett and Gaiman, I am thinking of all these 2016 deaths in terms of "DON'T THINK OF IT AS DYING, said Death. JUST THINK OF IT AS LEAVING EARLY TO AVOID THE RUSH."



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posted by Gyre,Gimble,Wabe, Esq. at 10:40 AM on December 27, 2016 [71 favorites]


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posted by Cash4Lead at 10:41 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by supercrayon at 10:41 AM on December 27, 2016


" DON'T THINK OF IT AS DYING, said Death. JUST THINK OF IT AS LEAVING EARLY TO AVOID THE RUSH."

I like to think that they're checking out before the hell of the next four years arrive.
posted by AFABulous at 10:41 AM on December 27, 2016 [28 favorites]



Is it okay if use the Force to give you a big hug remotely?


Remote Force hugs for all that want them from me.
posted by nubs at 10:42 AM on December 27, 2016 [6 favorites]


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posted by romakimmy at 10:42 AM on December 27, 2016


This fucking year is just crushing my feminist soul. An inspiration to young (and not so young) girls everywhere, a wonder.

You will be horribly missed, General.
posted by lydhre at 10:42 AM on December 27, 2016 [14 favorites]


Shampoo (1975)
posted by pracowity at 10:43 AM on December 27, 2016 [9 favorites]


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posted by Ink-stained wretch at 10:44 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by Mouse Army at 10:44 AM on December 27, 2016


🌟
posted by sukeban at 10:44 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


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posted by Sys Rq at 10:44 AM on December 27, 2016


I mean, yeah, Leia - but I also can't think of Carrie Fisher without thinking of the Blues Brothers.

At least the last couple days of celebrity deaths have given us relatively upbeat music to play in their honor.
posted by nickmark at 10:44 AM on December 27, 2016 [19 favorites]


Star Wars: A New Hope is the first movie I can remember seeing in a theater. It's always been a part of my life. I had SW action figures, and played with them like any other kid my age. Frequently my sister and I would make the figures do something stupid, or act like idiots.

Except for the Princess Leia figures (we had three). They were never idiots. They were always, ALWAYS the ones who knew what to do. The ones who made Han and Lando stop acting like morons and go rescue Chewbacca from the evil clutches of C3PO.

And that's because of Carrie Fisher. She showed six-year-old me that if you want something done right, you put the women in charge.

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posted by Janta at 10:45 AM on December 27, 2016 [52 favorites]


At least young SW fans got a chance to see her on the big screen one last time. RIP.

Two last times; Episode 8 is shot and in post, so her work for that one will be out in a year.

I do hope, and I mean this sincerely, that either Ep 9 opens at Leia's funeral or they do reshoots so Ep8 closes with it.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:46 AM on December 27, 2016 [17 favorites]


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posted by eclectist at 10:46 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by inire at 10:47 AM on December 27, 2016


AND I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REMIND EVERYONE ABOUT SOAP DISH :))
posted by jbenben at 10:47 AM on December 27, 2016 [18 favorites]


A damned shame. Such a fine woman. And 60 is young.

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posted by dancestoblue at 10:47 AM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


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posted by bjgeiger at 10:47 AM on December 27, 2016


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I had a feeling this was coming, but that doesn't make it any easier.
posted by mogget at 10:48 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


I can't even...

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posted by BYiro at 10:49 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by mrgroweler at 10:49 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


A note about numbers to all, to hopefully stem any rising sense of doom over the seemingly increasing rate of death among cultural heroes and icons: it's not the world getting darker, it's baby boomers and mass media.

Most of the actors, musicians, artists (etc.) whom we've lost this year were from the baby boom generation, and not only is their generational cohort huge in numbers, their maturation coincided with maturation of mass entertainment media, so these folks have been famous, and their work known and experienced, on a scale that human beings have never known before, as well as there just being more of them, and more work produced.

Given that, consider also that about 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day for at least the next 10 years, and that only about 60% of people live into their 70s, and, well...you see where I'm going. This trend is not going to stop or lessen for some time, I'm sorry to say, but it may help some to know that--at least in this--things are as horrible or not as they've been, and we're losing people at a normal rate* (because no one gets out alive and that's shitty but it's the basic rule of admission).

*of course, with George Michael's recent passing, one also has to wonder about the long-term effects of the enthusiastic cocaine-consuming culture and lifestyle of the 70s and 80s (...and 90s...) finally playing out.

posted by LooseFilter at 10:49 AM on December 27, 2016 [97 favorites]


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posted by neushoorn at 10:49 AM on December 27, 2016


The last thing I saw her in was a cameo in Maps to the Stars, where it felt like she'd wandered into the film by mistake and yet she was easily the brightest, most welcome thing in the movie. I'll have to check out Catastrophe now.

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I hope Debbie is OK
posted by mochapickle at 10:50 AM on December 27, 2016 [6 favorites]


Most of the actors, musicians, artists (etc.) whom we've lost this year were from the baby boom generation, and not only is their generational cohort huge in numbers, their maturation coincided with maturation of mass entertainment media, so these folks have been famous, and their work known and experienced, on a scale that human beings have never known before, as well as there just being more of them, and more work produced.

This is a fine point, although Ms. Fisher was 60. George Michael was 53.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:50 AM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


"2016. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."
posted by Slothrup at 10:50 AM on December 27, 2016 [15 favorites]




We are all out of ways to say "enough already."

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posted by killy willy at 10:51 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


.
posted by figurant at 10:52 AM on December 27, 2016


This is some fucking bullshit. (via)
posted by gwint at 10:52 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


Damn. 2016 has been like watching my childhood pass away. Make it stop!

.
posted by pearlybob at 10:52 AM on December 27, 2016


Well, fuck.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:52 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


Today is my birthday. I was going to finally have the time to see Rogue One today.

Not sure I'm up for it now. Or, you know, getting off the couch.

.
posted by mephron at 10:53 AM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


.
posted by Neronomius at 10:53 AM on December 27, 2016



40 year old me went downstairs to get something to drink and my mother was sitting on the couch, "How are you Jalli?"

The damn broke and before I could stop it, "Mommy Princess Leia died and I'm so sad. " And bawled like a little kid.

My. Heart. Is. Broken.
posted by Jalliah at 10:53 AM on December 27, 2016 [65 favorites]


.
posted by minsies at 10:54 AM on December 27, 2016


What mogget said. DAMN YOU 2016 I LOVED HER.

A few days ago I was on vacation and passed up buying "The Princess Diarist" because (a) it was a few days before Christmas and I was hoping to get it as a gift (nope, did not get) and (b) I was already going to have a hard time shoving all my stuff into my luggage without another hardback book to pack. Gotta go get it now.

Also, I have decided that the next "ugly" holiday sweater I make is going to be a Star Wars Christmas Leia sweater, since I want some Christmas SW merch and haven't found any I wanted to buy yet, plus LEIA. Maybe something with her hair in the braid around her head and a St. Lucia wreath on it? Any ideas, please send them on to me, seriously. I'm thinking "LEIA 4EVA", perhaps? Or maybe some quote of hers?

I don't know how I'm going to replicate someone's face on a sweater because I'm generally not THAT good, but....
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:54 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


.
posted by cazoo at 10:54 AM on December 27, 2016


...And 60 is young.

She's several years younger than I am. I persist in thinking of myself as not being old.

Today I feel like it though.

.
posted by BlueHorse at 10:55 AM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


Star Wars was alright, I guess, but the greatest thing about it is that it let us learn about the person that is Carrie Fisher.

.

Also Gary

If Gary dies I'm taking 2016 out behind the barn with a shovel.
posted by stet at 10:55 AM on December 27, 2016 [19 favorites]


My wife and I just saw Rogue One last night. Tonight we will be watching Carrie's badass role in The Blues Brothers. In 1980 the meanest baddest mf on earth coming after Jake and Elwood was a lady. That doesn't happen much in cinema.

Sure, she fell for Him at the end, but come on, it was JAKE!
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 10:55 AM on December 27, 2016 [9 favorites]


Carrie Fisher put the kind of snap into Princess Leia that gave her the presence of a Roz Russell or other toe-to-toe female banter star of the '30s.


aav.

.
posted by the sobsister at 10:55 AM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


.
posted by acb at 10:56 AM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by XtinaS at 10:56 AM on December 27, 2016


Mephron: Go see Rogue One. You need to go see it.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 10:56 AM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


.

I'm developing a Pavlovian response to the NYT push alert on my phone. All my heroes are dying. It feels apocalyptic on such a personal level.
posted by soren_lorensen at 10:56 AM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


Just watched When Harry Met Sally again the other night, and I remember her being good in it, but I really watched her this time, and she was amazing. Wonderfully talented, with incredible comedic timing. Not at all surprised to hear of her script doctoring.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 10:57 AM on December 27, 2016 [8 favorites]


As I read about her passing, a light bulb near my desk flickered twice and went out. Even the office has had enough of this year.

*sigh* We'll always have the Cubs
posted by dances with hamsters at 10:58 AM on December 27, 2016 [8 favorites]


.
posted by Bringer Tom at 10:58 AM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by radwolf76 at 10:59 AM on December 27, 2016


One by one these bright lights go dark.
posted by otherchaz at 11:00 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


I am really beginning to wonder if so many people are dying in the last few months because the world being so terrible is sucking out all their hope.

Stay strong, everyone.
posted by corb at 11:00 AM on December 27, 2016 [22 favorites]


.
posted by kinnakeet at 11:00 AM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by sixo33 at 11:01 AM on December 27, 2016


She was a true hero to me personally - a self-rescuing princess, a matchmaking best friend, an incredible writer, and someone who put it all out there about her life, struggles, victories and setbacks. A hero with flaws like mine.
The streets of heaven are too crowded..
.
posted by ApathyGirl at 11:01 AM on December 27, 2016 [14 favorites]


.

Legend
posted by inflatablekiwi at 11:02 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


Let's not forget that Carrie Fisher as Marie in "When Harry Met Sally" is utter perfection. The moment when she pauses and dog-ears the index card in her "available men" rolodex is a master class in timing all by itself. And "Oh! I've Been Looking For A Red Suede Pump!" is the only go-to nonsequitur when I want to change the conversation.

And Someone Is Staring At You In Personal Growth is forever.

Marie: Tell me I'll never have to be out there again.
Jess: You will never have to be out there again. (RIP Bruno Kirby)

Sally Albright: Is Harry bringing anybody to the wedding?
Marie: I don't think so.
Sally Albright: Is he seeing anybody?
Marie: He was seeing this anthropologist, but...
Sally Albright: What's she look like?
Marie: Thin. Pretty. Big tits. Your basic nightmare.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 11:02 AM on December 27, 2016 [34 favorites]


I am grateful she was here. I hope in the afterlife she can be at rest. Her writing inspired me, and helped me to understand the problematics that surround mother daughter relationships.
posted by LuckyMonkey21 at 11:04 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


I had been worried this was coming ever since I heard about how she was in the ICU, then nothing until now. Like many others here this hit me harder than a lot of the other big name deaths this year.

.
posted by TedW at 11:04 AM on December 27, 2016


This is a fine point, although Ms. Fisher was 60. George Michael was 53.

Yes, baby boomers are typically considered those born between 1946-1964. (Fisher b. 1956, Michael b. 1963)
posted by LooseFilter at 11:04 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]




Yes, baby boomers are typically considered those born between 1946-1964. (Fisher, b. 1956, Michael b. 1963)

My point is that they were very young, and most Baby Boomers won't die that young.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:05 AM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]




"Hope."
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:06 AM on December 27, 2016 [8 favorites]


.
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:06 AM on December 27, 2016


What I've Learned: Carrie Fisher
Esquire interview from January 2002
What I've learned about Hollywood you could put in a cup—a bra cup, size C.
...
Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.

There's no way to prepare for seeing yourself rendered as a 12-inch plastic doll.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:09 AM on December 27, 2016 [23 favorites]


Except for the Princess Leia figures (we had three). They were never idiots. They were always, ALWAYS the ones who knew what to do. The ones who made Han and Lando stop acting like morons and go rescue Chewbacca from the evil clutches of C3PO.

And that's because of Carrie Fisher. She showed six-year-old me that if you want something done right, you put the women in charge.


The more you watch Star Wars and its spinoffs/sequels/prequels, the more you realize that while dudes in that universe are good in a fight, everywhere else they're pretty much fuckups. It's the women who are terrifyingly competent on and off the battlefield.

I like to think Fisher's Leia set that expectation and all the rest of the writers did not dare to change it.
posted by emjaybee at 11:09 AM on December 27, 2016 [19 favorites]


.
posted by oceanjesse at 11:09 AM on December 27, 2016


"Youth&BeautyR/NOT ACCOMPLISHMENTS,theyre theTEMPORARY happy/BiProducts/of Time&/or DNA/Dont Hold yourBreath4either/ifUmust holdAir/takeGarys" is my absolute favourite Carrie Fisher quote. It's helped me feel better about aging.

Here's another article with more tweets in this vein.

She knew what was up.

This damnable year.
posted by Excommunicated Cardinal at 11:09 AM on December 27, 2016 [10 favorites]


*salutes*
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:10 AM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by ssmith at 11:10 AM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by juv3nal at 11:12 AM on December 27, 2016


What a badass. I admired her honesty so much.




.
posted by droplet at 11:14 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


Crap. We'll miss you, General Organa.
.
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 11:15 AM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by wallgrub at 11:15 AM on December 27, 2016


Dear Television,

for all your "2016: a look back" specials, please just show Kylo Ren smashing his console on an infinite loop for an hour

that is all this year needs. that is all this year deserves

Thank You,
& Fuck Everything,
PBO
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:15 AM on December 27, 2016 [18 favorites]




She was the absolute best.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:16 AM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


This scene from Shampoo was my introduction to Carrie Fisher, and it's one of my favorite movie scenes ever (warning: some homophobic banter that I had blocked from my memory). She was the coolest girl I had ever seen, and that outfit absolutely blew my mind. The combination of privileged girl tennis whites and gender-bending rebel shorts and hippie bandana was completely modern. I had never seen anything like it and honestly it had a profound affect on my fashion sense to this day! Also the way she casually sits curling her toes after sex with her mother's hairdresser. Just amazing.
posted by maggiemaggie at 11:18 AM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


Dan Olson: Carrie Fisher was still on the con circuit this past fall. She would spend hours in Artist's Alley at every show buying books and prints. We could track her path around the con just by watching Twitter for "omg Princess Leia just bought my book 😭❤️"
posted by PenDevil at 11:18 AM on December 27, 2016 [23 favorites]


The "In Memoriam" reel at next year's awards shows are just going to be the entire shows, aren't they?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:19 AM on December 27, 2016 [9 favorites]


.
posted by gudrun at 11:19 AM on December 27, 2016


.
Just ... ::sigh::
posted by Faintdreams at 11:19 AM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by supermedusa at 11:20 AM on December 27, 2016


Fuck.

.
posted by gaspode at 11:20 AM on December 27, 2016




Crap. Princess? She was a Queen!
.

Dammit.
posted by jadepearl at 11:22 AM on December 27, 2016


Reading all these comments and things on Twitter about her are just...well.. She always came across as a wonderful human being, and it certainly appears that The Force was strong with her.
posted by nubs at 11:22 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


.
posted by cmfletcher at 11:22 AM on December 27, 2016


Her film debut in "Shampoo"
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 11:23 AM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by mixedmetaphors at 11:24 AM on December 27, 2016


.

NO NO NO NO 2016 CAN YOU STOP IT ALREADY?
posted by SisterHavana at 11:25 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


If there is another place after this one, Linda Smith and Victoria Wood just pulled up an extra chair and opened another bottle.

An awe-inspiring woman, she will be awfully missed.
posted by aihal at 11:25 AM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


.
posted by brecc at 11:25 AM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by aerotive at 11:26 AM on December 27, 2016


Luminous beings are we. Not this crude matter.
posted by radwolf76 at 11:26 AM on December 27, 2016 [18 favorites]


.

Thanks for showing the universe that a princess could be way more than a gold bikini. You were a badass in so many ways, and we will miss your witty, wonderful voice.
posted by Diagonalize at 11:26 AM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


Paul Simon - Hearts and Bones
posted by pracowity at 11:27 AM on December 27, 2016 [11 favorites]




This one just punches me in the fucking gut. Goddammit! RIP Carrie and props for being the sassy straight man in The Burbs.
posted by Ber at 11:27 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


of course, with George Michael's recent passing, one also has to wonder about the long-term effects of the enthusiastic cocaine-consuming culture and lifestyle of the 70s and 80s (...and 90s...) finally playing out.

This was sorta my theory about Carrie Fisher - I've seen reports that George Michael may have had a current drug problem.
posted by atoxyl at 11:28 AM on December 27, 2016


This probably belongs in the George Michael thread, but I believe he had a longterm heart problem/condition.
posted by pxe2000 at 11:30 AM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by custardfairy at 11:31 AM on December 27, 2016


.

I would say more, but this year has finally crippled me.
posted by SonInLawOfSam at 11:32 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


I can't even. I am all out of evens. I am so over this year, this week, this day, and I want to go home, finish cleaning the oven and make a cake. Today is a day for therapeutic baking if there ever was one.

Just, damn, this year. And sadly, I don't think 2017 is going to be too much better.

But Carrie Fisher. Her books were fantastic, her Leia was amazing, and just...damn. I wanna be like her when I grow up.

.
posted by PearlRose at 11:32 AM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


Strong, smart, funny, and very, very human. She left the world better than she found it.

.
posted by Songdog at 11:33 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


This fucking year.

I put on The Force Awakens last night as I was doing some things around the house. I'm finishing it this morning and it feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest. Princess Leia was the only princess I ever dressed up as on Halloween. Two years in a row. She was a hero on and off screen.

Drowned in moonlight. Strangled by her own bra.

.
posted by komlord at 11:35 AM on December 27, 2016 [10 favorites]


Marie: "Everybody thinks they have good taste and a sense of humor but they couldn't possibly all have good taste." Carrie Fisher's delivery of this line is so great just like the others that I_love_bananas posted. I say this line as often as I can.

And she is the best thing in "The Burbs"! I always wanted to sit alongside Carrie Fisher and answer Jeopardy! questions. How much fun would that have been!

I watched "When Harry Met Sally" and the Star Wars IV - VI over the last week hoping she would pull through. Tonight, I will watch "The Blues Brothers" and drink a toast to my one of my absolute faves.
posted by narancia at 11:36 AM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]




.

I'm heartbroken. I long to be half as cool and funny and fantastic as a writer and triumphant over mental illness as Carrie was. Carrie Fisher was cooler than Princess Leia, and how many people can ever say that?
posted by nicebookrack at 11:36 AM on December 27, 2016 [15 favorites]


.
posted by moonlight on vermont at 11:38 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by atlatl at 11:39 AM on December 27, 2016


I literally just walked out of the movie and saw this.

.
posted by dirigibleman at 11:39 AM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


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posted by detachd at 11:41 AM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by Token Meme at 11:42 AM on December 27, 2016


I am heartbroken. She got out in front and talked openly about mental health and addiction at a time when it was very much needed and she never stopped.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 11:42 AM on December 27, 2016 [18 favorites]


.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 11:43 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:43 AM on December 27, 2016




.

Was going to see Rogue One again tonight, but in two minds now; the final scene may be too much of an almost physical gut punch.

Taken a snapshot, for grim posterity, of the home page of the BBC News website just now.
posted by Wordshore at 11:45 AM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


.
posted by sammyo at 11:46 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by runehog at 11:50 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by mstokes650 at 11:52 AM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by /\/\/\/ at 11:52 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by No One Ever Does at 11:53 AM on December 27, 2016


“You're not really famous until you're a Pez dispenser.”

She was that, and so much more for all the reasons everyone has mentioned up thread. I hope she will now find the peace and happiness she was never able to hold on to here.
Goodnight sweet Princess.
And may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
posted by pjsky at 11:54 AM on December 27, 2016 [7 favorites]


.
posted by devon at 11:54 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by humanfont at 11:54 AM on December 27, 2016


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posted by cotton dress sock at 11:55 AM on December 27, 2016


Another day of opening twitter and saying, "Jesus god**** f****** ch**** NO! .......

one that grew up with her as a not-quite-current sex symbol ...

I recall when I saw the 1st Star Wars she became one of the female actors who confirmed my burgeoning thoughts that I "leaned a little that way."

But as I'm not a Star Wars person, my next impressions of her were sporadic over the decades: The "Postcards" movie, talk show appearances, the 30 Rock guest spot. (A depiction that was a little too sadly dark for my taste - but she sure threw herself into it.)

And this celebrity death, of all things, might be what put me finally out of evens.

I am not a praying person, but my thoughts are out there with Carrie's daughter and Debbie Reynolds.
posted by NorthernLite at 11:58 AM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


Drowned in moonlight. Strangled by her own bra.


Somehow I missed this quote and joke (and reason behind it) about her obituary.

Now I want this on a shirt and maybe a mug and also a pillow. It also needs to be made into a needlepoint hanging.
posted by Jalliah at 11:59 AM on December 27, 2016 [9 favorites]


Not really a Star Wars fan but I'm glad she held firm on that wagon wheel coffee table.

Also yes would have loved a thousand more books and quips.
posted by zutalors! at 12:00 PM on December 27, 2016 [9 favorites]


What is 2016 trying to teach us?

"There are years that ask questions and years that answer..."

I'm guessing this year is the first kind...
posted by ersatzkat at 12:00 PM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


.
posted by ersatzkat at 12:01 PM on December 27, 2016


I have read a lot recently about Gen Xers and Millennials wanting Boomers to make room for the younger generations. I don't think this die off of our favorite entertainers was what anyone had in mind.

It's been a rough year for that, but as someone has already said above, I think this is just the beginning.

I really thought she would pull through. She just seemed like such a tough broad, such a badass.
posted by Belle O'Cosity at 12:01 PM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


Seen on Twitter: Carrie Fisher went out after telling the world she'd fucked Harrison Ford in his prime.

I can think of worse exit lines.
posted by orange swan at 12:02 PM on December 27, 2016 [60 favorites]


This is your life now. You glance at the news and some new unthinkable horror has occurred. Over and over. This is the way it is now.
posted by Rhomboid at 12:02 PM on December 27, 2016 [18 favorites]


I work for the house of mouse and was restocking her figurines in my store when a guest came up and told me the news. It took every bit of professionalism I have to keep my composure. My managers saw how devastated I was and sent me home. We're all gutted. What do you do when the parents of your next guest, a 7 year old little girl wearing a Leia shirt and sweater, tell her all time favorite heroine has just passed away when you can't even manage your own tears? How?

2016 has taken everything from us. How dare you take our beloved Carrie away, too?

JFC 2016 you are such an asshole
posted by Hermione Granger at 12:03 PM on December 27, 2016 [21 favorites]


. Seems so little to say, but I cannot finds words.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 12:03 PM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


Immediately after hearing this, I had to go into a meeting to close a deal at work that I promptly fucked up and it's going to cost us two grand to fix. One of my coworkers just found out her father died and she's lying under her desk screaming. It feels fucking apocalyptic today, here at the ass end of 2016, and I want to be done with it.
posted by skycrashesdown at 12:04 PM on December 27, 2016 [30 favorites]


.

I was really hoping she'd pull through. :( Fuck 2016, seriously.
posted by sailoreagle at 12:05 PM on December 27, 2016


Damn. Damn. Damn.

Rebel-icon-shaped .
posted by Gelatin at 12:05 PM on December 27, 2016


posted by skycrashesdown

Eponysterical, she mutters bitterly.
posted by Melismata at 12:06 PM on December 27, 2016 [12 favorites]


.
posted by fluffycreature at 12:09 PM on December 27, 2016


Farewell Princess.
posted by Splunge at 12:11 PM on December 27, 2016


Sigh. She was younger than me.
Such a multitude in one person.
.
posted by Fibognocchi at 12:16 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'm so tired already of saying goodbye to little pieces of my childhood, but I guess I just have to get used to it.

Thank you, Carrie, for all your work, onscreen and off.

.
posted by rtha at 12:18 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


The Princess Dies At Rest
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 12:19 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


.
posted by Darken Skye at 12:21 PM on December 27, 2016




.
posted by Smart Dalek at 12:21 PM on December 27, 2016


I am one with the force the force is with me

.
posted by Megafly at 12:23 PM on December 27, 2016 [9 favorites]


This whole thread.

.
posted by newdaddy at 12:23 PM on December 27, 2016 [7 favorites]


I think maybe I need to add more context to my feelings here...

It's October 1977. I just managed to get all As on my third grade report card. As a reward, my parents agree to take me to a movie.

That movie is Star Wars (no subtitle yet). It's in 70mm, Dolby Sound. We get seats in the middle of the movie theatre.

The words appear. Then the fanfare. And I am lost in that world for the two hours it goes on. My parents are bored. My little brother is at home, with a sitter. But I am enthralled. In those two hours, my world is rebuilt. I want a world with Jedi and spaceships and maybe the chance to win the heart of a princess. It is what I want most of all.

Forward to College. West End Games releases the Star Wars Roleplaying Game and the Star Wars Sourcebook. Some friends and I go from campus to the Compleat Strategist in King-Of-Prussia and I use the last of the month's spare cash to buy the books. It means no snacks and no pizza and no more trips off campus until I get a little more money, but I don't care. I'm back. I end up running that game, in various ways, with various people, for almost twenty years. This is also the same time I see The Blues Brothers for the first time, and seeing Carrie Fisher in that, I laugh my ass off.

Forward a few more years. I find out that I was in a restaurant in California the same time as Carrie Fisher, and didn't know. I am afraid I would have been one of Those Guys (I was really bad at the time at being social), but I pray I would have at least been able to ask politely for an autograph.

Forward to 2015. My wife and I get tickets to see the Star Wars Marathon - she's only seen Revenge of the Sith in a theatre, so the opportunity to see all of them in a movie theatre seems to be the best thing to do. She tells me she finally understands the power of A New Hope afterwards, seeing it on the big screen.

And now... I'm not sure I can really see Rogue One. Someone who's always been there is gone. I'm not sure I could bear it.
posted by mephron at 12:29 PM on December 27, 2016 [14 favorites]


.
posted by NoraCharles at 12:31 PM on December 27, 2016


Carrie wasn't killed by drug usage. She had a heart attack on an airplane where there was no quick access to emergency medical treatment, and she had no pulse according to witnesses for something like ten minutes or more. It's sad, but after that I was honestly not expecting her to ever wake up again.
posted by Bringer Tom at 12:31 PM on December 27, 2016 [27 favorites]


I need a shirt with her face on it that says, "Here comes the general! #RiseUp" like asap.
posted by Hermione Granger at 12:32 PM on December 27, 2016 [46 favorites]




I need a shirt with her face on it that says, "Here comes the general! #RiseUp" like asap.

This is an objectively true statement.
posted by stet at 12:36 PM on December 27, 2016 [15 favorites]


One of my favorite Carrie Fisher roles was as Ben's mother in Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist. She knew that this couple had unresolved arguments that would invariably lead to moments of pain and awkwardness, but still accepted her weird but obviously beloved son's Thanksgiving invitation to what was once her shared apartment with her now ex-husband.
posted by palindromic at 12:37 PM on December 27, 2016 [9 favorites]


oh how nice i see that everything remains absolutely fucking terrible with no sign of ever stopping
posted by poffin boffin at 12:37 PM on December 27, 2016 [36 favorites]


.

I loved her sass. I mean, she was an icon and Star Wars is great and all, but I just loved her person.
posted by greermahoney at 12:40 PM on December 27, 2016 [8 favorites]


.
posted by wells at 12:40 PM on December 27, 2016


I just realized, I had mentioned in the Rogue One thread that my mother died of a similar attack, although she had immediate and first-rate medical attention. My mother didn't have her attack on the same date Carrie had hers, but they both died on December 27.
posted by Bringer Tom at 12:40 PM on December 27, 2016 [14 favorites]


.
posted by photo guy at 12:41 PM on December 27, 2016



I need a shirt with her face on it that says, "Here comes the general! #RiseUp" like asap.


Yes, please!!!
posted by greermahoney at 12:41 PM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


Halloween 1977. I dressed as Princess Leia, in a dress my mom made me (I think out of bedsheets). I was 8. My hair wasn't long enough to braid into giant side buns, but she braided what she could and it wasn't great, I think I was disappointed, but it was as good as I could get and that made it something to be proud of. I know I thought I looked looked cool, and powerful.

And it was cold out that Halloween and my parents made me wear a parka over my costume. And it was just for trick or treating, so no one ever saw that I was Princess Leia, they just saw a girl in a parka with funny hair. I still feel upset about that, I can still almost relive the resentment, that I couldn't have that one bright thing.

And then the next summer or so I saw Hardware Wars, and immediately I thought challah rolls! Why didn't any of us think of challah rolls?! My sad twisted braids could have been giant and funny and awesome. But I know that even if we had thought about it at the time, I would never have done it. Because what made Princess Leia awesome is what made Wonder Woman and The Bionic Woman awesome - that they were pretty and they fought hard and always won, and there was nothing funny about them. They could be funny. But not the joke.

Hearing the news was like cutting yourself with a sharp knife when you're cooking. It happens, and you say ouch, and it hurts but you put it aside. And then slowly it seeps into you, the hurt, and the no wait, this is really bad.

Seeing her as General Organa onscreen is one of those screen entrances that just lives with you. She'd seen so much. And she stood so tall.

.
posted by Mchelly at 12:42 PM on December 27, 2016 [19 favorites]


RIP General Organa
posted by gryphonlover at 12:43 PM on December 27, 2016 [7 favorites]


:(
posted by Space Kitty at 12:46 PM on December 27, 2016


Speechless.

.
posted by Puddle Jumper at 12:47 PM on December 27, 2016


Thank goodness for Princess Leia, who showed me that princesses can be heroes.
.
posted by ChuraChura at 12:47 PM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]




Her later humor proved that elders can be angry AND funny AND not give a shit about whether they look good doing it.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 12:52 PM on December 27, 2016 [10 favorites]


well, that makes me sad some more. Thanks for everything, Carrie.
posted by theora55 at 12:54 PM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by stolyarova at 12:54 PM on December 27, 2016


*sigh* We'll always have the Cubs

Soooo not worth it.
posted by stargell at 12:54 PM on December 27, 2016 [13 favorites]


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posted by Fizz at 12:59 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by onecircleaday at 1:02 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by gusandrews at 1:02 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by ikahime at 1:05 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by Bob Regular at 1:11 PM on December 27, 2016


She insipired me to be more open about my bipolarity. She was *real* with it, talked about it both constructively and personally.

And Leia. Leia didn't have a story arc because she didn't *need* one. Unlike Luke and Han, she was already a hero, was already aware of where she morally stands and what she needs to sacrifice.

Bipolar rebel space princess. I don't think I could ask for a better role model.

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posted by Dee Grim at 1:15 PM on December 27, 2016 [43 favorites]


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So done with this year.
posted by littlerobothead at 1:17 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by Windigo at 1:19 PM on December 27, 2016


To me, she will always be Leia. Seeing her pop up in other films, hearing of her writing and her script doctoring work, were always a delight, but her appearance in Star Wars that summer between my junior and senior years in college was electrifying. She was my first female hero. Her character pioneered female heroes in science fiction and adventure. I once read that without Leia there would be no Ripley or other characters that were tough, funny and female.

Thanks for it all, Carrie. I'll miss you.
posted by lhauser at 1:19 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by sharp pointy objects at 1:23 PM on December 27, 2016


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What a woman. Thank you for everything.
posted by norabelle at 1:27 PM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


It's only struck me now how much Leia has meant to me, as portrayed by mouthy, brave, Carrie Fisher. I've been having a bit of a cry all afternoon, even though celeb deaths usually just leave me saying "ah no, that sucks". But when I heard she was gone it struck me, hard, how much she had modeled bravery, independence and grit until I was big enough to meet Sarah and Ellen who would bring me on the next steps of my journey.
posted by Iteki at 1:28 PM on December 27, 2016 [9 favorites]


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posted by marimeko at 1:28 PM on December 27, 2016


Carrie wasn't killed by drug usage. She had a heart attack on an airplane where there was no quick access to emergency medical treatment, and she had no pulse according to witnesses for something like ten minutes or more. It's sad, but after that I was honestly not expecting her to ever wake up again.

I don't think either of us was insinuating recent drug usage - it just kinda seems anecdotally (and is not implausible medically) that having used a lot of cocaine (in particular) in the past may be a risk factor for heart attacks in middle age, so when something like this happens it's a little anxiety-provoking if you are somewhat younger but have used an amount of cocaine that may or may not be enough to count as "a lot..."
posted by atoxyl at 1:29 PM on December 27, 2016 [8 favorites]


I was named after her, because my mother was a Debbie Reynolds fan. This meant I knew of her vaguely even before Star Wars, which came out when I was 13. That was a great age at which to see that my namesake was a smart, tough, hot, asskicker -- first as Leia, and then as herself, through everything.

The books are fantastic. The screen work (including script doctoring) was top-notch and hilarious. The candor and the advocacy were invaluable.

I'm honored to share a name with her, and I am so so deeply sad. RIP, Carrie.
posted by GrammarMoses at 1:30 PM on December 27, 2016 [16 favorites]


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posted by tommasz at 1:30 PM on December 27, 2016


My wife called to know if I was OK.
She knows me.
I'm not.
posted by signal at 1:33 PM on December 27, 2016 [14 favorites]


And 'Surrender the Pink' is one of the few books I've laughed out loud in public to.
posted by signal at 1:34 PM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


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posted by joannemerriam at 1:36 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by Slithy_Tove at 1:38 PM on December 27, 2016


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My favourite scene was when they're at the rebel base and the guys are all "I'm so sorry what happened to Alderaan" and she says "We have no time for sorrows, Commander. You must use the information in this R-2 unit..."

Or when Lando was being all smarmy gross "you look absolutely beautiful. You truly belong here with us among the clouds." and she says a diplomatic but completely unphased "thank you."

Grace class and strength.

Ms. Fisher, I was hoping you'd pull through, and make your hilarious commentary about it, you will be missed.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 1:43 PM on December 27, 2016 [13 favorites]


In addition to being Leia, the only Princess-Warrior I ever wanted to be, Carrie Fisher was also a courageous woman in the real world, a world where - unlike the Star Wars universe - plucky intelligent girls get knocked down more than they get raised up; where women with power are undermined, ridiculed, and villainized more then they are rewarded; where women become "icons" more often for their gold bikinis than their ideals or their intelligence. In the face of this, she was unashamed and unbowed: she was frank about mental illness, honest about aging, blisteringly unapologetic about refusing the demands placed on her by an industry (and a fandom) that so often wanted Slave Leia to be all she ever was. And she was funny. Really brutally fucking funny.

As much as I admire Leia and all she is and was and represents, I admire Carrie Fisher much more, not because she WAS Leia, but because she SURVIVED Leia, and defied her. And defiance is something we all need a little more of right now.
posted by Dorinda at 1:50 PM on December 27, 2016 [89 favorites]


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posted by treepour at 1:50 PM on December 27, 2016


Whatever about the mileage put in through the years that have passed, my most immediate thought was that the weight-loss pressures7schedule put on her for filming may have contributed to this. I am terrified that it's going to be this role that killed her.
posted by Iteki at 1:59 PM on December 27, 2016 [9 favorites]


.

Gutted. Again.
posted by andraste at 2:08 PM on December 27, 2016


A friend posted this thought on her FB:

"She taught countless little girls that being a princess isn't the goal, it's the starting point. Becoming a General and commanding an army is the goal."

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posted by Quaversalis at 2:11 PM on December 27, 2016 [78 favorites]


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posted by Zarkonnen at 2:17 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by datarose at 2:22 PM on December 27, 2016


Thank you, Metafilter. I have had an incredibly difficult time capturing what Carrie Fisher means to me, but y'all are putting it into words for me.

She was a hell of a person. I hope she rests in peace.
posted by muddgirl at 2:26 PM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


So don't get all mushy on me. So long, princess.
posted by popcassady at 2:31 PM on December 27, 2016 [12 favorites]


I don't think either of us was insinuating recent drug usage - it just kinda seems anecdotally (and is not implausible medically) that having used a lot of cocaine (in particular) in the past may be a risk factor

This actually seems very implausible to me, after having learned far more than I ever wanted to know about heart attacks and getting a spiffy new stent for my own 50th birthday. Arterial blockages are chronic conditions. They can be caused by inflammation, but again it has to be chronic, and cocaine is a particularly non-chronic type of drug, being pretty much in and out of your system in minutes. I suspect Carrie was taken by whatever combination of environmental factors seem to be making these things happen at younger ages for everybody; my father and grandfather both had heart attacks at 61, but I would have had mine at 51 if I hadn't noticed the alarming blood pressure spike that sent me to a cardiologist. And she had the appalling bad luck to have her heart attack on an airplane where quick intervention was physically impossible.
posted by Bringer Tom at 2:35 PM on December 27, 2016 [7 favorites]


What the faaaaaaaark 2016?!?!?! Unbelievable.
posted by Jubey at 2:39 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by ellieBOA at 2:39 PM on December 27, 2016


Shit, I had a feeling it was going to happen (the reports of what happened to her on the plane didn't sound good)...still cried anyway. Way too soon.
posted by littlesq at 2:40 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


I just saw Rogue One with my son - it was awesome and we reminisced about watching her last Star Wars movie where she and Harrison Ford reprised their roles. Oh, so many memories of her from the epic move series and so so sad.
posted by bluesky43 at 2:41 PM on December 27, 2016


It's too bad we won't get to see General Leia again in Ep 8 (please don't do the CGI thing with old Leia, OK Disney?) and since Han is dead we won't be able to see him mourn her either. Perhaps Luke will remember her for us once he gets some speaking dialog.
posted by Bringer Tom at 2:44 PM on December 27, 2016


As a kid I wasn't into Star Wars (I know, I know) but she was a huge icon, no doubt. What I really related to was Postcards from the Edge, how even celebrity moms and daughters had fraught relationships. Her acerbic wit was such a knife that cut through bullshit; I admired her a lot for that. Also, she and Robin Williams really were the patron saints/role models for mental health/illness. Very brave and strong in so many ways, in real life and not just on screen.
posted by GospelofWesleyWillis at 2:46 PM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


She'd filmed all her scenes for episode 8 but not for episode 9.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:48 PM on December 27, 2016 [9 favorites]


I have so much respect for her going back to a role that defined her in some amazing and terrible ways. Her promotional interviews for the film, beloved dog always in tow, were hilarious and self-deprecating and thoughtful. She was so gracious and talented, and she seems like the kind of lady who would understand a little 10 year old girl like myself who always wanted to play Vader and not Princess Leia.
posted by xyzzy at 2:50 PM on December 27, 2016 [7 favorites]


Remembering Carrie Fisher with thanks and affection.

Her book, Postcards from the Edge, meant a LOT to me. It was one of the first adult child of a narcissist memoirs that inspired me with its audacious honesty, courage, her capacity to laugh at herself, her life and her mistakes. So inspiring.

Her book meant a lot more to me than her role as Princess Leia. Star Wars, the first film as an opus, was another adult child of a malignant narcissist/sociopath story. Luke Skywalker the adult child and Darth as the sociopath deaddy.

Her elegant, fierce innocence and courage in that film was a memorable heroine role, a powerful, moral woman who was protective without being an enabler. Triumphing over evil. Deeply satisfying that.

Her stand up comedy memoir show too was marvelous. She was able to arrive at a workable peace about her fuck ups, her messes, her tribulations and still have a razor sharp humor, really hilarious at times. Warmly human and compassionate.

She did a phoenix, rising from the ashes of her narcissist parents, her self-destructive coping strategies of self medicating for depression with drugs and booze, promiscuity. She managed her neurological issues of having bi-polar with philosophical prowess, insight, offering up her hardship transparently to others, to take the shaming out of dealing with a mental illness.

I felt love and admiration for her and will miss her being on the planet. She has - had - just the kind of feistiness that would help us through the next piece of history. Glad she was born.

Will reread her book and relisten to her on stage memoir.

May the Force be with her.
posted by nickyskye at 2:53 PM on December 27, 2016 [22 favorites]


Princess Leia was Bad-Ass
posted by bibliowench at 2:53 PM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


.
she is one with the force . . .
posted by pt68 at 2:55 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by brbmaroon at 3:05 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by oneironaut at 3:06 PM on December 27, 2016


.

damn it
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 3:12 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by fitnr at 3:12 PM on December 27, 2016


my eyes can't stop leaking

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posted by drnick at 3:14 PM on December 27, 2016


A loving tribute to his friend Carrie by Kevin Smith ,
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:20 PM on December 27, 2016 [8 favorites]


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posted by faceplantingcheetah at 3:24 PM on December 27, 2016


Not really a Star Wars fan but I'm glad she held firm on that wagon wheel coffee table.

The low-key developing background romance of Carrie Fisher's Marie with Jess in When Harry Met Sally is my favorite subplot in a romantic comedy. Marie is that friend who you're always trying in exasperation to comfort because she's so consumed by how screwed up her personal life is, until one day she gets her shit together and immediately turns right around and gets busy trying to fix YOUR screwed-up personal life. "The right man for you might be out there right now and if you don't grab him, someone else will, and you'll have to spend the rest of your life knowing that someone else is married to your husband!"
posted by nicebookrack at 3:26 PM on December 27, 2016 [11 favorites]


It's too bad we won't get to see General Leia again in Ep 8

We will. Her scenes are in the can.
posted by popcassady at 3:27 PM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


A dot doesn't really do it this time, but what else is there?

I saw her speak at the Expo in September. Other people got to meet Ms. Fisher and got her autograph, but it was $80 so I didn't spring for it. Now...

What really struck me was how intelligent she was, and how insightfully she answered questions during the big Q&A session, even when they deviated from the usual movie and convention stuff. Someone asked her how she felt about Trump (this was before the election), and she responded with a five minute lecture about how he was the nadir of American self-absorption. Someone asked a question in French, and she answered it in kind. Someone asked her about mental illness, and she told us all about her own experiences, and how she learned to accept them and not be ashamed of who she was. Someone else asked her about her favorite lines from her days as a script doctor, and Fisher immediately came up with two or three from memory. (Wish I could remember them!) All of this in-between talking about Star Wars and occasional comments on how her dog was feeling. (He was relaxed and happy to be petted, btw.) She really made an impression, even from far off in the audience.

Can't believe she's gone.

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posted by Kevin Street at 3:29 PM on December 27, 2016 [36 favorites]


.

Fuck 2016
posted by porpoise at 3:30 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by Grandysaur at 3:30 PM on December 27, 2016


Carrie Fisher, like so many other great artists who passed away this year, overcame her demons and made the world a better, more enjoyable place. I don't think anyone could do better with their life.
posted by AGameOfMoans at 3:31 PM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


Scream Queens is an awful show but her daughter, Billie Lourd, stands out. Deadpan hilarious. I feel for her.
posted by zutalors! at 3:33 PM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


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posted by Fuzzy Monster at 3:35 PM on December 27, 2016




She'd filmed all her scenes for episode 8 but not for episode 9.

Well, that is a good thing. I guess I'm not used to the new Disney schedule for Star Wars releases.
posted by Bringer Tom at 3:39 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


I think it's pretty typical to have principal photography done several months or a year before release, especially for a film that's going to require a lot of post-production.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 3:48 PM on December 27, 2016


Carrie Fisher Opens Up About 'Star Wars,' The Gold Bikini and Her On-Set Affair, Fresh Air from November 28, 2016
Terry Gross: When did you start realizing that you were part of boys' sex fantasies?

Carrie Fisher: Not until way later, and I'm very glad of that. Like, about, I don't know, maybe eight years ago some guy said to me "I thought about you every day from when I was 12 to I was 22." And I said, "Every day?" And he said, "Well, four times a day."

And you know, what do you say to that, "thank you"?
posted by kirkaracha at 3:50 PM on December 27, 2016 [18 favorites]


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posted by marguerite at 3:52 PM on December 27, 2016


And you know, what do you say to that, "thank you"?

Goddamn that is horrifying hilarious and disgusting, and good for her for talking about it

(Mostly it's horrifying though. Why the FUCK would anyone think it's ok to say that to someone? Oh, right.)
posted by schadenfrau at 3:57 PM on December 27, 2016 [6 favorites]


I loved her. She was a truly amazing person. Her Tweets were hilarious, she was so smart and insightful and valuable. I was looking forward to hearing her commentary on the coming Trump years.

I will really, really miss her. She was just awesome.

I woke up Christmas morning feeling sad about her and kept trying to convince myself she could pull through despite my medical knowledge telling me how unlikely it was. Then George Michael died. Then this.

Fuck you 2016. What a bunch of fucking bullshit.
posted by biscotti at 4:00 PM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


She was great. I will miss her and am disappointed that I will never meet her in person.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:00 PM on December 27, 2016


I saw Rogue One today kind of in tribute to her, so the [spoilery bit] was an extra punch.

Princess Leia was one of my first heroines and I really admired Fisher's wit and advocacy as I got older and saw these other sides to her. Hope you're making the Force more fun, Carrie Fisher. RIP.
posted by TwoStride at 4:02 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


Let's just be straight up and call the year Darth 2016.
posted by weston at 4:02 PM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


"(Mostly it's horrifying though. Why the FUCK would anyone think it's ok to say that to someone? Oh, right.)"

I saw a clip on the Internet somewhere where Fisher told the same anecdote to Daisy Ridley, to get a rise out of her. "You see what you have to look forward to?" Pretty sure she saw it as a funny story.
posted by Kevin Street at 4:09 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by doctornemo at 4:11 PM on December 27, 2016


As a geeky young girl she gave me a cool woman in a scifi movie to watch. And then as a geeky young woman I read her books because of that role and got something smart, funny and compassionate in return. I admired her attitude and approach, she was one of those people whose I would read or listen to and think, this, this is a good way to look at life.

So long. Rest well. Thank you.

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posted by SometimeNextMonth at 4:12 PM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


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posted by haiku warrior at 4:16 PM on December 27, 2016


She may have shot all her scenes for Episode VIII, but plenty of time remains for post-production, editing and reshoots. We saw how much changed between the Rogue One trailer and the final film, and Episode VIII doesn't even have a title yet, never mind a trailer. Disney now has the opportunity to take Fisher's footage, spread it out over Episodes VIII and IX, and do whatever is necessary to give General Organa a proper farewell.
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:16 PM on December 27, 2016 [6 favorites]


Smart lady, died too soon.

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posted by Artful Codger at 4:17 PM on December 27, 2016


I don't think either of us was insinuating recent drug usage - it just kinda seems anecdotally (and is not implausible medically) that having used a lot of cocaine (in particular) in the past may be a risk factor for heart attacks in middle age,

Nah, If we're speculating, I'm going with whoever it was upthread who said the constant demands for weight loss over her life in order to look Hollywood-acceptable for film would have seriously taken its toll on her heart. Fuck fat-shaming, anorexia-worshipping Hollywood and all the evil it brings to women, both on- and off-screen. Fisher was constantly giving them the finger for it, loudly and in public, just like we loved her to do and rightly so.

Goddamn, I am in no state to handle this.

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posted by tzikeh at 4:29 PM on December 27, 2016 [11 favorites]


This actually seems very implausible to me, after having learned far more than I ever wanted to know about heart attacks and getting a spiffy new stent for my own 50th birthday. Arterial blockages are chronic conditions. They can be caused by inflammation, but again it has to be chronic, and cocaine is a particularly non-chronic type of drug, being pretty much in and out of your system in minutes. I suspect Carrie was taken by whatever combination of environmental factors seem to be making these things happen at younger ages for everybody; my father and grandfather both had heart attacks at 61, but I would have had mine at 51 if I hadn't noticed the alarming blood pressure spike that sent me to a cardiologist. And she had the appalling bad luck to have her heart attack on an airplane where quick intervention was physically impossible.

I wish there were a better place to have this discussion than Carrie Fisher's memorial thread, but the reason I say it's not implausible. I'm not sure there's a vast amount of research on this but it's just a hypothesis and yes, it's only one potential risk factor. Due to its activity as a cardiac stimulant, vasoconstrictor, and sodium channel blocker (i.e. local anesthetic), cocaine is particularly hard on your cardiovascular system, even compared to other psychostimulants. No doubt the bad luck to be on an airplane at the time made it far more catastrophic than it had to be.
posted by atoxyl at 4:33 PM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


Nah, If we're speculating, I'm going with whoever it was upthread who said the constant demands for weight loss over her life in order to look Hollywood-acceptable for film would have seriously taken its toll on her heart. Fuck fat-shaming, anorexia-worshipping Hollywood and all the evil it brings to women, both on- and off-screen.

I think this is also quite plausible.
posted by atoxyl at 4:34 PM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


Kevin Street: I saw a clip on the Internet somewhere where Fisher told the same anecdote to Daisy Ridley, to get a rise out of her. "You see what you have to look forward to?" Pretty sure she saw it as a funny story.

It was on the Graham Norton show last year. Did you notice Graham's or Ridley's facial reactions? Or really listen to Fisher's tone of voice? She did not tell it to get a "rise" out of Ridley. She made it funny because she was a funny woman, but no FUCKING way did she think it was a "funny story." It's vile, and she was very well aware that it was vile.
posted by tzikeh at 4:35 PM on December 27, 2016 [16 favorites]


She was in two movies that meant a lot to me: Star Wars (for obvious reasons) and When Harry Met Sally (which played a key role in the loss of my virginity).

So thanks and RIP.
posted by jonmc at 4:37 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


Like a lot of girls growing up in the late 70s and 80s, I idolized her. My brother years later in a fit of 12 year old destructiveness, melted a couple of his Star Wars figures with a blowtorch. One of him was the Leia that was "me" when we were playing. I was so pissed at him for that.

As an adult, I really admired her for speaking out about her mental illness and laughed out loud at the audio book of "Wishful Drinking". I'm not sure I want to deal with the coming year where she is gone and can't make some wonderfully caustic comments while Trump is president.

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posted by weathergal at 4:39 PM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


Buzzfeed has an early roundup of tweets in tribute to Carrie Fisher. Some are funny anecdotes, some are people saying how much Fisher's work to destigamtize mental illness helped them, some are encouraging us to fight fascism and become a general...
posted by TwoStride at 4:41 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


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posted by griffey at 4:58 PM on December 27, 2016



posted by beagle at 5:10 PM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


She made it funny because she was a funny woman, but no FUCKING way did she think it was a "funny story." It's vile, and she was very well aware that it was vile.

From Wishful Drinking: "...my entire existence could be summed up in one phrase. And that is: If my life wasn't funny it would just be true, and that is unacceptable. What that really means, other than what it sounds like, is, let's say something happens and from a certain slant, maybe it's tragic and even a little bit shocking. And then time passes and you go to the funny slant and now that very same thing can no longer do you any harm."
posted by effbot at 5:15 PM on December 27, 2016 [34 favorites]


Been thinking about this all day. She has been so important to me throughout my life.

I did wonder about the phrasing of the People article. It doesn't say she died today. Is there anything that says she died today? I only read that she had died. Is there something that says what day?
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 5:24 PM on December 27, 2016


Describing herself was Suzanne's way being herself. It was as close as she got, and it was way off the mark. She wanted to be tranquil. To be someone who look walks in the late afternoon sun listening to the birds and crickets and feeling the whole world breathe. She just couldn't feel the life she saw she had. It was as though she had cancer of the perspective.

...
"Norma wants me to lead a life instead of follow one around," she said.


Carrie Fisher, Postcards from the Edge
posted by OnceUponATime at 5:27 PM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


.

Right after the election, I told a friend that I needed Ep 8 to come out immediately, because I needed to see an older woman kicking fascist ass.

2016 apparently wants to deny me that, too.

It's incredibly trivial in the grand scheme of things, but it's still crushing.

RIP, Carrie Fisher.
posted by steady-state strawberry at 5:31 PM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


She had an advice column for the Guardian. Ask Carrie Fisher.

I think she only got to answer two letters. One from a woman whose husband had been seeing prostitutes. And one from someone suffering (like Fisher) from bipolar disorder. I am crushed that we won't get to read more. Someone please let me know if there are other column I've missed.
posted by OnceUponATime at 5:31 PM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


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posted by eckeric at 5:32 PM on December 27, 2016


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posted by Maastrictian at 5:32 PM on December 27, 2016


Is there something that says what day?

Multiple sources have posted the official statement from her family: "It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning. She was loved by the world, and she will be missed profoundly."
posted by effbot at 5:33 PM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


Sorry, I just want to post one more quote (unless I think of more later.) From that advice column:

But then someone said, “You don’t have to like these meetings, you just have to go, go until you like them.” That took me by surprise. I didn’t have to like something I did? Wow, what a concept. I thought I had to like everything – so I would wait to be OK with something and if I didn’t get there it was permission to give up. But if I didn’t have to like it – if I just had to effectively put my head down and move through some uncomfortable feelings till I got to the other side – what a notion! My comfort wasn’t the most important thing – my getting through to the other side of difficult feelings was. However long it might seem to take and however unfair it might seem, it was my job to do it.

Carrie Fisher occupies a space in my mind alongside Terry Pratchett and Oliver Sacks. There's something I can't put my finger on that links them all together. A sense of humor, a sense of wonder. A sense that the world is truly amazing and often cruel but most of all just deeply absurd. What can you do but laugh?

I only really discovered her writing this year, and read Postcards from the Edge, Surrender the Pink and Wishful Drinking in a short span. I'll be reading the rest of her books over the next year, I guess, and I'm sure I'll still be laughing but it'll be a much sadder kind of laughter. Carrier Fisher! I wanted more books! And newspaper columns! And movies featuring a 60 year old take not bullshit heroine who saves the day. Carrie Fisher! I will miss you so much.
posted by OnceUponATime at 5:47 PM on December 27, 2016 [24 favorites]


Comics writer Charles Soule tweets
There's a funeral in Poe Dameron #14, and Leia's present - writing that scene today. Wasn't originally about her, but now it will be.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:05 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


The iconic "Sgt. Pepper 2016" illustration just got another update, and considering that Kenny "R2D2" Baker was already in it, the way Carrie Fisher is depicted is sadly appropriate.
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:25 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


15 of Carrie Fisher’s Best, Most Honest Feminist Quotes
“Please stop debating about whether or not I aged well. Unfortunately it hurts all three of my feelings. My body hasn’t aged as well as I have. Blow us.”
posted by octobersurprise at 6:28 PM on December 27, 2016 [18 favorites]


Due to its activity as a cardiac stimulant, vasoconstrictor, and sodium channel blocker (i.e. local anesthetic), cocaine is particularly hard on your cardiovascular system, even compared to other psychostimulants

Unless you think she was still doing cocaine on the airplane, this is meaningless. None of these are chronic effects. You have a heart problem with cocaine because you are doing it at the moment and you go into defrib. It does not cause arterial blockages. I will bet a very large pile of money that what killed Carrie is what almost killed me, a blocked artery. Cocaine does not and cannot cause that.
posted by Bringer Tom at 6:29 PM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


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posted by pjmoy at 6:33 PM on December 27, 2016


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While I'm the right age to have had Star Wars as a formative experience we were too poor for movie going so while I admire her portrayal as Leia I always initially think of her as Mystery Woman from the Blue Brothers. l especially the expression on her face when she blows the hell out of the guys apartment.

wanderingmind: "That's 137 posts now in 2016 tagged with "obituary", compared with 95 in 2015. Two data points aren't a trend, but seriously, WTF 2016."

People have latched on to the 2016 celebrity death meme (and really early too) but not only is 2016 not all that unusual it also is just the start of an avalanche of mass media celebrity deaths as the boomers start getting serious about dying in the next decade. Here's a little tweet storm I sent out in response to one such comment about evil 2016 and the year lists were just cribbed from wikipedia without even trying:
Lemmy & Taylor, Scott Weiland, Nimoy, Pratchett, B.B. King, Tanith Lee, Christopher Lee, Zapf, Doctorow, Craven, Berra. 2015: what a year

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jack Bruce, Attenborough, Temple, Ramis, Rooney, Mowat, Kasem, Garner, Robin Williams! 2014 come on!

Pohl, Clancy, Roger Ebert, George Jones, Jack Vance, Iain Banks, Lou Reed, Paul Walker, Jeff Hanneman, Peter O'Toole. 2013 could suck it.

Shelby & Pininfarina, Whitney Houston, Davy Jones, Dick Clark, Valeri Vasiliev, Ray Bradbury, Harry Harrison, Neil Armstrong. Ugh 2012

Steve Jobs & Dennis Richie & John McCarthy; Anne McCaffrey, Harry Morgan, Peter Falk, Jack Layton. Except Richie, 2011 not too bad.

Leslie Nielsen, Tony Curtis, Dennis Hopper, Kate McGarrigle. 2010 was a pretty good year to be a celebrity.

Philip José Farmer, J. G. Ballard, David Eddings, Farrah Fawcett & Micheal Jackson on the same day, Cronkite, Swayze. Ouch 2009

Hillary, Heath Ledger, Jeff Healey, Arthur C. Clarke, Gygax, Bo Diddley, Carlin, Isaac Hayes, Paul Newman, Michael Crichton. 2008 was nasty
posted by Mitheral at 6:41 PM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


Hillary, Heath Ledger, Jeff Healey, Arthur C. Clarke, Gygax, Bo Diddley, Carlin, Isaac Hayes, Paul Newman, Michael Crichton. 2008 was nasty

Wait. What?
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:43 PM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


The climber.
posted by mochapickle at 6:46 PM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


MeFi's Own jscalzi wrote about Fisher for the Los Angeles Times.

This is a terrible loss, and I'm sorry for all of us, particularly her family and Gary, who won't be able to understand why she isn't with him anymore.

.
posted by bryon at 6:51 PM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


In a normal year, I would be crying or angry or shocked or something. She was one of my greatest childhood heroes. Someday, I'll cry for her loss. But right now, I just feel numb. I agree with everyone that 2016 was and is horrible, but I can't see how 2017 can possibly be any better. My hope for the future is in mortal peril.

.
posted by double block and bleed at 7:08 PM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


The climber.

Oh.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:12 PM on December 27, 2016


I loved Carrie Fisher, above all else, as a writer. She was so clever and witty and scathing and honest.

I have a friend at work who's just turned 30 and we talk about Star Wars all the time. It started when The Force Awakens was released and he patronisingly said 'Oh, it's nice that Carrie Fisher came out of retirement to play Leia again, she hasn't really done anything since then, has she?' and I was like whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat???? I've been filling him in on her incredible achievements and what a powerhouse of a woman she was, how her career as an actor and author and screenwriter spanned decades, how she wasn't just a nice older lady (I nearly spit when he said that) but a woman of strength and humour and etc. etc.

My shift starts in 2 hours and I hope he's working today. We can mourn together, I hope.
posted by h00py at 7:14 PM on December 27, 2016 [7 favorites]


I have been surprised by how hard this hit me.

Rest in peace, Carrie.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:17 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


I am so NOT getting into the "get over it" argument some are making. Instead, I want to share this: Carrie Fisher had all the best lines. Watch this clip and be amazed.

Here is my take. Luke has just gotten his ass handed to him by Vader. He's literally hanging by a thread and reaches out to Leia, who is grieving in her own right while trying to make a desperate escape. In the middle of all this, she realizes they have to go back. No questions, no self-doubt, just steely resolve. She's not even aware that she's a Jedi yet.

Chewie starts to protest, but she shuts him down with "Chewie, just do it." Lando starts to protest, but Leia doesn't even turn around to acknowledge he's even aboard. She ignores him. Lando takes one step forward to try and stop her and Chewie barks a clear threat: back off.

There's not a shadow of a doubt as to who's in charge. It's not the Wookiee or the con artist. It's the badass in the pilot seat.

All that is communicated in the space of 15 seconds. Watch the clip. You can't take your eyes off Carrie Fisher.

.
posted by zooropa at 7:19 PM on December 27, 2016 [25 favorites]


Oh man, we're going to get to the credits for 2016 and find out GRRM wrote this one.
posted by adept256 at 7:26 PM on December 27, 2016 [6 favorites]


.
posted by Lafe at 7:31 PM on December 27, 2016


Once we lost "perpetual 'Is He Still Alive' bad joke" Abe Vigoda, awareness of Celebrity Deaths was sure to be greater this year than ever before. And everyone is acutely aware of the year when the Celebrity Deaths suddenly became less of the ones older than you and more the ones younger than you. And Carrie was a year younger than me.
posted by oneswellfoop at 7:32 PM on December 27, 2016


.
posted by deemer at 7:32 PM on December 27, 2016


I wasn't a Leia fan, so I never paid much attention to Carrie Fisher one way or another. But when The Force Awakens was coming out and she was doing media appearances with a total DGAF attitude, I was really smitten. The media ecosystem didn't know what to do with a woman who was comfortable in her own skin and didn't have to make anybody happy but herself. So I read The Princess Diarist and Wishful Drinking, and knowing something about the actor made the performances much more meaningful to me. So now I'm a Leia fan, a sad Leia fan.

.

And for Gary, missing his bff

.
posted by peeedro at 7:40 PM on December 27, 2016 [7 favorites]


.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 7:40 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


Well, this is probably the fifth time this year I've woken up to news of a death that's made me cry. I am going to miss the hell out of a world that has someone like Carrie Fisher in it. It's just that it's not going to be the last time, and it's not going to be confined to a single year. The people I've grown up idolizing, the people who've entertained me, inspired me, made me feel like this is all worth doing, they've been aging right along with me, and fuck, I'm not young anymore, and most of the people I looked up to as a kid are old. It's going to get much, much worse, so appreciate what we have while we have it.

I've believe for a while now that growing old is the long, painful process of having the things and people you care for taken from you, bit by bit, and this year has really hammered that home.

Right now the only thing that I'm comforted by is that I have a place like this, and all of you to listen to as you tell us the ways you're coping with yet another loss.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:47 PM on December 27, 2016 [13 favorites]


In a park in my hometown, there was an old anti-aircraft artillery gun. I'm not sure which World War it came from but it had three working gears: one would move the turret up and down, another would move the gun and yet another would spin the gun on its base. I can't tell you how many hours my friends and I spent playing "Leia Escapes The Hut" on that thing.

I can't rightly put into words all Carrie Fisher meant to me: her movie performances (The Burbs! FTW!), her amazing books (don't make me choose one, it'd be like choosing my favorite parent) and her advocacy for meath health issues.

I read about what happened on that flight. I know what cardiac arrest means without immediate access to high-level tramua care. I knew. But I'm still weeping. I am still gut-punched.

Godspeed, General.
posted by blessedlyndie at 7:51 PM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


Rest in peace. You made our world so much brighter.
posted by gt2 at 7:57 PM on December 27, 2016


Ghidorah: "Well, this is probably the fifth time this year I've woken up to news of a death that's made me cry. I am going to miss the hell out of a world that has someone like Carrie Fisher in it. It's just that it's not going to be the last time, and it's not going to be confined to a single year. The people I've grown up idolizing, the people who've entertained me, inspired me, made me feel like this is all worth doing, they've been aging right along with me, and fuck, I'm not young anymore, and most of the people I looked up to as a kid are old. It's going to get much, much worse, so appreciate what we have while we have it.

I've believe for a while now that growing old is the long, painful process of having the things and people you care for taken from you, bit by bit, and this year has really hammered that home.

Right now the only thing that I'm comforted by is that I have a place like this, and all of you to listen to as you tell us the ways you're coping with yet another loss.
"

Go destroy Tokyo. You'll feel better.
posted by Samizdata at 8:01 PM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


(Yes, the bad jokes ARE a coping mechanism, Virginia.)
posted by Samizdata at 8:02 PM on December 27, 2016 [4 favorites]


Its super cheesy but in my mind, I see her, Frank Oz, and Sir Alec Guinness looking over our shoulders and nodding, like at the end of Jedi. Lets hope that group doesn't get any bigger for a few more years.
posted by bartonlong at 8:06 PM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


Here's a little tweet storm I sent out in response to one such comment about evil 2016 and the year lists were just cribbed from wikipedia without even trying.



Your list only served to illustrate how tragic and exceptional this year was.
I'm sorry, but those previous years, there was one, maybe two, *major* celebrity deaths - ones that rocked the general populace. Ones that you could go up to the majority of random people in the US, and they would not only know who the person was, but express grief on learning of their death. I'm not trying to say that some deaths are less important - if that was your favorite author, musician, or actor who died, those years were tragic for you. But the sheer magnitude of people here who are saying that Bowie, Prince, George Michael, and Carrie Fisher helped form them as people cannot be denied. And all of them died decades before we expected. So I heartily say "fuck 2016" where I would not to any of those other years. And clearly, from the number of people here saying that, that's the general consensus. We weren't all saying "fuck 2013" ergo, 2013 just want as bad.
posted by greermahoney at 8:15 PM on December 27, 2016 [19 favorites]


.
posted by misterbee at 8:17 PM on December 27, 2016




My family and I just saw Rogue One tonight, with no spoilers. We knew Carrie had died going in to the movie. The final scene was a gut punch. Damn.
posted by mollweide at 8:21 PM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


I woke to the news this morning. Two texts messages from friends who couldn't believe it, but also needed to comfort me. Before I did anything else, before I showered, before I ate breakfast, I wrote about Carrie Fisher and one small time I was in her orbit.

I always talk about that night as the night Carrie Fisher gave me a kiss on the cheek, but almost as great a thrill was the way our interaction started, in the middle of her show WISHFUL DRINKING:

...as she told her story about waking up next to a dead Republican.
Carrie: “Why do they call sex ‘in the saddle’?”
Carrie looked at me, sitting in the front row.
Me: “Because there could be a riding crop involved?” And I made a whipping motion with one hand. Probably the best improvisation I’ve ever made in my life.
Carrie: “Well that says more about you than it does answer the question.”


I loved Carrie Fisher as a small boy/teenager because of Leia. I loved her as a man because of her writing: her screenplays, her work as a script doctor and her memoirs.

She inspired me to put women at the centre of the plays and shows I've written. My first instinct this morning was not to mourn for her, but to write for her. This afternoon is for mourning. Tomorrow is for seeing Rogue One again. And A New Hope for the thousandth time but in a brand new way.
posted by crossoverman at 8:26 PM on December 27, 2016 [21 favorites]


Her death has led to me doing a lot of thinking a remembering about my early years and I've come to more of an understanding of just how much her Princess Leia meant to us young girls. She was like some sort of spirit mentor guardian that we would invoke when we needed help 'fighting the patriarchy.' :D

I was five when the first movie game out so my entire elementary life was steeped in Star Wars. I loved it. I talked up thread about playing Star Wars but it was more then that. I'm remembering times when some of us girls would want to play something and get pushback for being a too much of a boy thing. "No it's not cause Princess Leia could do it."
Girls can't be in charge of this. "Yes we can cause Princess Leia"
Girls are stoopid. "You're wrong....Princess Leia"

I've realized she was our school age feminist icon and role model that helped us assert ourselves, claim our value and even win arguments.

So much of this is due to how Carrie Fisher played her and the parts of herself (independence, inner strength, no BS) that she brought to the character. She a type of gravitas and solidness that made the character more then just the words she spoke.
posted by Jalliah at 8:29 PM on December 27, 2016 [24 favorites]


Its super cheesy but in my mind, I see her, Frank Oz, and Sir Alec Guinness looking over our shoulders and nodding, like at the end of Jedi. Lets hope that group doesn't get any bigger for a few more years.

Frank Oz isn't even dead yet why is he a Force ghost already
posted by mightygodking at 8:46 PM on December 27, 2016 [6 favorites]


Alec Guinness did not give a shit about Star Wars, so he's probably down the ghost pub with a bunch of Ealing types or something.
posted by Artw at 8:47 PM on December 27, 2016 [3 favorites]


Sharp as a scalpel, gutsy as they come, real as fuck, and classy all the way to the end.

But perhaps above all else, an outstanding example of how to turn your flaws and failings to the sort of gold that helps others as well as yourself, and all done without taking herself too seriously.

Condolences to her family and friends.
posted by Pouteria at 8:55 PM on December 27, 2016 [6 favorites]


I hate 2016 because my social network has had a death or medical disaster nearly every other month since November 2015. Celebrity deaths are just the bad news that's socially acceptable to complain about.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 8:56 PM on December 27, 2016 [6 favorites]


Someone in the election thread recommended the Star Wars novel Bloodline. It'd probably have been unremarkable in October, but I read it in late November and nearly sobbed.

If I can bring myself to reread it, I definitely won't make it through without crying. And it's almost certainly making my Hugo rec list, because it's been that kind of year, and Bloodline now has ALL the feels attached to it.
posted by steady-state strawberry at 9:07 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


But the sheer magnitude of people here who are saying that Bowie, Prince, George Michael, and Carrie Fisher helped form them as people cannot be denied. And all of them died decades before we expected.

Don't forget Muhammad Ali.
posted by SisterHavana at 9:25 PM on December 27, 2016 [13 favorites]


By all accounts, this has been a completely average year for celebrity deaths - and we should know. We've been doing this for a while, and this year falls right in the middle in terms of number of celebrities croaking.
That's a quote from the person that runs stiffs.com, a website that runs a celebrity death pool with yearly prediction contests for prizes (and has been doing it since the 90s.)
posted by Rhomboid at 9:45 PM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


My college roommate writes Haikubituaries, and I think the last year or so has almost broken him. :7(
posted by wenestvedt at 9:48 PM on December 27, 2016 [1 favorite]



It's not just about the sheer number who died, it's about who has died combined with a bunch of other really shitty world shaking events that collectively it seems, based on who they are and what they did amplifies the effect of their loss.
posted by Jalliah at 9:53 PM on December 27, 2016 [9 favorites]


Carrie Fisher's non-Star-Wars roles, with video links.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:56 PM on December 27, 2016 [2 favorites]


I was dealing somewhat okay with this until I noticed that the pinned tweet at the top of Gary The Dog's Twitter feed was dated 12/23 and shows him waiting for her to come home. And now I'm a teary mess.
posted by ashirys at 1:22 PM on December 27 [36 favorites +] [!]


THAT'S IT. 2016 is finally so unbelievably, gut-wrenchingly sad that it goes out with a REAL LIVE version of the ending of Futurama's "Jurassic Bark" episode.

One of my favourite scenes from When Harry Met Sally was always this Carrie Fisher moment:

Marie: Tell me I'll never have to be out there again.
Jess: You will never have to be out there again.

Carrie, you'll never have to be out there again, but damned if we don't wish you would be.
posted by ilana at 10:01 PM on December 27, 2016 [8 favorites]


2016 is like that guy in the improv class who thinks being loud is being funny
posted by klangklangston at 10:02 PM on December 27, 2016 [8 favorites]


Luke, a small old man with a rough voice pauses a moment while playing with BB8, looks up at Rey, and decalres: "I am Old Sky, this is true, but my name is Skywalker Kenobi, and yes, I did know your mother, the hero of our Republic. In her honor, I will teach you the ways of the Jedi. It will not be an easy path to tread, but you already knew that."
posted by Slap*Happy at 10:02 PM on December 27, 2016 [5 favorites]


and this year falls right in the middle in terms of number of celebrities croaking.

Except it's not just about the number. It's about the impact of each one. Clearly, these deaths are having a huge societal impact. You can't quantify grief by saying more celebrities died in X year, therefore 2016 isn't "as bad." We feel what we feel.
posted by greermahoney at 10:08 PM on December 27, 2016 [13 favorites]


.

Postcards the movie made me laugh and laugh. I hadn't really been exposed to sardonic humor until Postcards. I was the perfect age for it, late-teens, and I was even more pleased to hear it was also a book, so I read that and loved it even more than the movie.
posted by Pocahontas at 10:28 PM on December 27, 2016


No, not other Jedis, but this year saw the deaths of Kenny Baker, the man inside R2D2, and Tony Dyson, the man given the most credit for building the droid. That was one thing about 2016's celebrity deaths: how they were often related, like Emerson AND Lake; Patty Duke AND her 'TV dad' William Schallert; Abe Vigoda AND Ron Harris from 'Barney Miller'; Mr. Golf Arnold Palmer AND Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe AND of course, Mr. Boxing Muhammed Ali...
posted by oneswellfoop at 10:54 PM on December 27, 2016 [6 favorites]


.
posted by lapolla at 11:25 PM on December 27, 2016


The Force is strong with her. She is one with the Force.

Please give John a hug.

And fuck 2016 with a quadrillion searing hot Bowie knives.

⚫️
posted by dbiedny at 12:04 AM on December 28, 2016 [1 favorite]


.
posted by rhizome at 12:31 AM on December 28, 2016


So, my mom was a scenster in LA in the 70s.

She was, in her own words "a professional pretty girl " nominally in the music industry. She had a job but mostly went to parties. She went to a lot of parties where Carrie Fisher would show up. They where not friends but they had friends of a friends in common and showed up at the same parties . Mom always thought she was the best, like an ideal to shoot for. When she moved back east, to be pregnant with me in a misguided belief her family would help her, she kept a lifeline to her LA party girl life by reading Carrie Fischer books (and hiring only Gallery girl babysitters for me ) . She has a signed copy of surrender the pink. She claimed Carrie remembered her name when she name dropped the producer party it was at and then made small chat about how she had a kid and worked for the state now.

Cut ahead decades and uh, my Mom looks a lot like Carrie . She has the haircut, the slouch, the LA affectations and sarcasm. It's her and Leslie Anne Warren in the Limey (Leslie replaced Carrie as Miss Scarlett in Clue)

So , to be blunt, this feels like a dress rehearsal for when my mom dies.

I don't like it.

Even if my Mom told me about the Ford affair like years ago.
posted by The Whelk at 12:41 AM on December 28, 2016 [34 favorites]




.
posted by fraula at 3:32 AM on December 28, 2016


I'm not even a big Star Wars fan, but her motto was "fuck this shit." Lady after my own heart!

.
posted by iffthen at 4:12 AM on December 28, 2016 [5 favorites]


.
posted by drworm at 4:40 AM on December 28, 2016


Today we are all going with a hippie to a second location.
posted by Phssthpok at 5:27 AM on December 28, 2016 [3 favorites]


The total number of major celebrity deaths so far in 2016 is 22. Again, that's substantially more than the full-year totals for all the previous years – they range from eight to 19. For the full year. No matter what happens in the fourth quarter, 2016 will be remembered as the year when so many more celebrities died than in a normal year – and so many of them were legends in their fields.

From this excellent analysis of 2016 celebrity deaths by Linnea Crowther for legacy.com.
posted by MrVisible at 5:29 AM on December 28, 2016


Fisher was so much more than Princess Leia. She was a badass writer, funny-person, mental illness advocate, feminist, and all around boss-ass bitch (c.f.: Pretty Taking All Fades: Boss Ass Bitch). But even just Leia would've been enough to earn her a special place in the collective memory of my generation.

<3
posted by LMGM at 5:33 AM on December 28, 2016 [4 favorites]


.

<3
posted by limeonaire at 5:56 AM on December 28, 2016


.
posted by candyland at 6:59 AM on December 28, 2016


Leslie replaced Carrie as Miss Scarlett in Clue

Whaaaaaaaaaat? Really? I loooooove this movie but I might have loved it even more! (No offense to Leslie.)
posted by AFABulous at 7:29 AM on December 28, 2016 [2 favorites]


.
posted by scrufflehead at 7:29 AM on December 28, 2016


This 2005 George Lucas roast just made my morning.
posted by greermahoney at 8:46 AM on December 28, 2016 [5 favorites]


.
posted by Foosnark at 8:50 AM on December 28, 2016


.
posted by Archelaus at 8:51 AM on December 28, 2016


.
posted by dripdripdrop at 9:10 AM on December 28, 2016


.
posted by klausness at 9:16 AM on December 28, 2016




.
posted by ojemine at 10:24 AM on December 28, 2016


.
posted by PippinJack at 11:10 AM on December 28, 2016


A day later and, in addition to the grief, anger and sadness, I'm mostly struck by just how unfair this one feels. It's just so. fucking. unfair.

as a side note, maybe the stats/numbers folks could put all their analysis about how normal the death toll of 2016 has been in their own fpp, and stop shitting in the obit threads? I think there's some interesting data wankery to be had there, but man does it feel lousy to keep hearing how about how scientifically unfounded and invalid the feeling of 2016's unfairness is.
posted by ApathyGirl at 11:35 AM on December 28, 2016 [26 favorites]


.
posted by RedOrGreen at 12:04 PM on December 28, 2016


O Princess! my Princess! our fearful trip is done
The franchise has been revived, the prize we sought is won,
The end is near, the credits I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady plot, the visuals grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O thou fickle clock of life
Where on the deck my Princess lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

O Princess! my Princess! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you our love flies —for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Princess! dear sister!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck,
You’ve fallen cold and dead.

My Princess does not answer, her lips are pale and still,
Our leader does not feel my arm, she has no pulse nor will,
The franchise is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closing on done,
From fearful trip the Disney ship comes in with object won;
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Princess lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
posted by lon_star at 12:17 PM on December 28, 2016 [7 favorites]


Charming to the last.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:26 PM on December 28, 2016 [8 favorites]


.
posted by MelanieL at 12:27 PM on December 28, 2016


.
posted by Flippervault at 12:37 PM on December 28, 2016


Ann Leckie on performative mourning.
It’s all performative. It’s all for show. Hell, any time you get dressed and walk out the door it’s performative, it’s for show. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily insincere or bad or somehow wrong and shallow. It means you can’t communicate without doing a thing that others will understand–and during a time of stress we have a series of more or less ritual acts to make, more or less formulaic lines to speak, wearing more or less conventional clothes, to get us through, together. It’s all for show.

Some of the people publicly mourning may be insincere, sure, but that’s not really the point, is it? Mostly they’re not. No, the problem isn’t that tweets about Bowie or Michael or Prince or Fischer aren’t sincere, it’s that the critic doesn’t think they have standing to mourn, or thinks those tweets are somehow improper. But, you know, nobody gets to decide that for you, do they.

No. They do not.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 1:43 PM on December 28, 2016 [16 favorites]


LooseFilter, that's one of the most cogent comments I've read yet about the celeb deaths of 2016. I've been running around saying the same thing, but nowhere near as eloquently as you did. I suspect life expectancy numbers trick people, but as someone who recently lost both of my Boomer parents in their 60s, the numbers have become far more meaningful to me.
posted by readyfreddy at 1:46 PM on December 28, 2016 [2 favorites]




2016 STOP ITTTTTTT. Like for real STOP
posted by entropicamericana at 2:19 PM on December 28, 2016 [5 favorites]


Family sources told TMZ they called 911 to report a possible stroke.
The ambulance took Debbie to a nearby emergency room.
Debbie was at Todd’s house discussing funeral plans for Carrie, TMZ is reporting
.

Poor Todd.
posted by OnceUponATime at 2:51 PM on December 28, 2016 [9 favorites]


Debbie Reynolds has reportedly been rushed to the hospital after suffering a "medical emergency."

You know that if Carrie were still here, she would be pissed as hell that her mother is trying to upstage her AGAIN.
posted by briank at 3:29 PM on December 28, 2016 [35 favorites]


I used to have a theory, that the great people go beyond, so they can help us better from beyond. Maybe that helps ease the pain of the loss. To think that they are all there, helping us with the pain of being human, the daily struggle of living life, and knowing that there are things in this world that we can never hope to change, because while hope is in our nature, we are always fighting against the animals of the Dark Side.

I'm a little old, but not quite old (in my head). And I realize that people get old, and people will die young. I had a brother die this year at age 53, and also, I had a brother who died at age 31 in 1988, which morbidly prepared me for this go around. Ironically, the day my most recent brother died, I heard the Disturbed version of Sound of Silence, which I had never heard before, a few hours before his death, on the radio. It really affected me, and every time I heard a Paul Simon song after that, I would freak out a little bit. I'd forgotten he was connect to Carrie Fisher, but all I know is, that song hit me at the right time, and maybe it prepared me, a little bit, as we all knew my brother was dying, and I felt like it was his soul, telling me he was leaving now. Who knows?

I remember seeing Star Wars three times in the theater. Not a true nerd, but enough to count. My favorite part has always been, "You're a little short, for a storm trooper." And she shot guns without being a smoking femme fatale. She wore a gown, and she shot guns and barked orders at people, usually men. She didn't simper. Her eyes crackled with life.

I remember watching Debbie Reynolds in Singing in the Rain, and she held her own against Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor. I hope she is okay. I understand the stress of having a family member in dire straits, on life support, and the shock that it brings on.

RIP, Carrie Fisher, you brought us Hope. I will always remember you, for the rest of my days.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 3:33 PM on December 28, 2016 [11 favorites]




I made a resolution with myself that, when my heroes die, I will donate to a cause they supported. When I get paid next Wednesday I'm donating $20 to the local suicide hotline in honor of Carrie Fisher's honesty and good humor about mental illness. Obviously not everyone can do this, but if you have the means, I invite you to join me.
posted by pxe2000 at 4:28 PM on December 28, 2016 [19 favorites]


pxe2000 I love that idea. I will join you for 2017.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 4:44 PM on December 28, 2016 [2 favorites]




Jeez, 2016.

.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 5:48 PM on December 28, 2016 [1 favorite]


We're clearly in a cascade failure mode.
posted by vibrotronica at 5:49 PM on December 28, 2016 [13 favorites]


JESUS CHRIST.
posted by corb at 5:50 PM on December 28, 2016


AP - BREAKING: "Actress Debbie Reynolds, star of the 1952 classic 'Singin' in the Rain' and mother of Carrie Fisher, has died, son says."

This. goddam. year.
posted by Doktor Zed at 5:51 PM on December 28, 2016 [4 favorites]


I went to the national suicide prevention hotline and clicked Donate. Hey I got a few millibitcoins rattling around in a wallet waiting to be donated but NOOOOoooo, there's a whole form you got fill out and they only take credit cards. So if anybody has a charity that accepts anonymous bitcoins that could use roughly $USD20, I will donate on behalf of Carrie.
posted by Bringer Tom at 5:53 PM on December 28, 2016 [1 favorite]


God damn it all to hell.

.
posted by tonycpsu at 5:53 PM on December 28, 2016 [1 favorite]


Man. Oh man. I have just hung my head in bowing to two greats, one after another.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 5:53 PM on December 28, 2016 [2 favorites]


That poor family. Fuck.
posted by skycrashesdown at 5:53 PM on December 28, 2016 [5 favorites]


I hope there are people surrounding Billie Lourd right now, keeping her away from sharp objects and encouraging her to scream until she can't anymore, because I don't know what else you do in a situation like this.
posted by tzikeh at 5:55 PM on December 28, 2016 [9 favorites]


What
The
Actual
Fuck

..
posted by numaner at 5:58 PM on December 28, 2016 [1 favorite]


Yes, good thoughts for Billie Lourd, whose family is falling away at the moment, at the age of 24!
posted by zutalors! at 5:59 PM on December 28, 2016 [4 favorites]


.
posted by schyler523 at 6:02 PM on December 28, 2016


there arent enough swear words in the world anymore to effectively communicate how messed up this year has been
posted by Hermione Granger at 6:03 PM on December 28, 2016 [4 favorites]


Ok, who's been going around saying, "this year can't get any worse"? Could you stop, please?

.
posted by Zonker at 6:06 PM on December 28, 2016 [4 favorites]


I'm reminded of the diary page from Teddy Roosevelt when his wife and mother died on the same day in the same house — a large X on the page with "The light has gone out of my life" written below. That poor family.
posted by Celsius1414 at 6:06 PM on December 28, 2016 [16 favorites]


Bille seems seriously awesome and resilient, which should be no surprise given her family. Still though.
posted by zutalors! at 6:08 PM on December 28, 2016


AP - BREAKING: "Actress Debbie Reynolds, star of the 1952 classic 'Singin' in the Rain' and mother of Carrie Fisher, has died, son says."

She deserves her own thread.
posted by Beholder at 6:10 PM on December 28, 2016 [9 favorites]


Time to watch Postcards from the Edge. As good a tribute to them both as I can think of. Not sure how I'll make it through "I'm Still Here", though.
posted by crossoverman at 6:22 PM on December 28, 2016 [5 favorites]


Jeebus. I want to send Todd Fisher a fruit basket or something.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:26 PM on December 28, 2016 [7 favorites]


I'm reminded of the diary page from Teddy Roosevelt when his wife and mother died on the same day in the same house

I'm reminded of Bono's mother collapsing and dying (of a cerebral aneurysm) at her father's funeral.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 6:39 PM on December 28, 2016 [2 favorites]


One of my favorite parts about Postcards from the Edge is how Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine NAIL the "I'm Still Here" scene. Because it's not just the cliche, simple story of a famous mother who resents and wants to overshadow her young and beautiful daughter and a broken daughter who resents and wants to run away from her narcissist mother. It's also a proud mother who adores her talented daughter and wants her to show off those talents, and a proud daughter who can't help but love being dazzled by the wonder of her mother, a true star.

.
.

please 2016 leave us MacLaine
posted by sallybrown at 8:03 PM on December 28, 2016 [8 favorites]


I had a feeling Debbie would be going ASAP after this. Now my mom is messed up too.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:31 PM on December 28, 2016 [3 favorites]


This year can suck -=all=- the bags of dicks.

.

and for her mom

.
posted by Tailkinker to-Ennien at 9:52 PM on December 28, 2016 [1 favorite]




Wait a minute. She's a Jedi, right?

She can totally come back as a Force ghost.
posted by Joe in Australia at 11:09 PM on December 28, 2016


.
posted by lordrunningclam at 4:52 AM on December 29, 2016


Debbie and Carrie on Oprah, 2011.

. .
posted by hangashore at 8:59 AM on December 29, 2016


The Unparalleled Wisdom of 28-Year-Old Carrie Fisher

Great interview from 1985. I haven't read any of her books, but if they are anything like this I definitely need to.
posted by TedW at 9:02 AM on December 29, 2016 [4 favorites]


Lightsaber vigils.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:18 AM on December 29, 2016 [1 favorite]


Carrie Fisher, the writer.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:35 AM on December 29, 2016






I've been on vacation and I don't write to MetaFilter when I'm not at home, but holy fucking christ! This was the worst news for me to get this week. I don't have much to offer to this thread other than to offer my own tribute in the form of being a fanboy of Fisher since 1977 when she told that big walking carpet to get out of her way.

Strong and sassy in character, stronger and sassier just being herself. I wish we had more like her.
posted by hippybear at 11:48 PM on December 29, 2016


”When I was a young man, Carrie Fisher was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. She turned out to be witty and bright as well."

Steve Martin deletes tweet.
posted by fairmettle at 1:14 AM on December 30, 2016


since 1977 when she told that big walking carpet to get out of her way.

Strong and sassy in character


I was always struck by her stance before Vader in the initial scenes. From this child's perspective, Vader was a walking nightmare, and Leia was, like, "Dude, what the fuck? Do you even know how much trouble you're in?" She just wasn't cowed by him at all. Each time he speaks, she practically rolls her eyes!
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 2:30 AM on December 30, 2016 [9 favorites]


I read the dialogue and it was impossible. On my first day I had a scene with Peter Cushing, who played Governor Tarkin. This is the scene when I was supposed to say, “I thought I recognized your foul stench when I arrived on board.”

Who talks like that, except maybe a pirate in the seventeenth century? I looked at it and thought it should be said more like, “Hey, Governor Tarkin, I knew I’d see you here. When I got on board this ship I thought, My God! What is that smell? It’s gotta be Governor Tarkin. Everyone knows that the guy smells like a wheel of cheese that someone found in their car after seven weeks!” So I did it like that, more sardonic than emotional. Fearless and like an actual human, but not serious. Ironic. Some chick from Long Island who’s not scared of you or anyone you might know.

And this was when George gave me the only direction that I ever received from him other than his usual suggestion to make everything you’re saying “faster or “more intense.” He took me aside and in a very solemn voice told me, “This is a very big deal for Leia. Huge. I mean, her planet is about to get blown up by these guys. And that means everything that she knows is gonna be gone forever. So you’re very upset. She is very upset.” I listened carefully because I was the one with most of the earnest lines, and prior to this I didn’t know whether I was going to have to deliver them earnestly. When you watch the movie, it turns out that the voice I used when I was upset was vaguely British, and my not-upset voice is less British.
-Carrie Fisher, "The Princess Diarist"
posted by OnceUponATime at 4:59 AM on December 30, 2016 [10 favorites]


.
posted by churl at 8:18 AM on December 30, 2016




HBO has moved their airdate of Bright Lights, the documentary about Carrie and Debbit, to Jan 7. And Wishful Drinking, Carrie's one-woman show that HBO filmed, will run on Jan 1.
posted by hippybear at 8:49 AM on December 30, 2016 [4 favorites]


Started the year in the David Bowie obit post. Ending the year in the Carrie Fisher obit post. Worst bookends ever.
posted by Devoidoid at 11:00 AM on December 30, 2016 [9 favorites]


I'd thought of that when Carrie had her heart attack on the plane, which was nearly the same number of days from the end of the year as Bowie's death was from the beginning.

Total suck year. Brutal week. And still 36 hours to go.
posted by hippybear at 11:31 AM on December 30, 2016 [2 favorites]


Steve Martin deletes tweet
Good. Things have been getting creepy.

In the words of the wonderful Glen Weldon:
Straight dudes writing tributes to Carrie Fisher about how she figured in your sexual awakening: Your boner history is fascinating, truly.
posted by bibliowench at 12:52 PM on December 30, 2016 [11 favorites]


2016, the Movie Trailer. "They shot a gorilla!"
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 1:34 PM on December 30, 2016


Ending the year in the Carrie Fisher obit post.

Shhhh. Don't jinx it.

They have altered the obits list. Pray it is not altered any farther.
posted by steady-state strawberry at 1:37 PM on December 30, 2016 [6 favorites]




Watching the ABC special now. Holy shit, the interview with Todd about watching his mother die within 15 minutes of saying she wanted to be with Debbie. It's horrible, it's beautiful, it's Romeo and Juliet-type stuff...
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:15 PM on December 30, 2016 [1 favorite]


.
posted by one teak forest at 12:50 AM on January 1, 2017


.
posted by Coaticass at 4:06 AM on January 2, 2017


CARRIE FISHER'S URN IS SHAPED LIKE A PROZAC CAPSULE.

She did it. She got one final joke in.
posted by crossoverman at 2:05 PM on January 6, 2017 [16 favorites]


Omg, that's too fucking hilarious and on point and jesus I wish she had lasted another decade or two.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:10 PM on January 6, 2017 [1 favorite]


Brilliant.
posted by nubs at 2:12 PM on January 6, 2017


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