Farewell, farewell, fellow stargazer. posted by EarBucket at 6:24 PM on August 20, 2010
I said it before: "His enthusiasm and absence of scholarly snobbery engaged my interest more than even watching the first moon landing on TV when I was 13. Sorry, Neil."
This episode aired 25 years ago this week.
The passions of Carl Sagan and Jack Horkheimer fueled my passion for all things outside of the influence of the earth and now my last space hero is dead.
My eighth grade science teacher took the opportunity during our astronomy unit to play a new Jack Horkheimer episode every single day. While it became something of a running joke at the time, I've looked back on that voice and that demeanor with real fondness every now and then over the past few years. I think if the teacher had as much energy and interest as Horkheimer did, the star bug might have actually stuck with me.
I remember as a kid watching him open every episode by walking down from the Cosmos into the field-of-view on a beam of light. He's looked like a frumpy old Uncle his whole TV career, but to me, as a kid, it seemed strangely god-like -- as if Zeus' cousin Larry was going to explain the Secrets of the Universe to you. I loved it.
Jack, if there is any kind of consciousness after death, if there is any possibility that you can read this, I want to say two things:
First, thank you for inculcating a life-long love of astronomy and stargazing in a young nerdy gay boy who watched way too much PBS as a child.
Secondly, thank you for introducing me to Debussy.
So many of my old Doctor Who VHS tapes from Iowa Public Television either before or after (and sometimes both) have Mr. Horkheimer letting us know what was happening in the stars in the mid to late 80s. And like Doctor Who, he was something that my father and I could always bond over; no matter how distant we may have been on Earth, we always had that in the stars -- both in the fictional Whoniverse and the Horkheimer universe.
They don't make them like Horkheimer anymore--entirely free of pretense, and seemingly a great guy.
Nonetheless, whenever I hear that Debussy, I get really antsy--my local PBS station used to play Star Hustler between episodes of Dr. Who and Blake's 7, and I was practically feral by the time he finished his 6-minute schtick. Plus, this was in NYC, and the only star you could ever see was the sun.
I used to watch him years ago and remember when he announced that he was changing the name of the program from "Star Hustler" to "Star Gazer." He said something along the lines of, "Let's face it, 'hustler' doesn't mean the same thing that it meant when we first started this program."
Shit. I hate it when I'm reminded about someone's existence by their passing. I used to love his segments, played before Dr. Who, and had completely forgotten about them. posted by mollweide at 7:01 PM on August 20, 2010
Oh, goddammit, on preview. posted by mollweide at 7:02 PM on August 20, 2010
I love his little laugh and his sign off. I still think Star Hustler was a hella cooler name. posted by symbioid at 7:03 PM on August 20, 2010
I, too was enjoyed watching his show in my youth (for many of the reasons mentioned above).
I remember that WQED Pittsburgh used to air Star Gazer in the last five minutes before they went off the air (at either 11:55pm or 1:55am). Needless to say, I caught many an episode during college. On the very first one I had seen in quite a few years, I was shocked (shocked!) to learn that he was transitioning for Star Hustler to Star Gazer. Either way, he was the most enthusiastic voice of astronomy that I've ever heard, and I'll miss him.
The backyard aspect was neat. All the hemisphere could step outside and watch the same show. posted by Trochanter at 7:10 PM on August 20, 2010
Oh, how sad. His segments were always so full of the basic wonderment of looking up at the night sky, and he always spun an adventure to witness. I'll miss seeing him.
I, too, associate him with Tom Baker-era (and some latter Doctors) Doctor Who and my gawky teen years, and I loved the sort of goofy, out-there-gay, funny-creepy avuncular quality to his routines, coupled with the genuine love and earnest (remember life before omnipresent irony?) enthusiasm. I also loved that he called his show "Star Hustler," with a wink wink...oops, does "Star Hustler" sound sleazy? How 'bout "Star Gay-zer?" That's better, right?
Wish more people kept looking up. There's perspective up there.
So long to the second most important gay astronomer out there (after St. Frank).
Star Gazer is available as a podcast in iTunes (and presumably on his own website) in both five and one minute versions. Grab all you can now, and play them back at the right times in the years to come. The skies spin like clockwork, and Jack can guide you through for as long as you want him to.
Jack's no small reason why I went into astrophysics. posted by ewagoner at 7:32 PM on August 20, 2010 [6 favorites]
.
I love Jack Horkheimer. He was a good man who was passionate about the heavens and who just wanted to share his love and his knowledge with everyone. I still get goosebumps listening to the Stargazer theme music (Debussy's Arabesque #1 by Isao Tomita). Aww, keep looking up. posted by Mael Oui at 7:35 PM on August 20, 2010
Used to be damn near asleep when his show would come on whatever Las Cruces Cable channel carried it. Back when I started to grind my own mirrors and make plans for a backyard 8" reflector.
Damn. Loved this guy. posted by blixco at 7:51 PM on August 20, 2010
Oh no, this made me cry. I have very distinct memories of lying on the living room floor around age six, watching him talk about the Perseid showers (which usually begin on my birthday). I'll miss him very much. posted by punchdrunkhistory at 7:53 PM on August 20, 2010
Awww shit! He popped into my mind randomly just last weekend and I was totally psyched to see he was still around. (And that MS Frontpage still did websites.)
At least I have a decade or two of shows to catch up on.
thank you for introducing me to Debussy
The peaceful space music was Debussy's Arabesque Isao Tomita - Arabesque No1
among the best of community television . posted by hortense at 8:16 PM on August 20, 2010
Now he belongs to the ages... posted by Senator at 8:24 PM on August 20, 2010
Oh, I loved Jack and am so sad to hear about this. Seeing him and hearing the Debussy Arabesque on PBS always made me happy, and inspired me to take astronomy in college.
Keep looking up, indeed. With the utmost respect in the world, they better bury him in that god damned member's only jacket. posted by cavalier at 8:26 PM on August 20, 2010 [3 favorites]
God Dammit. Now I'm sad. It's so rare to see someone who has such an unsullied passion and childlike joy in what they did. posted by MasonDixon at 8:27 PM on August 20, 2010
I had no idea it was Debussy! What a beautiful piece in its entirety. posted by mccarty.tim at 8:28 PM on August 20, 2010
What a wonderful nerd. Rest in Peace.
Has anyone seen an obituary mentioning his personal life or survivors? I understand from the homo-network he had a male partner, at least a few years ago. Curious if that is true and if so, will be acknowledged anywhere. Not relevant to his life's work, but relevant in his obituary perhaps. posted by Nelson at 8:36 PM on August 20, 2010
Holy crap! I was just talking about him today and I did my Horkheimer impression at the office. Someone even asked me if he was still alive. I said yes. I was right...but only for a few hours. Weird.
I used to occasionally catch Jack on WXXI in Rochester and later on KCET in L.A. - my recollection is that it was always late, late at night. Even though I wasn't introduced to his show until late teenhood, he was so enthusiastic and infectious that I felt like I had grown up watching him anyway.
I feel like a part of my life growing up in Miami has been taken from me. I don't think I would have ever owned a telescope if it wasn't for him. What a great way to turn kids on to astronomy and science.
I absolutely LOVED both Star Hustler and the Miami Science Museum's planetarium.
I think I'll go listen to Isao Tomita's take on Debussy's Arabesque and cry now. I need the catharsis.
When I was living in crappy little rooms in Utica, where I didn't know a soul, I spent a lot of time walking alone at night and trying to make out what stars and planets were visible over the city. Jack Horkheimer, strange two-dimensional visitor from another climate, was the only person in the world showing any sign of enthusiasm for anything I was doing. He was my very specialized Stuart Smalley telling me to go out there and watch those stars! posted by pracowity at 10:22 PM on August 20, 2010
Tears are running down my face as I type this. Jack Horkheimer's Star Hustler (so it was back in the day and so it ever shall be as far as I'm concerned) was one of those awesome things (along with D&D and Doctor Who) that made being a nerd fun, even in the face of the all the mockery of my peers when I was a kid. Now Doctor Who is a bona-fide cable hit and the gaming culture spawned by D&D is an ubiquitous part of the cultural landscape. Tomorrow, I'm buying a telescope for my goddaughter and nephew.
Thank you, Jack. Ad Astra. We'll always keep looking up.
Oh, how I loved his show. As a little kid looking up at a great big sky, his friendly enthusiasm was the greatest to me. It fueled my ongoing love affair with the wonders of the universe. posted by vespertine at 10:37 PM on August 20, 2010
Mr. Horkheimer and 'Star Hustler' were an indelible part of my childhood; I haven't seen his program in years, but I'll miss it, and him, just the same.
In my teens, Jack was the welcome end to an evening of tv watching. The local station that carried his show put it on at sign-off around 2am.
Yes, kids, there was a time when tv stations actually, purposely went off the air every day.
We thought he was nerdy when we were kids but he always made us run out and look up at the stars right after we saw one of his shows.
BTW: "Look up due west as the sun sets kids. Venus is the brightest object just after the moon... Extra points if you can find Mars, Saturn and Jupiter (later in the evening)."
I first saw him on the PBS station in St. Louis in the mid 1980s, and I think his debunking spiel about 'eggs standing erect' (i kid you not!) during the equinox was part of that first time viewing his show. Hilarious! I was a fan ever since and tried to catch his show whenever I could.
What I liked best about him was his raw enthusiasm for interest in space. He never pretended to be a scientist, or to bludgeon his audience with dry descriptions of what they could experience by just being outside for a few minutes at the right time.
Jack, we will Keep Looking Up! and always think of you when we do! I hope there's a star, nay, a galaxy cluster named in your honor!! posted by kuppajava at 9:57 AM on August 21, 2010
Heck, I'm going to say it anyway...I used to watch Star Hustler in the late 80's/early 90's on KVIE, sandwiched between The Good Life (or was it Inspector Morse?) and High Flight. In subsequent years, I'd periodically check out his website, and was always reassured that he was still around. I can't recall anyone else with such an unrestrained, infectious joy about what they did, although Neil deGrasse Tyson and Brian Cox come close. And for me, Tomita's version of Debussy's Arabesque No. 1 is irrevocably linked to him. I think he's amply deserving of a crater, or a galaxy, or something. Must dig through some Hubbleimages.
What a full and productive life...and now every time I get depressed by the people in the previews for The Colony trying to Lord of the Flies-it up (not to mention a lot of the news these days), I can remember Jack Horkheimer, and, well, Keep Looking Up.
★ again, just because... posted by foonly at 4:31 PM on August 21, 2010
he was the best thing about insomnia, truly... and Tom Baker. So sad about this
Rest in peace, Jack. ★ posted by IndigoRain at 8:29 PM on August 21, 2010
As a 12 year old in the 80s I would watch Jack Horkheimer before Dr. Who, catching him on Vermont's WCFE signal from Quebec City, and again in Ottawa, and later in Montreal. I got so excited about one of his segments that I made my dad go outside at 11pm on a Saturday and take exposures of the moon for me, months later when the film was developed they didn't turn out.
For the next 20 years I lived in large cities, but two years ago I moved to a national park and started watching Jack again, putting his weekly suggestions to good use, even once alone at the top of a mountain with Jack playing from a podcast on my iPhone. Times have chanced, but Jack Horkheimer has been a constant for decades, lighting up my night sky like no one else.
furtive: "As a 12 year old in the 80s I would watch Jack Horkheimer before Dr. Who"
That's right! That's when I'd see him on TV as well. I remember seeing him quite frequently, but I couldn't recall the context. Thanks!
I absolutely LOVED both Star Hustler and the Miami Science Museum's planetarium.
Me too. Staying with my grandparents during the summer in Coral Gables was lonely for a shy kid — I spent awed hours in the cool confines of the science museum and public library. Much later, newly married and (barely making a) living in the glittering chaos of Miami Beach, watching affable Jack's Star Hustler on a tiny television was something of a reassuring nightly ritual.
Impossibly far, strange or familiar, stars remind you how the past isn't all black and that the universe can still light our way with wonder. Or so Jack taught me. posted by Haruspex at 1:57 PM on August 22, 2010
Admiral Haddock:Plus, this was in NYC, and the only star you could ever see was the sun.
Much how Sesame Street was aimed at urban kids, maybe an astronomy show aimed at urban kids would do just as well.
Unfortunately, the show would be the same every episode and sign off with a drunken Rip Torn slurring: "keep staring at the sun, assholes.".
In South jersey, during my childhood in the early 80s, he came on after SCTV, after Dr Who. I was just thinking about him recently. This is not happy news. I'll miss the guy.
posted by EarBucket at 6:24 PM on August 20, 2010