Don Rickles Ruled

Today's post is from our friend HIM.

This post is a spiritual counterpart to one I penned in 2015. In May of that year, I mourned the retirement of David Letterman. Today’s post is in response to sadness of a more profound sort: Don Rickles, the equal opportunity offender who often graced Letterman’s guest chair, died on April 6 at the age of 90.
 
‘Mr. Warmth,’ as he was ironically known, was an acquired taste. His style was a throwback to a different era. It was, by turns, well-rehearsed and seemingly spontaneous. But it was also a style of comedy that saw the act of loving offense as one of the higher callings in entertainment. If not for Rickles, comedians like Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, and Daniel Tosh would only exist in truncated states, with access to a certain type of breezy belligerence denied to them.  

Don Rickles, like Lenny Bruce before him, mined the worst of our thoughts and transformed them into laughs. A racial slur or gendered slam were, in his hands, a way to lighten our collective load. You showed up to one of his shows wanting to be the subject of one of his tirades, waiting for one his mic drops, waiting for some snippet of remembrance related to his days with Sinatra, some genuine mention of the love of his life, his wife Barbara.  

This was comedy best suited to nightclubs filled with smoke, to a low-lying Vegas Strip that no longer exists. Yet his humor remains as relevant as ever in an era where people constantly seek out silos of non-offense. Rickles was having none of it. Like the comedians who came before and after him, Rickles understood something important: laughing at others is a dopamine rush; laughing at yourself is cathartic. He was the master of ceremonies, timing his zingers and lobbing his one-liners with the ease of an expert.  

As Rock said on Twitter when his death was announced:  Don Rickles is funnier right now in death than most comics are in life.  

That about sums it up. With Donald Jay Rickles gone, the world is just a bit less fun. You will be missed.

Don Rickles, legendary insult comic, died this morning at the age of 90. https://t.co/6Vhb1ues3d pic.twitter.com/IdLMAPqaiy

— Variety (@Variety) April 7, 2017

Comments

[Gary]

One of the funniest men to ever grace this planet. His appearances on Carson and Letterman never failed to make me almost piss myself laughing. Chris Rock nailed it saying Don is funnier in death than most are in life. Godspeed and may you forever RIP Mr Rickles, and thank you for decades of laughs and good times. Heaven just got one helluva lot funnier 😇

[Metalboy!]

Not only was Rickles one of the funniest men alive, if he shredded a guitar as well as he shredded people alive on stage and talk shows, he would be right up there with Page, Iommi, Zappa, Rhodes, Van Halen, Lynch, Malmsteen, DiMartini, Holmes and all the rest of our heroes.

And the man didn't stop there. In one of the most brilliant and unexpected casting moments in history, Scorsese made him the casino boss, starring in an Oscar nomination worthy portrayal opposite DiNiro and Pesci in "Casino", the classic epic tale of the Vegas Mafia. Instead of illiciting gut splitting laughter, he brought us gut wrenching nervous laughter with the tension he created in his gritty performance.

If there's a "Comedy Heaven", just as there's a "Rock & Roll Heaven", he's up there with Jackie Gleason, Jonathan Winters, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams and all the other greats we've lost, putting on one helluva comedy show like no other on Cloud Nine every night.

RIP, God Bless & God Speed, Don, you dirty SOB!

p.s. Thank you for the Wonderful Tribute, HIM. Rickles was Rock & Roll, even though he probably hated the stuff, haha!!

[Bkallday]

Don Rickles ruled. I actually wish that more ppl on this site had one tenth of the sense of humor as he did. Nice write up!

[fletch]

Just a bit off topic, but as irreverent as The Don and sure to in flame those with no sense of humor, leaving right now to take the young ones to see Steel Panther at the Star and! #partyallnight

[Kixchix]

Great job Him and BBBG for recognizing Don. Very rock n roll indeed

[Him]

EDIT: ". . . up to one of his shows wanting to be the subject of one of his tirades, waiting for one of his mic drops . . ." But I guess you got my point!

Thanks for the kind words, folks. I still feel lucky that I got to see him perform. He slayed on television (and in movies, as Metalboy! mentioned). But live, that was his element.

Nice to see that, when it comes to Rickles, there is something upon which we can all agree.

[fletch]

while waiting to pick up my friend yesterday, there were three teenagers walking down the sidewalk and turned right onto the Church's steps and entered. Froggy said, "They just want free WiFi". I said. "um, Saturday mass is so much better than Sunday morning"

[Darktown]

"Crapgame" = Kelly's Hero's, hell of a cast in that movie, one of my favorites. CPO Sharky- just didn't work for me! This guy could always make me laugh no matter. Even later in his years he was sharp as a tack. Been watching old clips on Youtube the last week and was still laughing, Kimmel had a nice tribute to DR and was visibly upset as they were pretty close. There hasn't been nor will there ever be another like him. We have lost a true gift ya Hockey Pucks...... RIP.