Robin Williams

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More About

• Robin Williams
• Patch Adams
• Mrs. Doubtfire
• Mork & Mindy
• Aladdin (Movie)

Dear Robin Williams: It's been a wild ride, old chum. You first captured the adoring public's heart as the zany alien Mork in Happy Days and Mork and Mindy. You joked your way into our televisions and cinemas with HBO comedy specials and brilliantly improvised starring roles. Through the years you further established your comedic repertoire with your crowd-pleasing role as Genie in Aladdin and a cross-dressing performance in Mrs. Doubtfire. You had the nation laughing for the better part of 20 years. But as you found huge success, and an Oscar for your dramatic work, your comedies became brainless, quasi-sentimental tripe. Flubber, Patch Adams, Jack, and, oh god, RV—need we say more? Now you're touring again, and thousands of people will shell out $98 to see you onstage. Robin, please listen to us: Take this opportunity to rebrand yourself as funny again. Forsake the pity-laugh-earning jokes ("Jamaica won't create a nuclear bomb, they'll create a nuclear bong!") and bring back the humor that made you successful ("Beer commercials usually have big, manly men doing manly things: 'You just killed a small animal. It's time for a light beer.' Why not a realistic beer commercial like, 'It's five o'clock in the morning. You just pissed in a dumpster. It's Miller time.'"). This tour is your chance, Robin. Please start being funny again. Hopeful but losing patience, Your audience.
Thu., Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m., 2008