RIP Greg Giraldo - Some of Us 'Get It'...

Hearing of Greg Giraldo’s passing brought up a lot of emotions for me. Many people seem to think all comedians in whatever medium they work in are all happy & giggly idiots, even in their personal lives. Again, as I’ve said in my previous post, they seem “put together” and more equip to handle the hard stuff in life. ...They’re not. In fact, it’s the total opposite. Most comedians are very sad. They’re aspirations are more than just standing up on stage trying to make people laugh; they want more. Most aspire to be in movies or have their own talk show, perhaps star in a sitcom. My friend Adam Kontras had put a status message about his sadness regarding Greg Giraldo’s death. In a Youtube video, Adam shared his heart with the world, trying to hold back tears and said, “I was in a really difficult place earlier this month and I kinda didn’t let on how bad it was...and how isolated I was...and umm, how I stared at this blue bottle of sleeping pills for way too long...and how I called whatever friends were close by and just wanted to hear some support...because in this industry, you can get to a place that’s so low that there’s no hope. And as a comedian, it’s time to be ‘happy’.”

Sadness hiding behind a smile, a laugh, a joke told can be absolute torture. Entrepreneurial type of people, especially in the entertainment business endure so much. Having to work among some of them, I get nervous sometimes, hoping that their hiatus is just that, hoping that just because I haven’t heard from this one or that one within three days doesn’t mean they’ve opted for the “blue bottle”. Actors, comedians, or any artist that’s trying to get work are all striving for the best of the best. Most of the time, they remain on stage, performing for a crowd of ten and in rare cases, they get that job they auditioned for that lasts for maybe three months or so. It’s never a steady thing. The highs and lows of the entertainment world can really put a heavy coat around your heart. Adam’s status message even sparked a comment from one of his “friends”. She said, quote on quote, “I always find it hard to be sad for those that kill themselves with drugs. He was a funny man, it’s too bad he had to resort to drugs.” When Adam saw the comment, I knew it would stir his heart into a pit of sadness - to see people having absolutely no compassion whatsoever. He replied, “As someone who has felt the depression, this industry can put on you, and who came so very close to having no hope whatsoever - I guess I’m in a very special place to understand EXACTLY what this man went through. It hits so close to home with me from as recent as 2 weeks ago... I’m absolutely beside myself. Please try and understand how overpowering the pressures can be if you don’t have a good support system around you. This is heartbreaking.”

It’s these types of mindsets that make us feel hopeless. “They don’t give a shit anyway.” It’s funny how “happy” everyone seems to be with their lives and once that very darkness hits them, then they start having compassion because now, they’ve gone through it. Other people commented, supporting Adam but I wonder how many people were reading it, saying, “Ah what a waste of life Greg Giraldo was.” I wonder how many people reading my post from yesterday asked, “What a waste of life that Lindsay Lohan is.” The reality of show business of any kind brings highs and lows. With that, brings high expectations which in turn, slaps on huge piles of disappointments. The more expectations that are slapped down, the more dark moments there are for those who are trying to get from point A. to point B. ---it’s never ending. As soon as one rejection is given, thoughts of “I’m not good enough” starts floating in their minds. You’ll also hear things like, “Well maybe this isn’t quite your forté." That’s even worse than just getting a rejection with no explanation behind it. A thick skin can only go through so much.

So Adam, this post is for you as well my friend. You’ve put yourself out there in ways many people wouldn’t dare to. You had the courage to show your flaws, all the while showing your magnificent heart, your imaginative ways of getting through to people. I’ve learned many things from you this past year, including sharing myself emotionally, in hopes of helping others. This is how I see you. You’re a true star in my eyes, because not only does your brilliance shine like a star, you radiate love and compassion for those struggling along hoping to ‘make it’ at whatever passion they’re trying to do for a living. Bravo!

Here’s the video Adam Kontras posted on his wall. I feel like he’s a male version of myself.

If you can't view the video through other websites affiliated with my blog, please click here.

With that being said, may Greg Giraldo rest in peace, and let us never forget how many laughs he has given us. May he roast us from up above...

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