Richard Jeni 1957-2007
The death of Richard Jeni was a shock. He took his own life, and according to a statement by his family on his Website, he was diagnosed with severe clinical depression coupled with bouts of psychotic paranoia.
Over the years I had a chance to interview him several times for stories, the last in 2005. As with most comedians, he was intense and deadly serious when talking about his career.
I always liked his intelligent style of humor. While doing an interview is not like talking with somebody you really know, because that person is selling himself and is therefore on his best behavior, some nuggets of truth can be found in the answers.
Here, for example, is what Jeni said about what he does to relax when he’s not working:
I don't go out a lot at all. I don't go out after the show to bars, and during the day I do a lot of this [interviews]. It's ironic. Most people who become comedians do so because they don't really work well and play well with others. They are loners and a little quirky most of them. Then if you are successful, you wind up running a corporation with managers, lawyers, agents and a publicity department. To keep the whole Richard Jeni circus going you are on the phone all day.
He was a talented man who was struggling with a serious illness, and my heart goes out to his family. Here’s a link to my 2005 interview with Jeni.
If you aren’t an animal lover, it is hard to explain how the death of a horse you never met can make you weep. Animal people understand. We appreciate that Barbaro’s owners were willing (and had the money) to try and save Barbaro’s life, against the steepest of odds. It was Barbaro’s ability to battle his setbacks when most horses would refuse to put up with casts and slings and activities that were not natural for a horse that made us appreciate his courage. For anyone that has ever had a pet that needed expensive medical care they couldn’t afford, Barbaro represents what we would have done if we could afford it. Thanks to owners Gretchen and Roy Jackson, Dr. Dean Richardson and his staff at the New Bolton Center learned and developed treatment techniques that might save a horse down the road. That is the only good news about Barbaro’s passing. Pictured, above left, is Barbaro with Dr. Dean Richardson.