Robert Shimmel has died
September 4, 2010 3:41 PM Subscribe
Comedian Robert Schimmel, a frequent guest on Howard Stern's radio show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien, has died a week after being injured in a car accident.
Robert Schimmel was a well known American comedian who was known for his adult humor and his willingness to incorporate any part of his life into his routines. Here is a 1994 Showtime special (Parts 1 2 3 4 5) which is decidedly NSFW. Other YouTube postings of his stand-up can be found on his own YT Channel.
Robert Schimmel was a well known American comedian who was known for his adult humor and his willingness to incorporate any part of his life into his routines. Here is a 1994 Showtime special (Parts 1 2 3 4 5) which is decidedly NSFW. Other YouTube postings of his stand-up can be found on his own YT Channel.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- Brandon Blatcher
emily, I thought of the daughter too. whatever the details she's going to feel like she's killed her dad. its really tragic for them both, and their family.
posted by supermedusa at 3:53 PM on September 4, 2010
posted by supermedusa at 3:53 PM on September 4, 2010
Rest in Peace, Bob.
Can't wait for Howard on monday. Much like when Sam Kinison left us, a bereavment salve with dick jokes, be upon us.
Triumph would expect nothing less.
posted by Hickeystudio at 3:56 PM on September 4, 2010
Can't wait for Howard on monday. Much like when Sam Kinison left us, a bereavment salve with dick jokes, be upon us.
Triumph would expect nothing less.
posted by Hickeystudio at 3:56 PM on September 4, 2010
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posted by waitingtoderail at 3:56 PM on September 4, 2010
posted by waitingtoderail at 3:56 PM on September 4, 2010
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Maybe this is a horrible thought, but I hope the car accident ultimately saved Robert and his family the pain of a lengthy battle with his health problems. He looked really bad the last time I saw him on TV.
posted by mullacc at 3:58 PM on September 4, 2010
Maybe this is a horrible thought, but I hope the car accident ultimately saved Robert and his family the pain of a lengthy battle with his health problems. He looked really bad the last time I saw him on TV.
posted by mullacc at 3:58 PM on September 4, 2010
Triumph would expect nothing less.
I think you might be thinking of Robert Smigel, who is, thankfully, still alive.
posted by Optamystic at 4:01 PM on September 4, 2010 [6 favorites]
I think you might be thinking of Robert Smigel, who is, thankfully, still alive.
posted by Optamystic at 4:01 PM on September 4, 2010 [6 favorites]
He had an almost shockingly tragic life, you almost believed he was making up how bad his life had been as a bit for his show, but it was real. RIP.
posted by cell divide at 4:04 PM on September 4, 2010
posted by cell divide at 4:04 PM on September 4, 2010
I was wondering what he looked like so I did a google image search which came up with this...
posted by delmoi at 4:07 PM on September 4, 2010
posted by delmoi at 4:07 PM on September 4, 2010
think you might be thinking of Robert Smigel, who is, thankfully, still alive.
Corrected, I stand. The names do sound similar, and they were bth guests on the Stern show.
posted by Hickeystudio at 4:16 PM on September 4, 2010
Corrected, I stand. The names do sound similar, and they were bth guests on the Stern show.
posted by Hickeystudio at 4:16 PM on September 4, 2010
I saw Bob twice at the Improv in Tempe, and both times I laughed so hard my cheeks hurt for hours afterward.
RIP, funny man.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 5:01 PM on September 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
RIP, funny man.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 5:01 PM on September 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
His fellow comedians tweeted their condolences.
Ouch.
posted by interrobang at 5:01 PM on September 4, 2010
Ouch.
posted by interrobang at 5:01 PM on September 4, 2010
delmoi, the charges were dropped when the D.A. declined to prosecute due to insufficient evidence.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 5:02 PM on September 4, 2010
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 5:02 PM on September 4, 2010
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posted by nj_subgenius at 5:04 PM on September 4, 2010
posted by nj_subgenius at 5:04 PM on September 4, 2010
His fellow comedians tweeted their condolences.
Ouch.
I'm not sure I understand. Why "Ouch"? What other means do they have to express sympathy for his death to a widespread audience? The medium does not equal the message.
posted by Optamystic at 5:27 PM on September 4, 2010 [2 favorites]
Ouch.
I'm not sure I understand. Why "Ouch"? What other means do they have to express sympathy for his death to a widespread audience? The medium does not equal the message.
posted by Optamystic at 5:27 PM on September 4, 2010 [2 favorites]
I'm not sure I understand. Why "Ouch"? What other means do they have to express sympathy for his death to a widespread audience?
I dunno, the whole rest of the internet?
posted by delmoi at 5:41 PM on September 4, 2010
I dunno, the whole rest of the internet?
posted by delmoi at 5:41 PM on September 4, 2010
.
posted by John Smallberries at 5:51 PM on September 4, 2010
posted by John Smallberries at 5:51 PM on September 4, 2010
delmoi: "I dunno, the whole rest of the internet?"
There are tons of comedians on twitter, and for a lot of them it's their primary web presence. Would you prefer they sign up for the Cat Fancy forums and express their sympathy there?
posted by brundlefly at 5:52 PM on September 4, 2010 [4 favorites]
There are tons of comedians on twitter, and for a lot of them it's their primary web presence. Would you prefer they sign up for the Cat Fancy forums and express their sympathy there?
posted by brundlefly at 5:52 PM on September 4, 2010 [4 favorites]
Why "Ouch"? What other means do they have to express sympathy for his death to a widespread audience?
I dunno, the whole rest of the internet?
Do you not know how Twitter works, or did you miss the part about "to a widespread audience"? Sure, they could write a blog post, but many people are a lot more popular on Twitter than on their blog. (For instance, the comedian Michael Ian Black has over 1.5 million Twitter followers; he also has a blog, but I doubt it gets even 10% of the readership his Twitter feed does.) Also, someone who checks their Twitter homepage automatically sees the latest posts from the people they follow. For many people, it's the natural choice if they want to send a message to lots of random people as soon as possible.
Someday this won't seem weird in the slightest. I don't know if Twitter will be around for a long time (I wouldn't mind if it went away), but we'll either be using Twitter or something in its place -- maybe a Facebook-like improvement that makes Twitter look like Friendster.
posted by John Cohen at 6:03 PM on September 4, 2010
I dunno, the whole rest of the internet?
Do you not know how Twitter works, or did you miss the part about "to a widespread audience"? Sure, they could write a blog post, but many people are a lot more popular on Twitter than on their blog. (For instance, the comedian Michael Ian Black has over 1.5 million Twitter followers; he also has a blog, but I doubt it gets even 10% of the readership his Twitter feed does.) Also, someone who checks their Twitter homepage automatically sees the latest posts from the people they follow. For many people, it's the natural choice if they want to send a message to lots of random people as soon as possible.
Someday this won't seem weird in the slightest. I don't know if Twitter will be around for a long time (I wouldn't mind if it went away), but we'll either be using Twitter or something in its place -- maybe a Facebook-like improvement that makes Twitter look like Friendster.
posted by John Cohen at 6:03 PM on September 4, 2010
Robert Schimmel talking about his lymphoma, and dropping an epic spoonerism along the way
(NSFW, as if you need to be told...)
posted by spoobnooble at 6:04 PM on September 4, 2010 [2 favorites]
(NSFW, as if you need to be told...)
posted by spoobnooble at 6:04 PM on September 4, 2010 [2 favorites]
Maybe this is a horrible thought, but I hope the car accident ultimately saved Robert and his family the pain of a lengthy battle with his health problems. He looked really bad the last time I saw him on TV.
Yes, it is
posted by MustardTent at 6:35 PM on September 4, 2010
Yes, it is
posted by MustardTent at 6:35 PM on September 4, 2010
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posted by garnetgirl at 7:26 PM on September 4, 2010
posted by garnetgirl at 7:26 PM on September 4, 2010
OH, and sorry, thanks, that was a great clip. I really like his stuff.
posted by bovious at 7:40 PM on September 4, 2010
posted by bovious at 7:40 PM on September 4, 2010
Fair comment, bovious. It was more of a Freudian slip, as Mr. Schimmel himself notes.
posted by spoobnooble at 8:36 PM on September 4, 2010
posted by spoobnooble at 8:36 PM on September 4, 2010
What really sucks is that he died in such a random accident, considering that he had faced down a number of big health problems and seemed to be getting his liver transplant issue sorted out.
PS One fewer decent guest for a rapidly declining Stern Show.
posted by teedee2000 at 11:14 PM on September 4, 2010
PS One fewer decent guest for a rapidly declining Stern Show.
posted by teedee2000 at 11:14 PM on September 4, 2010
My mom found inspiration in his book when fighting her cancer. I'm personally grateful that his struggle with cancer helped make my mom face her last year with more humor and aplomb than any of us expected. I'm going to miss him, if for nothing else, the fact that another "Real-World" link to my mom is gone.
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posted by KingEdRa at 12:09 PM on September 5, 2010
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posted by KingEdRa at 12:09 PM on September 5, 2010
Very sad to hear this -- I read his book just a few months ago, shortly after my diagnosis, on the recommendation of my dentist (who was also a close friend of Schimmel's), and loved it. My dentist had encouraged me to be in touch with him, as he had really made it part of his life now to offer direct support to as many cancer patients as possible. I had literally made a note to myself to drop him a line this coming week after I got out of the hospital, then logged in here only to read the news. I'm so sorry for his family -- it does seem terrible to die this way after having survived so much.
posted by scody at 7:49 PM on September 5, 2010
posted by scody at 7:49 PM on September 5, 2010
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I just saw the documentary I Am Comic which had Robert Shimmel in it briefly. I had no idea how rough his life was.
posted by Twicketface at 11:54 AM on September 7, 2010
I just saw the documentary I Am Comic which had Robert Shimmel in it briefly. I had no idea how rough his life was.
posted by Twicketface at 11:54 AM on September 7, 2010
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posted by emilyd22222 at 3:48 PM on September 4, 2010