There is a common element in the passing of Robin Williams, P S Hoffman, H Ledger, M Jackson...

[Electric Monk]

...Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and many other artists who were less famous, and that is wanting the internal pain and torment to just go away. They felt life's emotions too deeply for their own well being. They soared incredibly high, but they flew too close to the sun.

May they all rest in eternal peace, somewhere over the rainbow.

[Agschmid]

1. Yup.

[WillyT]

2. Thin Edge Between Genius And Insanity, I Fear...

Think this guy figured it out.

[littlemissmartypants]

3. Art can heal what the world harms and is the artist's deepest sacrifice.

When you are the art it can be very painful. Performance artists pay a huge price. Thanks for your post, EM.

Love, Peace and Shelter.

[Fearless]

4. At issue here is that fame can be very isolating

It doesn't really bring happiness. And no amount of money can make you happy either. There are things in life so much more valuable and unfortunately some of our best examples of humanity and the value of human life are so isolated from what they really need.

I'm reminded of an interview given by George Carlin many years ago... I believe it was with Jon Stewart... Although it may have been Bill Maher or someone in that vein. He commented on how Lenny Bruce and so many other comedians didn't survive, how they succumbed to drugs or alcohol... depression... et al. He seemed so sad and wistful when he said it, that of an entire generation of comics so many didn't make it. What a world we live in.

[jeff47]

7. No, it's about why they are funny to begin with.

A lot of really funny people turned to humor because the person they really are is unacceptable. At least in their own mind.

This article at Cracked describes it extremely well.

But you can also replace "funny" with some other talent - music or art or whatever. The "acceptable" person is the talented front, covering for the "unacceptable" real person.

[Fearless]

8. No I mean that they don't get there help they need

Because fame is isolating.

[jeff47]

12. The fame is due to the caricature they created

They're "real" identity isn't acceptable, so they created an artificial identity that people liked - it was funny, or a good musician, or whatever.

Since they practice that identity all day, every day, they get very good at it. That then leads to fame - if you practice anything 24/7/365 for many years, you get very good at it.

The isolation comes from that original construct, not the fame. The fame is a side-effect from the underlying problem.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

5. :(::::

.

[Electric Monk]

6. This hit me harder than I would've guessed, maybe because it was such a surprise to me. nt

[CTyankee]

9. I feel the same myself. I find myself asking "How can this happen?"

This shouldn't happen. It's just too goddamn UNFAIR! Somebody should picket God with a sign that says that!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. they are human, and therefore vulnerable to all human issues, include suicide and depression. nt

[Zorra]

11. Performing is difficult. You are always under pressure to be the person your dog thinks

you are.

[bigwillq]

13. I would like to add Amy Winehouse to that list

May they all rest in peace.

[Electric Monk]

14. Yes, her too. I edited the OP to include her. nt

[bigwillq]

15. Thanks