How the co-creator of The Simpsons is facing his diagnosis of terminal cancer

[G_j]

http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/2014/09/sam-simon-terminal-cancer-philanthropy

Always Leave Them Laughing

Diagnosed with terminal cancer two years ago, and given only months to live, Sam Simon is still alive and still racing to spend the fortune he made as co-creator of The Simpsons on causes he loves, whether he is rescuing grizzly bears (and chinchillas and elephants) or funding vegan food banks. As Simon's friends and fellow activists gather for his 59th birthday, another friend, Merrill Markoe, reveals how a force of comedy faces his own tragedy.

BY MERRILL MARKOE OCTOBER 2014


JUST ONE MORE THING Sam Simon and his Cane Corso, Columbo, at home in Pacific Palisades, California.

There’s Tyson, a tattooed dog trainer, seated on a couch with his pit bull, with whom he communicates using nonsense syllables and telepathy. On one side of a polished wood table that holds a fresh-fruit basket and a backgammon board is the actress Jennifer Tilly, glamorous even in torn jeans and a pair of Converse All-Stars. The tousled-haired guy in the window seat beside her, wearing a Bruce Lee T-shirt and drawstring pajama bottoms, is her boyfriend, World Series of Poker champion Phil Laak. In the seat facing mine, looking lovely in a platinum pixie-style haircut, sits Pamela Anderson, wearing no makeup, somehow managing to be dressed up and dressed down at the same time in a short but otherwise modest black dress and ankle boots with four-inch heels. She looks up from a phone—its pink case has the words “Mrs. Salomon” written in sparkly letters on it—and grins.

We are all headed to the 720-acre Wild Animal Sanctuary, just outside of Denver, where we’re hoping to catch a glimpse of six newly born bear cubs. The two new mothers were among 17 bears, fated to live their lives pacing back and forth in the concrete holes of a grim roadside bear-pit attraction in rural Georgia, subsisting on white bread and soda thrown to them by tourists, until our host for this trip paid to facilitate their release. We will also pay a visit to Marley, another rescued female grizzly, who is recovering from the two broken legs inflicted on her as a last-minute parting gift when she was badly beaten by her previous owners. Her surgery was also paid for by our host.

He is Sam Simon, 59-year-old comedy force of nature, co-creator of The Simpsons, animal-rights activist, ardent vegan and philanthropist, art collector, poker champion, and a friend for 30 years. In the field of comedy writing, full to overflowing with the sedentary, the professionally whiny, and the proudly self-involved, Sam Simon stands out as an anomaly. Diagnosed with terminal colon cancer in 2012 and given three to six months to live, he is now focused like a laser, in a race against time, making sure that all that money—hundreds of millions of dollars—made from his years of work on The Simpsons and other television shows is being channeled directly into the charitable causes he loves.

<snip>

Sanctuary

‘I’ve got sun bears, moon bears, grizzly bears, Syrian bears, brown bears,” Sam tells me as we approach the Wild Animal Sanctuary a few hours later. “I have 11 bears in Dallas and 23 in Colorado—but they just had six cubs.” There are also two rescued chimps at a sanctuary in Florida, a racehorse in Virginia, and some 500 chinchillas rescued from a chinchilla ranch in California. If all goes well, an elephant will soon join the roster.

..more..

[logosoco]

1. What a way to spend the time living and dying. Amazing.

It is also nice to see...but this may be because he is more of an artist...that he enjoys spending his money. It truly makes him happy to do that, even before he knew he was dying. Seems like so many of the people we hear about with money these days are living just to make more. Then they have no life to be joyful in, but lots of money.

[BrotherIvan]

2. My friend who worked on The Simpsons

always said he and Geoff Groening were amazing, cool people who never flaunted their wealth and used it for good causes. It could be because they never expected to be rich as Croesus, they were just making a cartoon. Maybe when your fortune is made on the backs of other people you soul is so rotten by the time you reach the top you are no longer completely human. I wish Mr. Simon all the best and am very happy for the animals that will benefit from his fortune.

[NCarolinawoman]

4. ****

[G_j]

5. yea, It never seemed like the dream was to make a ton of money

but really to have fun doing what they enjoy, and making people smile and laugh.

[BrotherIvan]

6. Being rich and successful in Hollywood usually means turning into a Jupiter-scale asshole

It's so easy and so encouraged. I have met a bunch of A Listers for my work and was genuinely surprised who was and who wasn't. And some lived lives you would absolutely not imagine in terms of privilege, some were wrecks, and some were just hard working artists. Both of those guys could have ruled LA when the Simpsons was huge, much like Seth MacFarlane is trying to do today (no comment), but they were just chill and genuinely nice. I have learned the easiest predictor for massive assholery is inversely related to talent. The most talented people, whether they were directors, writers, craftspeople or actors were the least assholish. Go figure.

[chrisa]

7. MacFarlane's work is annoying and obnoxious. He's even worse when performing in person.

His performance on the Oscars was like a hot spike to the eye.

[BrotherIvan]

9. No comment

Thankfully Meryl Streep is genuine, lovely and funny. I was ready to be heartbroken as she is one of the people I was very excited to meet. I've been surprised by some people who have bad media reputations but in person are quite intelligent and polite. (I'm not bragging, it's just part of my job.)

[G_j]

13. In general, the real artists

seem to be less susceptible to the bs, but going against a critical mass of assholishness is a challenge.

[tblue37]

10. Isn't Groening's first name Matt? nt

[BrotherIvan]

12. You're right!

Geoff was the stoner surfer I went to high school with!

[LoisB]

3. I wish him a peaceful journey.

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. k&r

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. rec