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Rik Mayall, RIP

RIP, Rik Mayall. I was just thinking of you this weekend and am saddened that this is the only way you hit national news in the US. My VERY favorite performance of yours is from the old Comic Strip show with Adrian Edmondson (with many excellent cameos) on a particular episode called, “More Bad News.” They were a satire of rock bands, like Spinal Tap. I laughed ’til I cried and then I rewound and watched it again, countless times on the VHS tape I recorded it onto in the late ’80s. Imagine my excitement when I finally was able to get a VHS copy of my very own. No DVD, sadly.

He played characters that were just themselves and didn’t make excuses, at a time when I didn’t know that was Allowed. And he was so funny! Even if the humor was always about being an ass, he always made me laugh. I’m still trying to learn some of those lessons, 30 years later.

And thanks for the unexpected hope. The Young Ones had a point of view I wasn’t getting while growing up in Central Texas. I could be ugly, stupid, fat, broke, annoying and still have friends. I didn’t have to be a cookie cutter “roper.” Praise Glob for that show and 120 Minutes and the hope they gave this weirdo. Central Texas was not teaching me this. Young Ones and 120 Minutes (and many bands) did. Love me or hate me, this is me.

Wish you’d gotten more roles, but I’m grateful for “Drop Dead Fred” which I was able to share and enjoy with my kids when they were younger.

Silver lining: I can share the fun easily with you guys, since I found “More Bad News” on Youtube, I’m sure it’ll be taken down, but the whole damn thing is here, which means I don’t have to dig out my VHS tape. Wewt! You can enjoy it yourselves, too. In addition to Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson, it has Nigel Planer, so there’s 3/4ths of the Young Ones cast, plus cameos by Jools Holland, Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, French and Saunders, and oh, I dunno, whatever rock gods were found at Castle Donington and does a lovely job breaking down the record biz at the 15 minute mark. Oi.