# Celebrities who were more important to you than you thought **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 15, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752 "2012-09-15T01:58:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/1 "2012-09-15T01:58:52Z")
Yesterday I was on YouTube looking up kids songs to play for the baby and I came across [Put Down the Duckie](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiQsaEdJ1aI). I remember loving that song as a kid so I fired it up and the baby and I danced while Ernie learned to play the saxophone. My daughter isn’t allowed to watch TV yet though so I had flipped back to another screen so she couldn’t see the video while we bounced around the living room. I had forgotten that in this song Ernie and Mr Hoots are joined by various celebrities. I didn’t recognize any voices so I couldn’t tell who was singing with the puppets until Madeline Kahn started to sing. The instant her voice poured out of the speakers my eyes teared up and I choked out a sob. It took me a second to realize just why I responded this way when I love pretty much everything she has ever done. Heck, sometimes when my husband asks me how I’m doing and my day hasn’t been good I’ll say, “Fl-flames, on the side of my face, breathing, breth-heaving breaths…heaving…” She is absolutely one of my favorite celebrities and normally I’m thrilled to be able to see her on screen even if it is just for a few moments. I stopped and thought about it and I realized it is because I miss her \*so damn much. \* I guess it is sort of like when you call your grandma to see how she is doing and her answering machine picks up but she never changed the tape after your grandpa died so he is telling you to leave your name and number like you could still go over and play cards and drink yoohoo with him if you wanted. I have a feeling I will feel this way when David Hyde Pierce passes away as well. He is on my short list of celebrities who never cease to amaze me right next to Madeline Kahn. I can’t be the only one who feels this way about certain celebrities…right? Tell me about the celebrities who’ve had a more profound effect on you than you’d realized. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/2 "2012-09-15T02:18:23Z")
Until he died I had no idea I cared so much about Heath Ledger. I probably wouldn’t have even opened the thread if not for Brokeback Mountain. I loved that movie so much, and I saw “Ennis died” and broke down crying. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/3 "2012-09-15T02:35:36Z")
Phil Hartman. Until his death I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed his comedy, and how much I ended up missing it. I was really shocked by how much I cared. ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/4 "2012-09-15T03:09:30Z")
I know this is probably going to get jeers and "She deserved it"s, but I was genuinely upset by the death of Amy Winehouse. Not only because I liked her music and thought she was talented, but it was just so sad to see someone on such an obvious downward spiral, and everyone around her was too busy riding the money train to try to step in and get her the help she needed. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/5 "2012-09-15T03:46:05Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Until he died I had no idea I cared so much about Heath Ledger. I probably wouldn’t have even opened the thread if not for Brokeback Moun,tain. I loved that movie so much, and I saw “Ennis died” and broke down crying. Exactly the first person I thought of. I definitely would not have gone to see _The Dark Knight_ had it not been for the tragedy,though I don’t think I’m alone in that. ---
**Author:** ![Kasper1014](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c89c15/32.png) [@Kasper1014](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kasper1014)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/6 "2012-09-15T03:47:44Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Phil Hartman. Until his death I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed his comedy, and how much I ended up missing it. I was really shocked by how much I cared. Phil Hartman was the first person I thought of. I still love hearing his voice on The Simpsons reruns. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/7 "2012-09-15T03:54:22Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Phil Hartman. Until his death I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed his comedy, and how much I ended up missing it. I was really shocked by how much I cared. I felt the same way! This is a great answer. As for Madeline Kahn, I always knew I loved her. Just like Bernadette Peters, she is a redhead that I have a place in my heart for. Matta fack, let’s look at [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6eTTaY1a6M)for old time sakes, pbbth. She could be both sweet \*and \*naughty. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/8 "2012-09-15T04:01:31Z")
Jerry Orbach. And I’m not even sure why. But the idea that El Gallo, Lumière and Dr. Houseman are dead…yeah. I’m a bit more verklempt about that then I’d ever imagined I’d be. ☹ (_Dirty Dancing_ is getting really depressing to watch…Jerry Orbach, Charles Coles, Jack Weston, Max Cantor AND Patrick Swayze? le sigh.) ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/9 "2012-09-15T04:05:45Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Jerry Orbach. And I’m not even sure why. But the idea that El Gallo, Lumière and Dr. Houseman are dead…yeah. I’m a bit more verklempt about that then I’d ever imagined I’d be. ☹ > (_Dirty Dancing_ is getting really depressing to watch…Jerry Orbach, Charles Coles, Jack Weston, Max Cantor AND Patrick Swayze? le sigh.) I. Did. Not. Know. Jerry. Orbach. Was. Dead. This was a great idea for a thread. I’m starting to feel all wistful and nostalgic. ---
**Author:** ![moejoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@moejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejoe)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/10 "2012-09-15T04:17:40Z")
John Ritter. I was crushed when he died and I haven’t been able to watch anything with him in it since. Even now it makes me so sad to know that he’s not here anymore. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/11 "2012-09-15T04:21:29Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > _Dirty Dancing_ is getting really depressing to watch…Jerry Orbach, Charles Coles, Jack Weston, Max Cantor AND Patrick Swayze? le sigh. I week or two ago I couldn’t sleep and I put on _Murder By Death_, and realized that virtually everyone in the entire movie (a longtime favorite of mine) had passed on…☹ “I never did nothin’ to a man that I wouldn’t do with a woman.” ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/12 "2012-09-15T04:41:44Z")
For me, it is Steve Irwin. He was a goofball, but he was so sincere in his appreciation for all things living. I really, really liked him. (But I didn’t like it when he took his newborn baby into the crocodile feeding pit that time - over the top!) Also, he reminded me of my dad, though my dad never attempted to feed me to crocodiles, as far as I know. I was such a fan of his that I actually went to see that awful Crocodile Hunter movie in the theater. So bad, dear Og, so bad. My dad died - very suddenly - when he was 44 (Steve Irwin was also 44) and left behind an 8 year old daughter (Bindi Irwin was also about 8 when her dad died) and they also shared a superficial physical resemblance. I still get a little snuffly when I catch a Croc Hunter rerun or see his wife or children making an appearance. Miss you, Steve. (Crikey!) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/13 "2012-09-15T04:48:11Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > I felt the same way! This is a great answer. > > As for Madeline Kahn, I always knew I loved her. Just like Bernadette Peters, she is a redhead that I have a place in my heart for. Matta fack, let’s look at [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6eTTaY1a6M)for old time sakes, pbbth. She could be both sweet \*and \*naughty. She was something else. I thought she made the character in Yellowbeard, and most of her other roles too. I can’t imagine them being written that way without Maddy in mind. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/14 "2012-09-15T05:02:23Z")
I don’t know why, but when Bernie Mac died it hit me pretty hard. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/15 "2012-09-15T05:32:53Z")
By contrast, I haven’t missed Robert Goulet at all, or Jack Lemmon or Walter Matthau as much as I thought I would. And while my critical assessment of Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse went through the roof upon their deaths, I’m just not feeling the attachment to Michael Jackson or George Harrison. I’m quirky that way. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/16 "2012-09-15T06:40:13Z")
Jim Henson. I cried harder watching 2 minutes of his funeral on the news than I did at my own father’s funeral. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/17 "2012-09-15T06:58:50Z")
I was surprised how much Gene Siskel’s death affected me. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/18 "2012-09-15T07:25:46Z")
I forgot how much Beastie Boys music I listened to until MCA (Adam Yauch) died this May and I have been pretty bummed ever since. Because there is a lot of Beasties that come up for me day-to-day. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/19 "2012-09-15T07:29:49Z")
> [@Rollo\_Tomasi](#): > > I know this is probably going to get jeers and "She deserved it"s, but I was genuinely upset by the death of Amy Winehouse. Not only because I liked her music and thought she was talented, but it was just so sad to see someone on such an obvious downward spiral, and everyone around her was too busy riding the money train to try to step in and get her the help she needed. When I heard the news, it brought me back to The Day Enrique Urquijo Died; they had a lot in common. In his case it was an OD in a tenement’s entrance where none of the neighbors knew him except for his music… ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752/20 "2012-09-15T13:19:44Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Phil Hartman. Until his death I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed his comedy, and how much I ended up missing it. I was really shocked by how much I cared. > [@WhyNot](#): > > Jerry Orbach. And I’m not even sure why. But the idea that El Gallo, Lumière and Dr. Houseman are dead…yeah. I’m a bit more verklempt about that then I’d ever imagined I’d be. ☹ > [@moejoe](#): > > John Ritter. I was crushed when he died and I haven’t been able to watch anything with him in it since. > [@Sarabellum1976](#): > > For me, it is Steve Irwin…Miss you, Steve. (Crikey!) > [@salinqmind](#): > > Jim Henson. I cried harder watching 2 minutes of his funeral on the news than I did at my own father’s funeral. These are all excellent answers. I miss them all too, though not the same way that I miss Madeline Kahn. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-were-more-important-to-you-than-you-thought/634752.md?page=2)