Here's an excerpt of something he wrote that really mattered to me, from a blog post about loneliness and the internet. The full article, and it should be read in full, seems to be down at the moment.
There is an active obit post that seemed to be okay which is a good balance between the fact that there is also an open Ebert post from yesterday and the fact that we deleted four posts before we got to this one. posted by jessamyn(staff) at 2:00 PM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
There's an active obit post.
Ah, that went up while I was writing this. Yes, that's a good start to an obit thread. This thread is closable, unless we want to have a metatalk discussion about what we'd collectively like to see in a good obit post. posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 2:10 PM on April 4, 2013
Small point, but that "final essay" is from 2011. (Just for people who, like me, were thinking that was the blog post that went up yesterday. It isn't.) posted by LobsterMitten(staff) at 2:17 PM on April 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
There were four deleted posts in the space of a few minutes. posted by zarq at 2:19 PM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Somehow, I think it's appropriate that his obit FPP's are approaching a James Brown deletion rate. posted by klarck at 2:21 PM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Frank Frazetta had a machine-gun burst of obits too. posted by griphus at 2:23 PM on April 4, 2013
I appreciate this post, if only because link dumps don't really do his life as much justice as heartfelt thoughts about his writing. Thanks for this. posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:30 PM on April 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
I was going to take pretty huge issue with the "final essay" claim, so I'm glad that post, at least, was deleted. posted by muddgirl at 2:48 PM on April 4, 2013
quint-post! Is that a new single event record. posted by boo_radley at 3:01 PM on April 4, 2013
More than one somebody should make the ultimate MeFi sacrifice and post an obviously-to-be-deleted Roger Ebert thread just so he can take the crown from Brown. Because he truly was a more important icon to the community here... posted by oneswellfoop at 3:54 PM on April 4, 2013
I think James Brown was deleted 7 times before we got a good post.
As for this post, I'll probably close it up soon since the original point was moot given an obit post did go up during the posting of it. posted by mathowie(staff) at 3:58 PM on April 4, 2013
I was really sad to hear this news today. It's been a privilege to read about everyone's favorite Ebert moments, memories and reviews.
I ran the obit post (well, a description of it) by the mods using the contact form before I posted, because I saw in the preview window that one post that shared a link with mine had already been deleted. They responded very quickly. I would encourage anyone in a similar situation in the future to use the contact form; I felt more comfortable posting after that. posted by Snarl Furillo at 4:35 PM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
I don't honestly know what I could contribute. It's harrowing to look at somebody who has passed and say "but he was so much better than me. I don't know what I could say."
I'm not going to post in the obit thread. Not even a period. I don't feel like I've earned it. posted by Shepherd at 4:42 PM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
because I saw in the preview window that one post that shared a link with mine had already been deleted.
That is a sweet feature.
As to the original question of this post: obviously we should remember him with a movie marathon, how else? posted by jacalata at 5:28 PM on April 4, 2013
Guy Fieri will never really die. He will be preserved, lying in state with a proprietary solution of hair gel, fake tan and high fructose corn syrup. posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:34 PM on April 4, 2013 [8 favorites]
Only someday to rise again and break free from his batter fried sarcophagus. posted by BrotherCaine at 6:02 PM on April 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
Guy Fieri will never really die. He will be preserved, lying in state with a proprietary solution of hair gel, fake tan and high fructose corn syrup.
And, with multiple pairs of melted plastic sunglasses forged on the back of his skull. posted by ericb at 6:05 PM on April 4, 2013
I think all obit posts should be placed in a queue and the day after the death the best gets approved. This would incentivize people to make quality posts and remove the incentive to be first. The links from the other attempts could flesh out the best obit post. posted by cjorgensen at 6:19 PM on April 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
And, with multiple pairs of melted plastic sunglasses forged on the back of his skull.
And instead of dots, we will honor his service to humanity with 🍔's posted by Blazecock Pileon at 6:33 PM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
His final wish was to be cremated and have his ashes blended into a vat of his signature donkey sauce, which would then be offered to NYC restaurant patrons as an $1000 per ounce topping for their Fiere Fajitas.... posted by zarq at 6:45 PM on April 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
Sorcerer! How didst thou concoct yon hamburger?! posted by batmonkey at 6:46 PM on April 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
In deference to his wishes, his body was left where it fell until it was cold before it was allowed to be carried anywhere. posted by George_Spiggott at 7:08 PM on April 4, 2013
Why do people keep linking that Salon article as his final essay? It was written in 2011. posted by kmz at 7:34 PM on April 4, 2013
Aw crap, I missed LobsterMitten's comment above. posted by kmz at 7:35 PM on April 4, 2013
To be honest, I heard about his death on local media. I had no idea that the Salon article I posted was "old." It is STILL relevant. A glorious meditation on existence.
There where no obits online except the Ric Kogen one, so I went with it.
I grew up watching Roger and Gene, and was ecstatic when Mr. Ebert would do social or political commentary.
That he posted a "leave of presence" only to pass a day later has really broken my heart in a way I couldn't imagine.
He will be missed. posted by Max Power at 7:54 PM on April 4, 2013
To be clear, I think Ebert's meditation on death is awesome and shareable. But labelling it as his 'last essay' is the sort of neat narrative that doesn't really exist in the real world. I think the fact that Ebert has been directly facing his own mortality for a long time... and reacted not with passive submission but a vibrant burst of life... It's inspiring to me. posted by muddgirl at 8:04 PM on April 4, 2013 [5 favorites]
I'll put this here because I don't want to put it anywhere else.
Mr. Ebert, I have always loved you, Even when we didn't agree I loved you. You were the go to guy for any movie. But more than that, you taught me how to eat again. I looked at your face and I was afraid. Even when you looked as if you were smiling all that I saw was cancer. And death and bones corrupted. Your latest work, your happiness with you and your wife frightened me. My father died, and you were still there. My mother had lung cancer and you were still there for me. I am weak Mr. Ebert. But you were as strong as strong can be. And now you are gone from the same kind of final disease. And this is not right. You fought the fight. You died. But you didn't lose. You won. I still love you man. You will never die. Not in my book. posted by Splunge at 8:23 PM on April 4, 2013 [8 favorites]
Only someday to rise again and break free from his batter fried sarcophagus
You hit the post button 35 minutes after the other one went up. Thanks for . . . a very thoughtful post, I guess? posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:24 PM on April 4, 2013
You hit the post button 35 minutes after the other one went up. Thanks for . . . a very thoughtful post, I guess?
Computer crash just before I posted. I should have doublechecked the blue after I rebooted and remade the post. A hard mistake to justify given that 35 minutes was time enough for an obituary to be posted ~three times. posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 9:46 PM on April 4, 2013
Is there a way we could create a pre-death celeb obit wiki to draw from?
Honestly, Crimer Show has me obsessively checking Twitter in a way I never have before. It is awesome, and never gets old. posted by koeselitz at 3:20 AM on April 5, 2013 [2 favorites]
Tell me about it. I was too busy to check it for the past few days, and when I did last night, I'm like HOLY FUCK (looks at camera), Detetcive has PUPEY! posted by FelliniBlank at 4:16 AM on April 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
While I understand why newspapers do them, I don't see why doing a pre-death celeb obit is a good thing for MetaFilter.
It seems a little creepy, for one thing. Also, it's counter to how this site operates - people make posts to the front page. If they're good, they stay up. If they need work, or break guidelines, the posts are removed.
That's how it works.
Creating a ready-to-launch celeb obit draft article on a wiki would seem to indicate that there is an "approved" post, but MetaFilter is more organic than that.
As always, invest in a text editor or something and have an obit for your favorite nearly-dead celebrity ready to go, so you can be first in the door when the Grim Reaper calls. posted by KokuRyu at 10:18 AM on April 5, 2013
I've sometimes posted obits a day or two after the fact because it's taken that long to compile better news stories, good links and perhaps a decent quote about a person's life. But it can be a lot more stressful to put together a good, more carefully constructed post on breaking news. I find I check the front page more frequently than usual while working, to make sure no one has beaten me to the punch.
It shouldn't matter. I can and have just slipped a bunch of links into a comment in a post that got there before mine, and will probably do so again. No big deal. But still, there's a "beat the clock" feeling that's hard to shake.
The pre-written obit post feels like a good idea. Especially since the mods are setting a higher bar for obits. Also, since many people's first post to MeFi is an obit, why not make it easier for them? But every time I've tried to write one in advance it feels a little ghoulish. ymmv. posted by zarq at 11:02 AM on April 5, 2013
A good obit post always includes a wikipedia link, a TvTropes link (if applicable), a link describing a singular act of courage (bonus points for NYT coverage), and a Youtube/Vimeo encapsulating the essence of the deceased. posted by Renoroc at 6:51 PM on April 5, 2013
I actually think this post is already turning out to be more thoughtful than the other post. Highlights from the discussion in the blue include:
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and my personal favorite:
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Along with Scorsese's documentaries on American cinema, Roger Ebert is responsible for transforming the way I look at film. He helped my outlook evolve from cheap Saturday night entertainment to true artistic appreciation and near obsession. More importantly, he showed me how to live when I was merely passing time until death. And I think that if a period is all you can muster for this articulate man's eulogy than you might as well not bother. I'm seriously sick of scrolling past a million fucking dots to read something of substance every time one of my heroes dies. posted by WhitenoisE at 12:07 AM on April 7, 2013
You know there is a script that will remove all the dots, right? Of course now that I've said this I totally can't find it. posted by jessamyn(staff) at 9:36 AM on April 7, 2013
posted by griphus at 1:58 PM on April 4, 2013