Monday, April 12, 2010

Laughing as He Died

I have stumbled across a couple of television programs featuring comedian Mitch Hedberg over the past several years. He had an odd and quirky style that was both edgy, nervous, and endearing. His stand-up act was part Steven Wright and part Jerry Seinfeld if you can imagine that. I learned the other day by chance that he had died, in fact, he died back in 2005 from a drug overdose. The medical examiner reported multiple drug toxicity. Cocaine and heroin. Heroin and cocaine.

Mitch had a joke that went something like "I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too." I remember how the audience ate this one up. They burst into hysterical laughter that even made Mitch smile and collect himself. Funny how this joke was actually his undoing. We were laughing as he was dying.