mt headed memoriam: Garry Shandling

"It's Garry Shandling Show" was a real eye-opener back then. I found it mesmerizing and sharply witty. And what insight into the medium, especially since I spent much of my formative years watching far too many 80's sitcoms, making it imperative that I get a nice wake up call to help me unblur the lines between reality and fantasy. And that's when Garry Shandling and his little show came along. It didn't even try to trick me. Instead, Garry Shandling smirked and winced his way around the walls and sets of unreality, making a show that was real enough to touch and jarringly funny in the process. On a stroll, or maybe a short golf cart trek, through my museum-sized television memories and comedy remembrances, Garry Shandling will always represent a very easy-going and yet deftly and charmingly awkward take on comedy, from "The Gong Show," to "It's Garry Shandling Show," to "The Larry Sanders Show." Even thinking about Garry Shandling now, with his big devilish grin, a grin that spoke volumes, telling you, "I know and so do you, how absurd and ridiculous it all is," makes me smile to no end. Thank you for that. Now, I know it sucks, and, I know you'd really love to stay up just a little bit longer, unfortunately it's time to go to sleep. So, sleep well.