R.I.P. Harris Wittels

[smitty 333]

 

I don't know it is helpful to look at it as "he did it." Addiction is a disease; people who are easily addicted have imbalances in their brain chemicals. & most of them work hard to try to get off drugs. It's not easy for them. It's a constant battle. Placing blame on the addicted person isn't really helpful.

 

It is good to take the message away from all this that drugs are deadly, but once a person is into addiction and finding it difficult to get out, they aren't trying to overdose or push the limits in a reckless way; they are just trying to not feel the sickness that comes one when they're body doesn''t have the drug.

It's easier for people to "blame" the deceased than to face the reality that death does not only come for people who somehow brought it on themselves.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just-world_hypothesis

[Brian_Eno 119]

Man think of all that organic kale he must of ate to live longer that went to waste.

[Yeti Hunter 36]

Damn. It feels a little dishonest to be feeling this way, because I know the intimate feeling of podcasting is an illusion. But damn this hits harder than celebrity deaths usually do. My heart goes out to the people who are losing an actual part of their real lives and not just a part of the imaginary life in their earbuds...

I know I'm basically repeating everyone, but this sucks and drug addiction is a horrible thing. I may have to listen to Farts and Procreation and the UTU2TM commentary special.

 

"Like a young Mike and Omar taking the garbage out...great Epps." is still one of the most unexpectedly hilarious things I have heard in my life, and that's just one of many hilarious things he's been a part of.

Whether its because of hilarious one liner cheese jokes (or should i say foam) or his ridiculous lack of a character, characters.... Carl SJunior...i every time have laughed uncontrollably.

Thank you Harris for all the Farts and Pro/Parks and Rec/Humble Brag/Dont Stop or We'll Die/Foam jokes

 

I regurgitate a lot of what i hear on CBB but ill leave this with my favorite joke. A joke i have told more than any other. that just so fits my humor

 

I wanna open a small plate, irish, jamaican restaurant... and call it " Tapas the morning to Jah"

I love you guys and Earwolf and Harris. I didn't know I could be the sad about someone I don't personally know. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Been getting choked up and laughing simultaneously when checking in with the twitter feed tonight. I've honestly probably spent more time listening to his podcast appearances than I've spent in actual interaction with some close relatives. I know this doesn't in any way mean I actually knew the guy, but it still makes me feel sick in my guts. Can't imagine how people who actually knew and loved him as a friend are feeling

hey you hear about this 12 year old in Texas getting his dick sucked?!?!?!

 

my favorite harris story might be the tale of when he went to UCB live in Texas and shouted out the worst topics for the performers to do.

 

RIP Harris. You were a stone cold chiller. First story I looked at today, randomly came across an obituary with Harris' name, and my heart sank. I had spent the previous several days listening to episodes of U Talkin U2 To Me and Analyze Phish, and just never got tired of Harris' unique humor. No more Foam. I knew the only place to come to be with other folks who could understand how funny and special he was is the Earwolf forums. He'll always live on in the pods we have to enjoy on repeat.

 

Tapas the Mornin' to Jah and " That's like when young Mike and Omar took out the trash...Good Epps" are two absolute classic Harris moments. He had a way of tagging up on jokes with either a amazingly convoluted button or a simple cheesy one liner that would just crush.

 

Addiction is such a tough struggle. I come from an alcoholic family, and have had my own bouts with addictive tendencies. I know the difficulty in changing your lifestyle after quitting a substance, and just wanting to enjoy a party. I have to say there was knowing concerns over the Phish concert eps, but it just gets brushed aside as, that's just for a good time at a concert, I've done shit just as crazy as that. Damn, this hits in a way similar to Robin Williams or Philip Seymour Hoffman, but almost more personal. Something about listening to these folks on podcasts makes the relationship so personal with the listener. Spread love and positive energy. I'll miss my tour guide through the cosmos.

[EthanRunt 147]

I'm so glad I had work today, great distractions between re-listening to the last Analyze Phish and his You Made It Weird. But every so often it comes crashing back and I realise the genius will never be back.

[StanSitwell 811]

 

I don't know it is helpful to look at it as "he did it." Addiction is a disease; people who are easily addicted have imbalances in their brain chemicals. & most of them work hard to try to get off drugs. It's not easy for them. It's a constant battle. Placing blame on the addicted person isn't really helpful.

 

It is good to take the message away from all this that drugs are deadly, but once a person is into addiction and finding it difficult to get out, they aren't trying to overdose or push the limits in a reckless way; they are just trying to not feel the sickness that comes one when they're body doesn''t have the drug.

 

 

My point was just that when someone passes people will always say things like "it should have been ______" or "so and so didn't deserve to die!" as though anyone does deserve to die. This isn't a person being hit by a meteor or their plane randomly crashes, it's a bit different. I don't think I'm cold or an asshole to say that rather than saying those things, think about anyone in your life who might be hiding a drug problem like this and try to do something about it. Addiction is a disease, but its not cancer... if you live your whole life perfectly as the doctor's prescribe, you can still just get cancer and die. So what I'm trying to say is, stay away from the drugs kids

[DanEngler 5249]

From The Verge: One of my favorite podcast hosts died, and it feels like I lost a friend.

 

Harris was loved well beyond the bounds of the comedy scene.

[liebot 55]

This isn't a person being hit by a meteor or their plane randomly crashes, it's a bit different. I don't think I'm cold or an asshole to say that rather than saying those things, think about anyone in your life who might be hiding a drug problem like this and try to do something about it. Addiction is a disease, but its not cancer... if you live your whole life perfectly as the doctor's prescribe, you can still just get cancer and die. So what I'm trying to say is, stay away from the drugs kids

You might be interested in doing some reading on ΔFosB and the biological mechanism of addiction. You may also want to look at the performance of abstinence in regulating human behaviour. Regardless, I'd encourage you to just go away. Harris recognised he had a problem, commited himself to rehab and ultimately died of an addiction. Everyone in this thread is missing him and nobody needs you and your Nancy Reagan derived, wildly misinformed, views on drug addiction.

[djsexyrandal 153]

Just wanted to add one of my favorite Foam jokes. "I've decided that I'm not going to get married until gay people can get married. Because I'm gay."

 

Hopefully you've heard it too, so you can hear his delivery.

[Joe McGurl 8358]

You inspired me, made me laugh, made me cry and you always entertained me. I never met you but I loved you like I loved a friend. You were always open and candid. You were funny as hell. Thank you for the countless hours of laughter you've given over the years. I'm mad at you because I'll never be able to hear the hilarious things you would have said in the future. I'm sad because all I have is the hilarious things you've said in the past. I'm happy because I still have all those hilarious things you've said. Rest easy.

 

Wherever you are Harris, I hope it's at a Phish concert that never ends...even though that sounds like the worst thing anyone could ever wish for.

[Longtimefan 15]

I keep thinking about how hard it must have been for Scott to record the first episode of Comedy Bang Bang after Andrew Koenig died, and how hard this will undoubtedly be.

My mind jumped to the EXACT same thing.

[maurscan 7]

feeling really sad today. kind of moping around work which is so stupid but it really does feel like i lost a friend. so sorry for everyone i admire who loved and cared about him so much.

 

harris really made me want to be a funnier, nicer, better person. i don't think i'm any of those things yet but fuck, he made me want to TRY. he's brightened so many of my days. i really really loved harris. rest in peace i hope the cosmos is chill

[robozebra 20]

I think I'm going to try to finally pull together my scattered, foamey notes into something workable and sign my name on an open mic list this weekend. Not sure bringing some shitty comedy into the world is a real tribute, but at least it feels like doing something...

I'm doing the same thing. Hopefully we'll both be able to do him proud.

[Henry 3777]

I really have never been more appreciative of the Earwolf forum and the community of fans than I have these past couple of days, and am so thankful to Scott, and Jeff, and all who were involved in providing the possibility for it to exist. Almost all the weird, sad, confused feelings that I haven't really been able to find words for have pretty much been summed up here by others. When I first heard the bad news I was so confused by how much it effected me. The now apparently common "but I never even met him." thought made me feel, for a lack of a better word, like I did not 'deserve' to feel the way that I did when there are plenty of actual friends of Harris with much more reason to mourn. Though my feelings of loss obviously pale in comparison to those who were personally close to him, it's comforting to see that I don't have to feel ridiculous for having them. Also, on a lighter note, am I the only one who thought his Earwolf photo was him posing on a bicycle? Until today I never noticed that it was just him holding onto the backs of two chairs.

[A Bear 1813]

From Scott on Twitter:

 

"Hi everyone. Thank you for your thoughts.

I'll have more to say about it monday

The kind folks at IFC were wondering if they should resume tweeting from the CBB account, but only with my permission

Harris loved the show, and as recently as Saturday was asking me to make him a recurring character, so I don't think he would mind.

Anyway, they're going to be tweeting about it over there, and probably live-tweeting the show happily, so don't think me insensitive."

 

So I guess we're getting something on Monday. Love you Harris.

[DrKrieger 34]

I think Sarah Silverman said it best when she said "his heart was big and he FELT hard. That he was someone who would reach out to tell you he was thinking of you for no particular reason". That's what I always got from his humour. He was bright he was sweet he was.... the comedic Man's Man without even trying,

[tyroneslothrop 124]

Aziz: http://azizisbored.t...st/111613105129

 

Warning: You will cry.

[SteveH 11126]

That was really nice. That email reply was the funniest goddamn thing I've ever seen.

[makinithappen 26]

Im at work right now but I can't wait to read that when I get home! Looks like it's going to be good!

[HunterJE 618]

 

Had to.

[CraigEminger 468]

Aziz: http://azizisbored.t...st/111613105129

 

Warning: You will cry.

 

This is the best tribute yet. I'm even more bummed now hearing about his plans to move to NY with Aziz. Things were looking so bright. I loved the e-mail reply thing too, also really laughed about the Chili's stuff, and reading all those lines from that movie pitch in Danny McBrides voice.

[VajayjayLeno 336]

God, Aziz's post is amazing. I've been devastated all day and finally came here just...I dunno. No one else I know really knows who Harris was because they're not podcast/comedy nerds so it's been really hard to express myself. Yeah, he was just a silly, C-list comedian and writer who I never met but I took it a lot harder than I would've expected.

 

Ugh.

 

RIP Harris.

[freeagent 329]

 

This is the best tribute yet. I'm even more bummed now hearing about his plans to move to NY with Aziz. Things were looking so bright. I loved the e-mail reply thing too, also really laughed about the Chili's stuff, and reading all those lines from that movie pitch in Danny McBrides voice.

 

seriously... that "making leftovers from Chilis" is pure Harris gold. So simple but genius. That is a great tribute from Aziz.

[grapesodapop? 1]

man what a good soul. RIP cruster

[siracha34 7]

The Aziz tribute made me tear up all over again today.

 

Shelby Fero posted on her Tumblr too:

http://shelbysbutt.tumblr.com/post/111579280492/shelbysbutt-these-are-so-fucking-embarrassing

 

It basically shows that aside from being inexcusably funny, what an honestly nice, great person he was. I still can't really process that he's gone.

[tyroneslothrop 124]

God, Aziz's post is amazing. I've been devastated all day and finally came here just...I dunno. No one else I know really knows who Harris was because they're not podcast/comedy nerds so it's been really hard to express myself.

 

Yeah it's nice that the forum exists for those of us who don't have friends who are into podcasts. We're all in the same boat. It's just us and a tiger, Richard Parker.