We will miss you Harris

[JuliaWDHarrison 56]

I have loved Harris since I first heard him on an early episode of Comedy Bang Bang. The Foam Corner was brilliant. Don't Stop or We'll Die is still one of my favorite bands. Farts and Procreation! I'm still mad that I didn't come up with this joke first:

 

Whenever I'm playing baseball and am about to cum, I just try to think about sex.

 

R.I.P. Harris Wittels

 

YES! You could say that about even his worst jokes. I avoided coming into the forums because I didn't want to cry again.

[DaddyShirt 1]

Thank you for releasing "Not Farts and Pro Four," Scott. Comedy Bang Bang means so much to me, and Harris was a major part of the family. He'll be missed in the CBB and Phish communities. Your episode made me laugh and cry today. Goodbye Harris.

[NickProl_34242 17]

[Jennie.nunbro 3]

Why do I care so much about a comedy writer.

I have battled with the past few days with such weirdness and intense feelings. Mostly I have been sad. Harris Wittels was an LA based comedy writer mostly for television shows such as Parks and Rec and Eastbound and Down. Last week he passed away and the from the moment I read about it on my Facebook feed, my mouth has been agape. I have been in shock with sadness but I never met him. This makes me feel completely out of my comfort zone and ridiculous.

I am massage therapist by trade and while treating clients today, I have done nothing but think of Harris. I have been thinking of his hilarious appearances on Comedy Bang Bang, Analyze Phish and his unbelievably honest episode of You Made it weird. I have lost grandparents in the recent years and can't think of any recent, long, meaningful conversations I have had with them. Yet, I can tell you more about the last year of Harris' life more than any relative I can think of. I believe this is why we are upset, sad and feel so lost. I feel like the podcast world: specifically Earwolf, Nerdist and MaxFun communities are so close and such a small group that we all feel connected. We feel like we lost a cousin, a brother or a friend. None of friends, family or my partner listen to the shows that I do so I feel alone in this odd sense of mourning that I felt the need to share. I am sorry to everyone that knew him and all his fans that didn't. RIP Harris. We all loved you! Xo

[rich-wdc 3]

What a nice tribute for Scott to play out the final minute of the episode with a PHISH Jam

[denf 1]

I don't know Harris, but I have been rocked by this. From the first times I heard him on Scott's show, it was immediately obvious that he was a brilliant, totally unique person. By all accounts he was also kind. So, don't be ashamed to grieve. We've all suffered a great loss. I am not prone to fits of emotion, but I've cried and cried. And I'm sure I will cry more.

 

For those of you who knew and loved Harris, my heart hurts for you. Take care of each other, and yourselves. And thank you, Scott, for sharing him with us.

 

Bye Harris.

[CraigHowe 60]

Man, it really warmed my heart to check in on this thread again and see that so many people felt the same way I did, and had such great thoughts and stories and things to share with everyone. I have a friend or two who is hip to this whole Earwolf world but most of them are not and so it's tough to explain to the majority of my buddies why I am so upset that the executive producer of a funny tv show is dead. Thanks guys.

[onesmalldrop 2]

I'd just like to add my voice to the chorus of those who have never felt so torn up over the death of someone I'd never met. It's difficult to explain what it was that I seem to have absorbed through all these podcasts that made Harris feel like a friend and not just an entertainer, but I think part of it may have been that in all of his hilarious appearances, there was never an ounce of pretension or artifice. You never felt like Harris was performing, rather, he just was. I have no doubt that if I'd ever bumped into him on the street or whatever, he'd be exactly the same guy we knew from listening. And so, in that sense, we really did know him.

 

Harris, thank you. Your humor and genuineness made my life better and brighter. This might be ridiculous, but the first time I listened to F&P1 ranks up there with, say, watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail when I was a little kid in terms of how hard I laughed and how much it warped my perspective of what could be funny. You breaking down into giggles after saying "It's called Carl's Jr's Hamburgers" makes me feel pure, unadulterated joy, even now, and that was just one example among dozens of how you infected me with your sensibility. I never knew you, Harris, and I miss you so fucking much. May the afterlife be one neverending "Tube" jam.

[jar 7]

Harris did what I never could. he took his dream and ran with it. I am almost exactly his same age, and despite his successes he always felt like a contemporary, particularly when he appeared on podcasts. he was everything I wished I could be. enough drive to turn a love of comedy into a career, sociable in a way it could only dream of, and loved by everyone he met.

 

but I also share an admittedly vague notion of addiction. his path towards heroin sounds remarkably similar to the life I'm living at the moment. while I'll never cross that line myself, I understand what led him there as he described on Pete Holmes podcast.

 

I think because of this empathy, I'm a shaken by his death in a way I've never felt towards a "celebrity". the tragedy of such a young, talented person succumbing to addiction isn't a new concept, but regardless of the medium he worked in, this is the one time that a famous person dying has really affected me. I thought I felt it for Michael Jackson, and then again for Robin Willaims. but they were these practically mythical figures. entertainment machines with whom I associate happy memories. hardly human beings at all. but Harris was just a guy. an extremely likeable, funny guy, but no different than the friend in your own life you enjoy hanging out with the most.

 

I don't have an elegant way to wrap this up. I just feel so terribly for his friends and family. if his death affected me, a total stranger, as much as it has then it must be tearing apart those of you who were closest to him.

 

it didn't need to happen this way. there was a way out for Harris. but life, as it is, isn't fair or predictable. sometimes it takes those of us who hadn't had a real chance to turn things around for themselves. sometimes it strikes too soon. Harris will be remembered as a man who was suddenly very unlucky while playing a a volatile, self destructive game of chance. he will be missed by his friends, family, and the thousands who shared a parasocial relationship with him through sound.

[saddlebags 581]

I never listened to Harris' episode of WTF. Just finished it.

 

At the end present day Maron just says "If there's anything you get from that, it's the tone of someone who still enjoyed drugs before they killed him." and then silence and then it just ends. No music, no sponsors no nothing.

 

Jesus. What a punch.

[Nmkl Pjkl Ftmch 63]

So so sad, feels somehow like someone in my (podcast) family died. The CBB NOT farts and procreation 4 ep was a very touching, funny and beautiful send-off, made laugh and cry and feel like sending boob pics to harriswittels@gmail.com.

[suspiciousbulge 13]

Harris was so funny. And so unafraid to not be funny that he WAS funny. My condolences to all his friends. He was a really lovable guy. What a loss! And so unnecessary.

 

Overdoses must stop. It's our cultural stigma of IV drug use that drives users into dark corners - which leads to their death. Public injection rooms reduce overdoses by 80%. Don't be judgmental about IV drug use.

[azuretek 0]

Harris has consistently been my favorite guest on many podcasts, I'm not an emotional guy but hearing about his death made me cry. At the end of the most recent CBB the tribute was so touching and sad that it made me cry AGAIN, jokes that tickle me perfectly and that I quote all the time. As I sat there listening I started to cry thinking about all the humor and enjoyment he wouldn't be able to give us anymore. Then he called from heaven and I cried even harder, only to be struck again by his humor, a mess of laughing and crying and it just makes me sad and happy that he's affected me so much. I'll miss you Harris.

[Sticky 2]

I never met him personally but always loved when I seen his name on any podcast. You feel you get to know somebody after that much time just listening to them talk and joke around with their friends. I feel a bit ridiculous how sad I am over this not actually knowing him but I can't help it. It's made me tear up so many times. We love you Harris and I'll sincerely miss you.

[Darbler Cheesegarbler 1110]

I know this is cheesy as fuck and I really hesitate to post this, it's so easy to say something like "ah, all these fucking people acting like it's such a big deal", but it really has affected me much more than I ever could have expected. The cheesy bullshit I want to post is that I've been thinking about this and all of the baggage that comes along with it, both relatable and extremely personal, and relistening to many of Harris's CBB appearances has made me think of something that I think is worth sharing here: we don't have amazing, hilarious, endearing recordings of all of the people we care about. We can sit here and type on and on about how much this loss sucks, but why the fuck aren't we treating the people we love, the friends we care about, the entertainers who mean something to us; why don't we talk to them like they're going to die tomorrow? I know it's so cheesy and cliche and bullshit, but this is my silver lining from all of this. There are people in our lives who mean everything to us and we don't have hours and hours of recordings to remember their legacy, so just make the memories that you can while we're all here. Sorry for the cheese... I'm posting it anyway.

[CraigHowe 60]

That's a good point.

[KajusX 1807]

ATTENTION Farts & Pro fans, I've been re-listening to all of Harris' appearances, and I had completely forgotten about Harris' and Adam Scott's appearance on the Los Angeles show of the CBB LIVE Summer Tour 2012, in which they do a Creak Slam Sit character segment featuring Brennis Dentmintsontinmen and John Shantally who work at the Raisin Bran factory. Obviously the CBB LIVE Tour episodes are worth the purchases anyway, but if you want some more Farts & Pro, there's a little bit more for you in this CBB LIVE ep.

[neilly 105]

I just found out that he died today. I've been out of the loop obviously. The wife and I were just catching up on the last six eps of P&R last night (didn't finish the final ep or I would have seen the note at the end) and I caught the one where Harris had his head in the clamps. It made me want more Analyze Phish. That guy was so very funny!

 

I thought he was out of the woods with his addiction, but I guess it never really goes away. I don't really have anything enlightening to say, I just wanted to add to this since he made me smile through his work and his voice.

[FrenchyLibre 6]

All I can say is that I hated reading about this on February 19th, and I hate it now. I don't see that ever going away.

[KW 18]

Not sure how many people are still checking in here, but his sister's eulogy was posted online and it is wonderful and also made me cry (and laugh) all over again: https://medium.com/@stephaniewittelswachs/a-eulogy-for-harris-b73aae08b3e

[boxofgeese 18]

Anyone know where to find the Badger's Promise film? It's been taken down in the past few days.

[RachelElle 217]

Not sure how many people are still checking in here, but his sister's eulogy was posted online and it is wonderful and also made me cry (and laugh) all over again: https://medium.com/@...ris-b73aae08b3e

 

Thanks for sharing. This was beautifully written.

[Nmkl Pjkl Ftmch 63]

Not sure how many people are still checking in here, but his sister's eulogy was posted online and it is wonderful and also made me cry (and laugh) all over again: https://medium.com/@...ris-b73aae08b3e

 

_{"We are all horrible and wonderful and figuring it out"}

So lovely!

[Ghost of HST 71]

Anyone know where to find the Badger's Promise film? It's been taken down in the past few days.

Did you find it here?

https://vimeo.com/15690978

 

I was on vacation at Thai beaches when this happened (humblebrag?) and I also happened to have Harris' YMIW second episode on my pod!? Lots of hammock time spent in contemplation of the mysteries of life and death...Wanted to add, if it hasn't been mentioned, that Harris was really great in Sarah Silverman's excleent but un-picked-up pilot Susan 313. Sarah put it up on Jas but it looks to be gone. Hope she or someone can re-up it!

 

Hippy-dippy-slippy lovetown to all earwolvians~~~~>

 

[Denim Chicken 46]

The Sarah Silverman Program tribute to Harris:

 

http://splitsider.com/2015/03/watch-the-sarah-silverman-programs-tribute-to-harris-wittels/