Mixed Emotions...

 "You're not the only one, with mixed emotions..."--The Rolling Stones, 1989.

Good morning, everyone. This week has been a rollercoaster of emotions for most everyone between the ages of 45-60, or the GenX generation. I mean life in and of itself is a rollercoaster, but this week, man. 

For me personally, I've experienced the highest of highs on a personal level; when the youngest child of your love interest (who you've never met before) runs up and gives you a hug, you know that you are a hero in someone's life. That made me week, especially since my own daughter when she was younger didn't give me a hug when I left Virginia to go back to Florida. So, I felt rather special.

And I've felt the lowest of lows along with everyone else, and man was it low. Three legends we grew up with gone in one week. As Ginger the GenX DJ (go give her a follow on TikTok) so duly pointed out in her latest post on Facebook, we (GenX) are not okay, but we will be. She also mentioned in said post that these (deaths) come in threes. However, there were more than three, because in addition to Malcolm Jamal Warner, Ozzy Osbourne, and Hulk Hogan, who are the focus of this blog entry, we also lost Chuck Mangione, Connie Francis, Anne Burrel, and one of the founding members of the band Golden Earring ("Radar Love", "Twilight Zone"). 

This gives me flashbacks to 2016, when it seemed like everybody that we grew up admiring back then died as well. Prince, David Bowie, Carrie Fisher, just to name a few. But this week really hit home, especially as a fan of rock music and pro wrestling.

First, we start off with Malcolm Jamal Warner, who many of us remember from his role as Theo Huxtable on "The Cosby Show." Warner tragically drowned in Costa Rica early this week at the age of 54. I didn't regularly watch Cosby, but I remember two scenes that stick out. One being the argument that Theo had with Cliff Huxtable in which Cliff told Theo, "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!" and the one scene where Cliff gets pelted with snowballs as he's about the enter his house much to the delight of Theo and his friend (I don't remember his name).

Then there's Ozzy. We all know he was on his last legs to begin with, but it doesn't make the pain of his loss any less. His actual goodbye to us was his charity concert in his hometown of Birmingham, England at the stadium of his favorite soccer club (Aston Villa) and was that ever emotional. I've had "Mama, I'm Coming Home" playing in my head all week. Growing up in the predominantly Christian south (at the time), I originally thought as a kid that Ozzy's music was for the devil, and I avoided it at all costs, but as I grew older and much less naive, I started to appreciate his music more and more. His TV show "The Osbournes" showed his as a family man and launched him into the mainstream in my mind. There isn't enough that can be said about Ozzy, because words alone would not do him any justice. His death is about as hard-hitting to the music industry as those of Elvis, Michael Jackson, and John Lennon, and it leaves a gaping hole in pop culture.

Speaking of leaving a gaping hole in pop culture, let me tell ya something brother! Hulk Hogan suddenly passed yesterday in Clearwater at the age of 71. It was he more than anything that helped put Tampa Bay on the map being that he called this area home for most of his life. Much like Ozzy, words cannot merely express how important he was in his particular field of work. Ozzy helped shape heavy metal, Hulk helped shape professional wrestling. He helped launch wrestling into the mainstream of American society. From WWE to his role as Thunderlips in Rocky III to his reality show "Hogan Knows Best," Hogan was a consummate professional. Plus, he was a huge fan of the Bucs, Rays, and Lightning. The last decade of his life however was shrouded in controversy and a fall from grace of sorts. However, he turned his life around in the past 12 months and, polarizing as he may have been recently, will leave an indelible mark in the realm of sports entertainment.

Two other things happened this week that sort of tie in together, and that's Paramount's sudden cancellation of Stephen Colbert and the premier of South Park. I'm going to have to write a separate post concerning those two, but oh is the right going cuckoo for cocoa puffs about it. In short, make it make sense, CBS.

But that's for my next entry. I may also do a flashback entry as well sometime over the weekend since I'm not going anywhere. Until then, take care.

Bonyscribe