Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire, dear, at your service...

It is with a sad heart that I reminisce about a man who touched the lives of many, in various and profoundly different ways. When someone legendary passes away, no matter how, we feel a collective sorrow. It's as if everyone in this world, for a moment, is feeling the same emotion, the same loss. Although we do not have a direct personal connection with celebrities we still feel a connection, an attachment to that person, an attachment to the feelings that they have made us feel. As much as we are made to believe that everyone in the world is special there are those of us whose light shines just a little brighter than others. I think we can all agree that Robin Williams is one of those people. (I choose to use present tense here because we do not lose our light in death. Memory, in many ways, shines brighter than reality.)

I have touched on depression in my blog in the past and although I know that is the topic fresh on everyone's mind in regards to his passing I choose instead to discuss a specific memory of this silly, talented, intelligent and wonderful man. His legacy is that of laughter and tears, childhood reminiscing and adult maturity. I know it might seem odd at a time like this but my mind immediately jumps to drag.

Yes, that's right. Drag.

Everyone who knows me (or has met me for more than 30 seconds) can tell you that I have an intense love of the art of drag. I have studied costume design in college (Shakespeare was all about drag), lived with Queens (best roomies I ever had), gotten tens at a Ball (beaten out by a Canadian pop star! DAMN!) and just generally love the art, creativity and humor that creates an iconic Queen. Every drag queen that I have ever known is fiercely intelligent, funny as hell and has the unique perspective of an individual who has embraced both the masculine and the feminine within themselves. Do these attributes remind you of anyone? Robin Williams clearly had them all.

Mrs. Doubtfire came out in 1993. I was ten years old. I vividly remember going to see this film in the theatre and laughing until my face hurt, if I was allowed to buy make up yet I would have needed one hell of a touch up! This was, essentially, my first drag show. I know many people who instantly fell in love with Euphegenia Doubtfire, Williams' charismatic, witty and outlandish drag persona. At a time when equal marriage rights weren't even part of the discussion yet here comes a white, straight man donning a full body suit, old lady drag and charming the pants off of every one, liberal & conservative alike. Williams had this unique ability to incorporate femininity into his comedy in a way that was genuine and respectful. He played roles with such depth of feeling that you couldn't help but identify with his characters. This movie also features Harvey Feirstein, Danny's (Williams) gay brother and partner, skillfully helping Williams make his transformation into drag. For those familiar with the movie they will know the “drag montage” scene while they are creating the Mrs. Doubtfire character is full of popular gay culture references (in particular a pretty hilarious Barbra impersonation) in which Williams skillfully touches on his knowledge and appreciation of the gay community in a way that is not parody but respectful deference. It was not until many years later that I understood the subtle nuance of this scene. It was as if Williams was saying, “This movie is borrowing from your culture and I know and respect that.” I believe it was his nod to all the queens that helped inspire his characterization.

Mrs. Doubtfire obviously wasn't Williams only foray into drag culture. Who can forget his iconic role in The Birdcage starring opposite Nathan Lane? Or even his hilarious take on Aladdin's Genie (which also features multiple gay culture references)? Williams was a comedian who was not afraid to take risks and was intelligent enough to straddle the line between comedy and offense always falling on the funny side of the line. He portrayed characters that were warm and accepting, poetic and comical and the world, in my opinion, needs more of this brand of comedy. We need more people who truly take the time to learn and embrace new cultures and identities. In Aladdin the Genie famously says: “I can't make anybody fall in love with anybody else.” Well, Robin, one thing is for sure, you made us love you.

I will leave this blog off with a simple thank you. Thank you, Robin Williams, for sharing your life with us, for making us laugh, for making us cry and for most importantly making us think. There is one particular quote from Mrs. Doubtfire that stands out to me and had this movie been made in the early 2000s I'm sure it would have included a reference to same sex households:

“There are all sorts of different families, Katie. Some families have one mommy, some families have one daddy, or two families. And some children live with their uncle or aunt. Some live with their grandparents, and some children live with foster parents. And some live in separate homes, in separate neighborhoods, in different areas of the country - and they may not see each other for days, or weeks, months... even years at a time. But if there's love, dear... those are the ties that bind, and you'll have a family in your heart, forever. All my love to you, poppet, you're going to be all right... bye-bye.”

I hope that wherever you are now, Robin, you know that there IS love and you will live on in our hearts forever.