Richard III Laid to Rest with Honor

Portrait of Richard III next to his corpse verified by DNA testing

For anyone familiar with English history, this is a pretty big deal. The often maligned Richard III is being reburied, and this time with honors. Richard III's body was found in 2012 when a parking lot in Leicester was being dug up. Apparently, this is where his body was unceremoniously dumped and covered up after the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. The great point of interest is that the Queen, Elizabeth II, has asked the Countess of Wessex to represent her at the burial and to deliver a eulogy. According to sources inside the court, the eulogy is "surprising and sweet" and calls on the Britain as a whole to recognize the importance that Richard III played in its history. The Duke of Gloucester will also be in attendance, filling out the royal contingent.

The burial ceremony

But why should we care about Richard III? Richard III was one of many English kings during the War of the Roses, which ranged from 1455 through 1487. Richard the III garnered notoriety when he became king after the death of his nephew, Edward V, and his little brother who died in the Tower of London. The circumstances of their deaths is still unknown to this day, but folklore claims Richard III (at the time Richard the Duke of York) and regent until his nephew came of age, killed the two princes seizing the throne. Richard III was later killed in 1485 by Henry Tudor who cut the crown from Richards helmet and rode to London to be crowned King Henry VII. Histories about the time are confused and often very similar to other source material, but a good primary source would be Sir Thomas More's "History of King Richard the Third". If you've read William Shakespeare's play "Richard III" you might find similarities as it is believed that the bard leaned heavily on More's history. Shakespeare went out of his way to make Richard III the ultimate villain of English history, but almost a villain you could root for. Frank Underwood of House of Cards. Suffice it to say anything concerning Richard III is fraught with controversy, yet there are whole societies devoted to disproving some of the history surrounding this dead monarch.

What is also of interest, is that the current monarch of England and her family claim the throne through the Tudor line of succession. It could be argued that the early Tudor monarchs (Henry VII, Henry VIII, Mary I, & Elizabeth I) may have gone out of their way to damage Richard III's memory as a way of cementing their claim to the throne, as it was very tenuous and under threat through out their reigns. While this reversal of royal opinion is surprising, some might feel that it is lack luster. Philipa Langley, head of the Richard III Society,  claims that she is not surprised to see any more senior royals in attendance as the current royal family still claims that Richard III was a usurper of the throne on their official website. Langley claims that there is copious evidence that Richard III removed Edward V and his little brother to the continent (Europe) for their own safety and protection. Furthermore, Richard's closest aids, Sir James Tyrell and Sir Edward Brampton, supposedly took a large quantity of money to Portugal suggesting that the two young princes were moved there. She also posits the idea that anyone could have killed the princes, and if they were killed, Henry Tudor and the Duke of Buckingham had just as much to gain from the death of those young princes as Richard. However, Langley is glad to see that the Duke of Gloucester attended as the Duke is a patron of the society. Controversy aside, the internment of the body of Richard III is the first royal funeral since the death of Elizabeth II's father, George VI. So let us give pause for the remembrance of a controversial leader in a chaotic era. Farewell Richard III, may your bones rest easy in honor and peace.

Crest of Richard III

SELMA's brilliance shines a light on diversity - a light we all need to see.

Selma movie poster

Sunday's 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards were illuminating. For me, primarily because much has changed in the realm of equality, and it was apparent that even with the approximate 80% white attendance and nominations at the show, we are now continuing to see a steady stream of minority representation in the Hollywood & entertainment realms. That steady representation's message is one of continual improvement and change, which was the message behind the nominees. Specifically, that of the movie Selma. Last week I went with some very close friends to see a special pre-screening of Selma. The film took the post 1964 Civil Rights Act which desegregated the south and allowed blacks to vote, events in Selma, Alabama and made it into a gorgeous screenplay told in a docudrama format. Selma, was nothing short of perfectly cast by Aisha Coley, and brilliantly directed by Ava DuVernay. It is unmistakably Oscar worthy.

Rest in Peace, Robin Williams

Yesterday, we all received a devastating blow, when the world found out that Robin Williams had passed away. Williams had a huge impact on all of us, so we decided to forgo our content this morning and give the staff a place to share their thoughts and tributes. I'll be updating this post all day as more of them come in - we invite you to share your thoughts and stories in the comments, as well.



Mike Fatum
It's strange to think that one man could be such a part of so many lives. When I was very young, I first met Robin Williams through Nick at Nite reruns of Mork and Mindy - a show my parents had grown up with. Over the next several decades, I would grow up with him as well, through the popular movies like Mrs. Doubtfire and Hook, and through his darker fare like Insomnia and Final Cut - but to me, Robin Williams would always be exemplified by one single role:

What Disney's animators did for Williams was finally free him from the constraints of reality that had been holding him back. The Genie was Williams in his purest form - a madcap, mile a minute style of comedy, punctuated by the sincerest, sweetest moments of pure heart. That no one can ever really separate the Genie from Williams is a testament to how well that film captured him, heart and soul. Aladdin is my favorite Disney movie, and a full 90% of that is because of my love for that big, blue personification of Williams.

When I was in high school, we very quietly put on a version of Disney's Aladdin for elementary schools in the area. In the largest part I'd ever received, I got the opportunity to play the Genie. Most actors would take an opportunity like that and try to put their own spin on the character - I'm not that dumb. Any kid that came to see that show got to see me standing on stage and aping Williams as hard as I could, because there's no way I could ever improve on his performance. I don't think I was as good. But even though I was 1% of Williams' talent, I still was able to steal the whole show by embodying him on stage. His talent was so incredible that a kid doing an impression of him doing an impression can get a laugh.

Robin Williams lifted all of our lives, and touched every single one of us. There hasn't been an actor of any generation since the Stars of the 1940s that had as big of an impact. We will all miss you, Robin. Thank you for being our Pagliacci. May you find the peace in the great beyond that was denied you in life.

Stephanie Cala
When I was a kid between the ages of 4 and 14, I spent my summers visiting my grandparents in California (I had lived in Florida at the time).  Since my grandparents were from the stone age, all they had to offer my sister and I in the entertainment department were a set of jacks, badminton rackets, a flat soccer ball, a deck of cards and a few VHS tapes.  Well, I shouldn't say a few.  More like four total.  They were The Parent Trap, Aladdin, Jumanji, and Mrs. Doubtfire (three of which include Williams).

Now, please understand, my younger sister and I didn't get along as kids.  My idea of a good time with my sister was punching her so I could be put in isolated time out away from her.  My loathing for my sister seemed to be only matched by her incessant need to annoy me.

However, we shared a common enemy: boredom.  My sister and I were in desperate need for something to distract us from the idleness of our own minds.  We would watch, rewind, re-watch, rewind, and re-watch these videos over and over and over again until we practically had them memorized.  Then the following summer we would repeat the process.  The first few summers we had dreaded it, but as we grew older we started looking forward to being able to watch these videos together.  It gave us some common ground in which we could laugh with each other for a few hours instead of hating on each other.

And really, what is comedy without that bit of escape?  Laughter, like music and love, is a universal language.  It's a difficult language to sometimes put to words or set to music, but it's something that can be felt by all.  Williams was one of those amazingly talented people that was able to put those feelings and emotions into words for us to enjoy.  And for that, I'll always be grateful.  Goodbye Robin Williams, you will be missed greatly.

Mae Linh Fatum
I was surprised how deeply the news of Robin Williams death affected me.  Then as I thought about it, Robin Williams plays a starring role in many of my strongest memories.  Aladdin was the first movie I watched so many times that I had memorized it (I even wrote an Aladdin fan fic).  Hook got me into Peter Pan, and Mrs. Doubtfire is still one of the funniest and most heartfelt Dad movies that I have ever seen.  Then I remember channel surfing one day in my dorm room and my roommate and I decided to watch What Dreams May Come. Robin Williams was in it, so it had to be funny.  Flash forward to my roommate and I sobbing our eyes out for two hours straight.  I will always remember that movie, because it has touched me in a deep way, and I hope beyond hope that he is not in that upside down chapel, rather Christopher Reeves got him to the field where he will be joined with his family.

Thank you Mr. Williams for all the laughter and also for making it very clear that depression and suicide is a serious illness.  We will always remember you.

Jarys Maragopoulos

     The sheer amount of Robin Williams movies that were a staple of my childhood and formative to my development are staggering. The Birdcage, Mrs, Doubtfire, Patch Addams, Death to Smoochy, Hook, and Good Morning Viet Nam being among those. However, Robin Williams made one non-comedy that rocked my family and I, led to me reconsidering the supernatural in my life, and made me think more deeply about the suffering of the people around me. That movie was What Dreams May Come. 

     In this film Williams plays a man with a loving, yet realistic family, who dies in an accident. He is taken to the afterlife where his in-life mentor shows him that the joy he brought other in life has resolved itself in to the most wonderful paradise the imagination has to offer. All of his loved ones, past and future are available to share this with him, all but one. His wife, stricken with depression after his death, has committed suicide and this has brought her to a hell created of her own suffering. 

     Risking being pulled in to her suffering for eternity, Williams delves into hell to save her. He finds that he cannot make the decision for her, and instead demonstrates his love, giving her all the joy she gave him in life. Feeling this, she chooses to love and appreciate herself, escaping hell. 

    This story showed me, as a young person, the power that love can have between family and friends. The story played like a metaphor for assisting others from suicide, allowing them to make their own choices but inspiring them with honest and vulnerable shows of appreciation for them. The characters in the story, threatened by hell, are literally saved by the love they have for one another. This meant a lot to me, as I had been suicidal the year before. 

     Despite the suffering he endured in life, I have all faith that Williams has seen the end of that hell. Either there is no afterlife and Williams has left this world better and happier than he found it or....or perhaps the joy he has given us, the good he has done, the laughter he inspired and will continue to inspire as his works are passed from generation to generation has secured for him the best a supernatural existence has to offer. I would like to think that our love for him will keep him from any suffering in death the way depression would not allow in life. 

Nanu Nanu

Megan Marie Fox

Robin Williams has been my favorite actor for over half of my life. Movies like Aladdin and Hook cemented my love for him at an early age. No other actor can carry an entire movie the way Mr. Williams could. The things he did were so clever and so crazy! He operated on a higher level.

As I grew up, I gained a fuller appreciation for him in his PG-13 & R work. I hoped to meet him and shake his hand, or better give him a 'high five'. Unfortunately like most fans, I will never meet him. I missed the chance. I did see him once at the San Francisco Zoo, where he was a huge supporter. He would read to children in the great hall, speak at fundraisers and lead auctions. It was surreal to find out about his death at the zoo, where he was so active. I had to push tears from my eyes while smiling a fake smile for the last thirty minutes of work. How long was he crying behind his happy features?

I will never stop missing Robin. I have never felt so close to a person I will never know. He touched my heart. In his honor, I am donating what I can to an organization supporting mental health. Feel free to join me. We can't bring him back, but maybe we can help someone else.

And now, because Williams deserves to be remembered for the wonderful entertainment he brought us, a few memories to share:

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