The world received some bad news this week. Bernie Mac, beloved family man, comedian, actor and inspiration died from complications of pneumonia. From the news reports Bernie had been in the hospital for over three weeks, but all expected him to rally and rebound from this illness, like he had done before.
You just have to ‘Google” Bernie Mac to find all the pertinent information on his life, career and death, so I will concentrate on his impact on me and my life.
I first remember seeing Bernie on the “Def Comedy Jam” show on HBO, back in the day. What I liked about his comedy was the way he told ‘real life’ stories. When he talked about raising kids and how he was raised, there was a ‘no-nonsense’ approach to child rearing. If a kid is acting out, there is no “Now Johnny, please stop hitting the dog or I’ll have to put you in time-out.” The dog is looking at both of them thinking, “time-out hell, he’s hurting me, beat his a$%.” What needed to happen to Johnny is to be punched in the throat the next time he laid a fingernail on the dog. That would be the ‘Bernie Mac School of Childhood Development’.
I was raised by a mother who could hit you from around a corner and down the hall without taking her eyes off what she was doing. Do you remember the ‘Mama is going to beat my a#$’ stare? My mother would give my brother and I the ‘look’ if we were acting up in public. There wasn’t a chance she would forget about the spanking when we got home either. We would run around in circles trying to get away from the hand/ fist/belt, and she would be talking to you as she was swinging, “The next time we’re out and you embarrass me like that, I’m going to knock your teeth down your throat right then and there!” That’s what we need more of, not child abuse, but a standard of conduct for children with consequences that have some ‘teeth’, like a beat down. Our children are raising children and there aren’t enough ‘Big Mama’s’ around to get the job done.
Bernie was real and talked about real subject matters. There was always something you could relate too. He was believable, with just enough swagger to make him interesting. There was substance with his flash. Fame seemed to keep him humble and he never forgot where he came from. ‘The Bernie Mac Show’ was a shining example of how we all want a part of the American dream across racial and social-economic lines. What is important to one is important to all of us.
I think the lessons I learned from Bernie Mac were, to tell the truth, life is funny all by itself; tell it like it is and don’t worry about what others think, because everyone has an opinion; and being ‘politically correct’ is a bunch of “bullsh#t.” Thank you Bernie for all the laughter, see you on the other side.
Namaste’
