Today, the world lost one of the greatest warriors against child sexual abuse who endured tragic abuse himself as a child and went on to become a pioneer of stand up comedy. Barry Crimmins showed the world that one's past does not dictate their future and anyone can stand up for what's right and make a change.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Helen here with sad news…Barry passed peacefully yesterday with Bobcat and I. He would want everyone to know that he cared deeply about mankind and wants you to carry on the good fight. Peace.</p>— Barry Crimmins (@crimmins) <a href="https://twitter.com/crimmins/status/969107356570345473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Crimmins was 64-years-old when he passed away of cancer leaving behind a legacy of laughter and refused to be defeated by the abuse he suffered as a child. Crimmins was instrumental in bringing about a new era of politically-minded and socially-aware comedy. In a podcast with Marc Maron, Crimmins said, "We sort of were able to carry on from where Lenny Bruce got things."
"Lenny did all this stuff, but it had to be about him because he was always in trouble. Now you’re not going to be in trouble for being that guy. And so now, you can actually get down to brass tacks."
Crimmins was featured in a 2015 documentary aptly named "Call Me Lucky." The award-winning documentary featured an in-depth look at his life including the dark aftermath of child sex abuse that haunted Crimmins throughout his life. In January 2018, Crimmins tweeted that he had cancer and his prognosis was not looking too good.
His death was announced Thursday on Twitter by his wife Helen who said, "Barry passed peacefully yesterday with Bobcat and I. He would want everyone to know that he cared deeply about mankind and wants you to carry on the good fight. Peace."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Barry Crimmins was a compassionate, hilarious man who touched so many lives. He gave so much of himself to help other people. I hope his life inspires others to follow his example. And he was hilarious. We love you Barry. <a href="https://t.co/egRwEfiZda">https://t.co/egRwEfiZda</a></p>— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) <a href="https://twitter.com/JuddApatow/status/969109245894344704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Comedians and activists alike have come forward to pay tribute to the late Crimmins after news of his death broke. Among those who mourned his passing were Judd Apatow and John Hodgman. Apatow wrote on Twitter, "Barry Crimmins was a compassionate, hilarious man who touched so many lives. He gave so much of himself to help other people. I hope his life inspires others to follow his example. And he was hilarious. We love you, Barry."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I had not known this sad sad news til this moment. Barry Crimmins has been an inspiration as a comedian and model of human courage and decency for as long as I’ve been conscious. <a href="https://t.co/4UXHKuIf0r">https://t.co/4UXHKuIf0r</a></p>— John Hodgman (@hodgman) <a href="https://twitter.com/hodgman/status/969111823814397953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Hodgman also tweeted saying, "Barry Crimmins has been an inspiration as a comedian and model of human courage and decency for as long as I’ve been conscious."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Please watch <a href="https://twitter.com/bcgoldthwait?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bcgoldthwait</a>’s documentary “Call Me Lucky” about Barry Crimmins. Barry passed away today & you should know why he was a special person & why we’re all better off because he existed. RIP Barry. <a href="https://t.co/5TTRZLDCoH">https://t.co/5TTRZLDCoH</a></p>— Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) <a href="https://twitter.com/harikondabolu/status/969109358700187648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Source: https://twitter.com/crimmins/status/969107356570345473
Twitter: #BarryCrimmins #RIP #Comedy #Legend #MeToo #Survivor #Activist
