Passed Away Resulting from Cancer: Poh Nikbar January
After the Girls of Cancer Calendar, followed by the Dudes of Cancer Calendar, I wasn’t sure about the next logical step for this blog’s Calendar series. A Hermaphrodites of Cancer Calendar made sense, but I didn’t want to invest the time into tracking down that relatively small group of survivors. A Gays, Blacks, or Jews of Cancer Calendar could have entertained me for the entire year, but it would have turned away my critical bigoted fan base.
I have chosen to honor those who bravely fought the disease and perished with my Passed Away Resulting from Cancer Calendar. Though at times my voice may sound mocking, know that it’s all in fun, and if you can’t have a sense of humor while battling cancer then you’re better off not trying. These individuals made the world a better place, and they will be missed. We begin with the greatest actor ever—well, at least he’s tied with his Point Break costar, Keanu Reeves.
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"One thing I'm not gonna do is chase staying alive...You spend so much time chasing staying alive, you won't live." – Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze
Is Patrick really best-known for Dirty Dancing, in which he was nominated for a Golden Globe? I’m surprised I didn’t watch this as a young teenager for its sexual nature. I mean, haven’t you seen how shredded Swayze was?
Ghost is another film of his that I need to watch, this time more for Demi Moore than Swayze. To me, Swayze had three unforgettable performances:
Roadhouse (in which he was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Actor),
Point Break (in which he was nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Male), and the
Saturday Night Live Chippendales sketch with Chris Farley.
Point Break is one of those action flicks that, if I flip to it on TV, I’ll watch no matter what.
Whereas the average celebrity marriage lasts four seconds, Swayze was married to his wife for 34 years, until his 2009 death. He was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer, a very difficult disease to treat. Some reports suggested his death was imminent, while others claimed he was responding well to treatment. Because of the severity of the disease, I suspected the former reports were more accurate. Swayze continued to act in his A&E drama, The Beast, through treatment, until he could no longer work.
After all, in Point Break Swayze does say, “If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love.”
…and, “Life sure has a sick sense of humor, doesn't it?”
…and, “I see you in the next life!”