Barry Humphries (Dame Edna Everage) has died

[MscleLovr]

Sad news that the marvelous comic/entertainer Barry Humphries (aka Dame Edna Everage “Melbourne housewife” and Sir Les Patterson “cultural attaché”) died today. 
 

I saw him perform many times over the years. There was always riotous laughter throughout his shows. 
 

Barry Humphries: Dame Edna Everage comedian dies at 89 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65328507

 

[MscleLovr]

It’s sad that such a great and long-standing performer has died. I opened a topic on him in the Live Theater thread, but I thought I’d mention it here too as this has more visibility.

I wonder if our Australian posters know whether Barry will get a State funeral? He truly was a national treasure.

 

Moderator's comment - As you anticipated the topic in the Lounge has attracted all the comments, so I merged the two threads. Mike C.

[+ FrankR]

9 minutes ago, MscleLovr said:

It’s sad that such a great and long-standing performer has died. I opened a topic on him in the Live Theater thread, but I thought I’d mention it here too as this has more visibility.

I wonder if our Australian posters know whether Barry will get a State funeral? He truly was a national treasure.

Agreed - will miss Barry/Dame Edna. 

[+ Pensant]

Thanks for posting. I’d never heard of this individual.

[Jamie21]

So sad. He was brilliant. Dame Edna and Sir Les were genuinely fabulous creations. 

[pubic_assistance]

Barry was the only drag performer I ever found to be funny.

I'm sure he will be missed in the entertainment industry and amongst his fans.

I hope he left peacefully without any suffering.

R.I.P.

 

[marylander1940]

27 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

Barry was the only drag performer I ever found to be funny.

I'm sure he will be missed in the entertainment industry and amongst his fans.

I hope he left peacefully without any suffering.

R.I.P.

 

Me too, he made LMFAO!

Sad that he's gone nowadays when his art is under attack and vilify as the source of all evil in some channels. Before this year some folks never even heard of drag queens and now they're constantly in the news. 

[wsc]

So long, Possums! And thanks for the laughs!

[wsc]

Once, at a Command Performance in London, Dame Edna got into the box with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall (Charles and Camilla). After some small talk, an usher came in and handed Dame Edna a note. She read the note, then stood and said, "I'm sorry, I've got to go. They've found me a better seat."

First time I saw this, I spit out whatever I was drinking. I think she would have liked that. 

[mike carey]

6 hours ago, MscleLovr said:

I wonder if our Australian posters know whether Barry will get a State funeral? He truly was a national treasure.

He was. Or She was! Being in Alexandria-on-Potomac, I hadn't heard this sad news, much less whether a state funeral (or memorial service) will be offered. Olivia and Judith were both accorded one.

[+ jeezopete]

25 minutes ago, wsc said:

Once, at a Command Performance in London, Dame Edna got into the box with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall (Charles and Camilla). After some small talk, an usher came in and handed Dame Edna a note. She read the note, then stood and said, "I'm sorry, I've got to go. They've found me a better seat."

First time I saw this, I spit out whatever I was drinking. I think she would have liked that. 

That's funny because I just saw this for the first time myself a couple of weeks ago:

 

[sydneyboy]

He was an Australian institution.

[dbar123]

Saw Dame Edna live in Boston a while back. Not usually into drag but she was fabulous. Glad I got to see her in her prime

[jeezifonly]

😢A unique entertainer who took bold risks with his character creations, and a long career doing it! RIP Barry. And Edna. And Sir Les. 

[pubic_assistance]

17 hours ago, mike carey said:

He was. Or She was!

Just to clarify. Humphries was not a member of the trans community. "Dame Edna" was merely one of his performance characters, but his most popular and familiar. In his day to day life he was a married man with children and actually a vocal opponent of certain transgender talking points. So "he" is the appropriate pronoun when discussing Humphries himself.

[mike carey]

1 minute ago, pubic_assistance said:

Just to clarify. Humphries was not a member of the trans community. "Dame Edna" was merely one of his performance characters, but his most popular and familiar. In his day to day life he was a married man with children and actually a vocal opponent of certain transgender talking points. So "he" is the appropriate pronoun when discussing Humphries himself.

Oh, I know all that, but he so completely inhabited the persona of Dame Edna that it seems churlish not to wish that both he and his alter ego might rest in peace and to do so separately. I'm certain that they will continue to coexist and even to clash in the hereafter. And as you suggest, Humphries was no progressive and Dame Edna's snobbery would have come easily to him.

[pubic_assistance]

8 minutes ago, mike carey said:

Oh, I know all that.

Just tossing out some information for everyone commenting. These days we all wish to be respectful but the particulars of identity becomes confusing without knowing who the person is and how they identified.

I think Humphries appeared as Same Edna so frequently, he could be mistaken as a member of the community.

Few people know that he had several alter-ego characters to the grand Dame.

 

[skynyc]

In the early 90s, I ran a children's bookstore in Beverly Hills, and these two polite boys with accents would come in fairly often, always a little better dressed that the average customer. They were there with a woman thy called Lizzie. And then one day they came in with a man who I couldn't quite place...until he spoke...and it was Barry Humphries. He was funny and polite, and he could read my face when I recognized him...and he said "hello, Possum." He was in several times in that year, and was always a delight. A special memory. Safe journeys to him, and condolences to his familly.

[+ jeezopete]

[marylander1940]

On 4/23/2023 at 6:29 AM, pubic_assistance said:

Just to clarify. Humphries was not a member of the trans community. "Dame Edna" was merely one of his performance characters, but his most popular and familiar. In his day to day life he was a married man with children and actually a vocal opponent of certain transgender talking points. So "he" is the appropriate pronoun when discussing Humphries himself.

Ain't that obvious! 

Unfortunately to some he or she is not that clear. Personally I don't want to die on that hill in 2024...