Two of my favorite artistic forms took a solid hit this weekend. It began with the early exit of comedian/actor Bernie Mac. No doubt, if you’ve ever heard him, you recognize his signature cadence. If you’ve ever seen him it’s easy to recall the facial expressions that seemed to be punchlines all by themselves. If you’ve ever seen him deliver stand-up you know that he could handle a four-letter-word like a ninja does nunchucks. 
But he did make a highly respectable mark on popular culture with his family oriented The Bernie Mac Show that painted a colorful portrait of African American middle class life. He also earned some movie roles in Ocean’s 11, 12 & 13 and Guess Who. He was taken away at 50 due to complications of pneumonia. I will always respect him because despite growing up under adverse conditions on the south side of Chicago, Mac seemed determined to succeed without excuses. He persevered despite losing his only true parent to cancer when he was 16 years-old. He didn’t get his show biz break until he was 32 but until that point he punched clocks at UPS, a bread company and furniture moving company while trying to achieve as an entertainer. When he “made it” he did not take his celebrity for granted. He worked to be a positive role model for young people (in spite of foul language). Thank you Bernie Mac! You will be missed.
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough (October 5, 1957 – August 9, 2008)
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