Patrick Swayze is in trouble. You’ve probably heard by now that he’s in a battle for his life against Pancreatic Cancer. The original report from the Enquirer said his case was terminal, and that he had only another five weeks to live. More recent reports have been less dire, and his doctors, while vague on his prognosis say they have assigned no timeline. Either way, it seems certain that Patrick is in a battle for his life.
It’s at a time like this that you start thinking about what he means to you… if anything. Everyone’s affected differently by these things. When Phil Hartman died for instance, I was depressed for a week. When Heath Ledger died, I was kind of surprised but it never really affected me more than that. It may seem silly for the death or tribulations of someone you don’t even know to affect you like that, but if you’re invested in that person’s work, well in a way you do know, at least something about them.
So that’s got me thinking about Swayze. What does he mean to you? Has his career made an impact on you, or is he just another face in the crowd? He had a mad string of big hits in the late-80s and early 90s, but since then he hasn’t exactly been culturally relevant. He was great in Donnie Darko, but now… how do you feel about Patrick Swayze? Is he still the mega-star from Ghost or is he the guy who made Black Dog? For me it’s none of that. When I think Swayze, the only thin that pops into my head is the Chippendales Dance Off bit he did with Chris Farley on SNL. I’m not sure what that says about him.
