A host reflects on the week and honors George Wendt by recalling a Cheers episode where Norm hid parts of himself, weaving memories of grief, loss, and the way beloved TV characters shaped personal identity.
This week has been long in my world, and it's a long day ahead. Yet I've come here into the Cadre sphere to be with you because I know that there's some good stuff stirring and brewing.
This week, we lost George Wendt, who played Norm on Cheers. As a young queer kid, when I saw Norm go through the journey of trying to be someone who he wasn't, it was a powerful moment. You know, on Fridays, we often talk about grief and loss.
So today, invite us all to raise a glass to George Wendt, to Norm, to those people who show us that being someone that we're not, even if the world hates who you are, is the right path. To kick off our Friday, let's sing.
Oh, hey. Hey. Good morning, Cadre. How are we doing today? It's Friday. I think this week has been long in my world, and it's a long day ahead. I say that because I think we all show up to whatever we show up to with kind of that type of configuration, our awareness of where we are based on where we've been and what we have coming up. Yet we risk to take a moment to be where we are right now. I've had a long week. I got a long day ahead. And yet I've come here into the Cadre sphere to be with you because I know that there's some good stuff stirring and brewing.
Right? Speak. Wonder. Right. Jen, I'm glad I'm here. I'm glad you're here. I know what I know, and I care about you. This week, we lost George Wendt, who played Norm on Cheers. I also know him from the Broadway revival of Bye Bye Birdie and lots of other things. Just a warm, kind, thoughtful spirit. But if you never saw Cheers, it took place in a bar called Cheers in Boston. When I lived in Boston, I went there a few times because I loved the world that the TV show created. Anyways, there was an episode of Cheers where Norm shared that he's always hid a part of himself.
As he said, I've always been really good with colors, and I knew where the ottoman was supposed to go. In other words, Norm, this burly guy who sat at the end of the bar, was really good at interior designing, but he hid that. He hid that because the insinuation of what it means to be good with colors and to know where the ottoman goes. Norm hid his traits that would maybe insinuate that he was gay. Well, as this episode goes on, Kramer says he has a friend who needs Norm's talents, but they're looking for a specific style of a human being.
Code word for they want to hire an interior designer who's gay, because obviously gay people are good at interior designing. So Norm puts on a show. Norm acts flamboyant and expressive and gay so he could make some money in interior design. These people's home. Then all of a sudden, he says that he's coming out, he's coming out as straight, and he talks about how hard it is to have to act like someone that you're not. So Norm says, hey, I'm really good at interior designing, and I'll do the job if you want me to, but if you expect me to be someone that I'm not, I'm out of here.
You know, on Fridays, we often talk about grief and loss and grief and loss. As my friend Kelly Groskwag says, grief is evidence of love. As my other friend Nora McInerney says, grief is not something we move on from, but we move forward with. I'm an old millennial, so I'm at that age when I'm starting to lose a lot of my childhood friends. You may be like, what, you're only in your 40s. How are you losing your childhood friends? Well, my childhood friends were sitcom stars. When Bob Saget died a few years ago, I lost one of my dads because he was Danny Tanner on Full House.
When Matthew Perry died, I lost one of my friends because he was Chandler on Friends. And now I lost someone who taught me very early. And as a young queer kid who was never very good at hiding anything, when I saw Norm go through the journey of trying to be someone who he wasn't and then coming back again, it was a really, really powerful moment. Hey, Emily. Hey, Alana. Nice to see y' all. So today, invite us all to raise a glass to George Wendt, to Norm, to those people who show us that being someone that we're not, even if the world hates who you are, is the right path.
And it's a lot easier to be on that right path when you got a big bunch of people who shout your name when you walk in the door. So to kick off our Friday, let's sing, y' all. Making your way in the world today? Takes everything you got? Taking a break from all your worries? Sure would help a lot? Wouldn't you like to get away? Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name? And they're always glad you came? You wanna be where you can see? Our troubles are all the same? You wanna be where everybody knows your name?
Climbing the walls when no one calls? You've lost it love again? And the more you're down and out? The more you need a friend when you long to hear hello? Sometimes you wanna go? Where everybody knows your name? And they're always glad you came? You wanna be where you can see? The troubles are all you want to be? Where everybody knows your name. Have a great Friday, everybody. I will see you tomorrow morning, 8am for a big scoop of enoughness. Have a good one.
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