Barry Crimmins: "So Long Obes"

It was rather sudden, and shocking, to hear the news that star stand-up comic, and television game show host, Ken Ober passed away over the weekend;

Ken Ober dies at 52; host of MTV's 'Remote Control' game show

Ken Ober, ‘Remote Control’ Host, Is Dead at 52



From his Wikipedia page;

He received his break after appearing as a contestant on Star Search.[4] He was most widely known for his role on the MTV game show Remote Control,[5] which he hosted for three seasons, spanning 1987 to 1989, then in reruns for an additional two years. That show also helped launch the careers of Adam Sandler, Denis Leary, and Colin Quinn. Ober was known among '90s and '00s audiences for his hosting jobs on Make Me Laugh,[6] Smush, and the ESPN game show Perfect Match.

There's plenty about Ken Ober, his life, and death, out on the World Wide Web.

However, the most moving, the most personal, the most heart-felt post you can find, is from Barry Crimmins, long-time friend of Ken Ober.

So long, Obes

Although he was an expert needler, he knew exactly how not to be a pain in the ass. During a period when I was besieged by people wasting my time by beating around the bush looking for dates, Ken never squandered a moment of my too-busy days. This was just a small part of the reason I so enjoyed his inordinately good company. I don't recall how it started, but early on Ken and I began mockingly calling each other frattish nicknames. This was not out of respect for the ludicrous campus Greek traditions we had scuffed up against in college. No, it was disdain for the dildoic that made him "Obes" and me "Cribs." This gag, which had been fleshed out over eons of sarcasm and enough drinks to swell a rhino's liver, stuck for the duration of our friendship. It personalized it and gave it a special status. While talking this summer we finally acknowledged that we had become what we had resisted since the days at the Ding: long lost frat brothers from the old Grabba Break house in Cambridge.

[snip]

Yesterday, when the horrible news of Ken's death reached me, my first thought was of Bear. As tough as it is for humans to lose Ken, it has to be worse for his dog. I've been assured that Bear is in good hands but I feel so bad for him because as unbelievable as Ken's sudden death is to his family and legions of pals, it's got to be worse for a dog who was man's best friend to one of the best men ever. Poor Bear!

I can't imagine I'll ever get over Ken's ridiculously premature death (he was 52). Ask anyone who knew him (and believe me, there won't be anywhere near six degrees of separation between you and Ken) and they'll tell you that he was such a solid and unswerving friend that it seemed like he would always, always be there. Now that he isn't, those of us who were graced by his magnificent friendship know we cannot ever replace him. What we can do is begin to pay down the debt we owe to humanity for having had Ken Ober in our lives for as long as we did. So if you loved Kenny, track down an old friend today to see how they're doing or maybe stop and encourage that taken-for-granted intern on your staff. Take your dog for an extra long walk and let her or him sneak up on the couch. Don't have a dog? Adopt one. Can't have a dog? Make a donation to a no-kill shelter near you.

Go read the entire post.

And, if you knew "Obes", leave a comment for "Cribs" when you finish reading.

Or, just give "Cribs", a shout-out ...