Thank You, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer

Such an incredible loss …

Photo by David Tomaseti on Unsplash‍ ‍

We lost Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner this week, and it’s still sinking in. While we all try to make sense of it, what I know is this: two people who spent their lives using their talents, their platforms, and their voices to advocate for what they believed in are gone.

I grew up watching "All in the Family." For a kid trying to figure out who I was and what I believed, that show taught me something critical: values matter, and we must hold on to them. Rob Reiner showed me that a “creative” must look straight in the eye at real human struggle as he tackled racism, sexism, homophobia, and political division when most of television at the time looked the other way.

It helped to shape who I am now.

"All in the Family" was groundbreaking not because it chased the largest audience, but because it reflected a conviction about what storytelling and values could do to shape society.

“When Harry Met Sally.”

“The Princess Bride.”

“Stand By Me.”

These are all stories made by someone who believed that vulnerability and emotional honesty are what make humans endure. The best creative work doesn't come from trying to please everyone. It comes from creators who have something to say, something to stand for, something they believe in.

For me there is even more. As a gay man and a gay father, I owe Rob and Michele so much gratitude.

They used their platforms and their resources to fight for LGBTQ+ rights when that wasn't super convenient. They along with others made it possible for me to live openly. To raise my children without apology. To live authentically. To get married.

For that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. My family thanks you.

In a world obsessed with going viral and always looking composed, we could use more creatives like Rob and Michele. People who believe in something enough to stake their careers on it.

You can feel it in their work. The conviction. The care. The refusal to compromise.

That's their legacy, and that's what we should carry forward. I will carry it forward.

Thank you Rob and Michele. Thank you.

What’s your experience? JIM