Bernie Mac Is Gone

The world is a little bit sadder place today, because comedian Bernie Mac, born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, has died. And he died far too young -- only 50 years old. Bernie died of complications from pneumonia on Saturday in a Chicago hospital.

I was a big fan of Bernie Mac. I thought he was an exceptionally funny comedian, a talented actor and a very decent guy, that a lot of parents could look to as a role model. In his memoirs, he said the following about parenting, "Parents today don't get it. They don't want to be parents. They want to be cool. They want to be hip. They don't want to be the bad guy. But guess what? Being the bad guy is your job. My mama knew better. She wasn't there to make me like her; she was there to shape me; she was there to make me a good person."

He is probably best remembered for his popular TV show -- The Bernie Mac Show. The show earned him a Peabody Award and two Emmy nominations. I think Steve Harvey probably summed it up best, when he said, "The majority of his core fan base will remember that when they paid their money to see Bernie Mac, he gave them their money's worth."

Rest in peace, Bernie. You will be missed.