RIP Richard Simmons and Dr. Ruth
It’s surprisingly difficult to find a robust collection of Richard Simmon’s appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. There are a smattering on YouTube and TikTok, like this one about an afternoon the two spent strolling around New Jersey:
But the fitness guru was one of the reasons Letterman is my favorite late-night talk show of all time. You knew you needed to stay up past bedtime on nights Simmons was going to stop by and you almost never knew if you were doing something wrong by both laughing at and with him as Letterman proceeded to be so mean - was it light-hearted? tough to tell - to the little guy with the ridiculously tight, red, striped shorts and waxed and shining legs. Simmons no doubt brought much of the ridicule upon himself, but whatever the two had going on, it was genius comedy.
Simmons passed away this week of natural causes at home in Los Angeles at the age of 76. If joy, exuberance, and a positive outlook are supposed to give you a much longer life, then it’s really surprising he left us so relatively young. Perhaps his death had something to do with the mystery surrounding his sudden exodus from public life, where he had been since he broke big in the 1980s with his story of losing 123 pounds and his megahit exercise video Sweatin’ to the Oldies.
Missing Richard Simmons was a fascinating 2017 podcast that explored that mystery, with possibilities including being held hostage by his housekeeper, injuring his knee, and skin cancer. Whatever the true story was, it’s somewhat odd for someone as massively inspiring to so many as Simmons was to fall into such obscurity.
Wikipedia explains what happened with Letterman and Simmon’s relationship:
On November 22, 2000, they had a falling-out after an incident on that night's show. Simmons (while dressed as a turkey) grabbed Letterman as if to hug or kiss him, and Letterman responded by spraying Simmons with a fire extinguisher which caused Simmons to have a severe asthma attack. Simmons did not appear on the Letterman show for six years, finally returning on November 29, 2006. During that time, Letterman once again set Simmons up for a prank. While Simmons was demonstrating a steamer branded with his name, Letterman insisted on placing a tray under the steamer which Simmons did not believe belonged there. When Simmons turned the steamer on, something in the tray exploded and caught fire, sending Simmons running for his life. Despite the scare, Simmons took the incident in fairly good nature.
Also of note, as a terrible July 2024 continues for celebrity deaths, Dr. Ruth Westheimer passed away in New York City at 96. Talking about sex issues on the radio in that city in the 1980s with her German accent struck a nerve with listeners and she became an instant sensation. Westheimer’s popularity was also helped greatly, like Simmons, by her frequent appearances on Letterman.