Bernie Mac, 1957-2008

Bernie Mac was a profanely funny comic who somehow managed the impossible - fusing his brash, not-for-the-kids persona onto a family-friendly sitcom that was also hilarious, a deft mixture of dark, cynical wit, a little aggression and heart that didn't feel icky or manufactured. Mac died today in his hometown of Chicago from complications with the pneumonia that had recently hospitalized him.

Mac recently made news for uncorking his routine at a rally for Barack Obama. Some thought it was inappropriate given the venue, and even Obama told him to "clean up your act," before adding, "I'm just messing with you, man."

Here's a sequence from the pilot of "The Bernie Mac Show," in which Bernie and his wife somewhat reluctantly take in his nieces and nephew when his sister enters rehab:

Mac's segments in which he chatted directly to the camera (and referred to his viewers sweepingly, as "America") were a frequent highlight of the show; that's when he dropped the bluster and came off as empathetically confounded as the next guy. The show won a Peabody Award, the most prestigious prize a TV series can win.

This clip features Don Cheadle in a funny turn as a brazen opportunist interrupting Bernie's efforts to pay respect at the funeral of a relative, and Bernie's touching reflections after the wake. It also contains Bernie delivering a now-sad throwaway line, "I'm going to outlive you all."