Patrick Swayze dies, 57; ‘Dirty Dancing,’ ‘Ghost’ star succumbs to pancreatic cancer

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If you were already depressed about or excited by Roger Federer’s defeat to Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro in the final match of the US Open, here is some news that will either bum you out more or take away your elation: Patrick Swayze has passed on. According to TMZ, Swayze died surrounded by family at the age of 57. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2008.

The LA Times has a more substantive obituary here.

As a man who has been involved with women, I have a complicated relationship with Mr. Swayze; after all, when you date ladies of the American genus, you are at some point forced to watch the campy, cheese-filled ‘Dirty Dancing.’ If you date a number of women, you are forced to watch it again, and again, and again.

In that sense, Swayze was an icon, a sex symbol in America. I have to wonder how many women there are under the age of 45 in this country who did not have their heart sent aflutter at some point in their youth, especially by this scene in the film:

Indeed, nobody does put Baby in the corner. Still, you’re got to wonder how a resort in the Catskills in 1963 got all of those wicked synthesizers.

If there’s anything I’ll remember Swayze for, it was his turn in 2001’s amazing ‘Donnie Darko’ as the pederast motivational speaker whose house is burned down by the hallucinating Jake Gylenhaal. Swayze is briefly featured in this great musical montage in the film set to Tears for Fears ‘Head over Heels’:

If you haven’t seen it, well, go out and buy the DVD so Swayze’s family will get some royalties. Don’t buy Dirty Dancing unless you’re a lady.

It isn’t for me to say that there might be an upside to Mr. Swayze passing away, but I’ll say it anyway: at least he won’t live to see a Dirty Dancing remake that is bound to be more atrocious than the original.

Update: Oh, I forgot about one very important thing where Swayze was concerned – WOLVERINES! Swayze starred in the equally campy but totally awesome Cold War fantasy ‘Red Dawn.’ What was most important about this film was the idea it put in every boy’s mind that they might at some point soon in their lives be forced to head into the woods and blow up Soviet tanks armed with nothing but their wits and rocket propelled grenades.

This film is *also* going to be remade, trading the Soviets and Cubans for Chinese invaders, according to Reuters. Happily for Swayze, he won’t be sitting through the premier of a film that is bound to have some terrific racist overtones.