r.i.p.

President Obama Remembers Harold Ramis

Harold Ramis. Photo: Vera Anderson/2009 Vera Anderson

Harold Ramis’s output was tremendous, influential, and far-reaching. And as a testament to that, President Obama released a statement earlier this morning, remembering the comedian and fellow Chicagoan. Read Obama’s Caddyshack-referencing message below:

“Michelle and I were saddened to hear of the passing of Harold Ramis, one of America’s greatest satirists, and like so many other comedic geniuses, a proud product of Chicago’s Second City. When we watched his movies — from ‘Animal House’ and ‘Caddyshack’ to ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Groundhog Day’ — we didn’t just laugh until it hurt. We questioned authority. We identified with the outsider. We rooted for the underdog. And, through it all, we never lost our faith in happy endings. Our thoughts and prayers are with Harold’s wife, Erica, his children and grandchildren, and all those who loved him, who quote his work with abandon, and who hope that he received total consciousness.”

President Obama Remembers Harold Ramis