Gravitas

 "dignity, seriousness, or solemnity of manner."

I believe that the Cable News Network might now be out of business if it weren't for the sonorous tones of James Earl Jones: "This is CNN." Not leaning in for what this station has to say would be a bad choice. There is an implied imperative in those three words. Thanks to the voice of James Earl Jones. 

Much in the way that we all learned about the Circle of Life. "Look Simba. Everything the light touches is our kingdom. A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day Simba, the sun will set on my time here- and will rise with you as the new king. Everything you see exists together, in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance, and respect all the creatures-- from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope. When we die, our bodies become the grass. And the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life."

For many of us, the story of Muphasa and his son was our introduction to Hamlet. James Earl Jones made the classics relatable. Like the story of Conan the Barbarian. Or that guy with a baseball diamond in his cornfield. Frightening or uplifting, if Mister Jones was saying it, it was important. Which is why George Lucas should probably have stopped making Star Wars movies once Darth Vader stopped being voiced by James Earl Jones. Hayden Christiansen take note: In space, no one can hear you whine. 

It was always a treat to discover that voice hidden in the mix of The Simpsons. Or anywhere else. He was bombardier Lieutenant Lothar Zogg in Doctor Strangelove. 

I discovered James Earl Jones not watching cartoons or some sci-fi epic, but viewing The Great White Hope. What was an eight year old doing watching the story of Jack Johnson and his ill-fated marriage to Etta Terry Duryea. Race relations in sports and relationships was a pretty heady mix for me, but I have my mother to thank for steering me through the experience. Things were not always black and white when it came to black and white. James Earl Jones showed me that struggle. 

Over the decades, his voice led me to places and ideas that I might have missed. And most importantly to me, he was not above making light of his own basso profondo. Which is why James Earl Jones will be missed. There is no doubt that he stomped profoundly on the Terra, and he made our lives a lot more interesting for it. He will be missed in the Circle of Life.