A conversation between Mork and Orson from a 1979 Mork & Mindy episode has gone viral after part of the script was shared by comedian Jason Manford on Facebook following the death of Robin Williams.
The scene, from the episode "In Mork We Trust", features Mork talking to Orson about how loneliness effects humans on Earth, and seems tragically prescient in light of Williams' own struggles with depression.
Mork & Mindy: 'In Mork We Trust' (#1.21) (1979)Orson: The report, Mork.Mork: This week I discovered a terrible disease called loneliness.Orson: Do many people on Earth suffer from this disease? Mork: Oh yes sir, and how they suffer. One man I know suffers so much he has to take a medication called bourbon. Even that doesn't help very much because then he can hear paint dry. Orson: Does bedrest help? Mork: No because I've heard that sleeping alone is part of the problem. You see, Orson, loneliness is a disease of the spirit. People who have it think that no one cares about them. Orson: Do you have any idea why?Mork: Yes sir, you can count on me. You see, when children are young, they're told not to talk to strangers. When they go to school, they're told not to talk to the person next to them. Finally when they're very old, they're told not to talk to themselves, who's left?Orson: Are you saying Earthlings make each other lonely? Mork: No sir, I'm saying just the opposite. They make themselves lonely – they're so busy looking out for number one that there's not enough room for two. Orson: It's too bad everybody down there can't get together and find a cure. Mork: Here's the paradox, sir, because if they did get together, they wouldn't need one.
The full episode is on YouTube. The clip below begins where Mork's conversation starts.
