Quitters!
Nobody likes a quitter, folks used to say. In recent years it's become almost fashionable to quit. Kids quit school and go pro -- or online -- and get famous. Famous athletes and TV stars retire while at the height of fame, and are hailed for their courage. It's international news when singers want to quit and have babies. Our love/hate relationship with quitting comes from a gut feeling that it must feel good to just chuck it in, while knowing that it feels good to stick it out, too. Here are a few examples of some famous quitters, people who didn't always stick it out:
On the throne of England for a year in 1936, KING EDWARD VIII embarrassed the royal family by going ga-ga over an American divorceé, Wallis Simpson. Rather than give up his relationship with Simpson, Edward gave up the throne and his brother became the king.
The 37th President of the United States, RICHARD NIXON, was a quitter twice over. After he lost a presidential election in 1960 and a gubernatiorial election in 1962, Nixon declared he was through with politics. He went on to become a twice-elected president anyway, only to be forced to quit in 1974.
U. S. Senator EDMUND MUSKIE ran against Richard Nixon in the presidential election of 1972, and had a good chance at the Democratic nomination. But Muskie dropped out during the primary elections. In an outdoor press meeting, it was thought that Muskie had wept while defending his wife, and the fallout forced him to quit the race.
MCLEAN STEVENSON played Henry Blake, the bumbling camp commander in the TV sitcom M*A*S*H. In spite of the show's popularity, Stevenson went AWOL in 1975, hoping to be a big star on a rival network. It didn't happen.
GARY BURGHOFF was another M*A*S*H regular who quit the show while it was still a hit. Gary played "Radar" O'Reilly, the company clerk and one-time aide to McLean Stevenson's character. Something must have rubbed off -- Burghoff left the show in 1979, with results even less sterling than Stevenson's.
An alumnus of the famed comedy troupe Second City, SHELLEY LONG starred as Diane Chambers in the hit sitcom Cheers during the 1980s. In spite of the popularity of the show and her character, Long quit the show in 1987 to jump into a career in the movies. Although she never became an A-list movie star, Long continued to pop up on Cheers and its spinoff, Frasier.
DAVID CARUSO didn't even have the patience of McLean Stevenson or Shelley Long. The red-headed star of NYPD Blue was in the show for a little more than one season before jumping ship. A much-publicized bid for big-screen stardom fell flat.
In 1992 ROSS PEROT ran against the Democrats and Republicans for the presidency, using his own dough and an energetic grassroots organization. In the middle of the summer's primaries, Perot suddenly quit. A few weeks later -- before the election -- he tossed his hat into the ring again and ended up with 19% of the popular vote.
NEWT GINGRICH was the hero of the Republican party after the 1994 elections, credited with engineering a long hoped-for Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Only four years later, he was the goat. Disappointment over the 1998 election spurred Gingrich to gather up his pens and notebooks and go home. He resigned as Speaker of the House and left Congress in 1999.
The Spice Girls, the '90s' version of The Shirelles, had taken the world of pop music by storm. They even made a movie. Then in 1998 Ginger Spice, a.k.a. GERI HALLIWELL, suddenly quit. She later said it was because of a conflict with her charitable work for breast cancer.
After years of great reviews and TV's highest ratings, JERRY SEINFELD declared his intention to retire from his sitcom Seinfeld, while still on top. He walked away from the show in 1998 to pursue what appears to be a career in television commercials.
Oft-proclaimed "best basketball player ever" MICHAEL JORDAN has the I'm-quitting-wink-wink reputation of Richard Nixon and the quit-while-you're-ahead style of Jerry Seinfeld. Jordan abruptly retired from basketball in 1993 to pursue a baseball career. He returned to basketball in 1995, but retired again in 1998, after leading the Chicago Bulls to a total of six championships. After a stint in the front office of the Washington Wizards, Jordan un-retired again, announcing on 25 September 2001 that he would suit up and play for the Wizards in the 2001-02 NBA season. Jordan retired again -- possibly for good -- after the 2002-03 season.
Radio host ART BELL started his nationally syndicated talk show in 1993. Year after year, night after night, Bell and his guests discussed UFOs, witches, crop circles, government conspiracies, ghosts and all manner of strange subjects. In October of 1998, Bell suddenly announced that he was leaving broadcasting for good, effective immediately. The reasons were veiled in mystery. Was he abducted? Did the government finally silence him? Two weeks later he returned to the air without explanation. In April of 2000 he announced that he was retiring from broadcasting altogether, dogged by false accusations and preoccupied with a family tragedy. But in 2001 Bell went back on the air with his syndicated program, Coast to Coast. Bell retired again at the end of 2002, giving way to new host George Noory, but the indefatigable Bell returned again late in 2003 to serve as weekend host of Coast to Coast. After a topsy-turvy 2006 -- his wife died, he remarried, he broadcasted for a while from the Philippines -- Art announced in July of 2007 that he was retiring to spend time with his new wife and their baby daughter.
The popular TV talent show American Idol spawned several overnight sensations, from 2002 winner Kelly Clarkson to enthusiastically off-key charmer William Hung. The chance for a recording contract and national exposure put stars in the eyes of young singers across the United States, including New York's MARIO VAZQUEZ. Early on in the season Mario seemed to have the edge, either as "the cute one" or "the one with the hat." But a mere eight weeks into the competition, Vazquez suddenly dropped out, citing undisclosed "family reasons."
To learn about other 'retiring' types, try our loop on famous Recluses.
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