He doesn't seem to say when his dad died or what the cause was, but if Clem really is in his mid 30's I can't imagine the fact that he's either as old as his old man was (or older) has escaped him and I'm sure that contributes to his "child forever" fantasy. If Clem really is shaving all visible body hair for his videos (and the bearded cartoon dad is roughly what the actual man looked like) that's a whole new world of depressing.
So where's his mom in all this? Did she completely check out when dad died? He complains that she watches tv too close to his room but I don't know if he's talked about her any further. You can't be so oblivious as to watch your only son turn into a middle-aged shut-in who intentionally tries to keep a little kid voice without it being full-blown negligence.
Clem's mother is a bit of a mystery, isn't she? According to him, she's asked that he keep her personal business off-camera and off the internet, and he's been quite respectful of her wishes. When his viewers ask him to share information about his mom, he won't budge. Good on him for that, seriously.
One thing she has on Barb - she's a meticulous housekeeper. In the occasional footage Clem shoots outside his bedroom, the home is impeccable and beautifully kept, and we know that's not his doing! She also has a job or some other commitment that takes her out of the house on weekdays. Clem has said he likes this because he has the home to himself and can do whatever he wants. From this, we can infer that his mom pressures him to do things he
doesn't want to do - she's not just letting him run roughshod.
He's said that his benefits money goes to housekeeping expenses - depending on the day, he's either proud of contributing to the household or annoyed that he can't buy as much junk as he'd like. This could either mean his mother is sponging off him, or that she's forcing him to act in a financially responsible way to the extent that she can. It's conceivable that she hopes a desire for pocket money will motivate him to pursue employment.
It's easy to find out loads about Clem's father, though. Old Greg linked a family history upthread that is really quite informative. Moreover, his hobbies in retirement earned him an ongoing international reputation. I do the books for a relative's machine shop in NJ, and the other week, I overheard a customer inquiring into the Saggers modification on a vintage Norton-AMS scrambler. A moment's work on Google confirmed that the Saggers in question was Clem's dad. It's eerie, sometimes, how small the world is.
I'm going easy on the links, because it's all straightforward to find and doxxy on people unconnected to Clem. But here are presskit photos of Clem's dad and a carboy of biodiesel. He is indeed a rather fuzzy fellow - also note that he seems to be wearing the same checked shirt that Clem draws him in!
Anyway, much of the information on Clem's father seems hagiographically tinged, as people are disinclined to speak ill of the dead. But one gathers that he was probably much like Clem himself - entirely pleasant and even downright charming when engaged in activities he liked, and otherwise easily frustrated, self-centered and prone to ranting. I don't think it's much of a stretch to conclude that he was likely on the autism spectrum, too.
Moreover, I think it's an open question whether Clem was a wanted child. As noted, he's the product of a second marriage, with his mother possibly quite a bit younger than his dad. His father seems to have disliked children, and the above-mentioned family history notes that his mom had "an operation" to preclude additional kids. His parents traveled together extensively (without Clem), and it's hard to tell what their relationship might've been like day-to-day. In any case, it doesn't sound like Clem's dad was an easy parent.
So, Clem's father died unexpectedly at the age of 60, when Clem would've been in his early-to-mid twenties. It's hard to pin down an exact timeline, but this seems to have been around the same time Clem was taking that beginner's electronics course where he already knew all the material, possibly with an eye toward an electrician's certificate from City & Guilds. Quite a lot of bright people on the spectrum muddle through their late teens and early 20s, and then make great strides around 24-26. It seems like Clem's trajectory was derailed, and for whatever reasons - depression, autism, inadequate support, social anxiety, or a simple habit of stubbornness and poor character - he hasn't been able to bring it back on track.
Wow. If he does have something wrong upstairs then I feel a bit sorry for him.
The only thing that would help Clem now is an intervention or for a wakeup call like what Chris experienced.
Being sedentary, isolated and on a poor diet will do a number on anyone's physical and mental state, regardless of other problems. At this point, Clem probably does need a bigger wake-up than his mom can provide, even if we assume the best of her.
