Let me start off by saying that this post is likely to offend many. Let me assure you that is not my intention. I’ve just noticed something that I want to point out. The increase of drama over celebrity deaths.
Before the advent of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc., celebrities died… yeah, they did. The difference was that people didn’t get so upset about it.
Back in the day, when we were told (by the evening news or newspaper) about a celebrity dying, we would point it out to someone in the room, “Aw… so-and-so died.” That was pretty much it.
Now however, in this era of social media feeds, when someone even remotely famous passes away, you see a torrent of “RIP _____” “Crap, I hate this year!” or “I am sooo sad right now. _______ just passed away.” Why the difference?
Today, we are our own little reality show and feel the need to put out these “episodes.” We feel a pressure to add to our feed, to stay relevant, to be heard. When there isn’t something big to talk about, we do what 24 hour news channels do – we make something big out of something relatively small.
Yes, the death of someone is a big deal – but someone you’ve never met in person? someone you’ve only seen on a screen? someone who you really know nothing about? someone whose entire existence is the carefully crafted result of his/her PR campaign or roles acted? Should it affect you to the point of ruining your day? That’s what some of these posts seem to imply.
Sure, be saddened when an actor/actress/singer/author you like passes on, but it is all part of the cycle of life. And you know what? Their deaths aren’t any more important to me than that of any other human I don’t know personally.
What is your take? Are you over the torrent of posts every time a celeb dies or does it make you feel good to let people know that you had a special bond with Gene Wilder, Sting, Mary Tyler Moore, David Bowie, Prince etc?
by Chris Doelle
PS. Did you catch that? haha Sting is not dead – just seeing if you’re reading
As the baby boomers age, so then does that demographic die. There are a lot of baby boomers. So it only makes sense. But there were many artists, politicians and other celebrities born in the twenties and thirties. These people are 80 and above! Those who were the musicians and other artists of the twentieth century had an impact on culture that has only been enhanced by improved technologies and the internet. I was affected and upset by the deaths of Bowie and Carrie Fisher while my father was touched by the death of Debbie Reynolds instead. I think that is ok. It’s ok to mourn our cultural heroes. To say that it made or makes it a bad year, I agree, Is odd to me too. Perhaps it has something to do with our collective denial of death as a natural part of life. We don’t seem to have a protocol or philosophy of dealing with death as anything but a negative thing.
Yeah. I was going to work Baby Boomers into the post for that reason but didn’t find a way to work it in.