To me, celebrities have always been somewhat of an oddity. Their exploits are documented to an absurd degree as every facet of their lives is published, be it interesting or not. In this modern world, to attain fame is akin to becoming some sort of deity, as the power and influence they wield is extraordinary.
Almost as if they have risen to a level above a mere mortal.
However, eventually they do all die. This should bring them back down to human level, but instead elevates them into a permanent place in the history books, especially if the death is particularly premature.
For some reason, I've never been able to sympathise with a dead celebrity. Perhaps its the slight Biblical quality, as I can smile with slight contempt and think, "O how the mighty have fallen!" The only exceptions so far have been when the three Ramones and Joe Strummer died (though none of them can really be counted as "celebrities").
My two-pronged question is this: How do you feel when you hear that one of Hollywood's darlings has died, especially if they were young? And more importantly, has anyone ever been very emotionally affected by the loss of a celebrity?
Almost as if they have risen to a level above a mere mortal.
However, eventually they do all die. This should bring them back down to human level, but instead elevates them into a permanent place in the history books, especially if the death is particularly premature.
For some reason, I've never been able to sympathise with a dead celebrity. Perhaps its the slight Biblical quality, as I can smile with slight contempt and think, "O how the mighty have fallen!" The only exceptions so far have been when the three Ramones and Joe Strummer died (though none of them can really be counted as "celebrities").
My two-pronged question is this: How do you feel when you hear that one of Hollywood's darlings has died, especially if they were young? And more importantly, has anyone ever been very emotionally affected by the loss of a celebrity?
