Why Do We Lament The Loss Of A Celebrity?

If you haven't heard about the death of Heath Ledger by now (he died in the US on January 22nd), you're not paying attention to the news. It's all over the place. It's even being discussed in the local schools here in the Philippines (I found out about it from my son after he came home from school).

I wrote one article about Heath Ledger on this blog (The New Joker) and updated it slightly when I heard the news. I'm not going to write another celebrity article in an attempt to capitalize on it.

I think it's a legitimate question: Why do we lament the loss of a celebrity? Many people die on this Earth, every single minute of every single day. The life or death of a celebrity will have very little impact on me or my family. That is, unless the celebrity is a relative or close friend.

The only thought I can express about the death of Heath Ledger is this: He was merely a year older than my older son.

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Jose on 2008-01-24 at 3:30 am (Reply)

Why do people lament the death of a celebrity? well i think it has alot to do with the the way celebrities are portrayed. Many people and the media make these celebrities into living Gods and after so much in your face promotion many start to believe that these people are not human but perfect. So when a celebrity dies it becomes a realization that the person in the box is not much different than us. There God has fallen.

My condolences goes out to Ledger's family.
Comedy Plus on 2008-01-24 at 4:22 am (Reply)

I'd never seen him before. I don't watch television or go to the movies, so I just don't know most of these folks. Don't care to either. Have a great day R.T.
Comedy Plus's last blog post..Wordless Wednesday #40
2. RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2008-01-24 at 4:37 am (Reply)
  
  I've only seen him in two movies, A Knight's Tale and Brother's Grimm.
J. on 2008-01-24 at 11:50 am (Reply)

I don't understand it either… he's just another man…

And what infuriated me, mere hours after he was found, there were commentators on some show I caught a passing listen of worrying over whether or not he had filmed to completion his role in the new Batman movie… I was just ill over that, let his body cool for God's sake! Let his family grieve without you making them a spectacle!

Those media people are freaking sharks, and the American public just eats it up.

Blech, is all I have to say.

J.'s last blog post..2008, the year of the Goals.
Dick on 2008-01-24 at 8:47 pm (Reply)

I think the press and television have made the audience feel so familiar with celebrities personal life. Even, sometimes we saw them only on their film and never known anything about their personal life…Maybe, that's the reason why we feel something missed when a celebrity lost.
Matt on 2008-01-28 at 2:46 pm (Reply)

I agree. It's very strange.

One thing that I find even creepier is the way other celebrities lament the deaths of celebrities. It's obvious that by doing this they get the cameras on them again.

Re Heath ledger: it seems that just about every star in Hollywood is delivering a eulogy to him. Some knew him well, but most didn't.

I wish they'd let him RIP, frankly!

Matt's last blog post..Paddy McGuinness

An American Living in the Philippines

Why Do We Lament The Loss Of A Celebrity?