I think because they become part of lives in a way. They contribute something to us. And the ones that affect us the most are the ones that have touched us in some way.
I guess celebrities are a part of us. We listen to their music dance their jams, we know all about their lives, they actually have no privacy. We see their life stories before they die. if they make a mistake we know , if they become criminal we know. when they marry, have childrens. I'm just breaking it down to you. We love some and hate others. We are fickle we change like the wind. But we are constant. Some of us live our lives through them. We enjoy their performances on screen and stage. Thats why their deaths effect us so dramaticly. We have pictures and tapes just like family.
I guess this has to do with media impact. I mean the TV/DVD and radio world bring us into this world where we meet these personalities not physically but audio -visually. We interact with their music, dance styles and acts without even meeting them directly...lets say we meet them indirectly through the media. So we celebrate them...i guess that is why we call them celebrities...and when they are gone its like we have lost some one we actually knew....known to us by the music, act and fashion...
Celebrities are iconic....they have an effect on us consciously or subconsciously...we may or may not ape their style, attitude and certainly seek similarity through their work....we feel a certain oneness....so naturally their death,brings us an emptiness, strips us emotionally and leave us feeling vulnerable to some extent.
Its your happiness that vaporizes at their departing.
Deaths of celebrities really affects me.. why.. because somehow these people have touched our lives in their own way. They have been part of our daily life not directly, but in their music, in their movies, in the news. They have helped to ease the burden our own life. For example michael jackson... he's music and his voice relaxes one who is so tired of his job... farrah faucet makes a part of us during the Charlie's angels days... we become excited when one episode is about to be aired. Their life is an inspiration to us, that all of us has the capacity to be great in our own field. These people are God's blessing to humanity....
there are times when our emotions get the best of us and one of the first things we can relyl on is a good playlist to represent our mood. these artistes have 'indirectly' been our motivation, inspiration, shoulder to lean on etc... therefore, when they have passed away we are deeply touched.
Celebrity deaths deepy affect so many people because we respond in some way to their image ... even if it's negative or tragic.
CULTURE includes such things as age; with age comes certain events, and influences. I grew up in the 60s watching Lucy, Captain Kangaroo, Andy Griffith, Family Affair, Premier Magnifique, Bonanza, Walt Disney, Heckle & Jeckle, Speedy Gonzales, Julia, Bridget loves Bernie, The Mothers-in-Law, My Favorite Martian, My Mother the Car, 77 Sunset Strip, Mission Impossible, Dragnet, Westerns, and many others that the FAMILY sat around ONE TV and watched. Similarly, we listened to and were influenced by music of the time.Being a year younger than MJ and the youngest of 8, I grew up listening to Booker T & the MG's, Aretha, Sam Cooke, Otis, Temptations,Smokey & the Miracles, Fontella Bass, Carla Thomas, the Beatles, Elvis, Wes Montgomery, Santana and many others. MJ & the J5 were young folks - kids- with whom to identify in the music, How cool was that? It changed music forever. As they die, it feels like a friend has moved away or like a fave item was lost. Saw them more often than family.
I really wasn't affected because I hadn't listened to his music in years, but I felt sad for his children. Then I saw his old videos, it just brought back how talented he was and it reminded me that he tried to bring attention to some important issues.
What I think is really sad is the ways people seem to have used him while he was alive and they're still using him in death. I think the media coverage was too much after ignoring and making fun of him for so long.
I'm in the same boat as Kaya Cassan. I am no fanatic but I grew up listening to Michael Jackson and he was the reason why I loved music. He was a huge part of my childhood, with all those fond memories of mimicking his moves and singing along. Now that he's gone, I feel as though a part of me has died. I too, cried when I heard the devastating news and am still grieving. But at least now, he can finally rest in peace, because he truly deserves it. He is in a much happier and better place.
