What celebrity deaths have affected you? (Read 349 times)

I heard about him on Sunday afternoon and had to get information from my son regarding who he was.  My son didn't really know him either.
I've actually started listening to the radio (his station) on my ride in to work starting Monday so I could learn more about this unknown celebrity.  I guess he was a decent guy.

(I updated my Facebook on Monday with a post similar to what you wrote).

I'm sure on his website, you'll find plenty of "best of" samples...but I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to bother.  But yeah, if he was actually a manipulative personality who put on a mask of compassion for ratings, he pulled it off better than anyone I've ever seen.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned "Pre" (Steve Prefontaine).  (Apologies if someone did, and I missed it.)  Although I was too young at the time to be much affected by it, I recently read an article in RW about it and was struck by how tragic it was.

In terms of TV celebrities, the tragic circumstances of the death of Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, was disturbing to me.

Part of my ambivalence towards this question stems from how I define celebrity in my mind.

To me, a celebrity is someone who is essentially famous for being famous and/or people who use their fame mostly to benefit themselves..  I put Paris Hilton and the Kardashians in the former group, while someone like ARod goes in the latter.  They have few characteristics that I admire, so if they kicked off, it would be no great personal loss to me, no matter how great their celebrity.

OTOH, people that are famous for what they have meant to this world, do affect me with their passing because they represent a bit of light in this sometimes dark world.  If, on balance, their lives seem to have counted for good and if they have served as personal inspirations, then I am moved.

Here's a partial list:  Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, Terry Fox, Grete Waitz. John Baker, Jill Costello  (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1178822/index.htm in case you haven't heard of Jill)

When George HW Bush passes, I will mourn the loss as he is an example of rare decency in politics (plus, I think it's cool of him to personally come down to cheer on the Houston marathon runners until he could no longer do so).

Just my two cents.

Part of my ambivalence towards this question stems from how I define celebrity in my mind.

 

To me, a celebrity is someone who is essentially famous for being famous and/or people who use their fame mostly to benefit themselves..  I put Paris Hilton and the Kardashians in the former group, while someone like ARod goes in the latter.  They have few characteristics that I admire, so if they kicked off, it would be no great personal loss to me, no matter how great their celebrity.

 

If we go by that definition, I can certainly understand your ambivalence.

Part of my ambivalence towards this question stems from how I define celebrity in my mind.

 

To me, a celebrity is someone who is essentially famous for being famous and/or people who use their fame mostly to benefit themselves..  I put Paris Hilton and the Kardashians in the former group, while someone like ARod goes in the latter.  They have few characteristics that I admire, so if they kicked off, it would be no great personal loss to me, no matter how great their celebrity.

 

OTOH, people that are famous for what they have meant to this world, do affect me with their passing because they represent a bit of light in this sometimes dark world.  If, on balance, their lives seem to have counted for good and if they have served as personal inspirations, then I am moved.

 

Here's a partial list:  Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, Terry Fox, Grete Waitz. John Baker, Jill Costello  (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1178822/index.htm in case you haven't heard of Jill)

 

When George HW Bush passes, I will mourn the loss as he is an example of rare decency in politics (plus, I think it's cool of him to personally come down to cheer on the Houston marathon runners until he could no longer do so).

 

Just my two cents.

I get what you're saying, but sometimes that gut feeling in your stomach has nothing to do with how important a person was, or which do you think who's presence on earth made the biggest difference.  Some performers are actually extraordinary people who try to make a difference, as are some absolutely non-famous people who most of the world ignores.  Then it brings up the argument about who and what kind of people are important enough to be mourned:  politicians?  writers?  social activists?  inventors?  scientists?  religious leaders?

Is it only me or are others feeling the same whenever they watch the Oscars or other awards ceremony that you feel like the In Memoriam section of the show ends up having more and more of the actors/professionals you grew up with as before?

I used to hear about X dying, etc., and not recognizing the name because I was too young to remember.  However, lately, I am recognizing more and more celebrities that died than before.  It sucks getting old.