Do you "grieve" for celebrities? - Page 2

LPMiller · 06-29-2009, 11:58 AM

Well, I'd say she WAS an icon, but for only a brief moment in the 70's. MJ had a longer run, and it's just kind of a shame it's all so tainted by his weirdness. Of course, you could say the same thing about Elvis,too. Just shows ya people are weird, in general.

DarkFury · 06-29-2009, 12:31 PM

Maybe this is the price of "celebrity"... to do your thing and then just "wild" out when your moment has passed.

Also, this reminds me of a poem I had to read when I was in college... "To an Athlete Dying Young"

http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/Housman.html

I guess in dying at the height of your greatness, solidifies your historical placement in the minds of those who celebrate you. MJ, by that token was well past his "expiration date".. but still, passing at 50 years old, his time still came too soon.

johnnymk · 06-29-2009, 01:58 PM

I would have liked for him to come out with another album just as I woud like some of my other favorite performers to bring out new material. Unfortunately, I doubt that they would have the impact or be as creative as their earlier albums.

And I don't know the reasons for that.

Smokey Robinson's last album had maybe one or two decent songs. But there was no end to the hits of his earlier material.

Same with Don Henley, Sting and Billy Joel. Maybe they just give up instead of trying again. I just don't know.

mojo · 06-29-2009, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LPMiller

Well, I'd say she WAS an icon, but for only a brief moment in the 70's. MJ had a longer run, and it's just kind of a shame it's all so tainted by his weirdness. Of course, you could say the same thing about Elvis,too. Just shows ya people are weird, in general.

elvis took drugs and ate weird things. mj...i won't make the obvious jokes there. but to be fair, if he was innocent, then he shouldn't have acted guilty.

i still think farrah was an icon, because classics never die. no bad pun intended. like audrey hepburn in breakfast at tiffany's, images of her are ingrained in a lot of our minds. and the seemingly age-defying pam greer - still looking good in jackie brown and holy smoke (that was the last thing i saw her in).

VTGreg · 06-30-2009, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojo

elvis took drugs and ate weird things. mj...i won't make the obvious jokes there. but to be fair, if he was innocent, then he shouldn't have acted guilty.

i still think farrah was an icon, because classics never die. no bad pun intended. like audrey hepburn in breakfast at tiffany's, images of her are ingrained in a lot of our minds. and the seemingly age-defying pam greer - still looking good in jackie brown and holy smoke (that was the last thing i saw her in).

She could probably be considered an american icon. Although I'm sure there would be healthy debate from both sides regarding if that was actually the case. MJ was without a doubt a global icon and thus you see the coverage of him far outweighing that of Faucett. The bizarre circumstances surrounding his death are just icing on the cake for the media.

zippyjuan · 06-30-2009, 07:37 PM

The tabloids made billions of Michael Jackson- they are going to milk his death for as much as they can too. They would have done the same to Elvis (as bad as it was then) even more so if he died today. I think more people were sadder when Princess Diana was killed in that car crash in Paris. Jackson had great music but in my opinion his wierd personal life kept more people from feeling strongly attached to him. People will say "yeah, it is sad that he died" but not feel much personal loss.

DarkFury · 06-30-2009, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zippyjuan

I think more people were sadder when Princess Diana was killed in that car crash in Paris. Jackson had great music but in my opinion his wierd personal life kept more people from feeling strongly attached to him. People will say "yeah, it is sad that he died" but not feel much personal loss.

I dunno about that... maybe here in America, maybe... but over the world you got some really fanatical people who thought MJ was a god.

Case in point...

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090629/...e-8a3eada.html

Quote:

Grieving Jackson Fans 'Commit Suicide'

Monday, June 29 05:34 pm

The man behind the world's biggest online Michael Jackson fan club has said heartbroken followers of the star have committed suicide because of his death.

[b]Gary Taylor, president and owner of MJJcommunity.com, said he understood the tragedies had mostly taken place outside of the UK but he believed one may have been British.

"I know there has been an increase, I now believe the figure is 12. I believe there may have been one Briton who has taken their life," he said.

"It is a serious situation that these people are going through but Michael Jackson would never want this. He would want them to live."

Jesse Jackson, a friend of the singer, has recorded a YouTube film on the site urging fans not to "self destruct".

He said: "This is a time when hearts are heavy. There is great pain but great cause to celebrate Michael's life.

"It made Michael happy saying 'We Are The World'. Don't self destruct.

"We fall down sometimes, we get back up. That's the right thing to do. In Michael's name let's live together as brothers and sisters and not die apart as fools."

MJJcommunity.com was formed 10 years ago by Mr Taylor, a London office manager, and has more than 14,000 online users and 30 staff worldwide.

He said the singer's death had left his fans on the forum "in a surreal place".

"They can't accept it, they feel in some sort of different reality," he said.

"I'm stunned that he's dead. One minute he is coming here for concerts and the next he is gone.

"I think the funeral will be where the reality kicks in that he is gone and won't be coming back, there will be a huge depression in the fan community when that happens."

Thousands of Michael Jackson fans are expected to gather for a vigil on July 13 at the O2 Arena where the star was due to perform.

They will assemble at Canary Wharf from 1pm before moving on to the 02 from 6pm.

Nija · 07-01-2009, 01:32 AM

I don't usually care when celebrities die.

I grew up a MJ fan (I remember playing my Thriller 45 until it was unusable. For my birthday that year I get a replacement tape

)

Farrah was on my wall mostly because of my brother, however even when he moved out, she stayed up. She was on my wall until I left for basic training when my parents took everything off the walls to paint my room.

06-29-2009, 11:58 AM	#31
LPMiller Chief News Editor & Master of His Domain Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Minnesota Posts: 7,375	Well, I'd say she WAS an icon, but for only a brief moment in the 70's. MJ had a longer run, and it's just kind of a shame it's all so tainted by his weirdness. Of course, you could say the same thing about Elvis,too. Just shows ya people are weird, in general. __________________ lpmiller Chief News Editor Nobel Prize Nominee Reverend in the Universal Life Church Once Shot A Man For Snoring Too Loud Way Too Lazy To Change His Signature "The strength to change what I can, the inability to accept what I can't, and the incapacity to tell the difference." - Calvin and Hobbes

06-29-2009, 12:31 PM	#32
DarkFury Secretary of the Navy Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Chillin' N Da 'Hood Posts: 34,390	Maybe this is the price of "celebrity"... to do your thing and then just "wild" out when your moment has passed. Also, this reminds me of a poem I had to read when I was in college... "To an Athlete Dying Young" http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/Housman.html I guess in dying at the height of your greatness, solidifies your historical placement in the minds of those who celebrate you. MJ, by that token was well past his "expiration date".. but still, passing at 50 years old, his time still came too soon. __________________ DarkFury's Pimptopia - Don't Hate the Playa, Hate the Game! Home of the Original OG Pimp (accept NO imitations)

06-30-2009, 07:37 PM	#36
zippyjuan Picture of the Day Guru Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Sunny San Diego Posts: 8,708	The tabloids made billions of Michael Jackson- they are going to milk his death for as much as they can too. They would have done the same to Elvis (as bad as it was then) even more so if he died today. I think more people were sadder when Princess Diana was killed in that car crash in Paris. Jackson had great music but in my opinion his wierd personal life kept more people from feeling strongly attached to him. People will say "yeah, it is sad that he died" but not feel much personal loss. __________________ I add new pictures to my photo gallery pretty regularly. You can see them here if you are interested: http://www.pbase.com/jeffryz

07-01-2009, 01:32 AM	#38
Nija Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: May 2001 Location: City of The Dead Posts: 13,419	I don't usually care when celebrities die. I grew up a MJ fan (I remember playing my Thriller 45 until it was unusable. For my birthday that year I get a replacement tape ) Farrah was on my wall mostly because of my brother, however even when he moved out, she stayed up. She was on my wall until I left for basic training when my parents took everything off the walls to paint my room. __________________ "Nija is the dark soul of gotapex. We don't like to talk about him." - LPMiller

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06-29-2009, 01:58 PM	#33
johnnymk Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: May 2000 Location: LEVITTOWN< PA> USA Posts: 13,619	I would have liked for him to come out with another album just as I woud like some of my other favorite performers to bring out new material. Unfortunately, I doubt that they would have the impact or be as creative as their earlier albums. And I don't know the reasons for that. Smokey Robinson's last album had maybe one or two decent songs. But there was no end to the hits of his earlier material. Same with Don Henley, Sting and Billy Joel. Maybe they just give up instead of trying again. I just don't know.

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