Celebrity Deaths

Dear Victorious,

Three in one week: what do you make of the deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson?

Devastated Fan

Dear Devastated,

And yesterday, Billy Mays died too. (He was the guy shouting out in the infomercials about OxyClean and other amazing products.) What do I make of them? Basically I don't make anything of these deaths. Death is a natural part of life. Consider it the "graduation ceremony" that each of us gets to attend at least once in our lifetime. It is the circumstances of a death that seem to change that dynamic into something else for most of us.

Ed McMahon's circumstances weren't too unusual. He had lived a good, long life. It had been a life of privilege. It appeared toward the end not to be much of a life of responsibility. He was in foreclosure last year - living beyond his means. One might have imagined that by the time someone gets into their 80's they've learned how to live within their means. Not so with Mr. McMahon. I suspect the world isn't particularly going to miss him. He hadn't done much to be remarkable. Perhaps the saddest thing about his passing is the life that he never lived.

Farrah Fawcett's circumstances weren't unexpected. She'd been very ill for a very long time. She wasn't a particularly impactful individual in terms of leaving a lasting impression on our culture. Her famous red swimsuit poster was a favorite of men across the generations. Her hair seemed to set off a fashion trend for women (and a fantasy trend for men). I have read reports that Farrah made an impact on individuals though. There is evidence that she reached out in some remarkable ways. Perhaps the saddest thing about her passing is the potential that she'll never reach.

Michael Jackson's circumstances were perhaps the saddest thing of all. A life squandered for money. It would seem Michael had become a slave in his childhood - and never escaped from that slavery. He lived in a world that was quite far from reality. From all appearances, he may have been a kind individual ... but he led a very troubled life. He seemed to find joy in children. He was noteworthy in his contributions to worthy causes (though from a percentage perspective he wasn't very generous with his money). Perhaps the saddest thing about his passing is the life that was wasted. My only hope is that his three children might escape the slavery he lived in and somehow turn out reasonably well adjusted.

Celebrity deaths may serve to remind all of us of our own immortality. They force us to examine what we value most. Sometimes, we rush out to grab remembrances of them. (Farrah posters and Michael's music are flying of the shelves this week.) But at the end of the day, those remembrances will be put away, on the shelf. Life will go on with or without our favorite celebrity. What I think is that this reality has yet to take hold in the lives of most Americans.