Society: Celebrity Death

I'm not one to get caught up in the death of a celebrity.  Heath Ledger died, and it was tragic.  But, no more tragic than every other death that happens every day.

Celebrity is a strange phenomenon, and one that is extremely complicated to try and figure out exactly how it works.  Emotions run differently for people when concerning a celebrity.  Why?  Well, that's not my topic today.

Today, I want to discuss how we all act at the death of a celebrity.

I have seen in my life that people will be affected by death in their personal lives in many different ways.  Ultimately, though, it is rarely due to true mourning of the loss.  Sure people will miss a lost loved one, and wonder what life will be like without them.  But, very few people let these feelings really dig in and hurt them.  More than this, what truly eats away at people who have lost someone is the renewed sense of mortality.  They don't like to be reminded that they will die too.

I know that this does not apply to everyone, but a vast majority of people do react this way.

Now, when the person is not a close, loved one but instead a celebrity, people will feel the same way.  However, the whole thing goes way out of proportion.  Suddenly, some family's and close group of friends' private affairs are laid out for the general public.

This was all well and good for the celebrity's life, as they sort of stepped into this spotlight for themselves.  Most will tell you, though, that the public demand to know every detail of their life is emotionally draining, especially during a difficult time.  Now, suddenly they are gone.  But, the public is still there, demanding to know the situation leading up to the tragic moment and all the painful aftermath.

In a way, they are sort of right.  In many cases, it sort of becomes public information.  But, if this person had not been a celebrity, the general public would leave a grieving family alone to work out their problems in peace and probably only check the obituary to see if the cause of death was humorous.  Callous, I know.  But, it happens.

Most people I know found out about Heath Ledger about 40 hours ago.  Those who didn't continued on with their lives, much the way everyone else does with the other deaths that happen all around us that we don't know about every day.

And, instead of consoling his family at their loss, the media tries to push the story to improve ratings, and the public starts spreading rumors well before any real information is released.

Turn off the television; don't listen to the radio report; and don't check that website.

Pray for his soul; pray for his family; and pray for his other loved ones.

If you found my article here by searching for "Heath Ledger death" then I'm sorry you haven't found any of the information you were seeking, and I beg you to just let a family have some peace and privacy at a terrible time.

Jesus, I pray that Heath Ledger knew you as his savior and will continue doing so for eternity.  I pray that his friends and family find comfort at this time in their lives.  Be with them, Lord.  You make all things new and holy.  You don't cause death for good, but may You bring good from death.  Amen.

The Point Blank Critic