Sunday, April 26, 2009

Death

This status was posted on Facebook: _________ doesn't understand why people feel sad when celebrities die? are you that lonely and needy?

There were several comments posted and some of them weren't very kind. And I'm sorry that the person who originally posted the status update has had to deal with death several times in his life. He was questioning the obsession with celebrities and this was posted in response to people being sad about Bea Arthur.

It got me to thinking though. Why does the death of a celebrity make me sad. In the case of Bea Arthur, she is someone that I first noticed when she was in Maude. This was back in the early '70s. Then of course, there was Golden Girls. Both shows made me laugh. Laughter brought into my life via the telly over the course of many years. And though I never met Bea, I admired her talent and that is talent that can no longer be shared (except in reruns!).

The untimely death of Princess Di really bothered me because we were about the same age. It is an event like that that is a reality check.

So, I just had to get that off of my chest. People mourn in different ways and that should be respected.

5 comments:

Bob said...

With celebrities we often feel close to them, because we're about the same age, or we've followed them throughout our lives.
I was deeply saddened by Bea Arthur's death because of the sheer joy she brought to my life. I never failed to smile when i saw her on TV...or in person.
We'll still be able to see Bea Arthur in reruns and such, but there will be no more Bea.

Miss Ginger Grant said...

I think any time someone dies it makes us reflect on our own mortality, and of course that makes us said. Plus, when an artist or performer is gone, their particular gift will no longer be produced. There will never be another Vera Charles or Dorothy Zbornack, and that is kinda sad!

Nomad said...

I'm sad about Bea Arthur... her passing on represents a major loss to daytime television

HouGalAtty said...

I met her once when she performed at the Opera House in Galveston. She was fabulous. We mourn our icons not because we "lack a life" but because we have the gift of emotion.

Art Will Save Us All said...
This comment has been removed by the author.