Alexander McQueen, Michael Jackson, and celebrity deaths.

I don't get the glorification of people that have passed away. Yes, it's sad and it's terrible for their families. But not every person that dies deserves to be praised. A lot of people are assholes and divas, and some are marginally talented, then suddenly they are genius when they die. It's stupid. This isn't necessarily specific to the celebrity world, though I'm fine with using it as my example, since it happens more often than not.

Most recently with Alexander McQueen. The death of the fashion icon was tragic and unexpected, there's absolutely no denying that fact, and the damage it must have caused his friends and family. But in this death we've seen the truth of how our society thinks and reacts to death. An ex-boyfriend of his came out and said that he was shocked to hear all these fashionista's going on record to say how much they loved him, after stabbing in him the back while he was alive. It's not even the fashionista world that has proclaimed their love for him, but pretty much everyone, even those not involved in fashion. I'll be honest, I couldn't point out a damn thing from him if someone offered me a million dollars.

Then this article comes out from the Daily Telegraph questioning his talent and people go absolutely bonkers over it. The article also points out that talent in fashion is hard to even define. Most of it is just out there and people praise it because it seems like the cool thing to do. But the author brings up a compelling argument. Apparently McQueen was standoffish and rude, the author clearly thinks that all this praise is unjustified, but everyone else in the world thinks that he's being disrespectful.

Why is it that in death people respect talent more than in life?

I happen to think Michael Jackson was musically very talented. He was innovative and unique when everyone around him was doing the same thing. Artists of today have his obvious influences in their music but never quite the same affect. But I was shocked when he died and everyone in the world was singing his praises. I was shocked at that more than at his death. Suddenly people couldn't stop talking about what an amazing man he was. The usual word genius came up.

Where were all these people the last ten years? The man couldn't get his songs to chart on the radio and went in to hiding. He was going bankrupt and everyone was laughing at him. People made jokes at his expense and most were convinced he was a sick and twisted child molester. But then he suddenly dies and that's all completely forgiven. All that people can talk about was how he gave to charity, had a huge heart, and was musically ahead of his time.

I'm not here to comment on the truth of how he lived his life because we'll never really know. Everyone involved with him is out to make a quick buck. But I do not understand how death makes people so quick to withdraw their opinion of people.


When someone dies why can't we be honest, "How sad, my thoughts are with his family. Too bad he was such an asshole." Just because they've passed away doesn't erase how they were in life. It doesn't make them a better person and forgive all that they've done. Hell, if someone is such a bitch while alive maybe that's exactly how they wanted to be remembered. Not to say we can't have a moment of silence and respect the life that was lost, but I've never much seen the point in glorifying people, making them more then they were. Why not take the mistakes we all saw them make and try and learn from them?

Hollywood has lost a lot of big names over the past few years and some were rightfully labeled as genius and others were wrongfully given accolades for work that wasn't even that great. I mean, I love Heath Ledger and continue to watch a great many of his movies. Do I think he deserved an award for playing the Joker in Batman? No. He was scary but after everything I had heard I was deeply underwhelmed with his performance. But his unexpected death and the media circus that followed awarded him for a performance that wasn't one of the best of his career.

So, in closing, I ask you this. Why do we judge and show such distaste for people in life and suddenly forget all of that when they die? In a time of remembrance we forget who the lost were completely and make up a new identity so that we are no longer remembering them, but this image of them we've created.