Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Steven Wells
It’s funny — sometimes celebrity deaths hit me really hard. It seems they’re often celebs who were important to me in my youth, so for instance when Lauren Bacall dies, I might have to take a few days off from work. But despite Hollywood’s two losses of yesterday, I feel almost nothing. This isn’t because I’m a callous person but because having a friend and colleague die the day before really puts a fine point on how absurd it is to be crushed by celebrity deaths. Or not absurd, exactly, but how different it is — how remote. Who were those people to me? As No Minister says, “Fuck Michael Jackson … Steven Wells is dead.” And oddly, on hitched.co.uk, in the off-topic forum section, one poster says they’re more unhappy about Wells than MJ/FF. Another writes:
I’ve had near enough double the number of texts and phone calls about Steven Wells than I have Michael Jackson. One from a school friend I haven’t spoken to in almost 10 years. She remembered me going on and on about how bloody sexy his writing was and that despite my general dislike of NME I’d buy it regardless and read no only read his stuff.
Always controversial, always passionate and incredibly funny.
The world will be a duller place without him.
Isn’t that the truth. Not only that, but I’d love to hear what Steven would have to say about the Michael Jackson stuff — and especially about the BBC comparing his death to Princess Di’s. The fact that I have no idea what he’d say — except that it would be incredibly funny — is exactly what made him so special.
liz | 10:18 AM | celebrities, philadelphia
Agreed. I was never familiar with Steven Wells, but the loss of someone who has directly affected our lives for the better should always mean far more than the death of a celebrity who made us dance or convinced us we, too, could be famous some day.
Not to mention, Jackson’s celebrity (to me, anyhow) seemed more about celebrity itself than about his music (at least after the mid-’80s). I think we should care far more about what a distant artist contributes to our understanding than about the person we don’t begin to know. As Stephen King once wrote, “It is the tale, not he who tells it.”
Some celebrity deaths have brought a lump to my throat, such as Heath Ledger, Peter Boyle, Freddy Mercury from the band Queen who had died from AIDS hit me pretty hard (I was a huge fan of the band) I know there are others, but for some reason the names escape me.Must be memory loss from my meds
Farrah’s death to me was sad. As an early teen in the late 70’s, she was my pin-up girl kind of like my first celebrity crush. Along with how she suffered the past years with Cancer and with how she created a documentary recently chronicling her ordeal, was heart-breaking. She seemed very much loved by those closest to her. For me I guess it hit a sentimental memory.
Michael Jackson’s death to me was more shocking to me than sad. I was never a fan, nor did I appreciate his contribution to music. Not to mention what he was accused of in the past. I do feel for his family though.
Steven Wells, unfortunately I am unfamilar with, but it seems that he may be someone to look up on the web.
It definitely depends upon the celebrity who passed away, and the connection you had with them. You won’t feel the same way about the passing of each celebrity. For example, although I occasionally watched “Kung Fu”, the sudden passing of David Carradine was definitely surprising, but it didn’t feel like a personal loss. However, with both Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, and most recently Walter Cronkite, it was just the opposite. I have been deeply affected. These were people who were a part of my life on a daily basis.
I’m sorry to say I too am unfamiliar with Steven Wells, but that does not minimize the way you feel about this passing.
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