It is often perceived that the highly sought-after road to fame and immortality is paved solely by a positive presence in the media and a lifelong exhibition of worthiness, but some infamous gems such as Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston have proved to the world that the ultimate source of eternal life is death. The vast majority of famous actors, musicians and other creative minds spend only a few moments underneath the dazzling glare of the spotlight during their careers no matter how talented, but upon dying a tragic and exceedingly publicized death, a celebrity unknowingly gains the power to draw the watch of thousands for decades and even centuries. Immediately after such an occasion, as if to repent for failing to fully appreciate a late celebrity during his or her prime, society appears on the doorstep of the star’s home in the afterlife with an “I’m sorry!” cake and a “Congrats, it’s a boy!” balloon that has been altered sloppily to read “Congrats, it’s death!” instead.
When Michael Jackson met his untimely death in the summer of 2009, the planet seemingly stopped rotating. Activity on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr reached all-time highs as frantic pop culture fanatics and infrequent Internet pioneers alike struggled to assess the situation. By the end of the night, the Internet had become a sympathy battleground and a war to express the most sentiment about “The King of Pop’s” death. The period following consisted of unrivalled publicity for Jackson, who likely could have used such positive appraisal when he was actually trying to earn a living. From tours to greatest hits albums, Jackson’s name soared more than it did when he was an accused felon. For two years, the musical sensation topped the Forbes’ list of Top-Earning Dead Celebrities, ranking above legend Elvis Pressley, who also experienced remarkable fame after passing away, and scientist Albert Einstein.
While the buzz surrounding the tragedy moves in many ways, the elephant in the room seems to be the fact that no uproar of that magnitude presented itself during the highlights of Jackson’s career, just the scandals and the death. Chris Carpentier, a Dual-Enrollment student at Kennesaw recalls being in Kentucky on a mission trip on the night of Jackson’s passing, but he has no memory of the announcement of the pop star’s Grammy nomination for “You Rock My World” in 2002. He is not alone in this. The events which unfolded on that pivotal summer night stick out vividly in our minds simply because tragedy is more intriguing than success just as newborn children are more beloved than accomplished adults.
This immense overlook of life followed by the glorification of death has played a substantial role in human culture for centuries. From Vincent van Gogh to Phyllis Diller, the passing of many artists has been accompanied by the extended analysis and praise of their work. With each cycle of life, death and fame, the human race fails to own up to its quirk of post-mortem craze, causing history to repeat itself endlessly. As humans, we are simply designed to neglect enjoying what we have until it ceases to exist and celebrities just happen to be the primary publicized examples of this.
