photocredit: Alan Light

Michael Jackson’s untimely death will undoubtedly bring the usual circus that follows an incidence of this magnitude: rumors about his death, slandering his name, “secrets” revealed, homage galore, and the eventual mythologizing biopic.

The flurry surrounding celebrity deaths is puzzling to many, because, really, how often do we make this much fuss about the death of a soldier, a CEO, or even a Noble Peace Prize winner? Why do we care so much about these people?

Celebrities live a reality that some loathe and others idolize, but everyone accepts it as other-wordly. What a celebrity does today will be broadcast to millions in a few minutes. A celebrity marriage costs millions to join and then millions to separate. The birth of a celebrity offspring is celebrated and publicized like the election of a president. Celebrity feuds reach brinksmanship and coverage reserved for super powers. No one would bat an eye if the butcher across the street released a sex-tape–”Kate Beckinsale did it? But she’s such a nice girl!”

So why are people like Michael Jackson causing so much ruckus? Why are people sobbing across the globe over a man they never talked to? Why are homages paid to these people who dedicated most of their lives to selling their image and their products? Because we feel we know them.

Like an uncle or a childhood friend, we feel we knew MJ, Farrah, Ed. Their lives were broadcast ad nauseum at one point or another, every detail revealed, every sense of intimacy bestowed onto us. We knew their family, their house, their relationships. Like a close friend, they let us hear or see their art, asking us if we liked it enough to buy it. Would we come see them sing? Would we laugh at their jokes? Of course we would! We were friends.

Celebrity creates an odd bond between the celeb and the fan. They will probably never meet, but they don’t have to. They know each other as well as good friends do. They know who they are and what they like. When that is lost, when one leaves the other, the loss is personal.

An intriguing icon like Michael Jackson had a stronger bond with his fans than most celebrities. His most intimate secrets were broadcast to anyone willing to listen or ridicule. We saw him go through his astronomical peaks, and his deep, dark valleys. People talked about whether his marriage was a sham, whether he was a good father, whether he was up to shenanigans–whether he was too smart for his own good and needed help. Many of us felt he did, and we wished we could hadve help.

The loss of Michael Jackson is not just the loss of another celebrity, or even that of a transformational figure. It is the loss of a friend. Many grew up with his music and his influence on pop culture. With Michael Jackson, many lost a childhood friend. We will miss him because we knew him all too well.

You might want to check these out, too:

• Old Posts, Renewed
• Pelosi to MJ: No Resolution For You!
• Michael Jackson’s First Moonwalk

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