@ElleL: The way I read that excerpt above didn't necessarily suggest to me that he was clean as a whistle...it seemed to suggest he was in front of *that guy*. That's almost consistent with the blind items (which I'm always a bit skeptical about anyhow) which suggest erratic behavior...
Older Jezzies -- answer me a question? Is it harder when the FIRST one of your teenaged obsessions dies or when the last one does? Or are they all equally terrible?
His death hit me the hardest of any celebrity ever. I had been taking sleeping medication at the time because of a combination of late nights working and early mornings of class which left me with a nasty case of insomnia. I found out about him dying from the pills and then a few hours later, I took a dose of sleeping meds and then suddenly remembered and got so sick I could barely sleep and drifted in and out of conscious. I had a weird waking dream that he was actually in my room and after that I quit the pills cold turkey.
@Zombie MissSkittles is not your kind of lady: It surprises me when it does hit me hard - mostly I can be rational (I do NOT know this person). Princess Diana (and I wasn't what you'd call a fan - I thought she did good things and was fun to watch for fashion, but...) and George Harrison (and I KNEW he was on his way out) both hit me harder than I expected.
MJ's gave me a delayed response - and my grief is usually on behalf of others - their families and children.
When my father died (I know it's not the same - just for compare and contrast), I was torn to shreds for my mother and concerned that he'd been afraid. My PERSONAL sense of loss sometimes takes awhile to kick in. I don't know why - usually I'm pretty predictably self-serving. Hee.
@sybann: George Harrison's death gutted me. I've been a fan of the Beatles since I was a baby (both my parents are diehard fans) and George was always (and still is) my absolute favorite. I was torn up when he died. I cried and I cried and I cried. But I was also very happy/grateful that he had such strong faith and such a happy, healthy family before he went. He was a brilliant, creative, happy man who had a wonderful outlook on life. It made it much easier to take. I was devastated, though.
Heath's death was really sad for me, too, becuase he seemed so likeable and becuase he was only a year older than I am. I'm a huge fan of his films and saw good things in his future. It was upsetting to me to find out that he'd been so unhappy.
MJ's death is also really hard...I find myself full of sympathy and sadness and pity for him and the hard life he led.
When David Bowie goes I am going to be INCONSOLABLE.
@Zombie MissSkittles is not your kind of lady: At 25, I'm not sure if I count as one of the older Jezzies or not, but I do know that Heath was one of my first teenage obsessions, but he was also the most lasting. Unlike Leonardo Dicaprio and (wince) JTT and (wince and duck) Devon Sawa, Heath made a seamless transition, for me, from teenage heart throb to respected and valued adult artist. Even in his teen-centric roles (10 Things I Hate About You, A Knight's Tale), he embodied the character but maintained a knowing smirk that I always took as some kind of meta-recognition of exactly what he was playing into. In Brokeback Mountain, his performance broke my heart in a way that felt real, and I happily gave up some of the possessiveness I felt for him as my favorite teen idol.
I don't know whether it was the fact that he was my biggest teen obsession, or that he was able to grow into something more mature, that made me feel his death so acutely. I just know that every time I realize he's gone, I'm surprised and taken aback all over again.
@Zombie MissSkittles is not your kind of lady: I don't take celebrity deaths particularly hard, but I was devastated by 9/11 -- I knew someone who died and was connected through a friend to two others. I still have to turn off the TV when the footage of the tower collapsing comes down.
@sybann: I was like 12 I think when Princess Di died, and I didn't even know that much about her, but it really weirdly affected me. I clipped and saved newspaper clippings about her and her death. I think she was the first famous person whose death I recognized as a thing, if that makes sense.
When I heard George Harrison died, I remember I was in math class or something and everyone was sort of quietly stunned, but I really don't remember how I felt, if that makes sense. The Beatles were and are such a major part of the music in my life, but I don't know if I was ever particularly aware of Harrison being a living, working artist, which I think makes a difference.
To some extent, that last part applies (for me, anyway) to Michael Jackson, as well. He did release music during my life, obviously, but not in a way that made me aware of the contributions he had yet to make that we are now missing out on, if that makes sense.
Actually, on that same note, the deaths of John Updike and August Wilson still make me sad on a regular basis because I wonder what works we'll never see because they died while they were still actively working.
I don't know why, but it really bugs me to read about his and Michelle's 'incompatibility'. I hate the idea of Matilda growing up and reading articles all about how her parents relationship was doomed and blah blah blah. Not only is he unable to comment/defend himself, but hasn't Michelle been through enough without having her relationship with her daughter's Dad being picked apart a year after he died?
@kaiwhakamarie: They broke up before he died. It's not like the child will grow up under the delusion that her parents were so in love right before her dad died. Nor is the mom under that delusion.
Also, why did I care enough to write this down on the Internet? A mystery.
And September's cover story is going to be on Michael Jackson, right? So that's two "untimely death" covers in a month. Although knowing VF, September may be their "Fashion Issue" with a big-ass MJ story on the inside.
I'm not quite sure why it was the case with these two particular celebrities, (other than hearing about Princess Di through a news break during SNL), but with both her and Heath Ledger, I had trouble snapping out of my original impression that the reports of their respective deaths was some kind of tasteless joke.
@Laulau: I also heard about Princess Di during SNL! I was babysitting, went to check on the kids, came back, and saw what I thought was a "skit." Just didn't seem real.
@Laulau: I heard about Princess Di during a break in watching Evita, and that made for some serious life-imitating-art weirdness. Mom gets up to make popcorn, inadvertently turns the VCR off instead of pausing it, and *bam* we see the footage of the crushed car.
@Stabby McStabberson is stabby: THAT was totally commissioned to be the cover of the Barack Obama romance novel, "Tonight at the White House, My Sweet."
@Stabby McStabberson is stabby: I LOVE This one. He's all "I am apprehensive about the side of the bacon-rainbow that does not involve wind power! I HAVE SKEPTICISMS! AND ECTOPLASMS!"
@feministabroad: As someone who has drawn really terrible Barack Obama art in my time, I agree: some of these are really damn charming, or were intentionally done in a loose, insouciant style.
I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with these folks expressing their excitement over Barack Obama's presidency. I think some of it is adorable.
06/29/09
I read stories about his rampant drug use for months leading up to his death. If you paid close attention, this was not a shock at all.
There was actually a blind item from LaineyGossip about him, and she pretty much confirmed it was him the day he died.
[www.blinditemsexposed.com]
And it's so so sad to lose such talent like this, but I would rather know the truth, and help educate others in similar situations.
06/29/09
Blah.
06/29/09
06/29/09
06/29/09
His death hit me the hardest of any celebrity ever. I had been taking sleeping medication at the time because of a combination of late nights working and early mornings of class which left me with a nasty case of insomnia. I found out about him dying from the pills and then a few hours later, I took a dose of sleeping meds and then suddenly remembered and got so sick I could barely sleep and drifted in and out of conscious. I had a weird waking dream that he was actually in my room and after that I quit the pills cold turkey.
06/29/09
MJ's gave me a delayed response - and my grief is usually on behalf of others - their families and children.
When my father died (I know it's not the same - just for compare and contrast), I was torn to shreds for my mother and concerned that he'd been afraid. My PERSONAL sense of loss sometimes takes awhile to kick in. I don't know why - usually I'm pretty predictably self-serving. Hee.
06/29/09
Heath's death was really sad for me, too, becuase he seemed so likeable and becuase he was only a year older than I am. I'm a huge fan of his films and saw good things in his future. It was upsetting to me to find out that he'd been so unhappy.
MJ's death is also really hard...I find myself full of sympathy and sadness and pity for him and the hard life he led.
When David Bowie goes I am going to be INCONSOLABLE.
06/29/09
I don't know whether it was the fact that he was my biggest teen obsession, or that he was able to grow into something more mature, that made me feel his death so acutely. I just know that every time I realize he's gone, I'm surprised and taken aback all over again.
06/29/09
06/29/09
When I heard George Harrison died, I remember I was in math class or something and everyone was sort of quietly stunned, but I really don't remember how I felt, if that makes sense. The Beatles were and are such a major part of the music in my life, but I don't know if I was ever particularly aware of Harrison being a living, working artist, which I think makes a difference.
To some extent, that last part applies (for me, anyway) to Michael Jackson, as well. He did release music during my life, obviously, but not in a way that made me aware of the contributions he had yet to make that we are now missing out on, if that makes sense.
Actually, on that same note, the deaths of John Updike and August Wilson still make me sad on a regular basis because I wonder what works we'll never see because they died while they were still actively working.
06/29/09
06/29/09
Also, why did I care enough to write this down on the Internet? A mystery.
06/29/09
06/29/09
06/29/09
06/29/09
06/29/09
06/29/09
06/29/09
(I know they put this together long before last week, but still.)
03/11/09
03/11/09
03/11/09
03/11/09
oh my.
03/11/09
03/11/09
03/11/09
03/11/09
03/11/09
03/11/09
I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with these folks expressing their excitement over Barack Obama's presidency. I think some of it is adorable.
03/11/09
I wouldn't hesitate to call it a masterpiece.
03/11/09
03/11/09
PS. I would hang most any of these paintings in my house. For reals.
03/11/09
03/11/09
but i love lowbrow art. so there you go!