When a celebrity dies, the world weeps. For people that we only pretend to know on a surface level, we become amazingly attached, and in some ways still judge and sometimes bash them even after death. But what about those that we simply find more respect for and revere in death?
From Heath Ledger to Whitney Houston to Cory Monteith and finally to Philip Seymour Hoffman, the public reactions to their deaths varied greatly.
When Ledger died, DC Comics and Batman fans lamented, for he was the unforgettable face behind the Joker. Though he died of an accidental drug overdose, people cried over the loss of the 90’s movie star from “10 Things I Hate About You.” Many were angered that he died at such a young age, with so much potential to be greater than he already was.
When Whitney Houston died, fans were heartbroken. People made memes to commemorate her life and death, alongside those that sought to make fun of her, or to bash those that would mourn. The bashing came from those that pointed out the fact that men and women in the service died, many more than just one celebrity, and America cares more about the fact that Whitney Houston died. They made fun of the fact that people were “stupid enough” to grieve a fallen star when men and women die for our freedom and nothing gets said.
Recently, Glee star Cory Monteith died of a drug overdose. Fans of the Fox high school drama series were devastated, and tears abounded. But mostly, fans were disappointed. At his age, 31, and with his acting potential growing to reach outside Fox television, people were aghast that he did that to himself. He should have known better; he had no good reason, he was better than that. Fans were disappointed more than grief-stricken.
Next case, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Known for his roles in “The Hunger Games,” “Capote,” “Magnolia,” “The Big Lebowski,” “The Invention of Lying” and many many more, the actor died of an overdose at the beginning of the month. With this death came no memes. No “what about the soldiers” rant. No one simply didn’t care. This man was such a film genius, and touched such a variety of genres and hearts, that all anyone could do was mourn. A legacy was ended, a favorite gone.
Why do we always hate on celebrities that die of an overdose, yet this one we simply revere? Perhaps it is his generation, perhaps his skill. Though many think that his tortured soul full of addiction and drugs is what made him so amazing. Oftentimes he played the creeps and freaks of the Hollywood stories, and those tortured actors are the ones that we particularly love.
A perfect example is Hoffman in his role as Truman Capote, the man who wrote the bloody tales that are a staple of many literature programs.
Perhaps the key to his being one of the greatest actors of his generation is the fact that he was such a tortured soul. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for the movie “Capote” that sealed his fame in many more ways than he already had.
With reverence, we love this fallen celebrity, and with respect we mourn the loss that we all feel for an actor who will be dearly missed.
