So, let’s just deal with this inevitable backlash of celebrity worship in response to the RIP posts for Robin Williams in juxtaposition to the tragedy of Mike Brown in St. Louis. (Going on a bit of rant….but stay with me on this…) It is a given that whenever a celebrity passes, that people on FB & IG will flood the timelines with outpourings of love and acknowledgment for the individual, and invariably there will always be those that chastise those people for being brainwashed drones and accuse them of having no sympathy for the everyman (in particular black men & women), who lose their lives every day. However you never see such backlash when it’s Maya Angelou, Ruby Dee or Ossie Davis, or whomever else they feel is worthy of that type of recognition. The judgment seems only reserved for those that they feel have offered nothing to society, but since when is art not a precious part of society? Its things like laughter and music that keeps us sane enough to endure the struggle and continue to fight for better in this world. Death does not play fav’rits. Sympathy for one passing does not mean you are apathetic to another’s death or not socially conscious. The reality remains, those celebrities touch our lives. No, it doesn’t mean that they are any more important in the grand scheme of things than your cousin/sister/brother/friend that lost his/her life or a grandparent taken too soon, or a parent/spouse suffering a fatal illness. It just simply means that celebrity was on platform that allowed them to reach a lot more people in life. When we lose loved ones, or the everyday working man/woman loses their lives…..they are leaving behind a lot of people that really knew & loved them…..and you will see that outpouring of love on FB & IG from those intimate relationships but also mixed in with those people, you will see condolences from people that they have touched along the way, no matter how casual or fleeting. Because they left a positive impression. That person that u never quite knew their name, but u saw them at every party around town and always greeted u with a smile. That guy that always holds the door of the subway for you when youre running late, but it turns out u share mutual friends thru school. Or the old lady that greets everyone with a good morning as they pass the retirement home on every Wednesday. No…..we don’t know those people on a personal level, but those interactions stay with us. I’m sure if u went to Mike Brown’s FB page amidst the outpouring of condolences from people due to the tragedy, u will have people that never even knew his last name, but they remember him fondly maybe as the guy in class that used to always make them laugh or that friend of friend that they met that one time, but he was real cool. Now take those interactions and extrapolate them with the reach of stardom. Thru movies, music etc., we have shared moments with some of these celebrities that either reduced us to tears of sorrow or tears of laughter. Or just made your month, week, day or even your last 30mins on this earth that much better. So…no it’s not idol worship….it’s merely appreciation for those small little moments that they brought us thru their art. RIP Mike Brown Jr. & RIP Robin Williams…….both gone too soon.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 16:37:15 +0000
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