Why is it that when someone famous dies they become legends? Death makes famous people be venerated icons. Why do they suddenly become more special than they were when they were alive?
Being buried in the ground is hardly the end to a famous person’s carrier. When a famous person dies unexpectedly our society turns them into venerated icons. Suddenly they become more famous, more remembered. They can even gain fans that were not even born when they were alive. What is keeping these stars “alive”?
The Top Earning 13 Dead Celebrities (as of 2006):
1. Kurt Cobain
2. Elvis Preseley
3. Charles M. Schulz
4. John Lennon
5. Albert Einstein
6. Andy Warhol
7. Dr. Seuss
8. Ray Charles
9. Marilyn Monroe
10. Johnny Cash
11. J.R.R. Tolkien
12. George Harrison
13. Bob Marley
QUESTIONS:
How does these stars have staying power? Is it from their death? How they died? Their legacy they left?
Who (living now) do you think will make the most after they die? (i.e. Paul Maccartney, Britney Spears, Dan Brown, Oprah, Jeff Koons….people like that)
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8 comments:
I find it interesting the points you bring up regarding death. Celebrities becoming more famous when they die. Yes, I think this is the case now, but I feel that as time goes on people are forgotten, and dead celebrities will be too. I think unless you physically leave something behind, like someone mentioned music, then you are most likely not going to be remembered by as many. Another example are artists and poets. Emily Dickenson did not become famous until after her death and many artists don't become famous until death either. It is somewhat amazing. Do you think it's because they can get their work for cheaper? Just kidding.
popamber
This concept of being worth more dead than alive is so completly true within the art world. Most artist don't get recognized until long after they are dead, such as Vincent van Gogh who sold one painting while he was alive. As far as who will be worth more dead than alive in the future, I can see Paul McCarthy being in that category because of what has happened to John Lennon.
PopAlexandra
A simple explanation could be that people tend to enjoy their own buble of music or pop culture, and rarely do they come out of it. So when an icon dies and the media covers the story, that media exposure travels into the bubles of individuals whom might not have ever known of the art, or music that the icon represented. As for who will make the most after they are dead, I think Stevie Wonder, simply because he lived throgh a part of American history that was openly racist.
PopPeter
most stars like kurt kobain and 2pac and elvis etc are just good entertainers. their music is still appealing to many. the fact that they are dead really has nothing to do with it. if they were still alive they would produce even better music. it is safe to say from a marketing standpoint that they can get more publicity by promoting "tribute" style publications to promote sales.
So why are these 13 people still "living on" even though they passed on long ago? Legacy I would say. Each of them did something or forged new paths or somehow became household names to the point where they will never actually die in the minds of people, just their bodies moved on.
PopTony
Death is a really interesting subject for me. I love walking aroung cemetaries (especially in other countries) and learning about various philosphies on life, dying and the afterlife. As far as assisted suicide goes, I think that it should be legalized. Dath can be a very slow and painful process for everyone involved and if a person wants to end their life in a more peacful and comfortable way, they should not be denied that. Death is such a mysterious and universal concept that it has an infinate number of interpretations and I think that when ideas of death mix with popular culture the results are sometimes unpredictable--artists gaing popularity after death, people driving around in herses after movies like Harold and Maude, etc. One suggestion--I would have liked to read about more religious interpretations of death (ex. Hinduism, Muslim, maybe even Scientology...)
PopCaitlin
Good question.
I think an excellent example of this topic is the recent suicide of Marilyn Engstrom. I'd heard of her but nothing more than that until suddenly, she had committed suicide. Now everyone knows about her. Everyone knows what she did, everyone is digging for the gossip on how it happened, and everyone is trying to wrap their brains around the suicide of a teacher that they may or may not have had. I know that a lot of students who did not have her as their teacher are kind of wishing that they had just so that they could have the social fame of "being a student of the teacher who tragically committed suicide."
I think that raises another interesting question about how public reaction to death disperses itself among social circles and inside of social and cultural interactions.
PopErin
I think much of the worth more dead than alive vibe is about "unknown possibilities." What if....Lennon had lived, etc. I feel that it is less about the person than about the people who feel a loss. The loss is about something, but it doesn't need to be the same something all the time. What do celebrities do for us regularly? Make us feel we are important, or we could be them, or we recognize real talent, or what ever. Their loss gives us less clues about our own meanings in society. I have to say, I absolutely hate the veneration of suicide in famous authors or artists. I don't think you have to be suffering or "crazy" to be creative. I think that suicidal death of famous people helps us distinguish what we pay attention to given there are so many other possibilities. poppat
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