There exists a uniquely troubling symbiotic relationship between celebrity and fans, that when exposed by another premature celeb death, reveals the darker side of our love affair.
Oversimplified, our undying adulation of “who they actually aren’t” as human beings, applies burden of expectations and image that our famous cannot always live up to personally…internally…
Of course, we grieve their loss, but in keeping with this one-sided relationship, and the implicit responsibility they have for distracting us from our less than exciting lives… our icon’s death or descent into deeply problematic behavior, is often processed by mourning our loss…not theirs…
Do we really care about them?
As artists possessing extraordinary talent, serving our needs? Yes! As fellow beings encumbered by both personal and public lives of unimaginable pressures? Hardly! We fashion our perceptions of who we choose them to be, especially coming from a place of misplaced envy and disgraceful hero worshipping…
True, they are paid extravagantly, drenched in the luxuries of fame; personalities snatched from the normalcy of you and me… navigating, often overnight, outrageous popularity and so-called success they are totally unprepared to embrace. Celebrity intoxication comes too quickly; their craft and talent outdistancing their personality’s capacity to keep pace with success; limelight becoming a life threatening drug, (yes, of choice)…propelling them further into this mutually destructive co-dependency with us…
What now, with Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington leaving us under whatever their imponderable suffering? Who will ever know “what” for sure? Of course, we shall dutifully dissect their remains, searching for impossible explanations…do our gratuitous open forum “autopsies” and lamentations…then… move on to our next superstar…victim…totally removed from, and oblivious to, our co-responsibility in this ongoing sickness of constructing and deconstructing our idols…
Is it already too late into our post mortem to examine our own feet of clay…?