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We lost a couple of good ones this week. First was Chyna, the 9th wonder of the world, a pioneer for women everywhere, showing that girls can go toe to toe with the big boys and hold their own. The second, Prince, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, world class entertainer, and innovative musician.
When these losses happen and the news hits the mainstream, it isn’t long until your social media floods with comments of sorrow and respect. It’s almost surprising how many you see. It’s as if you’ve been living among die-hard WWE and Prince fans your whole life and never knew it until now.
I can’t comment on how much these tragedies resonate with each individual. I don’t really know everyone that well or how much they have connected with these entertainers, but what I do know is that there are some cases in which people are posting their opinions for the wrong reasons.
How I see it, in this world of social media and online personalities, sometimes mourning takes a turn for the worse. If you aren’t a WWE fan or ever listened to Prince, but feel obligated to post something for fear of coming off as insensitive or “out of the know,” then don’t post anything. Sharing dishonest sorrow is worse than not posting at all, it cheapens the feelings of the fans who really are hurting.
I’ve also seen online mourning become a competition of who can tweet the most clever and sentimental comment under 140 characters to get the most retweets and “likes”. Mourning shouldn’t have zing to it or try to make you laugh, it should be honest and not for a bump in your followers. Then there are actual arguments that break out in comment threads over who was a bigger Prince fan. These are essentially pissing matches in which whoever can name the more obscure Prince track wins a smug sense of superiority. This behavior isn’t okay. Its someone making personal gain out of another’s death and that’s disrespectful to the memory of those we lost.
However, If you feel you really have to share with the world how this individual inspired you and you hope that your story will provide even the slightest bit of joy in another’s life, then go ahead and do so. I hope this gives you closure while maybe helping another in a hard time.
If you don’t feel this way or feel anything at all, don’t post anything. Lay low and enjoy the clips and moments being shared by the passionate fans out there. I’ve loved reliving some of Chyna’s best wrestling moments and have a couple of recorded interviews on deck to learn more about her story. Never being a big Prince fan, I certainly have more respect for him as an absolute monster on the guitar after watching some clips and I’ve been stumbling through his discography ever since.
If you’ve been touched by these people who strove to be their best and feel like what you have to share can help others or bring yourself some closure, then I wish you the best. But If you’re just trying to get score some “likes” on what’s trending right now, have some class and rethink your priorities. If you don’t have anything to say, lay back, relax, and maybe listen to Purple Rain or watch some D-Generation X clips, you might learn something..
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Respond
It’s 3:16 on a Friday… How checked out is everyone reading this comment
I checked out like 3 years ago, man.
I’ve always questioned why people cry at celebrities’ deaths.
**doves cry
That was perfect.
Low hanging fruit, but I’ll eat anything I can pick without too much effort. For further reference, see my sexual conquests junior year.
Celebrity deaths come in 3’s. Now taking bets respectfully (obviously). Place names and wagers below.
So are you not counting Doris Roberts dying April 18th?
I didn’t even know she passed.
Everyone listen up, the betting is now closed.
Keith Richards. Expecting big odds on this one
He’s supernatural, that rigs the betting pool.
Brett Michaels.
Yikes.
Don’t forget Doris Roberts, aka Marie Barone or Grandma Lilly
The only celebrity passing that has touched me so far was Michael Jackson’s.
He touched a lot of people’s lives. Mostly children.
Adults are too heavy to Simba out of a window.
Easy there Eric Clapton.
I’m 27 so I don’t know if it’s because I was at the tail end of when Prince was really putting out all of his hits or because I mostly grew up listening to country, but I wasn’t really that impacted by his death. Same for Bowie. I like and respect their music and talent but I didn’t have a personal connection. When Merle died though, I felt like I lost a favorite uncle. I’ve been listening to his music a long time, have great memories from his shows I’ve been to, and was supposed to see him in concert again just a few days after he passed, with Willie. That one hurt. His death and its takeover on social media made me not scoff at people who mourn the death of celebrities and artists, because I don’t know what they meant to that person just like they don’t know what Merle meant to me. If you aren’t affected or weren’t a fan, just let genuine people have their few days to mourn and don’t be an asshole about it.
To most people with prince, it will be like 20 years from now If iggy azalea died. Sure you know her name and maybe downloaded a track or two from them, but how mind influence did they have on your life?
No way. Their levels of fame and success aren’t comparable
You are dead wrong. Maybe, and it’s just a loose maybe, will.i.am would be a better comparison, but I think Prince was more talented than will.i.am.
I changed my mind, forget will.i.am, he’s was fricking what Taylor Swift will be in about 30 years. But once again even more influential and more talented.