M. Matheson's Blog, page 42
December 14, 2016
December 13, 2016
December 12, 2016
The Cult of the Dead Celebrity: Castro, Diana and Lennon
A very well written and thought out article. Even people that are not saints or celebrities often become much nicer people upon their death. I’ve officiated a lot of funerals and helped family through the process of grief. Even the most mean spirited unpleasant person very often becomes such a nice thoughtful person after their demise.
I think it might be a dynamic of self protection to manage memories that could do the most damage by recreating it into something we wish they were when still alive.
I’ve seen some of the most awful people turned into virtual heroes. It baffles the one on the outside looking in but to the survivor it makes perfect sense.
Perhaps, we have no right to take that way from them.
Do we overly glorify the recently-dead in public life? I do not mean those dead who are close to us, but refer instead to the media’s treatment of celebrities and high-profile figures who have passed away. Do we suddenly create a saint out of them due to their death, no matter the actual facts of their life?
The controversial leader (www.britannica.com)
I have mulled over this for a while, but was finally prompted to write on it after the recent death of Cuban leader Fidel Castro. I am not going to talk about Mr Castro’s life, politics or legacy – certainly a minefield I do not want to navigate – but I will briefly discuss the reactions of the world to his death, as portrayed in the western media.
We might expect political figures who are considered to be on the left of the political spectrum to be…
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