NWANONYIRI: Sad reality of celebrity deaths
It has almost been a month since Liam Payne, the beloved 31-year-old British singer and band member of One Direction, died. Like many other fans worldwide, it is safe to say that I am still grieving.
One Direction was a big part of my childhood. Staying up until 2 a.m. on a school night to watch YouTube clips of their documentary "One Direction: This is Us" on my Nintendo 3DS was routine. While I had my favorites, I did not play when it came to them.
It felt as if I knew them, and now, seeing a member pass away at a young age is extremely devastating. What is even more devastating is the way some fans handle celebrity deaths, like Payne's, on social media. Many fans lack sensitivity and awareness when big celebrities pass away. These parasocial relationships enforce the constant unrealistic idolization of celebrities and support the toxic idea that celebrities are immortal.
Some celebrities are glorified and worshiped by their fans, even so much so that they are seen as products of their professions, while their fans are the consumers. Great musicians become mere vessels for producing good songs, and great actors become vessels for producing good movies.
The reality is that fans are selfish. The first thing some people think of when a celebrity dies is how it affects them and their daily lives. In these one-sided relationships, fans want something from these celebrities until the end.
In an interview, psychologist and psychotherapist Hvovi Bhagwagar discusses how fans see celebrities as "immortal" and how they "can serve as motivation for us." She continues to explain, "We often feel a sense of loss that is very real. In a sense, that also means they often represent the best parts of us."
When I first heard the news about Payne, I will admit that the first thing I felt was that a piece of my childhood was gone. And that was selfish. Yet, I did not dwell on that idea. For some One Direction fans, the real devastation is that the band will probably never have a reunion now that someone is dead.
Anayka She, a TikTok influencer and One Direction fan, talks about how the fanbase does not care about the well-being of the members after the multiple reactions to Payne's death online.
"I feel like for One Direction, a lot of their fanbase views them as fan fiction. They don't actually like and want the best for these men. They just want them to fulfill this fantasy in their head," she says.
Other fans agreed with one comment stating, "'The 1D reunion will be Liam's funeral' like why would (you) say that (and) why's that your first thought." Another comment replied, "They literally don't see them as real people with real feelings."
What fans forget is that these celebrities were real people with real families and real lives. Their purpose is not only to entertain us but also to feed our desire for companionship. Fans should not have to warn others not to go to Payne's funeral just to look at the other members.
Unfortunately, it does not stop there. After a sudden celebrity death, it is common for fans to make conspiracy theories as to whether the person is really dead. Other deceased celebrities, such as Elvis Presley, have fallen victim to these conspiracies.
For years, fans claimed that Presley has been spotted in public. Some even created a club called "The Elvis Sighting Society" as if he were a zoo animal exhibit.
I can only imagine the constant pain and disrespect these celebrities' family members face. Not being able to peacefully mourn the loss of a loved one is hard enough, but fighting off obsessed fans in the process is torture.
Patrick Lacy, an Elvis Presley researcher who wrote "Elvis Decoded," stated, "The conspiracy theories bring unnecessary pain to Presley's family … I believe that the people who say Elvis is alive are doing a great disservice to him and his family."
The list of deceased celebrities who have been immortalized throughout their lifetime by fans can go on and on. Even in death, they can not escape the fame that fans continue to fuel after they leave this earth. Yes, losing Liam Payne was a hit on my childhood memories, but it is important to remember that he was also a father, a son and a friend to many.
Uju Nwanonyiri is a junior in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in journalism & media studies and public health. Nwanonyiri’s column, “Debrief Discussions,” runs on alternate Thursdays.
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