Monday, June 29, 2009
The Rule of Threes...
Ed McMahon? Farrah Fawcett? Michael Jackson? And, of course, Billy Mays.
I don't really know what to say about all these deaths. I have that outlook on death where I see it as not totally a negative thing. Sometimes it's sad that someone is gone and we only have them in memories. But, for the most part, I kind of shrug my shoulders and think that it was just their time to go.
I don't know if it's because I haven't been touched by the untimely deaths of very many people close to me. Some of my friends have. My brother has. But not me. I've never lost a close friend, I still have both my parents (and all of my siblings) and my grandparents lived into their late seventies and early eighties (and one grandma is still kickin').
As a result of all this, the idea of death doesn't make me particularly sad.
Or maybe that's really just because I'm cold and heartless.
But I do get a little misty-eyed when I watch those "In Memoriam" montages at the Emmys and the Oscars and the tributes that spring up here and there tug at my heartstrings some.
(Guess I'm not completely heartless.)
(Maybe it's just two sizes too small, like the Grinch's.)
Anyway, so I didn't spend the weekend wringing my hands and lamenting the loss of iconic mega star Michael Jackson. I'm not in mourning over Farrah Fawcett or Ed McMahon. Oddly enough, I was most shocked by the passing of Billy Mays.
(Although that might just be from amazement at how many people know who he is.)
(And because I love OxyClean.)
Everyone says celebrities die in threes, and there has been a lot of debate recently over where the latest round of threes started. With Ed McMahon? Or a few weeks ago with David Carradine?
Curious, I stumbled onto a website called Hollywood Memoir, which lists all the death dates of all celebrities--even the minor ones!
So you can be the judge of what number we're on in this round of threes. Because the list is actually pretty long. Here's just a sample:
- Eartha Kitt
- Pat Hingle
- Paul Harvey
- Ron Silver
- Natasha Richardson
- Dan Seals
- Maurice Jarre
- Nick Adenhart
- Bea Arthur
- Jack Kemp
- Dom DeLuise
- Jane Randolph
Man! All this talk of death is making me feel like I should do something productive. Like go buy a big bottle of KaBOOM!, clean my bathroom and lament the fact that it wasn't the ShamWow! guy.
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I doubt your heart is two sizes too small. Perhaps your shoes are too tight?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not in Hollywood!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's been a busy week over in Hollyweird ... and not in a good way. Feels like so much 'cos the deaths are so close together.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, Billy's death actually mad me sad. Not depressed or anything, but I couldn't have cared less about the other three.
ReplyDeleteSorry but I think this is a very sad posting : ( Maybe because unlike yourself I HAVE lost someone very close to me and knows how it feels
ReplyDeleteYeah, I probably would have been less sad if it were the ShamWow guy, um, um, um...what's his name?
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't think that your heart is too small. But I am a person who gets very sad over the idea of death. I've seen a great deal of it, and have been so grateful that my family has avoided any untimely events.
On a side note, I've never been actually sad when a celebrity died. But my dad really cried when John Denver died. I guess I've just never had anyone famous mean anything to me.
I HAVE experienced untimely deaths, unfortunately, and I l-o-v-e-d me some MJ...and I'm still ok with it. Death is sad, but it's part of life.
ReplyDeleteNikol: I don't know...Lately it's starting to feel like a shriveled up prune.
ReplyDeleteLazy Writer: Seriously! It's a dangerous town right now!
Akilah: It's been a busy 6 months or so.
Kristina: Honestly, I feel the same way!
Healing Touch: I'm sorry you've been through that. I'm sure it's not easy to lose someone close. And I feel grateful that I haven't.
Katherine: I can see why death is sad for people. I was actually sad when Princess Diana died. And Heath Ledger. I guess I'm not totally heartless.
You are far from heartless Karen. And if the Grinch's heart was two sizes too small, then your heart is the size of the peach in James and the Giant Peach.
ReplyDeleteOh my, I didn't know Dan Seals had died. "One Friend" was one of my wedding songs. (I'm long ago divorced.) I had to look him up on YouTube, and I got stuck in an endless vortex! I didn't know he was also "England Dan" of England Dan and John Ford Coley. And his brother was the "Seals" of Seals and Crofts. I love me some good soft rock!
ReplyDeleteThat said, I was also quite sad to hear of Michael Jackson's death. I used to stay up late to watch "Beat It" on Friday Night Videos. I know he got weird more recently, but he was awesome back in the Thriller days.
I feel bad for laughing but I found this post so funny! I was shocked about Billy Mays and it left me wondering where the lightning will strike next. I think the wierdest thing is that Michael Jackson's death and Billy May's death were so unexpected.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I just went back and read Janet's comment above and I had no idea that's who Dan Seals was. I used to love his music...I'm such a sap.
I'm over here from SITS - saw you on the roll call - and NO, you are not the only non-mama out there. I ain't no mama either.
ReplyDeleteLoving your blog... so much so, that I think I'm here to stay! Just try to make me go away, i dare ya... ;>
Gina: I was putting off buying his Number Ones cd because I didn't want it to potentially go to any legal defenses. Now I'm finally going to buy it so that some of the money can go to his kids. Loved his music. Just not the man.
ReplyDeleteLyn: Awww, thank you! You are too kind!
Janet: I was surprised by a couple of people on that list, including Dan Seals. Wasn't a huge fan, but I still think his death deserved a mention. And I used to play "Beat It" over and over and over again. On tape. The first time I heard Weird Al Yankovic's "Eat It" I was mad at him for being "disrespectful." I was 10.
Helene: I'm glad it wasn't a total downer! I'm a sap, too. Just not really when it comes to people dying, usually.
Foxy: I'm so glad you came by and I'm very happy to have you here! I'm also happy to know I'm not the only non-mommy at SITS!
I was so sad when I heard that Billy Mays died...As Seen on TV products are my crack.
ReplyDeleteOh, and KaBoom doesn't work all that well!
I don't think you're cold or heartless. These people just happened to die during a time when you're not feeling the best. Plus, it's not as if you have any sort of emotional attachment to them. The emotional attachment makes a big difference.
ReplyDeleteAmanda: I love As Seen on TV products too. Good to know about Kaboom. I really wanted to try it.
ReplyDeleteEm: I'm sure you're right on all counts. I'm feeling pretty detached from a lot of things right now. But feeling nothing feels a lot better than feeling lousy. And if it was someone close to me, I'm sure it would be different.