Why do people all of a sudden care when a celebrity dies?

[Lee M]

I mean, yeah it sucks. The passing of someone close is a hard thing to endure, when you're actually CLOSE to them.

Most people just love to update Facebook and Twitter on regurgitated crap that the media feeds them.

Original thought...try it, you might like it.

[Shireen]

I know.. Like MJ

[fashionista]

I think it depends on the celebrity. Patrick Swayze is like... an icon. But if Lindsay Lohan died of a drug overdose or something... im pretty sure nobody would really care all that much (other than ya know her family)

[lizziemoffles]

well I dont tweet but I liked mj himself and patrick but I think people need closure and thats why you see all this media craziness

[melissa]

Sometimes, when people learn alot about a celeb from afar, and admire them, when that celeb dies they feel like they've lost a pal. It's the closeness they feel that causes this.

[teeny-tinyhealth366]

That's a contradiction.

Point 1 = Just because I'm not related to Michael Jackson and Patrick Swayze, I don't care? Think again.
Point 2 = Have you SEEN those random people who are mega annoyed by Kanye West?

[Cherine]

I can see your point, but hearing about the death of ANYBODY upsets me.

[Jaden]

I can't speak for everyone but when a celebrity who has had a major influence for me has died, I definitely care. I don't get saddened over every death, only those celebrities who have impacted on my life.

I do agree though with you though, people on my facebook account post all these rip so-and-so and are instant fans as if to say "Hey look at me, you should feel bad for me because I miss '......' "

But I have no problem with people who do take an interest in the celeb's work after death to really appreciate their talent(s).

[Edgar Allen Sloe]

The only celebrity death that made me sad was John Candy.

[Quietpark689]

I go all the way back to the 60s and they've been doing this since then. Take it all the way back to the 1920s when Rudolph Valentino died and all the hooplah over his death. So people aren't "suddenly" caring...they've been doing it for almost a century. Look at the insanity over Michael Jackson? While people were so busy mourning him, practically no one paid attention to Farrah Fawcett who died on the same day. Had Patrick Swayze died within two months of MJ, still no one would have noticed. Like the other answerer said, it depends on who's a favorite at the moment. People are fickle...but they make huge deals out of who is popular at the moment.