Grieving and Commemorating our Idols
One morning, while visiting a news site or browsing your social media, you learned of the death of one of your idols whose career you followed or of a celebrity who was particularly near and dear to your heart. You may have never even met them, yet a deep sense of sadness and nostalgia followed you around for a few days.
How is it that the death of a famous person can affect us so much?
An inspirational role model
We are more likely to become attached to a public figure we can relate to, for example, when their life experiences are similar to ours or when they work in a field we are passionate about. It could be an Olympic athlete who overcame the same phobia as we did, a journalist who went to our high school, a TV star with similar family values to ours, or a singer from our hometown. Sometimes it’s simply that their humour, kindness, courage or talents inspire us.
The bond between us then creates a special emotional attachment, and we enjoy following their life as if they were a member of our family. The departure of the celebrity in question inevitably leaves a void in our lives.
A presence in the background
The death of a celebrity can also make us sad because we associate that person with key moments in our lives. For example, for thousands of Quebecers, Michel Louvain’s songs were part of the soundtrack of many a dance party or family reunion. If you attended a Pierre Légaré show on a special romantic date, his death may have brought back fond memories. Or, perhaps the death of Carrie Fisher, the mythical Princess Leia, saddened you because you associate her with your childhood, having imitated the Star Wars heroes so often and knowing the lines by heart.
The death of the star in question reminds us of good (or not so good) memories that we lived through and makes us realize that those days are gone.
A similarity to the death of a loved one
Sometimes the circumstances or causes of a celebrity’s death can remind us of the death of a loved one. For example, when Patrick Bourgeois, the lead singer of the BB’s, died of colon cancer, people who liked the group and who also lost a loved one to the disease probably felt some grief.
It is normal for the death of a public figure to reopen a wound that was thought to be healed when the causes are similar. In that case, it is healthy to talk about it in order to express the emotions that we feel.
Quebec celebrities who passed away in 2022
In 2022, as every year, we had to say good-bye to many Quebec celebrities who left their mark on us and to whom we had become attached. Among others, we think of Jean Lapointe, who left us a legacy of his songs, his contribution to the fight against drug addiction, his humour and his kindness.
We also said good-bye to two great field hockey legends—Guy Lafleur and Mike Bossy. So many young people applauded their prowess on the ice, donned a #10 or #22 jersey and were inspired by their accomplishments to excel on the ice!
As we usher in the New Year, let’s take a moment to remember all the celebrities who have passed on and left a piece of themselves in our hearts.
Sources :
https://uda.ca/in-memoriam#:~:text=DE%20H%C3%8ATRE%2C%20Marcel%20le%2011,l’%C3%A4ge%20de%2095%20ans
