The effects of a true icon on an american individual

this wont be another cliche post about michael jackson but it was definitely spured by his death. ive noticed many different reactions to his death. but the most profound has just come to me a few minutes ago. my brother, my comrade, my friend has been unexpectedly wracked by the death of this icon. this is a man. a regular guy, yes twisted by fame, and being in the limelight, but a man. but this man’s death has gotten to my friend in a way that i didnt expect. in a way that even he didnt expect. so i had an enlightening moment. i thought about why this man has effected so many people. hes an entertainer. a damn good one. billions of fans. but an entertainer. many entertainers have become parts of peoples lives and when they die people mourn. but with MJ people have become devestated! some cry some just mourn. some shut down. some break down and cant function at all. so the point of this is “WHY?” why do these people effect the individual in such ways?

My theory…he was us. MJ was something to everyone that represented what they wanted from themselves. also he was a part of our lives. a huge part for most. and for some individuals him dying was a collapse of certainty. a loss of part of our childhood and even a loss of our childhood in general.

its an irreperable and irreplaceable part of ourselves that is gone forever. something we may never get back. something akin to innocence.

this wasnt about michael jackson…this was about about what happens when we lose a piece of ourselves that we can never get back.