Posted by
David Zublick on Sunday, June 28, 2009 10:32:20 AM
The man can only be considered a tragic figure in history.
An
ego a mile wide, yet insecure at the same time. His parents were both
pathetic losers. He grew up seeking the adulation of others, feeding
off the constant attention. Surrounding himself with people of
questionable morals and values, who took advantage of him, riding his
coattails as he climbed the ladder of success through superficiality.
He abused drugs, as many celebrities did. He engaged in questionable acts, as those seeking fame and fortune often do.
Yet
people continued to enable him, telling him what he wanted to hear.
"You're the greatest", they'd say. "You've got it all. You can do
anything!" And he ate it up. He was, after all, a part of pop culture
as much as anything else.
No one ever held him to account. No
one dared criticize him. He was never taken to task. Those few who knew
the truth about him, those who saw the disaster that was his life were
not allowed in his inner circle. And anyone who got close to exposing
him was dismissed immediately.
There were scandals in his life that made huge headlines. Somehow he managed to skate by most of them.
He
was a celebrity. He was a rock star. He fashioned himself a king. And
his adoring fans bestowed that title upon him and coronated him with
their undying love.
His fans swooned at his appearance. They
gathered in all four corners of the globe just to get a glimpse of him.
In fact, he was bigger in Europe and other parts of the world than he
was here in the United States.
Of course, there were those who
saw through the facade. There were people who could tell that beneath
that sleek exterior, lay a chasm filled with emptiness.
Many in
this nation are in mourning right now because of this man. They are
deeply saddened. Their grief is profound. There is a deep sense of loss
because of what his very existence meant to our country.
He will
continued to be talked about. He lives on after all, and his legacy
will build over time. Someday, he may even be a bigger figure in
history than those who came before him. He may overshadow Elvis in
popularity for all we know. Only time will tell.
For now, those
who shed tears because of this man can find comfort in the fact that
eventually he will be replaced with someone else.
Hopefully,
this new person will not allow the trappings of celebrity to get the
best of him or her. They will instead, act responsibly. They will not
be an embarrassment to this nation as this "rock star" was before them.
Yes, he will be replaced. No one is irreplaceable. Not even this celebrity.
Not Barack Obama.
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