We all have a similar memory...it is safe to say that we can all remember exactly where we were when we heard the death of an A- list celebrity. My mother can tell you exactly where she was when she heard about the death of John Lennon, she heard it on the radio. I remember hearing about the death of Princess Diana in a hotel elevator in Houston as it was being shown on the news. And how I heard about the death of Michael Jackson, King of Pop, one of the greatest musicians of my young life... on Facebook.
And for three days after every one's status had something to do with MJ. On one hand, I was completely annoyed...these people didn't know Michael, neither did I of course, but I wasn't going to post an hour by hour status of how much I missed him and his music. Then I began to realize, Facebook is our generation's only way of expressing ourselves. We don't pick up the phone to talk anymore, we write short text sentences on our iphones and our days can be summed up in a 10 word status sentence. Why wouldn't people express their sadness on Facebook, this was the only place someone would listen. And being the first "pop icon" of our generation to die it was our mortality that also was now in question. It made me wonder as I look at my kids ---who will be their Michael Jackson? Who will inspire them to dance and sing out loud and moonwalk across the dance floor, albeit badly? And when that icon dies where will they be when they find out and what medium will they hear it from?
