general media Does listening/watching media involving deceased people make you feel weird?

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 42,202]

This is an odd question to fully describe. I could barely find a proper way to word it that would fit in the title. XD On a serious note though, this is a question that makes me curious. If someone is involved in a piece of media that I enjoy and that person passes away, for me, it sometimes can create a strange feeling. It is difficult to explain but sometimes it is a sense of either slight sadness or eeriness, especially if the person died long before any expected age to do so.

 

An example of this that made me think of this is the former vocalist for the band Static X, Wayne Static. Wayne died in 2014, at the age of 48 and he was actually planning on going on tour with his new band very soon. It was later found that he had a fair of amount of different drugs in his system, apparently prescription stuff. It is a sad thing and I recently found a new appreciation for the band by listening to music of theirs I never discovered before. Sometimes though, I just get an odd feeling knowing that Wayne is gone, and gone long before he should have been while listening to the band.

 

Wayne Static

 

Another example was of Jewwario, a Youtube personality who also died in 2014, due to suicide. Sadly I discovered him because of the news of his passing and I watched several of his videos afterwards. They were very enjoyable for their subject, but I could never shake off a sense of unease the entire time. He seemed so happy in his videos and thinking that deep down he was suffering emotionally, it is painful to think about. For reference, his final video to YouTube was uploaded just a few days before his death and in that video he said that he looked forward to another date in the future where he was going to make another video about a subject. It makes me feel sadness anytime I watch one of his videos.

 

JewWario

Okay, that was a long explanation but I hopefully was able to get the point across. Do any of you ever feel this way?

[They call me Loyalty 1,954]

I don't fear to transition from the physical form. Because my experience allows me to understand emotions derived from fear, such as the ones you described.

To let reality speak on its own, whether things should be one way or another.

[Castle Bleck 19,453]

"I Would Die 4 U" used to be Prince's most epic song, IMO.

 

Now it's just... awkward.

[shy0wl 484]

Yeah, actually.  It's a really uncomfortable feeling.  Especially if the person recently died.  It's almost like you're watching or listening to a ghost instead of the actual... deceased person.  But it doesn't stop me from enjoying the media still.  The weird feeling usually passes after a while, but I always have in mind the fact that they're gone.

[Sonic Shimmer 4,138]

Weird? Not really. Sometimes it makes me feel a bit sad though, but for some reason it's usually if it's an actor/musican who died a long time ago (e.g. John Wayne or Jimmy Stewart) I'm not sure why, I guess I just wish I'd been around to appreciate their work when they were alive..

 

Most of the films and music I like are old though, so I'm kind of used to it.

 

There are a few films though where it can overshadow the movie. For example, it's impossible to watch The Crow without thinking of the tragic accident that ended the life of Brandon Lee during filming. The Dark Knight is another obvious example, with Heath Ledger putting on a performance of a lifetime in a movie he never got to see.

[Denim&Venöm 20,481]

Doesn't really cross my mind for movies unless it was recent. Like it was for Paul Walker in Fast 7. In a way, it really enhanced the performance, felt like he was going above and beyond the role. 

 

Music is a different story, as the musicians feel immortalized and the songs feel stronger, like they're actually a part of it when I listen and they never really went away to begin with.

 

 

[Ganondorf8 11,718]

If it was someone who passed away long before I was born, I wouldn't be bothered by it as they existed in a different time compared to the time I've been on this mortal coil. If it were someone who died within the last few years, then I would be bothered--in addition to once again repressing my age issues--although I would still watch whatever it was the deceased was doing in said media form.

[CaptainDoubloon 857]

I know what you mean, Kyoshi. I was very sad when Pete Burns died. It makes it a little difficult listening to his music and Pete's last tweet mentioned how he was looking forward to a release of a box set of his music in 10 days.

[PoisonClaw 8,174]

It depends on the person really. I have been unable to watch anything featuring JewWario or Robin Williams after their passing, but if it's someone I didn't really know or died before I was born, then I have no problem.

[Brony Number 42 10,093]

I did the same thing regarding Jewwario. I watched his videos in remembrance. But there are a lot of actors who are long gone but I still like their movies. I don't feel weird.

[Discordian 6,021]

Not at all. The product itself doesn't change and I don't get attached to people I've never met. That's like getting attached to the guy who created deep fried chicken cuz it's one of my favorite foods. I enjoy the product that was made, doesn't need to go further than that.

 

At best I'll wonder what new things they would have made if they were still alive. For example, bands like Drowning Pool changed drastically after the lead singer died. A "what could have been" kinda situation but I put no more thought into it than that and still enjoy their later music as much as their earlier music.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,825]

I always think of Paul Walker whenever I hear See You Again...I do feel sad because he was so young...

[Celtore 2,770]

Generally I'm fine with watching/listening to deceased musicians and actors. It gets a bit more difficult the more I know the person; I typically know very little of actors and musicians beyond their productions. Like most people I feel attached to though, I sometimes get a little sad and nostalgic when looking back on what they did before they died.

 

It doesn't really make me feel weird though watching the content, even if they died early. Death can strike at any age for many different reasons and sometimes, tragically, for no reason at all. As I said earlier, it sometimes hurts looking back at what someone you felt close to once did, especially in the circumstances of a suicide or really any tragic death. But their content lives on as a way to remember them as they were and as they wanted to be known. You can even relive those memories or experience pieces of themselves they left behind you might not have seen before. But really at its core, it's not all that much stranger than looking through a family photo album in a poetic sense.

[Dreambiscuit 11,342]

I sometimes get sad if it's someone I followed closely for a long time and cared for on a personal level. But I don't mind watching them in media. It's just a nice way to be able to still have them around and remember (and honor) what they gave in life. Sadness passes with time and perspective, so seeing them in movies or whatever is all good to me. 

[Bomb Sheep 77]

It's pretty depressing. If a really happy person suddenly dies and you watch their media..... that's..... DEPRESSING.