I'm usually kind of cynical when it comes to celebrities and the circus atmosphere surrounding them. Some will say that I'm usually kind of cynical. Period. But I digress. Thing is that I read this article in the April 2008 issue of Glamour Magazine yesterday that really bummed me out a little bit. Part of the introductory paragraph reads: " Britney Spears now has another distinction to add to her collection of dubious achievements: She is among the group of young celebs whose obituaries have already been written..."Obituaries have long been prepared for famous senior citizens, and though the media are reluctant to confirm names, some young celebs are now getting them too."
So Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Courtney Love and Mary-Kate Olsen among others, have advance obits prepared in anticipation of their early demise and self-destruction. '“It's a sign of the timesâ€', says Jesse Washington the entertainment editor at the Associated Press who was interviewed for this article and who admits that he keeps what can only be termed as a "death watch" on Winehouse and Spears.
It is a sign of very sad times indeed.
Spoof Celeb Obituaries
Britney, Amy, Whitney, Courtney, Mary-Kate
Trend Themes
1. Celebrity Death Prophecies - Opportunity for death prediction technology in tracking celebrities' health and well-being.
2. Pre-written Obituaries - Opportunity to develop ethical guidelines for writing 'prepared' celebrity obituaries.
3. Celebrity Grieving Culture - Opportunity for innovation in creating economic and artistic platforms that help individuals and industries cope with the premature loss of public figures.
Industry Implications
1. Media - Opportunity to integrate automated systems for monitoring celebrities' health and activities, along with ethical standards for reporting and disclosing such information.
2. Funeral Services - Opportunity for developing specialized and personalized funeral and memorial services for public figures along with their fans and communities.
3. AI-powered Content Creation - Opportunity for developing software and algorithms for creating pre-written obituaries for public figures that are more engaging, insightful, and meaningful.