Rush today called it a "Parasocial Disorder" to feel such great identity with celebs, horses, dogs, cats etc. people with the disorder are compelled to send tear-streaked cards when they die. One wonders if Barbaro (meaning cruel, barbaric, mean in Spanish, by the way), will be converted to sausages or will there be a huge funeral a la Diana?
The people I've known with racehorses (all... two families), didn't turn their horses into sausage when they died, they buried them on their farms. I would expect the Jacksons would do the same.
So would it be a disorder if people felt something if Rush dies? How about Reagan? The victims in the WTC? The space shuttle tragedies? Our soldiers overseas? Most of us don't know any of them personally either, but we grieved what we did know of them when it was lost. This country is full of terrific people, animals, ideas, traditions... We can't know all of them, but some we feel some connection to. Maybe it's just an image, maybe it's that they represent something to us that is beautiful, or worthy of respect, or humble like ourselves. When we are shown great stories, or great tragedies, I admire those who feel something, but that's just me.
One wonders if Barbaro ... will be converted to sausages or will there be a huge funeral a la Diana?
Closer to the latter than the former, I imagine. I don't even think you'd want to eat a horse that died of an overdose of drugs, even to make a point about how little you cared.
Well wait til Rush's cat dies.