Op-Ed: One More Tragic Celebrity

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.