Imagine being Russell Crowe, at home, early one morning, sipping coffee and relaxing. After logging on to his
computer, he comes across a story online that says he, the actor, singer, songwriter originally from New
Zealand, died while filming in Austria. Can you just see the utter shock on his face? Reportedly, that is exactly what happened. Crowe was declared dead on June 10. The great news is: Russell Crowe is still very much alive, and doing well.
Hold on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen, there's more. Lots more. Jeff Goldblum supposedly died while filming in New Zealand. Kanye West died in a car accident back in October 2009. Add Miley Cyrus and Eminem to that list. Stories surfaced online that they met their demise in auto accidents, also.
The list seems endless: Natalie Portman, Lady Gaga, George Clooney, Britney Spears, Harrison Ford, Justin Bieber, Ellen DeGeneres, Johnny Depp, and James Avery, who played Philip Banks, the dad on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Just for the record, all of these celebrities are alive and well, working, entertaining, and enjoying life.
Exactly what is going on and why is this happening? One explanation is attention. In an age of fast-moving information, it is difficult to control what is put out there on the Internet. A fair share of the culprits who do this are simply "attention seekers." Like Michael Jackson said in his song, they "wanna be starting something."
One person who isn't helping matters is Rich Hoover. He has a website, fakeawish.com, where anyone can insert the name of a celebrity into five templates that report outlandish stories concerning his/her death. Some ideas are not harmless pranks, and words can have far-reaching effects.
Take the case of 72-year-old Bill Cosby. According to a report, Cosby was found dead in a chair by his wife, Camille, in early February. This false account of Cosby's death was generated to get readers to purchase fake anti-virus software, also known as scareware. It claimed that the person received the story because there was a security issue with his/her computer.
See Also : Justin Bieber Died
Perhaps the most unsettling story of all for me was of the "death angel" making a visit to actor Patrick Swayze.
The 56-year-old actor had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. (See video with Barbara
Walters
here). A Jacksonville, Florida, radio station recklessly reported that Swayze had died. You remember Swayze from movies like "Dirty Dancing," and one of my favorites, "Ghost," with Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg.
It was heartbreaking to hear that someone would do such a thing to a man who was courageously fighting for his life and sick practically everyday. Getting publicity at the expense of another human being puts humanity at an all-time low. It's extremely disturbing to the individual being talked about, their family members, (especially their children), and to the fans.
I'm not sure what can be done about the misinformation streaming out from the Internet. Much of the problem is that it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint the source. The individuals who participate in this sort of unsavory activity have lost their sense of decency and respect for human beings. Boundaries have been crossed with no regard for the feelings of those they are falsely creating rumors about or how it could adversely effect their lives.
Sadly enough, Patrick Swayze did eventually die on September 14, 2009, after a 20 month battle with cancer at age 57. (See video here). But, I know it was devastating for him to hear the "premature news." I know because I saw him on one of the talk shows express disappointment over tabloid stories that had him already buried six feet under. Think of what that did to his morale. Putting false rumors out into cyberspace. All for just a little publicity.
Perhaps the most unsettling story of all for me was of the "death angel" making a visit to actor Patrick Swayze.
The 56-year-old actor had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. (See video with Barbara
Walters
here). A Jacksonville, Florida, radio station recklessly reported that Swayze had died. You remember Swayze from movies like "Dirty Dancing," and one of my favorites, "Ghost," with Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg.
It was heartbreaking to hear that someone would do such a thing to a man who was courageously fighting for his life and sick practically everyday. Getting publicity at the expense of another human being puts humanity at an all-time low. It's extremely disturbing to the individual being talked about, their family members, (especially their children), and to the fans.
I'm not sure what can be done about the misinformation streaming out from the Internet. Much of the problem is that it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint the source. The individuals who participate in this sort of unsavory activity have lost their sense of decency and respect for human beings. Boundaries have been crossed with no regard for the feelings of those they are falsely creating rumors about or how it could adversely effect their lives.
Sadly enough, Patrick Swayze did eventually die on September 14, 2009, after a 20 month battle with cancer at age 57. (See video here). But, I know it was devastating for him to hear the "premature news." I know because I saw him on one of the talk shows express disappointment over tabloid stories that had him already buried six feet under. Think of what that did to his morale. Putting false rumors out into cyberspace. All for just a little publicity.
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