Posthumous Love
“Nadie sabe lo que tiene hasta que lo pierde”
I was watching a show which was well into its 6th season as they relayed an episode a week. Being a huge fan of the show, I joined their social media pages where several fans like me used to share views and opinions on the latest episode and its characters and conspiracy theories.
Now, this show had a particularly negative character whom we all hated from the beginning. He has been nothing but a phony showboat who, with his position of power did nothing but cause hurt to the protagonist (whom we all loved).
We all fans waited till the final season to see how this bad guy would be humiliated and hurt and we wanted to see him walk with his tail between his legs.
The day finally came, he was indeed humiliated and hurt, and everything but, the creators of the shows decided to 'kill' him to create a sense of shock and awe.
It worked, I was shocked but also relieved and was expecting everyone to be relieved too.
But I was surprised with the reactions on social media, as everyone started talking about 'how good the character was'. Not just 'good for the storyline', but now that fans started rooting for the character who, now they believe was "a good man caught in bad times" and didn't deserve to die. Their love for this character grew so much that the actor who played that character was getting 'unheeded' love from the show's fanbase all over the world.
I keep wondering, would they all have given him as much love and affection had he not been killed?
I was troubled with this lingering thought 'why do we love a person "AFTER" they die'?
I am sure you remember many such instances in the recent past where a celebrity suddenly gains traction and uproar for his achievements soon as they die. I remember many such instances and thought there may be some psychological reason behind this phenomenon. So I went to Google and surprisingly, there is nothing on the internet that could explain this phenomenon.
The Spanish quote above means "You don't know what you have until it's gone". As cliched as it sounds it also feels ambiguous and ineffective.
Our love can't be this shallow, can it?
I started thinking about all the people in our history who were disliked or even hated when alive but were adored after they died.
Galileo Galilei: The Father of Modern Physics, this man took us a little closer to the celestial bodies through his invention of the telescope and visionary theories about the solar system. But he was highly criticised and ridiculed during his time as his vision contrasted the predominant religious beliefs of society. The revolutionary scientist, mathematician, and astronomer who passed away in 1642 is still idolised by many now.
Henry David Thoreau: This world-famous philosopher whose political writings have inspired many world leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr and Leo Tolstoy died in 1862. With little money to his name coming from working in a pencil factory and occasional lecturing when he was alive, Henry took to alcoholism after his wife died. He is now praised universally for his unique style and views on nature.
Oscar Wilde: What you might not know about Oscar Wilde is that this novelist, playwright and poet was completely bankrupt at the time of his death in 1900. His unrivalled glory only came due to the buzz created by his imprisonment. The writer endowed the world with his amazing style and unapologetic wit which we cherish today.
Jeff Buckley: Ever sang the ‘Hallelujah’ song? The singer of this massively loved song died before its release. His posthumously produced albums became overnight sensations and the audience mourned this legendary singer who died too soon. His recordings of unfinished albums are also played on the loop by many.
Herman Melville: The prestigious writer, known for writing Moby Dick, a classic in literature, couldn’t even afford a substandard living. With many novels, poems and short stories to his name, Melville now stands tall among the most influential writers ever.
Sylvia Plath: American novelist and poet won the Pulitzer Prize in 1982, nearly 20 years after her death in 1963. The first poet ever to win a posthumous Pulitzer. Plath's three most famous collections, including her Pulitzer-winning "The Collected Poems," were published after her death.
Anne Frank: She became famous not only after her death but also because of her death. One of the victims of the Holocaust, Frank is known today for her diary in which she poured her heart and described the atrocities of the Holocaust.
John Lennon: This English singer, songwriter, and a part of the popular band The Beatles, John Lennon was hated for his exit from the band. His murder contributed to his popularity and is placed in the Songwriters Hall of Fame posthumously.
Vincent van Gogh: a name that resonates in all our minds from the world of art. The painter, who struggled with epilepsy and depression, left behind the art to be celebrated for centuries. Often referred to as ‘the misunderstood genius,’ the unappreciated artist who died in 1890 could sell only 1 painting during his lifetime. Today his unrivalled art is a legacy and is priced in millions.
And many others from history like William Shakespeare, Kurt Kobain, Guru Dutt, Chester Bennington (Linkin Park), Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, and even George Floyd.
What made these people famous? was it death alone? or did they have any talent that was not recognised at that time?
Take Shakespeare for example. I know what you’re thinking. Shakespeare is mega-famous and had to have been super popular during his time, right?
Well, not exactly. Shakespeare was regarded as a popular poet and a successful playwright when he was alive, but he was nowhere near being widely recognized as one of the greatest writers to have ever lived. Five years after his death, his work was collected in the year 1623 and compiled as the First Folio of his work.
But one of the reasons he got so popular post-death was that all plays and performances were banned in England from 1642 to 1660 thanks to Puritan leadership taking over the country due to the English Civil War. Because he had become so popular during this underground period, Shakespeare became overwhelmingly popular about 50 years after his death.
Or Michael Jackson whose ardent fans too believed all the conspiracies around his life and suddenly after death, they all went 'hush'. why? because we believe that the dead should be respected 'irrespective'? what about Hitler? are we respecting him? I am sure there are a few sympathisers for Hitler and have their justifications for it.
The question is not:
whether we should respect the dead "irrespective"
The question is:
whether we should respect the living "irrespective"
The phenomenon of PDA has taken its toll on relationships as people are so engrossed in expressing their affection "towards the person" in front of the world
but are totally forgetting to express it to the person.
This article was not about asking you to love everyone equally.
This article is about expressing your love before you lose the chance to.
Don't wait for your love to become Posthumous Love.
Peace.
