In this episode, we dive headfirst into the world of celebrity deaths and the intriguing emotional rollercoaster they stir up. Inspired by Billy Joel’s hit song "Only the Good Die Young," we ask: why are we so fascinated by celebrity death? Why does it seem like so many of our icons, from Amy Winehouse to Kurt Cobain and Heath Ledger, leave us too soon? And what’s up with the infamous 27 Club?

We take a deep dive into parasocial relationships—the one-sided (but totally normal!) bonds we form with celebrities we’ve never met but feel like we know. It’s wild how deeply we can grieve someone we’ve only seen through a screen or heard through speakers, but it’s real, and we’re here to explore why that happens. Social media has turned these experiences up to eleven, giving us constant access to tributes, memorials, and even AI-generated versions of our lost icons. Could AI and holograms change the way we grieve in the future? Will we still mourn when we can ‘see’ a performer on stage after they're gone? Through some personal stories and relatable reflections, we’ll look at how mourning celebrities can mirror our own grief for loved ones, and how these public losses shape the way we navigate our private grief. Join us for a thought-provoking and maybe even healing conversation about the lasting influence these stars have on our lives, even after they’re gone. Check out⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Keep Grief Weird on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for exclusive episode notes, resources, and opportunities to connect!

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Music kindly provided by⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tom Rosenthal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The song excerpted at the beginning and end of each episode is "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have We Met Before? feat. Fenne Lily"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from the album⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Z-Sides⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, released in 2018.

MC McDonald and Tracy Benjamin host Keep Grief Weird, produced by Tracy Benjamin. For questions, stories, or comments, please reach out via DM on Instagram (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@keepgriefweird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) or email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠keepgriefweird@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.