Cult of Dead Celebrity: Websites that Fuel the Fascination

In recent years, Western Civilization has become increasingly obsessed with dead celebrities. Now there are many websites that fuel that guilty pleasure. Welcome to the cult of dead celebrity.

Cult of dead celebrity website #1 - Findadeath.com

Hands down, this is one of the most gruesome, disturbing, and fascinating website dealing with the cult of dead celebrities. Here you will find detailed information on the deaths of most celebrities. Highlights include documentation and pictures of the deal of Dale Earnhardt (not for the squeamish), the story of the death of Steve McQueen in a hospital in Mexico, and the heart tugging true story of Gilda Radner's fight against cancer. Many of the entries include extensive documentation in the form of copies of death certificates, copies of autopsy reports, pictures of just about everything, and information on burial sites.

While this website straddles the line of good taste and privacy, you can't help but become fascinated by the sheer amount of information provided. You also have to wonder how the owner of the website obtained all of his information. Considering all of the legends and half-truths involved in many shocking celebrity deaths, the website does a good job in trying to present the information in a factual manner. They don't sugarcoat anything, and you'd be surprised how some of your favorite celebrities died. If nothing else, the website reminds people that celebrities are just people too. They necessarily meet glamorous ends. One can only wonder just how much information will be dug up surrounding the death of Anna Nicole Smith. This entry is under construction.

Cult of dead celebrity website #2 - Deadoraliveinfo.com

Long a favorite at parties, deadoraliveinfo.com is alive and well. For those who don't know, this website allows you to search the name of a celebrity, and it will tell you whether that person is dead or alive. It will also tell you in a brief statement just why that person is famous in the first place. This is the website to go to when you are unsure if a celebrity is alive and well or not. For example, long before his death in 2002, there were rumors that Richard Pryor had died back in the mid to late 1990s. This website puts those bets to rest.

Cult of dead celebrity website #3 - Imdb.com

Imdb.com is the granddaddy of celebrity websites. However, it is the only place to go for in depth information regarding the life and deaths of celebrities. You won't find documentation as on Findadeath.com, but you will provide more career information that you'd think possible. Also, if you love to chat about celebrities, alive or dead, TV shows, and movies, imdb.com has a forum for just about everything. If your favorite celebrity dies, you can mourn on-line with thousands of other fans via this forum. It is also a good portal to specific fan websites.

Cult of dead celebrity website #4 - Amiright.com

Relatively unknown when compared with the websites included above, amiright.com targets the music industry. On this website, one can find all kinds of jokes about their favorite music celebrities, dead or alive. Many of the jokes border on tasteless and macabre. However, there is much more to the website than just macabre jokes about John Lennon, Janis Joplin, Linda McCartney, and Buddy Holly, it also includes several pages and categories of information on misheard lyrics and plays on popular songs.

For those who think it is ghoulish to be fascinated with the cult of dead celebrity, you can't deny our culture's increasing fascination with them, especially in light of the death of Anna Nicole Smith. At least the Internet provides a less intrusive way to get the information people crave. It would be nice if TV networks, the big 4 and cable alike, would leave this seedy side of American culture to the Internet. It would save the family, friends, and loved-ones of celebrities such as Anna Nicole Smith a lot of grief. Maybe people could then get some real news.