Forgotten Sleep

I had a feeling this would happen. On that hot June day, I turned to Loving Husband, and I told him that this would be the outcome.

On June 25, the entertainment world lost two shining stars. Farrah Fawcett lost her three-year battle with anal cancer at age 62 that day. Upon hearing the news, almost everyone mourned this loss, and NBC Dateline aired an hour-long program, called “Farrah Fawcett: The Life and Death of an Angel.” Whispered memories of her bright smile, her engaging nature, her sweet personality, and yes, that lovely hair, swirled for hours.

But, by 5:00 p.m., those whispers had stopped. Farrah’s death was shelved when more shocking news hit the air waves. Michael Jackson was rumored to have been rushed to the hospital, and word that he was dead was starting to trickle out. The King of Pop was, indeed, gone, and so was any memory that Farrah Fawcett had also lost her life.

Seeing the media pour over Michael Jackson’s death over the next few weeks and ignore Farrah Fawcett was maddening. Yes, I know that his death was suspicious, and his doctor is now under indictment. But, a death is a death, loss is a loss and human life is human life. All are equal.

It wasn’t until Sunday night, though, that I realized the true extent to which she had been pushed outside of our collective memory. The In Memorium segment at the Academy Awards has always been a time to remember the talented people who have left us during the previous year and reflect upon their achievements. This year’s list was incomplete — as the names and faces flashed across the screen, Farrah Fawcett was nowhere to be found. But, Michael Jackson was.

As an aside, I’m well aware that the Academy didn’t include Bea Arthur, as well. This also makes me sad, but the specific circumstances around Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson gave me greater pause.

Now, I am one of MJ’s biggest fans. I still dance to his music and can vividly remember pulling out the vinyl Thriller album that my parents bought me so I could flit around the room. I deeply mourned his death. But, to label him as an actor is simply inaccurate and unfair to those who devote their lives to the craft.

It breaks my heart for Farrah Fawcett’s family that not only was her death quickly forgotten because a bigger, and arguably more bizarre, star followed her closely in passing, but she was also overlooked for a list of actors and actresses who died in 2009. A list, people. She was left off a list. Someone really fell down on the job by omitting her. This isn’t like going to the grocery store and forgetting the peanut butter because you forgot to write it down. This is forgetting to acknowledge a living, breathing being who worked hard to entertain us and fought valiantly for her life.

There is something fundamentally wrong with that. The Academy’s lame excuse that they “can’t include everyone” is ridiculous. Some of these In Memorium segments have lingered on the screen far longer that I would’ve liked. You would hope that records are scrubbed to make sure that no one is left out.

And, in the case of two deaths in one day — you make sure you include both. It’s just what you do, period