Daily Targum

It’s been a month since Liam Payne, the 31-year-old popular British singer and member of the band One Direction, die. Like many other fans around the world, I am obviously still grieving.

One Direction was a big part of my childhood. Staying up until 2 am on school nights watching YouTube clips of their documentary “One Direction: This is Us” on my Nintendo 3DS was a habit. Even though I had my hobbies, I didn’t play when it came to them.

I felt like I knew them, and now, to see a member die at such a young age is very painful. Even more heartbreaking is the way some fans are dealing with the deaths of celebrities, like Payne, on social media. Many fans lack the empathy and awareness that big stars need. These parasocial relationships forcing the all-time absurd idolatry of celebrities and supporting the toxic idea that celebrities are immortal.

Some famous people are praised and worshiped by their fans, so much so that they are seen as products of their work, while their fans are consumers. Great singers become mere vessels for the production of good songs, and good actors become vessels for the production of good films.

The truth is that fans are selfish. The first thing that some people think about when a celebrity dies is how it affects them and their daily lives. In these one-sided relationships, fans want something from these celebrities till the end.

By communicationpsychologist and psychoanalyst Hvovi Bhagwagar discusses how fans see celebrities as “immortal” and how “they can serve as an influence on us.” He continues to explain, “Often we feel that we are missing something very real. In a way, that also means that they often represent the best parts of us.”

When I first heard the news about Payne, I will admit that the first thing I felt was that part of my childhood was gone. And that was selfish. However, I didn’t dwell on that. For some One Direction fans, the real loss is that the band will probably never get back together because someone has died.

Anayka Shethe TikTok influencer and One Direction fan, talks about how the fanbase doesn’t care about the welfare of the members after there were many comments about Payne’s death online.

“I feel for One Direction, a lot of their fanbase looks at them as a fictional legend. They really don’t like and want the best for these guys. They just want to fulfill these dreams in their head,” he says.

Some fans agreed with one comment saying, “‘1D reunion will be Liam’s funeral” like why (you) say that (and) why is it your first thought .” Another comment responded, “They don’t really see them as real people with real feelings.”

What fans forget is that these celebrities were real people with real families and real lives. Their purpose is not only to make us happy but also to strengthen our desire to have friends. Fans shouldn’t do that warn others not going to Payne’s funeral just to see the other members.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. After a celebrity’s sudden death, it’s common for fans to speculate about whether or not the person is really dead. Some famous dead people, like Elvis Presley, have fallen victim to these schemes.

For years, fans claimed that Presley had been seen in public. Some even form a group called “The Elvis Sighting Society” is like a zoo animal show.

I can only imagine the endless pain and disrespect family members of famous people face. Not being able to mourn the loss of a loved one in peace is hard enough, but fighting fans who are concerned in this way is torture.

Patrick Lacy, Elvis Presley researcher who wrote “Elvis Decoded,” said“Hoaxes bring unnecessary pain to the Presley family… I believe people who say Elvis is alive are doing him and his family a disservice.”

The list of dead celebrities who were immortalized in their lifetime by fans could go on and on. Even in death, they cannot escape the fame that fans continue to strengthen after they leave this world. Yes, losing Liam Payne was something that affects my childhood memories, but it is important to remember that he was also a father, son and friend to many.

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Uju Nwanonyiri is an undergraduate student in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in journalism and media studies and public health. Nwanonyiri’s column, “Short Conversations,” starts next Thursday.

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