Opinion: Liam Payne and the Importance of Grieving Celebrity Deaths

A memorial photo set up for Liam Payne. | AP Photo/Paul White

Singer and former member of the hit band, One Direction, Liam Payne, passed away at age 31 on October 16 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

Liam Payne’s death has had a major impact on fans, especially those who have been following him since his beginnings with One Direction. Social media sites have been flooded with messages from fans sharing their grief and memories about the news.

For people who grew up with One Direction, hearing the news of Liam’s death was not easy. One Direction’s fanbase, the “Directioners,” were unprecedented in their level of dedication and fandom to the band. Fans would spend so much of their time acutely following band updates, watching their videos, and even creating stories and forming communities around the members (who also included Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik).

According to “The Impact One Direction Has Had On A Generation” by Kaycee Wilson, “As a result of the boyband, millions of people around the world were able to come together — whether it be through social media or in real life — and share with one another this common love that they each held for the band.”

“Ultimately, One Direction has acted as a beacon of light and hope to many people all over the world — whether it was because they were struggling with mental disorders or simply looking for a sign of hope and cheerfulness — by bringing them together and causing many smiles all over the world, as well as laughter and happiness.”

Due to the devotion of the fanbase, One Direction became so much more than a band for so many people, by becoming a part of who they are and adding to a shared experience that many fans had during youth.

It’s easy to see that many of the most die-hard Directioners had formed close connections with the members. To an extreme, some of these could be classified as what psychologists call “parasocial relationships,” which are a one-sided relationship, typically with a celebrity, in which someone dedicates much time, energy, and feeling into a person who may not even know of their existence.

According to “You and I: Parasocial Relationships, Social Media, and Fan Labor in the One Direction Fandom” by Kathryn Meese, “Fans are motivated to use social media because it encourages a sense of affinity with artists through the interaction it provides, and in fact, the disclosure of exclusive information and content strengthens parasocial relationships.”

Because of this, Liam’s death hit hard for so many of the fans. He and the height of One Direction represented a time of childhood and adolescence, and in a way, his death seems to cement the “end” of this childhood feeling.

The departing of a beloved celebrity can even be akin to losing a loved one. Despite not knowing them in real life, a celebrity can hold a really impactful role in someone’s life. Especially for musicians, because there is a stronger sense of connection when someone can hear how someone’s feeling through a song.

Even though he was a performer living a completely separate life from fans, his music and videos were there for fundamental moments throughout their lives. Liam’s voice was always there for fans when they needed it.

While at first it may seem strange to grieve the death of a celebrity, to those who have been more impacted by their influence, it is important to feel those emotions.

“They don’t quite hit the same – a fictional character can be reanimated after enough outrage, but a celebrity can’t – but because of how the parasocial relationship can work, we’re hit with similar feelings of loss because someone we’re attached to, who’s responsible for our serotonin overload, is suddenly no longer around,” state Teen Vogue article “On Celebrity Deaths, Fandom Friends, and How to Grieve Online,” continuing “Grief, increasingly, is a significant aspect of fandom as the people in our offline or fannish lives pass away, but it’s also something that fandom can help us navigate and manage thanks to the connections we’ve made and the media that fuels us.”

The article also offers ideas on how to grieve the loss of a beloved celebrity: “First of all, take care of yourself and give yourself time to figure things out and heal. Your grief isn’t something you can get over in a matter of minutes. It’s not something you need to be graceful about. However you process — whether it’s on your main fandom account or in private with your closest friends — what matters is that you take stock of your emotional well-being and provide yourself with room to cry, rage, and unpack the devastation caused by a loss.”

At the end of the day, Liam Payne’s death is emotionally turbulent for his many fans. His passing is beyond that of a tragic event and represents the end of happier, lighter times and the end of a strong emotional connection. The enormous fanbase for Liam and One Direction has been coming together in grief.

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