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Marx and Spencer

What's the difference between Karl Marx and Diana Spencer? The answer is that one of them was mourned by millions, whilst the other passed away virtually unnoticed. When Karl Marx was buried in London in 1883, only eleven people attended his funeral, yet millions lined the streets of London or watched from their homes as Princess Diana was buried. Marx was one of the key intellectual thinkers of the 19th century, his theories are still widely influential today, and yet the mention of his death does not stir up any emotion in people. In contrast, the response to Diana's death was overwhelming; grown men wept like babies, people took time off work with depression, and numerous conspiracy theories emerged because people could not accept that she had simply died in a car crash, as so many other people do every single day.

The differing appeals of Marx and Spencer is fairly obvious; one appeals to the heart, the other to the mind, but how could so many people be simultaneously grieving for a lady who, no matter how widely admired, they had never met? I suspect it is because people felt they knew Diana in some way through her portrayal in the media, yet the notion of mourning somebody who you have never met, and realistically know nothing about, is ludicrous when you think about it. There have been other instances of celebrity deaths which have caused widespread grief among the masses, in particular Elvis Pressley (some people are completely unable to accept his death and actually believe he is still alive), John F Kennedy, Curt Cobain and Andrew Ridgeley (dead only in the metaphorical sense).

In our modern celebrity-focused society, it is inevitable that people feel they know the actors, singers and footballers who appear in their living room each evening. A level of attachment develops and sometimes great admiration can follow, but it is not possible to truly know and love someone you have never met or spoken with personally. The attachment is merely an illusion, as the real person is disguised and distorted through the media into someone or something quite different to who they really are.

It is fair to say that Princess Diana made a positive contribution to society. She did a great deal for charity, and although she had the time on her hands thanks to not being burdened with having to work for a living, she did it all through her own free-will, which is admirable. If people look to Diana and see someone they like, a positive role model, then it figures that her passing would result in some feelings of sadness, but people also mourn negative role models in the same way. The recent death of George Best sparked much public outcry and tributes flowed in from all around the world, yet what did he actually do for the good of society? He was a great footballer player for a scant few years, but spent most of his life drinking heavily and abusing women, not to mention buying his way up the waiting list for a new liver at the expense of genuinely needy people. This suggests that grieving celebrity deaths is linked to a much more general need to release emotions.

The rise of organised football can be closely linked to the working classes in the 19 th century, particularly the men of the era. The big teams emerged from large industrial towns where huge numbers of men worked and lived, and who needed something to fulfil their lives aside from work. The notion of wandering down to the terrace on a Saturday afternoon to shout, sing, cheer, mock and occasionally cry was exciting. The rules were different inside the ground; you didn't have to keep it all in. Football gave men a way to be emotional; if the team wins, you can hug your mates without fear of homosexual mocking, and if the team loses and is relegated, everyone can have a good cry and curse the manager for playing Roy of the Rovers in the wrong position, or the referee for his mistakes. Modern football has become a middle-class toy; the bigger teams have no soul and treat their fans like a cash-cow, milking them for every last penny to keep the shareholders happy, and yet people still flock to the stadiums every week because they need the emotional outlet.

The festive season can be a very sad time for many people, especially anyone who has recently suffered a loss. It is a time for families to be together, and so it is inevitable that it is also a time to reflect on the passing of those who are no longer with us. In this way, Christmas can be an outlet for stored grief, feelings of sadness which we acquire during the year and put to one side because we are busy with work or other daily grinds can suddenly surface and come flooding out. In the same way, Diana's death acted as a catharsis for the masses, allowing millions of people to cry in public and release all their stored grief without having to explain themselves or preserve their dignity. Whilst many people were doubtless sad to see a public figure pass away, in reality a million lost mothers, fathers, partners and children were cried for at Diana's funeral.

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