Why do people mourn celebrities they don’t (personally) know? It happens whenever a familiar name passes away. In recent years, Michael Jackson, Robin Williams and this week — David Bowie and Alan Rickman — and draws huge outpourings of public mourning from fans and others who take to social media and other outlets to profess their sorrow. Why does this happen? Sociology professor Theresa Martinez is available to comment on this phenomenon. The best way to reach her is via email.
Email: theresa.martinez@soc.utah.edu