Why do we Celebrate Dead People’s Birthdays?
by Linus
If you happened to visit Google yesterday, as I do at least 37 times each day, you noticed their cute little depiction of the word Google appeared as a cartoon Julia Child. The reason, because yesterday was Julia Child’s 100th birthday…well it would have been if she weren’t dead. That’s the whole point…she’s dead! Why are we celebrating her birthday? If you’re happening around the internet today, you are starting to see Elvis (*sigh*) articles all over the place. The reason, because today is the day Elvis died. He’s dead people…let him go. I get it if he died last year, it’s a moment for all the die-hard fans to remember what it was like when he was alive, how their lives were so much better, how the world was a better place to live…but do these people realize he’s been dead for 35 years? In the year 2112, are there really going to be droves of idiots going to Memphis to celebrate the 135th anniversary of his death? Probably. It’s time to move on, we as a society have too big of a problem letting go. I really don’t care much for Elvis, so he had a few decent songs, appeared in a few movies, but without Forrest Gump teaching him how to move his hips…where would he be?
We put idiots like Elvis on higher pedestals than we do Presidents. Quick, what was the date that Abraham Lincoln died? Without Google, you don’t know. When was the last time you turned on the news and saw a tribute to Abe’s 203rd birthday? Or when you paid your taxes this past April, did you think to yourself…wow, good ole Abe’s been dead for 147 years…I can’t believe it’s been that long. If you’re a betting person, I would bet that next (insert date here when Michael Jackson died) you will see Google do one of their famous animated logos*, and it will probably be of Mike moonwalking.
There are sooooooo many people whose birthday or deathdays we should be honoring ahead of Julia ‘potential CIA spy’ Child, or Elvis ‘without Forrest I would be nothing’ Presley, or Michael ‘hey your son is cute’ Jackson. It is just another illustration that our priorities are so far out of whack. We are a society that is so fixated on celebrities it’s scary. Forget about the whole Princess Diana thing, how is there no law here to curb the insane measures that the paparazzi go through to get photographs? They are literally hanging out of trees to get a shot…nothing wrong with that, there are hords of the walking backwards down a street so we can get a shot of some actress walking…that makes sense.
If you want to honor some dead celebrity, then do us all a favor and do it in your own home…and please keep all pertinent info related to dead celebrity off the internet. If you are that pathetic, then there’s a good chance you aren’t ready for society anyway. Take the day off work, play all their records/cd’s, watch all their movies, think of all the ways their life was better than yours, then move on. In case you need some assistance, the key to that last sentence was the part about MOVING ON. Chances are the celebrity you are honoring is literally a pile of bones…so when you think about it, you are honoring a pile of bones…aye.
*Note – if you work at Google, please tell them I love those animated logos. The ones depicting sports during the Olympics were great.
The Cynics Workshop 
mmmm…not sure I agree. Personally, I see no harm in honouring people, like Shakespeare for example, who have been ‘a pile of bones’ for hundreds of years, but their work lives on. Really, it’s just a good excuse to remember someone or something great for 5 minutes.
Having said that, I think we either choose to celebrate birthdays or deathdays! There’s really no point in celebrating both – that’s just overkill.
I think basically there’s no harm in a little bit of google animation now and again. I myself wasn’t interested in Julia Child, therefore I clicked once, and didn’t click any further! Easy. So long as it’s not being pushed down our throats, which perhaps Elvis might be, I’m ok with that!
I have no problem with a bit of Google animation either, but I do have a problem with 15 different articles by 16 different people all talking about the same dead celebrity on the same website.
I applaud your example of Shakespeare too, I have no problem with a few minutes of remembrance for him either, but do we really need to be subjected to 26 days of remembrance when Robert Downey Jr. dies?
I guess for me it comes down to two things, the first is everything in moderation, and the second is to make sure the that we are honoring the right person, i.e. Shakespeare or Abraham Lincoln…not Elvis.
I completely see what you’re saying, though I really would mourn the death of Robert Downey Jr!
When google does that it confuses me! I was like…uh, Julia Childs is dead….isn’t she??
Yes she is…she died in 2004. Google did that to celebrate what would have been her 100th birthday.
I agree 100%, Google had a weird thing up, so I clicked on it. Maria Montessori turns 142 today, not really cause like you said, she’s dead since 1952? Never heard of her and not up for a history lesson. I sense agenda. That being said, there are a lot of other search engines, maybe make one of those my home pages 🙂 Freedom.
I totally agree, people do not continue to age when they have died and it is so wrong to wish someone a happy 200th birthday. Firstly, humans do not live much over 100 and if they are dead, they certainly are not having a “happy” birthday. If Google want to do something like this, they should say “Joe Blogs was born on this day, 200 years ago” or “Joe Blogs was born on this day, and would have been 200 years old today”.
I would even disagree with ‘would have been 200 years old today’. That assumes a possibility that they could have lived that long. We’re not trees or turtles! If they must put something, your other suggestion is fine. But I agree with the article. No one in their right mind is ‘celebrating’ dead people’s birthdays–at least not in the traditional sense. And if they are celebrating it, they probably didn’t need a reminder.
This reminds me of the roadside memorials that are seen all over our nation’s roads. No other signs are allowed without a permit, but these signs are okay. Even the grass cutters go around them. Maybe there is someone who wants to move on about that person, but has to drive by that memorial every day. There is a place for these things; it’s called a cemetery.
I agree that birthdays are for the living. As we age we don’t necessarily want to celebrate birthdays but it’s important as a celebration of LIFE.
It’s nice to honour special people, loved ones, etc. on what would have been their birthdays if they were still alive but different wording is needed.
Celebrating their life is important, but knowing someone would have been 173 years old today is silly. It would be better if they said a person died 28 years ago today…that I would rather know.
Finally is good to know that I am not the only one that doesn’t want to say happy birthday to somebody that is dead I agree 100% with Linus, birthdays are for people that are alive celebrating another live birth and yes they should word it differently.
This reminds me ET (Entertainment Tonight), at one time they celebrated James Coburn’s birthday even though he had died a year earlier… it was a mistake but it’s just as creepy but Google does it on purpose.
How long is this going to go on with Google? Celebrating he/she’s 1000th birthday… oh boy…
It is creepy, you are right. There is a way to honor or celebrate people after they die…and telling me that today would have been their 403rd birthday isn’t the way
I totally agree. I’ve been raked over the hot coals for saying the same thing on Facebook. I agree that we can honour a dead person’s memory, but saying happy birthday to them on Facebook is just weird. They’re dead. They’re not celebrating a birthday, because they’re dead.
Instead of saying ‘Happy birthday,’ to dead people on an internet platform for others to see, I think it’s more appropriate to say something like, “I miss my dad. It would have been his birthday today if he was still alive.”
I like your suggestion, that’s a nice (and normal) way to show love for someone who is no longer here. Plus, I would think people would be more apt to comment if you said today was your Dad’s birthday and you miss him as opposed to saying he would be 143 years old today.
The next time someone rakes you over the coals, show them this so they can see that you’re not alone in your thinking.
I like to say “Happy Birthday, Mom (or Dad)” to myself on those days, but I don’t say “Happy 80th Birthday” or whatever; it makes it sound like they are still alive. I just privately celebrate the date and don’t try to imagine how old they would be if still alive. Similar to what you do, but not on Facebook.
i could not agree more, i get sick of it, how can it be their Birthday if they are dead ?, if they are not there to blow the candles out the counter has stopped, and another thing cus they are dead we celebrate twice with both thier “birthday” and the day they died FFS, oh and i cannot end without mentioning William II, Prince of Orange, who would of been 388 today
i like google
i like google too
Frank sinatra is dead he is not turning 100 he never will
Why are we using his name as a way to celebrate something for the pretty people
Why not give all that money to people that are alive???? Who really need it And not have another “event” for the Hollywood rich to celebrate themselves
I am happy they think so much of themselves to do this and they call it honoring thr 100 birthday of Frank but really
Get a life people!!!!
And we wonder why the world is the way it is today
This is why I switched to Bing.
haha…that’s great!
Honor the people who have done good things. I think this day in history would be better suited in honoring people. I think honoring people who are already dead doesn’t give them the credibility on the events or events for which they became famous. Celebrate birthdays of the people who are alive and the notable events of the ones who have past on as this day in history.
I agree Jim…well said.
Thank you for echoing my sentiments, Linus!
I came here from Google just now and do agree, mostly. I don’t mind knowing that some such person was born today X number of years ago, but it ain’t their birthday if they’re dead, is it? It’s the anniversary of their birth. Or maybe it’s their birthday, what do I know? Would have been their birthday? It’s okay to know they existed, but hmm.
The earliest known example of this I can recall is Schroeder from Peanuts celebrating Beethoven’s birthday, but Good Grief it’s BEETHOVEN! So I’m okay with that! Christmas is an exception as well. I think the person has to be famous enough for most to know who they were and for those folks to obviously realize they are long dead, but I guess I don’t know how that is determined.
Today (Feb. 8th 2018) it was Paula Modersohn-Becker’s 142nd birthday. Well that is great, let us get her a cake and some of those cardboard hats and go sing to her. Oh wait, she died in 1907! Could be a Jeopardy question I guess. I don’t see her getting her picture on bubble gum cards though.
As an earlier person said, smells like an agenda. Or maybe I’m just jealous that 100+ years after I die Google and anyone else won’t remember or care that I was born! Oh well, life goes on, so to speak.
Well said Opus, and let it be known that I am a fan of any comment that mentions world famous pianist Schroeder from Peanuts.
Why not just celebrate Manson, Son of Sam, Lizzy Borden, Bundy, Aileen Wuornos(killed seven men) etc. Why should we discriminate? Why can’t we include the evil celebrities, too. Maybe, Google can celebrate them on the “Dark Web”……
Maybe there is a ‘Dark Google’ where they do actually celebrate those…
whats the point everyone who does this will die eventually