Only The Good Die Young

Upon hearing the recent news of Glee star Cory Monteith's death, naturally, I was upset. Death is upsetting. The thing about celebrity deaths is that most people don't know how to immediately react. Some are crying into their pillows with their legs flailing in the air on top of them. Others say, "Poor thing" or "Well, it was bound to happen eventually" and go on with their days as they normally would.

Like a lot of young females around my age, I first caught a glimpse of Cory Monteith in the pilot episode of FOX's Glee after the season 8 finale of American Idol (anyone else remember the tragic results of that season? Yup. Kris Allen vs Adam Lambert). The show went off my radar for a while, but I eventually became one of those horrid Gleeks about a year later. I even performed some of the show's arrangements with my high school choir group. (I'm desperately trying to suppress the memory of singing "Don't Stop Believin'"just fyi). I stopped watching the show last fall after losing interest and not being able to motivate myself to illegally stream any of the episodes.

The first reports of Cory's death had a big "overdose" trailing after cause of death speculation, but, as of this very moment, it's still quite uncertain to the general public what caused such a promising star to suddenly kick his almighty bucket and turn out the lights for good. Whether it was a bad cocktail of a little bit of this and just a pinch of that or something else, seeing the news of Cory's passing still remains a reminder that no one (whether in the glimmer of fame and fortune or not) is immortal and out of death's sexy grip.

The dimples, for my lady readers. 

Famous names like River Phoenix, who died from a heroine/cocaine overdose outside Hollywood's The Viper Room in 1993 at the age of 23, and Heath Ledger, who died after taking a cocktail of prescription drugs in 2008 at the age of 28, are attached to both great talent and the sadness that drug
abuse brings to fans all over the world. Other names like Michael Jackson, Janis Joplin, Elvis, and sex goddess Marilyn Monroe also come coated in the bitter taste of the kiss of death with a hint of overdose.

The thing, though, is that people have this idea that if you're young, you can't die. Just look at that shitty saying that people are passing around like a bad case of mono. YOLO. You only live once. I mean, yes, it's true, but isn't it more appropriate to say, "You only die once?" Too bad YODO doesn't roll off the tongue quite like sounding like a douchebag does. That, and I doubt Kanye or Justin Bieber could concoct a clever rhyme or pun to go with it.

Wait. Let me try.

Yodo... Yo... do... Yo Dough. 

I just did, and I don't even rap, so erase that reason.

While I won't cry myself to sleep over Cory's death any time soon, my sympathies go out to the cast of Glee, Cory's family, and to his large, supportive group of loyal fans during this difficult time.

As for my readers, if I find out any of you overdose (either accidentally or intentionally) on any kind of substance and die, I will personally come kick your ass and kill you. Yes, I know what I just said. Laugh, peasants!