Dead Celebrities' Growing Success; Wrong?

The life of celebrities is presented greatly in the media. It is mostly broadcasted in every single detail; from what they eat, to whom they date, and to their everyday lifestyle. The especially known celebrities are more talked about after their death rather than during their life, but this time, they're not the ones granting permission to the media. In fact, it would not be up to them at all. So, the question is: who is responsible for the dead celebrities' growing success if they are already passed? And why? After the death of an acclaimed figure, one can notice that the celebrity's brand is more alive than ever.

A deceased superstar, such as Michael Jackson, is now more famous and "richer" than ever, thanks to his authentic branding that millions of people still invest in. The brand of Michael Jackson is so over-marketed that one might ask, when Michael Jackson was still alive, did he own his own name? Making money off someone who is dead is extremely impolite and obscene. Jackson's brand has been putting out "new" records and albums for sale, solely for the brand's profit; trying to make wealth from literally nothing. His brand recycles his name and produces "remixes" from the old material; for example, Michael Jackson has had many new albums for sale that are basically just playlists and remixes of his old music. By the reason of Michael's success and talent, he deserves to be remembered in the name of honour, not money.

Michael Jackson, as a brand, have been using his name for income and earnings for the company, or at least that is what everyone seems to be thinking about. However, a concern that no one mentions is how his own family deals with this. For instance, Jackson's daughter, Paris, has been mentally unstable since the death of her father. One could only imagine the true agony she has to deal with by looking at how companies are exploiting her father's name. Someone incredibly talented, and a father, is just an income to somebody else. The way his death has affected his fans is only a mere fragment of how Paris, truly his number one fan, must still feel. She has undergone a series of mental breakdowns and psych wards to be able to somehow deal with the sudden tragic passing of her father. Unfortunately, the brand of Michael Jackson (knowing Paris' bygone times) is still animated as ever.

Although his brand is trying to present Jackson's "new" content in a positive outlook, they come off as non-empathetic and disrespectful. However, if the company releases Jackson's "unheard music" for non-profit, it would therefore be exclusively about his talent and tunes, rather investment. Michael Jackson's name should be owned by him not his estate; he is dead and it is time for companies to conclude their brand financing for the benefit of the company person. A perfect idea of non-profit music promotion is if the MJ brand would donate 100% of the earnings to a charity, that way his name could live in a purity; not crowded by the money thirsty nation.

To always have Michael Jackson's legacy live on, our own selves should stand up to the atrocious branding and not buy into its selfish system, since his death has made him intensely vulnerable. The death of the pop star is mournful and heartbreaking, but the world can celebrate his life through non-recycled materials, such as people's personal stories and biographies. That way, Michael Jackson will not truly be dead.