Hi,

I am not intending to be picky, but noticed an interesting pattern in the
list Don posted. Marilyn Monroe committed suicide, but what interests me is
that apart from her everyone 'died' except:

> John Ritter recently passed away while starting a new season of 8 SIMPLE
> RULES.

What intrigues me is this sensitivity around the language to do with death.
Why did Ritter 'pass away' while everyone else 'died'? Is this to do with
the relative contemporaneity of the event? The fact that he was a TV actor,
and thus perhaps more 'domestic'?

Any suggestions?

All the best,

P.
--------------------------------------------
Peter Hughes Honours Coordinator Media Studies Program, La Trobe University,
Victoria, 3086, Australia.
ph: +61 3 9479 3065 (w),  fax: +61 3 9479 3638 (w)
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/media
Research Associate: Australian Film, Television and Radio School
http:www.aftrs.edu.au

Screening the past. An international, refereed electronic journal of visual
media and history:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/screeningthepast

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