From my inbox:
Thursday, January 22nd marks the one year anniversary of beloved actor Heath Ledger's death.
Voted by many as the biggest loss of 2008, the actor, who just won a Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the Dark Knight, passed away last year at the age of 28.
Wow, press release. First off, allow me to be the first to say that I'm sorry for your loss. Although, without that loss, you wouldn't have such a red-hot marketing opportunity! Whatever you're selling, it also comes with the tinny echo of the gaping cavern where human dignity should be. Bonus.
Just out of curiosity, were the people who conducted and/or voted in the "Biggest Loss Of 2008" poll immediately nominated for the Most Soul-less In 2008 award, because they'd all be ideal candidates.
Heath Ledger's passing last January was an unexpected and untimely loss, leaving friends, family and fans deeply saddened and shocked.
According to David Kessler, psychologist and Grief Specialist for Tributes.com, "Death is hardest to comprehend without any forewarning. In sudden death there is no time for the mind to prepare, to brace for the thunderous pain that will leave you in a severe state of shock. This world of loss does not give you time to let your mind or heart catch up with the world around you."
So death is shocking and painful? I'm glad that Tributes.com had the fortitude to hire a "grief specialist" to state the obvious and help them cash in on that "thunderous pain." If grief specialists are only required to give insights like, "sudden death gives you no time to prepare" then anyone can be a grief specialist at Tributes.com—of course they'd have to have their empathy and sense of propriety forcibly removed, then thrown on the giant pyre that fuels the soul-eating ghouls who run Tributes.com.
Tributes.com has a tribute established for Heath Ledger online. If you didn't get a chance to leave a condolence at the time of Heath's passing, or, if you would like to share a memory of Heath's life in honor of the anniversary of his death on January 22nd, consider visiting Heath's online memory book.
Gross. Is there an online memory book for Good Taste at Tributes.com? Because according to this press release it's long dead.