Comments on: Comments on 9647

Post number 9647

mcsweetie — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:05:37 -0800

Singer Aaliyah Killed in Plane Crash

R & B singer and actress Aaliyah died after a small plane that was to carry her and eight others back to the United States crashed after takeoff in the Bahamas, authorities said.

I keep typing a description here. and erasing it. I don't know what to say. This is beyond awful. :(

By: loong

loong — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:12:47 -0800

I know .. some guys were talking about it on IRC and I thought they were BSing .. Checked CNN and found out it was true .. not good news at all.

By: anildash

anildash — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:19:33 -0800

Man... I am kind of blown away by this. I had really seen her as a continuation of the thin-voiced, sultry R&B vixen with cutting-edge production, in the vein of Janet Jackson a decade ago, or Diana Ross 2 decades before that. For those of you who didn't know her work, she had a moderately successful album in her teens (15?) under the tutelage of the (much older) R. Kelly, with whom she was romantically linked. The first album was somewhat forgettable, and I didn't place big odds on her having much of a career. Her second album was a reinvention of her sound, with Timbaland producing, and helped introduce a sound that revitalized production and percussion in most of contemporary R&B, to the point where it was so aped as to become a cliche'. But at the time, it was a breath of fresh air. She had a pair of movie-related singles that really brought her to a higher level of pop success, and those, combined with her roles in the upcoming Matrix sequels, had her poised for really breaking out as a big star. Especially with the recent release of her (not groundbreaking, but excellent for contemporary R&B) third album. Pardon the impromptu obit, but I really liked this girl, and thought she was more talented than her work so far had shown. Sigh.

By: riffola

riffola — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:20:28 -0800

RIP Although I'm not a R&B fan, I think it's sad... just hope they don't commercialise her demise like they've done for so many other R&B and Hip Hop artistes

By: mcsweetie

mcsweetie — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:23:07 -0800

lets hope pid daddy do dippy pad doesn't milk her death to sell singles, like he did with the notorious B.I.G.

By: skallas

skallas — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:24:57 -0800

Its sad, but lets not jump on the grieve-from-afar bandwagon for somebody you really never knew. I think netizens show an incredible lack of respect to the real mourners (family, friends) by going off on their trivial mourning which really doesn't compare to her friends' and family's. Lets show some restraint. Let the flames begin.

By: moz

moz — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:28:03 -0800

sucks to be.

By: dai

dai — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:30:45 -0800

poor girl. rest in peace.

By: marknau

marknau — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:36:19 -0800

Some reactions to celebrity deaths strike me as odd. Today, like 100 or so people will die in the U.S. alone by being shot. A bit more than that will die from being in a car wreck. None of them are one of the beautiful people, so no-one cares. Really, how could we care about all those people? But if a famous face dies, it seems like some people are able to connect to it and feel like they suffered a personal loss. They don't really know the person on any meaningful level, but it still hits home. Like I said, it's odd. I don't have a good explanation for it.

By: futureproof

futureproof — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:41:22 -0800

Some of these "beautifull people" connect to others through their work as artists. It's sad to see someone whose work you admire pass on. Especially those who were just starting to see their fullest potential. We do know these people on a meaningful level, just not the level of personal friends or family. RIP

By: skallas

skallas — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:43:14 -0800

Like I said, it's odd. I don't have a good explanation for it. A little has to do with celebrity worship and a lot has to do with familiarity. You saw her in a movie, seen her mannerisms, know her voice both talking and singing, and maybe saw an interview. You now have a full mental picture of that person. Now that person has been erased from existence. That's just a big slap in the face right there. The 10 people just killed in the middle east today you never saw before and all the deaths that happen in a 24 hour period you have no familiarity with so its not such a shock.

By: lotsofno

lotsofno — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:46:18 -0800

already put the RIP mp3 on filepile. my friends and i were driving to this bar just being loud, when we heard a mention of "aaliyah," "died," and "plane crash." we all were silent... we all immediately questioned it in disbelief.. as if hearing our doubts, the dj said, "For Real." on the way home, i put in her "one in a million" CD... we tried to joke about it. "why couldn't it have been aaron carter?" i dunno... i'm going to sulk some more.

By: obiwanwasabi

obiwanwasabi — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:51:32 -0800

Wonder how long til the jokes start? AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHliyah *thud*

By: Down10

Down10 — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:54:50 -0800

That's a pretty tragic story-- I'm not a big fan of R&B or Hip-Hop, but I'll admit that Aaliyah was a talented singer and wrote some catchy music. It's a loss to the industry when someone with so much potential dies suddenly. I did actually meet her one time (when she visited SF last year during MTV's VJ search), and she was very friendly and charming. To repsond to the insensitive posts of others here: celebrity deaths are typically more shocking than the deaths of other people, because you tend not to think of such stars as being as vulnerable as the rest of us. Celebrities will attain a certain devotion by the public (whether deserved or not), and when they die in a freak accident, it's unexpected and tragic, if only because we were aware of who they were or what they did for a living. Naturally, if someone you knew and respected died suddenly in a plane crash, you would be shaken up as well. I disapprove of martyrdom and exploitaion of celebrities more than the natural grieving process that affects the public.

By: Mrmuhnrmuh

Mrmuhnrmuh — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:55:43 -0800

obi, did the karma ghost movie teach you nothing?

By: marknau

marknau — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 23:57:02 -0800

OK, I'm bein' devils-advocate here, so don't spaz out and take it personally. When futureproof says that we know her through her art, is that true at all? Popular artists produce stuff that has gone through many filters to make sure that $$$ are maximized. I don't know her stuff, but I'm willing to bet that most of her music was written for her by others. What part of her do we know? Her pretty voice, her pretty face.

By: Hackworth

Hackworth — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 00:05:21 -0800

By: justgary

justgary — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 00:05:58 -0800

Is there a lesson in all this? Yes. If you are a celebrity avoid small planes.

By: barkingmoose

barkingmoose — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 00:08:32 -0800

I liked her pretty voice and her pretty face. I thought she was good in Romeo Must Die, I was looking forward to seeing what she'd do in the two Matrix sequels, and "Try Again" was pretty darn catchy.

By: lotsofno

lotsofno — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 00:12:40 -0800

If you are a celebrity avoid small planes. yeah, i was thinking ritchie valens as well... man, that la bamba movie makes me sad.

By: obiwanwasabi

obiwanwasabi — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 00:13:25 -0800

Sorry - just thinking like the lowest common denominator for a second there. Of course, her song list will provide ample cannon fodder: Never Comin' Back (yeah, we figured) The One I Gave My Heart To (did she have a donor card?) If Your Girl Only Knew (how to fly a 402..) Hot Like Fire (boom!) Time for my medicine...

By: marknau

marknau — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 00:14:01 -0800

I found out "Try Again" was written by "Garrett, Stephen Ellis" and "Mosley, Timothy Z." So now the class assignment: If these two died in a crash, would any of you give a damn? Or do you only love the corporate-approved package? How does your answer square with your professed beliefs about "selling out" and "commercialization" in the arts?

By: obiwanwasabi

obiwanwasabi — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 00:21:31 -0800

obi, did the karma ghost movie teach you nothing? Yeah...I guess it could've looked like when that guy's car fell off the cliff.

By: skallas

skallas — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 00:22:10 -0800

How does your answer square with your professed beliefs about "selling out" and "commercialization" in the arts? Call me crazy but if you're the type to sit around and watch MTV, things like selling out and commercialization don't really apply. You're soaking in it.

By: darukaru

darukaru — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 00:33:27 -0800

Can we at least call a moratorium on blank-line posts? Yes, it's great that you're observing a moment of silence, but blank-line posts are the equivalent of jumping up and down and saying "LOOK I'M OBSERVING A MOMENT OF SILENCE" before you do it. That said, I'm sure the execs at WB Music are looking at the bottom line, shaking their heads, and gearing up the PR machine for the next 'thin-voiced, sultry R&B vixen with cutting-edge production'. Within a year or two, I don't think anyone will remember who Aaliyah was--she'll have been efficiently replaced. That's the shame in it.

By: c

Sun, 26 Aug 2001 01:15:08 -0800

i honestly dont see the harm in, while not fully mourning, lamenting a famous persons death. right, we didnt know them, and sure other people've died, but its always odd how the random generator of celeb deaths plays out. and while i didnt listen to her music beyond the radio (though using a baby coo as a sample is gennniusss, seriously) im having that same 3am gloom feeling i had when they said diana was killed. it sucks, and even if you dont know a person, some small snippit of the world changed without your permission. kinda like losing one sock or breaking a vase. bye aalyiah.

By: feelinglistless

feelinglistless — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 01:16:51 -0800

feelingspeechless

By: topolino

topolino — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 01:35:19 -0800

Posters advertising her new album are plastered all over Copenhagen - sometimes, it seems, within every line of sight. I had started to tune them out, but now I can't. Creepy.

By: kevspace

kevspace — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 02:00:56 -0800

One of the few female r&b singers I could stand. This is obviously part of God's divine plan to make radio suck as much as possible.

By: marknau

marknau — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 02:09:25 -0800

One likes to believe in the freedom of music. But glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusion of integrity. For the words of the profits were written on the studio wall.

By: kathrynhunter

kathrynhunter — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 02:35:39 -0800

There does seem to be a kind of high mortality rate for celebrities on planes especially small ones.

By: anildash

anildash — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 02:45:15 -0800

I found out "Try Again" was written by "Garrett, Stephen Ellis" and "Mosley, Timothy Z." So now the class assignment: If these two died in a crash, would any of you give a damn? Or do you only love the corporate-approved package? Uhhh, yeah. Timothy Z. Mosley is the aforementioned Timbaland, a fairly big success in his own right. Aaliyah was just starting to have a hand in writing and producing her material.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 02:58:35 -0800

I wonder if the reason it seems so many Celebes die on planes is because they have their friends piloting. I mean, you wouldn't think small planes are very unsafe. But I suppose if it was piloted by a rich person who was able to fly mostly because they could afford the plane, it might be more risky. Or maybe Celebrity deaths in Airplanes are just more memorable.

By: kchristidis

kchristidis — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 05:31:43 -0800

Damn. I was just watching the clip of the excellent 'We Need A Resolution' when the news came up. She was a good singer, indeed. Allen from neoflux.com wrote exactly what i'm feeling right now (see 2nd paragraph).

By: billybob

billybob — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 06:19:31 -0800

how the heck do you pronounce her name???

By: rcade

rcade — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 06:25:43 -0800

I had no idea there were so many rules for celebrity mourning:

Don't mourn a celebrity because you didn't know them.
Don't mourn a celebrity because you didn't care when all those ugly non-famous people died.
Don't mourn a celebrity because commercial music is produced by soulless corporations.
Don't mourn a celebrity because a new celebrity will show up to take his or her place.
Don't mourn a celebrity because he or she wasn't keeping it real.

I'm glad all these rules weren't in place when Kurt Cobain died.

By: crunchland

crunchland — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 06:48:42 -0800

Metafilter wasn't around when Kurt died. Luckily for us, there are currently 10496 thought-police to protect us.

By: bwg

bwg — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 08:06:43 -0800

who's to say that people don't mourn the tragedies of people they don't know, even if they aren't famous? that's one hell of big assumption. we all mourn death differently. the intensity of feeling is an individual matter. it is no one's place to judge another's heart or state of mind when someone dies, famous or otherwise. if you honestly feel nothing, don't critcise those who do. just keep your damned mouth shut.

By: kchristidis

kchristidis — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 08:07:22 -0800

Billybob, I thought it was 'AA - LA - EE - (Y)AH' (I think a rapper in a song of hers calls her that way),
but on CNN they kept saying it was 'AA - LEE - (Y)AH'. Whatever.

By: tomcosgrave

tomcosgrave — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 08:54:47 -0800

I saw Romeo Must die only recently, and was rather taken with Aaliyah... RIP

By: owillis

owillis — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 09:01:19 -0800

Everything I've heard says AA-LEE-YAH, and thats how I've always heard it. Tragic.

By: marknau

marknau — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 09:48:29 -0800

Interesting that any question of examining one's feelings and the source thereof is taken as a personal affront to so many: keep your damned mouth shut... no idea there were so many rules... currently 10496 thought police... Is it that you disagree so profoundly that rational thought is elusive, or is it that the celebrity machine's programming is so deeply embedded you can't untangle yourself?

By: kindall

kindall — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 10:11:49 -0800

I'm glad all these rules weren't in place when Kurt Cobain died. They were. It's just that a huge number of people disregarded them.

By: mcsweetie

mcsweetie — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 10:17:19 -0800

can there be one post about a famous person dying without 4 or 5 people chiming in with, "what about x and y? huh?" I will mourn whoever I damn well please, and I won't be guilted into mourning who you think I should.

By: jess

jess — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 10:36:53 -0800

I always find unexpected celebrity deaths a reminder of my own mortality. In the end, it doesn't matter how much youth, beauty, money, success, and fame you have -- when your number's up, it's up. That being said, I'm always saddened to hear of anyone dying, from pop star to janitor.

By: Perigee

Perigee — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 10:49:15 -0800

A comment found elsewhere, posted without further snarkiness on my part: "This is the first celebrity I can think of in my life that I'll remember 'Where were you when Aaliyah died?' "

By: anildash

anildash — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 11:20:12 -0800

Is it that you disagree so profoundly that rational thought is elusive, or is it that the celebrity machine's programming is so deeply embedded you can't untangle yourself? Yeah, let's apply rules of logic and rationale to emotions like mourning! That makes sense! "Timmy, you broke your arm while riding your bike. But you may not cry, as a cast and six weeks will heal it. Be not illogical!"

By: marknau

marknau — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 11:32:03 -0800

Timmy, you broke your arm while riding your bike I'm confused. Are you arguing that we should have as much emotional control as an 8-year old? Examining one's emotions is a healthy thing. I'm not arguing for robotic supression, but rather self-knowledge. I particularly like skallas's "familiarity" argument and jess's "mortality reminder" idea. I learned something about people and myself by considering their responses. That's a Good Thing.

By: joemaller

joemaller — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 11:39:23 -0800

Walking around today, one image stuck in my head: duct tape. It's rare to encounter the messy aftermath of these sorts of things. Usually we're only left with wrecked fusilage and our selfish imaginations.

By: aaron

aaron — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 11:52:46 -0800

According to CNN International, the pilot was vehemently protesting Aaliyah's and her entourage's demand that they bring all their luggage and equipment with them on the flight. Since they had just finished filming a video, we're talking about a LOT of heavy AV equipment in addition to all the usual excessive junk celebrities and their entourages carry everywhere.

Anyway, the pilot lost the argument, and take off he did ... until he flew above the ground effect zone (the heavy cushion of air between the wings and the ground), which is about nine feet in the tin can they were flyingdriving and bouncing down the runway. Then gravity decided to make a reappearance.

By: dhartung

dhartung — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 12:12:13 -0800

According to a recent interview, she'd done two weeks of filming in June for The Matrix 2 and was due for more shooting in January. Given that she was to have an even bigger role in The Matrix 3 it may be cheaper to recast and reshoot those two weeks, unless they'd already done extensive post-production work on that footage. Anil and I were chatting: the techniques used in Gladiator (Oliver Reed) and The Sopranos (Nancy Marchand) probably won't work as well in this circumstance. In any case Joel Silver and his insurer are likely having a pretty lousy weekend.

By: logovisual

logovisual — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 13:26:01 -0800

I was on Abaco about two months ago, and the sort of weight issues that have been described above happen on almost every flight. On a previous visit, my parents had to sit on the runway for almost an hour before one of the people on the plane agreed to leave his bags behind for weight reasons. They all groaned about the inconvenience then, but hindsight is 20/20 now...

By: saralovering

saralovering — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 13:34:22 -0800

the pilot lost the argument, and take off he did since when do passengers tell the pilot what to do? sounds like this is a tragedy that could have been prevented if the plane hadn't been so overloaded.

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 14:30:54 -0800

When the passenger's are wealthy celebrities I think.

By: hotdoughnutsnow

hotdoughnutsnow — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 14:33:02 -0800

Let the re-packaging begin! I just heard from an "industry insider" that her CDs are flying off the shelves today... a buyer for one of the larger record sellers was overheard to be "very excited" about it. My friend was disgusted, as am I. Reminds me of The Smiths Paint A Vulgar Picture; At the record company meeting On their hands - a dead star and ooh, the plans that they weave and ooh, the sickening greed At the record company party on their hands - a dead star the sycophantic slags all say: "I knew him first, and I knew him well" Re-issue! Re-package! Re-package! Re-evaluate the songs double pack with a photograph Extra Track (and a tacky badge) A-list, playlist "Please them, please them!" "please them, please them!"

By: rcade

rcade — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 14:54:20 -0800

Is it that you disagree so profoundly that rational thought is elusive, or is it that the celebrity machine's programming is so deeply embedded you can't untangle yourself? I think it would be nice to untangle ourselves from this freshman-level psychology course on celebrity worship and actually talk about Aaliyah. She died recently. You might not have heard.

By: futureproof

futureproof — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 15:00:04 -0800

I was just sickened a little more by this incident. I was surfing at muchmusic.com (Canadian Music TV channel) and in their news section they have the news title and then the news source. Here's how it reads. "Aaliyah Dies In Plane Crash Yahoo!"

By: hotdoughnutsnow

hotdoughnutsnow — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 16:06:30 -0800

Reminds me of this irony.

By: fuq

fuq — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 16:45:28 -0800

Maybe it's part of being an uncaring bastard who has people he knows personally to care and worry about, but the death of a pop-star doesn't seem to affect me. I didn't know her, I didn't find her music to be anything less than cookie-cutter pop music, I never saw any of her movies. I'm not going to miss her, I'm not going to mourn her death, I wouldn't have even noticed that she was gone if not for metafilter. Of course, I'm just an uncaring bastard who is still selfishly shook up by almost accidentally killing myself and a dear friend. I must be such a terrible uncaring son of a bitch because I don't care.

By: jetgrrl

jetgrrl — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 19:43:22 -0800

It's just a shame. Anyone who dies so young, especially since it's preventable... I feel sorry for their families.

By: tpoh.org

tpoh.org — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 20:45:38 -0800

Another reason to pack light.

By: myths_about_me

myths_about_me — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 23:41:06 -0800

first thing i would like to say. To the family and friends of aaliyah my heart goes out to you, i know the feeling of pain, and what its like to lose a loved one. There were some kind words spoken about aaliyah's death. To those people i would like to say thank you for your compassion towards, not only a person who was a good role model to young adults, but who became another tragedy in the world, There were also people who even in the most sadness of events, continue to bring awareness of how hollow, and disrespectful human beings can be towards each other. To those people i hope there views will not be passed on to another human being.

By: evixir

evixir — Mon, 27 Aug 2001 01:12:26 -0800

I only know of these issues for the major airlines and not the small private planes, but when it comes to weights and balances, there's no "insistence" when it comes to baggage. If you want to have the extra baggage on board, a person has to come off, and that's all there is to it. You don't take off in a plane that's unbalanced no matter what. Was this a case of celebrity attempting to bypass the rules of proper flight? Or lax enforcement by a Bahamian airport? No pilot would fly a plane he knew to be imbalanced and potentially prematurely earthbound; that's a suicide mission in action. I don't know that it was, of course, but if this did indeed occur because a celebrity "insisted" that all her crap be brought on the plane with her "or else", my god. Does common sense and a notion of mortality fly out the window when your first big record contract comes through? I've heard stories from my brother of how completely obnoxious and obstinate celebrities tend to be in these sorts of situations so it's easy to deduce that a demanding celebrity or her handlers may have ensured their own demise with their arrogance. Tragic stuff. I don't mean to seem completely heartless in this, but it's an interesting topic. At any rate, it was refreshing to have some antithesis to the trashy Li'l Kim types out there found in the innate classiness of Aaliyah, and it's a shame we won't get to see all that she was capable of with her talent.

By: kchristidis

kchristidis — Mon, 27 Aug 2001 02:19:20 -0800

Guess what? Aaliyah's latest CD today holds the 2nd position in Amazon.com sales rank...

By: pracowity

pracowity — Mon, 27 Aug 2001 05:19:53 -0800

Never heard of her. Did any of you notice that Dr. Harry Martin Meyer Jr. has died?

By: bondcliff

bondcliff — Mon, 27 Aug 2001 06:16:37 -0800

Never heard of her. Too bad about the pilot and that beautiful airplane though.

By: fritx

fritx — Mon, 27 Aug 2001 09:01:07 -0800

I have it on good authority that the artist formerly known as Ar-lee-a became unprofitable and was therefore eliminated by her record company in order to boost sales. This was a standard part of her contract with the record company. There are a dozen clones waiting to be wheeled out right now at the record company's behest. Douglas Adams got a lot less sympathy here, even though (or maybe because) he was a genuinely imaginative free thinker and not a corporate puppet trotting out government music.

By: Sapphireblue

Sapphireblue — Mon, 27 Aug 2001 09:33:05 -0800

dude, what are you talking about? the entire net mourned Douglas Adams like he was Kurt Cobain. *ducks, expecting to catch hell for THAT one*

By: phoenix

phoenix — Mon, 27 Aug 2001 13:58:47 -0800

I didn't know who Aaliyah was before the crash (RnB isn't my fave type of music), but I can sympathize with the general mourning reaction of people. I was, after all, one of the people who mourned Doug Adams when he died (his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a masterpiece of absurdist sci-fi)...

By: Dreama

Dreama — Mon, 27 Aug 2001 14:32:53 -0800

Douglas Adams got a lot less sympathy here, even though (or maybe because) he was a genuinely imaginative free thinker and not a corporate puppet trotting out government music. So the level of mourning one should receive within a group should be based upon the group's general consensus of the stature of the decedent's work?

By: jcterminal

jcterminal — Mon, 27 Aug 2001 14:42:58 -0800

By: winkl

winkl — Fri, 31 Aug 2001 13:27:52 -0800

This whole incident reminds me of a Paper Lace song: The Night Aal-yi-ah Died! Sha na na na na na na na na na NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH! The Flight the Pilot Lied Brother what a flight it really was, Mother what a night it really was, glory be!