When A Piece Of Your Childhood Dies

For some,  it was seeing the last Harry Potter movie.
For some it was John Lennon’s passing.
For me, the death of Monkees’ lead singer Davy Jones, hits right in my childhood sweet spot.

This phrase, “when a piece of your childhood dies” is very bittersweet. On the one hand, it invokes thoughts of lost innocence, but on the other, it provides an excellent opportunity to revisit really fond memories. And in this day and age, that means instant and ongoing sharing with all your friends on Facebook and other social media.
As a PR practitioner, it also allows me to examine the way social and conventional media convey and dissect pop culture news.

Obits in 140 Characters – The twittersphere exploded with short but poignant comments from celebrities and peers of Davy Jones, which, if strung together made for a lovely obit and of course, “RIP Davy Jones” was and still is a huge trending topic.

Survey Says! – Facebook becomes a forum for nostalgia and questions that bring your friends and acquaintances closer. For instance, I asked which Monkee was the favorite of most people I knew. Someone else asked which song was  the pop group’s best. It became an ongoing research study into late 60s pop lore.

Pining and Pinning – Even before his death, Davy had enthusiasts on Pinterest, but yesterday there was a surge of photos, comments and  repins providing a nice timeline of the singer’s life.

And if you only get your news on TV… – It was a serious walk down memory lane to see clips from the old show and interviews with surviving bandmates. There are some things that only TV can really give you, kind of like the Monkees themselves!