Remembering Farrah

In the wake of this rash of celebrity deaths, I keep thinking about Farrah Fawcett. Am I a huge Farrah Fawcett fan? Not really. But in the circus that has surrounded the sudden passing of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett's death on the same day was really overshadowed. I don't think many could argue that Farrah Fawcett's impact on pop culture came close to Michael Jackson's, but she did something that was incredibly admirable: she brought her cancer to the public eye. Yes, she had lots of magazine coverage preceding her death, and yes, she had her documentary about her battle with cancer, a disease that kills way too many women and men. Let's remember that dying at 62 is premature and tragic, and in opening her struggle up to the public, she brought much-needed attention to this disease. I can't imagine that a woman who filmed her terminal illness would want her death--her final opportunity to drive home to the public how much research is still needed in finding a cure for cancer--to be overlooked. So as the media is saturated with the story of Michael Jackson, let's not forget Farrah.