June 25. That was the fateful day that took away two icons from our society. Yes, two of them. As pretty much everyone on the planet knows, June 25 was the death date of Michael Jackson, the legendary pop star with trademark dance moves. But that day was also when Charlie's Angel Farrah Fawcett succumbed to cancer, though fewer people know about it. While Jackson memorials are being plastered all over TV screens across the world, where were Farrah's?
I heard of her death from my little sister. After that, while the TV was flooded with homages to Jackson, all I saw was TVLand playing a couple episodes of Charlie's Angels. The end. Granted, there were sites online dedicated to her, but Fawcett isn't exactly a regular search for most people, so without any word of her death, I never would have searched it.
It was only a few hours later in my day that news of Jackson reached me. I got a text from a friend, she told me she heard about it but that it was still in question. I turn on the TV to see if any stations were covering it. I saw nothing, so I went online to look. As I found an article on Google, something came on CNN. Within 30 seconds, nearly every news station, MTV, VH1, etc., was reporting the sudden death of the King of Pop. It was bizarre. It spread like a wildfire. And the coverage hasn't stopped. America's Best Dance Crew on MTV re-ran an episode from their first season in which every crew choreographed their own dance to a Jackson song, incorporating his famous dance steps. Live with Larry King held interviews with MJ's relatives, friends, etc. The BET Awards turned into a tribute to him (not that Farrah would qualify for that anyway).
Jackson's influence on music and dance is undeniable. I'm not implying that the loss isn't worth mourning over; it is. But Fawcett had battled years of brutal cancer and for her to almost be dismissed because she shares the date of her death with someone more famous, it just seems unfair.
Fawcett is definitely worthy of some recognition. Her role in Charlie's Angels brought her mass fame and made her an international icon. Though each of the Angels could be seen as sex symbols, the show was empowering to women. The three Angels filled the roles that were traditionally more masculine. It's always been men who were the private investigators who fought the bad guys and saved the damsels in distress. With Charlie's Angels, women were the heroes who had killer moves. While keeping their make-up flawless and their hair in perfect condition.
The show was so successful, in fact, that it was adapted into a movie in 2000 and had a sequel in 2003. In addition, there were several remakes created for viewers in different countries, like Germany, French-speaking countries and Spanish-speaking countries.
Aside from her successful career, Fawcett handled her cancer battle with grace. She remained upbeat and positive while trying to stay private with her treatments. In May, though, she exposed her heartbreaking story with a video diary that aired on NBC, which chronicled her battle and treatments directly for the world to understand the vicious effects of cancer.
The hype of Jackson is understandable. His death was incredibly sudden and unexpected while Farrah's battle had been going on for 2-and-a-half years. But now that the excitement has died down, Jackson continues to get more coverage. Farrah had a son and an on-and-off partner. Why aren't they being interviewed; where is her homage?
But however little her coverage in the media is, surely she will forever be an icon and a fierce beauty with some wild, flashy hair.
Mia Hanneken is a sophomore magazine and journalism major and writes 'Message from Mia' for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
Write to Mia at mlhanneken@bsu.edu
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