Respect or rubbernecking? I always wonder whether my fascination with the demises of the famous or infamous is sincere interest or a human vulture-like quality. One 28-year-old was quoted in the New York Times as saying that people of her generation feel very connected to each other, which is a lovely explanation (if not totally an explanation for crowds of people waiting to see a body bag being wheeled out of a building).

One comment that struck me for a few reasons noted the sadness that Ledger's daughter would never know him. The post was flagged for possible abuse—another reason I found it striking. I feel sorry for Michelle Williams and daughter Matilda. Maybe the language was the reason the comment seemed abusive (I didn't reade it closely).

No matter what, it's a pity that someone so young and talented has passed. An unwittingly lethal cocktail of prescription drugs would be even sadder.