Are we that desperate?

I find it really sad that we are so hungry for a sense of connectedness that we will manufacture one by attaching ourselves artificially to a celebrity. I've got an idea - how about you go out and meet your next door neighbor! Have a beer with your coworkers!
For those who were close to Micheal Jackson I sympathize, for the rest of us - premature death is sad but let's not pretend MJ had any more than a tangential affect on our lives.