Celebrity obsessers in 1926 may not have had e-bay and iPhones, but they knew how to make their presence known. Rudolph Valentino, the foremost sex symbol of the silent era, died at the peak of his career, leaving in his wake a string of ambiguously linked suicides. One involved a young mother trying to shoot herself and then being arrested for attempted self-murder — her body was discovered passed out in a pile of photos of Valentino. In an era where the only free time activities involved pole-sitting and watching various animals get electrocuted, the death of your favorite star probably did seem like the end of the world. So next time someone complains about the endless stream of interchangeable pop stars shat out by the industry, remind them that Justin Bieber saves lives.
