Farrah and King of Pop Remind Us of What's Important

There's no doubting that Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson were two of the most visible cultural icons of recent history. Their impact in the entertainment world was, and is, enormous.

Fawcett was one of the most recognizable symbols of the 1970s. Her Charlie's Angels TV stint sparked her rise to fame, as viewers relished the notion of sexy detectives. Fawcett was perhaps singled out for her appearance more than her co-stars.

Jackson, of course, blistered pop charts with pulsing dance beats and double-take dance moves. He was a spectacle unto himself; he did things that no one had done before him in music and entertainment. News of Jackson eventually focused more on his eccentricities, none more so than his multiple surgeries to alter his appearance.

Fawcett was 62; Jackson just 50. Their deaths are wrenching reminders that image, including body image, does not create immortality. It doesn't shield a person from tragedy. I have no idea whether self-image dominated the thoughts of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson; I certainly didn't know either. But many of us do have such thoughts that consume us. What could we be doing with that energy that creates legacies of which we can be proud?

• Body image in eating disorders
• Changing influences on male body image
• When the brain sees body parts inaccurately (body dysmorphic disorder)