RIP Christina Grimmie (Fans vs. Fanatics)

That's what's so devastating. Since The Voice, she's certainly done no worse than the two who beat her out, racking up enough YouTube subscribers to land a six-month developmental deal with Island and management by Selena Gomez's parents. And the absolute senselessness of her murder gets you to thinking about the unthinkable:
If I had to explain my tenure with Bon Jovi with just one word, that word would be FUN. As one fan has said, "I don't suffer from a Bon Jovi obsession -- I enjoy it immensely." I stopped being a fan of Guns N Roses, Metallica, Michael Jackson, and even Bill Cosby when I felt they had evolved into something that had stopped being fun. That seems such a simple, obvious solution that people who can't see the line between fandom and fanaticism are as foreign and remote to me as the planets.

Look at us -- even when we JoviTalkers fight, it's fun. Some of us might describe Bon Jovi as "the soundtrack of our lives." Some of us hoped to duplicate their musical success; some of us were willing to settle for just marrying them. But when those things didn't pan out, we managed to get on with our respective lives -- we've gotten our educations, climbed out of our parents' nests, found employment, cast votes, attended weddings, christenings, and funerals. In the absence of the band members being available for love, marriage, or parenthood, some of us have managed to find others with whom to engage in such activities. Regardless of the difference in our ages, nationalities, and other tastes in music, I believe we all have this in common: Bon Jovi is a tool with which we enhance our lives, not a weapon with which we defend ourselves from life.

I know of only one instance of a fanatical Bon Jovi fan: someone entered a radio station's "What would you do for Bon Jovi tickets" contest by identifying himself as Jesus Christ and offering to blow up the radio station. But that story doesn't involve attacking them directly. I've always laughed about the legions of jealous boyfriends who would like to kill Jon -- and confess, ladies, there those of us who have considered "replacing" Dorothea and Heather, too! But as long as you realize that those ARE humorous fantasies that would be wrong to carry out, such thoughts are actually mentally healthy.

Justin Beiber abruptly changed his meet-and-greet policy after his security detail failed to notice that a "dangerous" fan on their "watch" list had signed up -- no doubt Bon Jovi also have such a list. But ARE there Bon Jovi fans out there who think they're getting telepathic messages from them; have decided that if they can't have them, no one can; or would like to defend Jon or Richie's honor the way someone believed he was defending Phil Anselmo's? I'm very glad to be able to say that I have no reason to believe that -- even now, they're still too much fun.

P.S. It turns out Grimmie was not only Bon Jovi's labelmate but a Jersey girl -- I hope the band puts out a statement.

Well said, Rocknation. Bon Jovi is a "feel-good" band and their music lifts my spirits. The band and this board have played a big part in getting me through some really tough days over the last couple years, and preserved my sanity in a lot of ways - simply by being a "constant" (sometimes the only one) in a rapidly changing landscape.

I truly enjoy being a part of Jovination and this group in particular. I may go toe-to-toe with some people on a regular basis and state my opinions pretty strongly at times; but I can honestly say I like and respect everyone here. And I'll continue to support the band, with or without Richie, regardless of feeling like it just won't be the same without him. He's the who drew me to the band, and the primary reason I've stayed a fan for so long; but he's not the only reason. I still expect good things from him and the band, together or separately.

I'm glad this story didn't get swallowed up by the Orlando nightclub shootings, though between that, this, and a child being killed by an alligator at a resort, Orlando has really be taking in on the chin lately.

Outspokenly Christian? The story cites one post from her official site's blog section, which was written by a fan, not her. That tweet is three years old. I don't think a truly Christian artist would have covered songs made popular with the help of rubber rabbit suits or swinging naked from a wrecking ball. And while she was managed by the creators of Selena Gomez, Grimmie claimed to be uninterested in being just another video pop tart:
But that is artistic rather than religious dogma. Sorry, but I think the religious funda-mental-case crowd will have to seek a martyr elsewhere.

In other words, a textbook Fanatical Fan -- and the very worst kind, because his obsession was really all about him.

Sure, Loibl was "realistic" enough to realize that Grimmie probably wouldn't find him attractive, especially with a hairline you'd expect from someone twice his age of 27. So he committed himself to doing something about it, only to find out that Grimmie might be committed to someone else!

For such high treason, a public execution was the only proper punishment. But don't make the mistake of interpreting Loibl's suicide as "following" Grimmie into the afterlife -- it was actually an escape from accountability when he realized he was going to be taken alive.