Just pondering

I had a lot of entries that I wanted to post, but somehow, this week ran away with me. I see that the latest sad news is the death of Heath Ledger. It is a sad thing, he was a very promising actor and had a lot going for him. The circumstances of his death whilst unconfirmed by the authority all point to an accidental drug overdose.  When I hear of his death on the radio or from people the manner of his death invokes a slightly patronizing tone of voice. This has got me wondering wthether our respect for a celebrity that is deceased is lessened by the manner of their death?
For example, Freddie Prinze is not as well regarded as Bruce Lee due to his suicide (I am generalizing). The older the celebrity and the more respectable the cause of death the more admiration the media and the mainstream is giving that particular person.

Does anyone agree or disagree? I'd love to hear your thoughts.