Like everyone else, I recently learned of the death of James Van Der Beek at 48 years old. Dawson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The name alone is enough to take you back to the 90s, right? Those evenings when we watched our favorite series without thinking about anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then, suddenly, you realize that with him, a part of your adolescence is disappearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You see, what strikes me is not just the disappearance of an actor. It's the symbolism behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those people, Luke Perry, Shannen Doherty, Matthew Perry, James Van Der Beek\u2026 it was\u00a0our childhood heroes<\/em>. We saw them every week, we grew up with them, and today they leave us far too soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luke Perry, Dylan in\u00a0Beverly Hills 90210<\/em>, died in 2019. Matthew Perry, the unforgettable Chandler from Friends in 2023. Or Shannen Doherty aka Brenda from\u00a0Beverly Hills<\/em>\u00a0& Prue in\u00a0Charmed<\/em>, She passed away a year and a half ago after battling cancer for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And now, James Van Der Beek. 48 years old, also from cancer. That's young, 48 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you were born in the 80s or early 90s, you probably feel the same way: the death of these figures is a reminder of the passage of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are familiar faces and emotions etched in our memories. With them, it's a little our era<\/em> which is disappearing, the one before the Internet, before notifications and everything that social networks have brought with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We eagerly awaited the next episode. It was our daily or weekly appointment, depending on the series. And of course, we shared our emotions at recess, not on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was another way of experiencing culture: simpler, more sincere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look Dawson<\/em> Or Beverly Hills<\/em> At the time, it meant feeling understood, having points of reference. And that's surely why their disappearances resonate so strongly: they don't just concern stars, but our collective memory<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In recent years, we've lost far too many of those heroes from our childhood or adolescence. And each time, it's a wrench. Perhaps because, without realizing it, we see our own generation aging through them. We remember a time when everything still seemed possible, and suddenly, we understand that nothing lasts\u2014not even those characters who seemed immortal in our memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That's the impermanence of life. It doesn't make a sound. It just reminds you that time passes, that everything changes, and that nothing is ever truly secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But ultimately, that's also what makes life precious. Look: we still talk about it today, we remember, we share those emotions. They continue to exist through what they passed on to us\u2014a certain nostalgia, a simplicity that we've somewhat lost in our fast-paced world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So no, it's not just a \u201cAmerican actor died at 48\u201d<\/em>.It's a bittersweet reminder: that of a generation that knew the world before digital technology and that is gradually seeing those who shaped it disappear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So the next time you think about\u00a0Dawson<\/em>,\u00a0Beverly Hills<\/em>\u00a0Or\u00a0Friends<\/em>, mouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember that precise moment when you were on your couch, without your phone in your hand, just completely present in what you were experiencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because ultimately, that's what true tribute is: continuing to cherish that era, those heroes who shaped our childhood and what they left within us.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Like everyone else, I recently learned of James Van Der Beek's death at 48. Dawson's Creek. Just the name alone is enough to take you right back to the '90s, right? Those evenings when we watched our favorite shows without thinking about anything else. And then, suddenly, you realize that with him, a piece of your adolescence is gone. You see, what strikes me isn't just the passing of an actor. It's the symbolism behind it. These people\u2014Luke Perry, Shannen Doherty, Matthew Perry, James Van Der Beek\u2014they were our childhood heroes. We saw them every week, we grew up with them, and now they're gone far too soon. Luke Perry, Dylan from Beverly Hills 90210, died in 2019. Matthew Perry, the unforgettable Chandler from Friends, died in 2023. And Shannen Doherty, aka Brenda from Beverly Hills & Prue from Charmed, passed away a year and a half ago after battling cancer for years. And now, James Van Der Beek. 48 years old, also from cancer. That's young, 48. A generation seeing its landmarks disappear. If you were born in the 80s or early 90s, you probably feel the same way: the death of these figures is a reminder of the passage of time. They are familiar faces and emotions etched in our memories. With them, a part of our era disappears, the one before the internet, before notifications and everything that social media has brought with it. We were eagerly awaiting the next chapter. It was our daily or weekly ritual, depending on the show. And of course, we shared our emotions at recess, not on social media. It was another way to experience culture: simpler, more genuine. Watching Dawson's Creek or Beverly Hills back then meant feeling understood, having points of reference. And that's surely why their passing resonates so strongly: it doesn't just affect stars, but our collective memory. Impermanence, or how life catches up with us. In recent years, we've lost these heroes of our childhood or adolescence far too often. And each time, it's a shock. Perhaps because, without realizing it, we see our own generation aging through them. We remember a time when everything still seemed possible, and suddenly, we understand that nothing lasts\u2014not even these characters who seemed immortal in our memories. That's the impermanence of life. It doesn't make a sound. It just reminds you that time passes, that everything changes, and that nothing is ever truly guaranteed. But deep down, that's also what makes life precious. Look: we still talk about it today, we remember, we share those emotions. They continue to exist through what they passed on to us\u2014a certain nostalgia, a simplicity we've somewhat lost in our fast-paced world. So no, it's not just "an American actor who died at 48." It's a bittersweet reminder: that of a generation that knew the world before digital technology and is gradually seeing those who shaped it disappear. So the next time you think about Dawson's Creek, Beverly Hills, or Friends, smile. Remember that precise moment when you were on your couch, phone not in hand, just completely present in the moment. Because ultimately, that's what true tribute is: continuing to cherish that era, those heroes who shaped our childhood and what they left within us.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3945,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24],"tags":[907,248,909,912,913,915,908,914],"class_list":["post-3930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-billets-d-humeur","category-culture","tag-annees-80","tag-annees-90","tag-beverly-hills","tag-charmed","tag-james-van-der-beek","tag-luke-perry","tag-series-denfance","tag-shannen-doherty"],"yoast_head":"\nA generation that sees its reference points disappearing<\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Impermanence, or how life catches up with us<\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n