Heath Ledger Poster on eBay
By Gretta Parkinson
Tragedy plus time equals money—for eBay sellers, anyway.
Some might argue not enough time has passed since Heath Ledger’s unexpected death Tuesday, but posters featuring Ledger as The Joker in the upcoming “The Dark Knight” are are disappearing fast online, with some bids approaching the $70 mark. After various reports claiming the actor’s death has forced Warner Bros. to rethink their marketing campaign for the film, the movie posters—specifically one with Ledger finger painting “Why So Serious?” on cloudy glass—have become increasingly valuable to Batman geeks and Heath fans, like me.
Does the fact that I desperately want one make me soulless and insensitive? On the one hand, one of my favorite actors just died too young and too tragically, shortly after wrapping what looks like an incredible film from a timeless franchise. I could argue that the poster is not just a collector’s item, it’s an homage, like the iconic James Dean “Giant” and “Rebel Without a Cause” images.
On the other hand, I’m not sure that members of the online community should be capitalizing on the death of anyone...especially since it hasn’t even been a week. Not to mention the fact that those Joker posters were creepy long before any real-life context made them even creepier.
At least I’m losing money, not making it.
