What is a Hollywood Curse?

I'll go on a limb and say I've never watched Glee. Never had any interest. But now, there's this idea that its young cast of stars are cursed following the death of one of their own in Naya Rivera. Third death in seven years and the last one was two plus years ago. With Rivera and reading a couple blurbs, it seemed she sacrificed herself to protect her very young son before I assume she drowned.  I wouldn't call it curse. If you want a curse, look at the 1994 San Diego Chargers.

There's only two other "curses" that I can think of. One is Poltergeist and the other is some script that curses actors. With Poltergeist, it's recognizable for supposed curses on the set for using real skeletons and the fear of getting hurt or killed. Not too long after the first was in theaters, the eldest daughter, played by Dominique Dunne, was murdered by her boyfriend via strangulation. Needless to say, very unfortunate. But also very unfortunate is the young actress that played the youngest daughter. How does a kid like Heather O'Rourke get a cardiac arrest? Health issues. Stuff that can infect a body even though they look normal.  There were other actors who worked on the films that passed away from health issues. Some thought the son was dead, but he's still alive. A curse? No, but you could make a case why because of those two girls.

This movie script that is cursed is called Atuk. It's based on a book that was published in the 60s and there were always plans to make a movie. However, it got complicated and it's never been made. Some of its people that read it include John Belushi, John Candy, and Chris Farley. These guys died pretty young despite accomplishing careers. But to say they were cursed like the Poltergeist people? No. If it was, every actor who had any interest would be dead. Not to mention Candy's weight issues and Belushi and Farley's drug use. Unfortunate circumstances.

I think we're quick to say curse because if it's a group that is very young or a franchise that is associated with bad things, it must be cursed. Rivera didn't kill herself or use drugs like her other deceased co-stars. She protected her own son. You also have conspiracies that are nothing but baloney. Now, if there was a Glee star dying every year, then we could say curse. No different than those musicians who died at the age of 27. I know things haven't been great for the world over the last five months, but there's no curse. Not for Glee, not for Poltergeist, not for a lot of Hollywood productions. Think it's time to calm down and look at stuff before we automatically assume something sinister will happen with specific people involved in a project or projects.