Aries left an extent legacy with his discussion on the four periods of death, TAMED DEATH, MY DEATH, YOUR DEATH AND FORBIDDEN DEATH. In addition,  Michael Jacobson added the fifth period of death: SPECTACULAR DEATH, regarding the 21st century.  As Jacobsen puts: "death that has been transformed into a spectacle... an obsessive interest in appearances that simultaneously draws death near and keeps it at arm’s length".
    SPECTACULAR DEATH, according to Jacobsen, has five different elements. An example to this is the death of Heath Ledger, well known for playing the Joker in The Dark Knight movie. Ledger died ten years ago, in January 2008 when he was only 28 years old, but his death and legacy are still discussed to this day. 
Five elements of spectacular death: 
1-) the new mediated/mediatized visibility of death: due to the media and to the amount of information we have access nowadays with just one click, death has become something we are exposed to. Heath Ledger death was mediatized everywhere, with details and conspiracy theories arising everywhere. A clear example of the visibility of death. 
2-) the commercialization of death: death has become a way to increase sales. On Ledger's case, after his death, his latest movie came out: the Dark Knight. And many claim the success of the film was due to Ledger's sudden death. The movie hit a billion dollars at the box office, and the claim is that many wanted to see Ledger's last performance, one that gave him an Oscar. 
3-) the re-ritualization of death: the risen of new rituals and or the reinvention of old rituals when concerning death and funeral services. Ledger's wake is an example of this since it occurred at a surfing resort that the actor used to frequent. Furthermore, the songs played were a tribute to his favorite songs.  
4-) the palliative care revolution: new care and dignity of the dying. This can be compared to how Ledger's died description:  an accidental intoxication from prescription drugs. 
5-) death as a topic of academic attention and specialization. Death is studied and analyzed, just like this post is examining Heath Ledger death and how it was seen and ritualized by society. 

Jacobsen is clear about how our society has evolved and changed in the past few years. And this change affects our cultural ideas, including how we deal with death. Especially at a time where information is everywhere, and it spreads in an instant.