As everyone knows, recently we have recently lost some celebrities. Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and of course Michael Jackson. While it is sad for their families, does it really have an impact on our lives? I can understand a simple mention that someone died, yet what I don't understand is the infatuation many seem to have with these people.
I wonder if so much attention has been given to MJ's death because that many care, or because the media thinks we care, the media thinks we should care or simply because the media cares. I cannot fathom getting upset about the death of someone with whom I had no connection. Why are so many upset? Is it simply because they see this celebrity die, and it brings some attention to their own mortality?
Remember when Princess Diana died? I remember people around me being distraught. I could never understand it. It was sad for her kids. It was sad for the citizens of Great Britain. However I am not one of her kids, and I am not from Great Britain. Someone I knew really well asked me at the time if I was upset, and I responded with a simple, "No, why would I be." She got emotional and told me I was insensitive. Well I know that.
Michael Jackson was incredibly talented. He could sure dance and sing. For much of my formative years, he was THE entertainer. The Thriller song and video were awesome and there was great anticipation on each new release from him. While I liked his music, I never knew him. I knew he was in the Jackson 5 previously, and I knew he was from a big family. I never met him, and have never had a desire to attend his concerts or really cared anything about him.
We all know the more recent stories about him and there is no need to rehash them here. I have no idea what he is guilty of, except extremely poor judgment. So many "stars" suffer from the same affliction, yet it never should have any effect on the lives of us "normal" people. If for no other reason, this lack of judgement is a reason to not hold celebrities in such high esteem. They are normal people, with normal problems, however their problems seem to make the news.
I won't watch the memorial service. I don't really care about what happens to his estate. I do have a concern that his kids will be tortured by the same media that seems to promote the worship of these celebrities. I won't lose any sleep about the way he died, or how much he was worth, or if there are any secret songs locked away in some vault that can be released. In death, just as in life, MJ will have no bearing on my life. We, western culture, need to worry more about us and less about famous folks. This is insensitive. This is heartless. This is the way I feel.
So, instead of wasting a couple of hours of my life watching some pretty famous entertainers on TV memorialize someone I never knew, I will work on me. I'm starting with the man in the mirror.
Couldn't resist.
Great post. My husband and I are sick of the attention this has brought. Heaven forbid we should exude the same amount of grief and sadness for each of the soldiers, policemen, firemen, etc. that die each day for a much greater cause.
ReplyDeleteDidn't he molest children? Wasn't he $400 million in debt? Didn't he put his child's life in danger by dangling him over a railing?
No, let's forget that he was a criminal (no pun intended) and instead idolize him because he had a nice voice and smooth moves...
And for the great state of California that is reportedly running out of money, somehow you can pull enough money and resources out of a hole somewhere to have a memorial service for this freakshow of a man and yet you can't pay your teacher's salaries!
Unfortunately, I think the media is (in this case) in tune with the populace. This is the kind of story that gets read. Who in America today has the education to follow the implications of the derivatives market, the patience to study complex international affairs relationships, or the logic to trace out second and third order effects from recent new legislation? Those things really do effect us, but the general population has not been educated or conditioned to think on that level. The steamy details of celebrity lives are easily digestible. Who wants veggies when intellectual french fries are available?
ReplyDeleteGood stuff as usual. Did you read this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.limaohio.com/articles/jackson-38858-world-life.html
I'm pretty sure you just spoke for a lot of people, Mark being one of them. He normally keeps Fox news on in the background while he's working, but last week he just got so frustrated with Fox, CNN, MSNBC and every other news station brushing off that there was still trouble in Iran, the government is spending like nobody's business and almost 10% of would-be working Americans are jobless. But you know... clearly, MJ's death has a greater impact on the lives of Americans (I just rolled my eyes).
ReplyDeleteWhile MJ's death is kind of shocking/sad to me, I realize that, for one thing, each of us will die someday and that fame doesn't make you immune to that. For another thing, like you said, I didn't know him. Being that I'm about 10 years younger than you, I know a lot of his songs, but what I remember the most is the areas of his life where he seemed to show a lack of judgement. So yeah, I like the man's music, but to me he was (at least) an eccentric man with a lot of talent that changed American music... but I'm not so much effected by it personally. At least not enough to want to keep it on replay on my news stations.