The passing of three such iconical pop culture figures within the last week really has me concerned about the state of our overall society and American culture in general. What does it say about us that we focus our major news networks, devoted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to presenting 'real' news, on a story about the undynamic death of a celebrity for more than 24 hours without respite? What is there to cover other than to rehash and reopen old wounds and topics which are otherwise previously exhausted? What new insight could possibly be offered? In connection, there was a few hours devotion to the explanation of the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest. These are not uncommon occurances. But what message does it send to the families of the 'common' people who have suffered one of these with no attention beyond the mourning of their death? Doesn't that devalue them in the human condition with no particular attention being paid? I do acknowledge that the world is certainly suffering from the loss of someone who, in his past, had contributed greatly to pop music as we now know it and directed the channel of choreography to accompany this music and inspired an entire generation (or multiple generations) in performance. But in all honesty, what else would he have contributed in his late years? What would his 'comeback' shows have looked like, with a frail 50 year old man hobbling around an overly lighted stage with hundreds of thousands of fans being disappointed by this icon tehy held in such high regard. MJ is a great illustration of what pressure to conform could do to someone. His desire over his entire life to become what he believed his family and everyone else wanted him to be drove him to harm himself; and drove his sanity to the brink.
As I sit as Starbuck's, checking my iPhone, surrounded by people of the consumerist, commercialist culture, I am repulsed. By my own informed indulgence in this culture, but also in the blind indulgence and following as sheep that most people take on. Everyone looking around checking to make sure they are equal or above what everyone else has - What are the names on the bags the lady two tables over has? Where did she get the money to go buy the newest style of pumps? What label does the man in white have on that shirt? Are those REAL diamonds in her ears, or just for show? That group of teenagers, rushing in to escape the heat, all vying for their place on the continuum of individuality, don't seem to realize they all look the same in their effort: haircuts, cut of jeans, sling of the hat, even down to the practiced apathetic look they carry on their privileged faces. Malls are quite the enigma in and of themselves - gathering places to cash in your earnings. Did they originate from early Native barter and trade markets? There the trade was something you could offer to help someone else for what they had to help YOU out. Which, I suppose, is exactly what money does for us now, but the goal has shifted from what we need to trading what we WANT. 'Keeping up with the Joneses' has become an act in futility, or insanity. We are indoctrinated from an early age to believe that the answer to happiness is having those items someone else may covet. Everything has a competitive edge or bent, without which all this wealth would be meaningless.
Peel back the days' worth of reports about dead pop stars and you find more filth: Jon & Kate - the exploitation of children for the monetary benefit of the parents; and the governor of SC who lied about his affair and his whereabouts because of the hypocrisy of his actions versus his words. All of this only takes importance because of our reactions to it: if we stop glomming on to non-issues and quit turning them into press-stopping events, we could turn the media tide to what they SHOULD be reporting and WE should be reacting to, such as the election in Iran. Didn't we see this eight years ago in our own country the dangers of allowing someone else to choose our leader? Sadly, the Iranian people will suffer, along with some of the rest of the world (ourselves included) unless something else is done to stop those leaders who would take away the people's choice: ironically, immediately after a 'democratic' election of a 'new' leader. And yet, in our guarded utopias, life goes on, heedless of pressing issues at hand.
