On Tue, Jul 7, 2009 at 2:04 PM, Wesley McGee<[email protected]> wrote: > > I think this is also somewhat culturally biased or blindness. The black > community is more open to big public displays of grief. Funerals in my > family were big public affairs.
I will concede that in some segments of black society, most famously New Orleans, a funeral can be a public event complete with loud music and dancing, but the same is also true of some Irish wakes. And the reasons for engaging in such behavior is radically different than what is taking place today in Los Angeles. Respectfully, to paraphrase Whoopi Goldberg, there is no more of a black community than there is a white community. People are different for many reasons, skin color being least among them. Having grown up in Pomona, I feel more culturally close to African-Americans and Mexican-Americans than to so-called White America because they were my friends growing up. I know all about big families and big displays for family events (such as weddings, birthdays, and funerals), but what happened today in the Staples Center had nothing to do with family (or cultural) tradition. We were king-making. At the recording of the original "We Are The World," Quincy Jones hung a now famous sign above the entrance with the words "Check Your Egos At The Door" printed on it. That was a moment when the music industry, including Michael Jackson, set aside personal interest and sang about peace, love, and compassion. Singing that song today was an insult to everyone who originally collaborated on it, Jackson included, because they made it a part of a king's funeral. Our nation rejected the notion of a king when we broke away from England. The song wasn't "I Am The World." Watching the CNN/Facebook video feed, I was astounded at the comments being made by people. "He was our Elvis" was common. "The US should make his birthday a national holiday" was also common. Well, this generation doesn't get an Elvis, because this generation didn't make an Elvis. They made a Michael Jackson. I saw this take place on 9/11 when it was said that was our generation's Pearl Harbor and/or Kennedy Assassination. No, it wasn't. While it was not unimportant, it wasn't the same. Not only is our generation in the business of making kings, our generation wants to believe it is as special as those who came before, to the point of claiming every event is historically significant. Michael Jackson was the king of pop, not the king of the United States of America. He did not deserve the state funeral he received today. His child should not have grieved in public. Who was standing in the shadows while Michael's daughter spoke? Joe Jackson, the same man who stood in the shadows while his own children took to the stage years ago. And look how well that worked out for them. For those who are my Facebook friends, you'll note I posted frequent status updates mocking and ridiculing the event (I confess I was still asleep when it began, so I missed the opening... and the pre-show). My desire to serve as a witness to the collective insanity is something that hasn't changed since I followed the OJ trial. But I couldn't watch when the daughter the took the stage. I had to stop. I had no right to see her pain. The world had no right to see her pain. I guess what separates me from the rest of the world is that I had no interest in seeing it. At that moment, it ceased to be insane and progressed to a sickness which I fear more than the swine flu. And, as someone who watched the insanity of the OJ trial, I cannot help but draw the comparison to the times the Brown family (with more than a little help from Gloria Allred) dragged OJ's children in front of cameras. It made me sick to my stomach then, and it still does today. Because the sad, insane, sick truth of it is this: Placing Michael Jackson's daughter on that stage was as exploitative as child pornography. She was propped up to satiate the sick appetites of others. And I know people will tell me I'm overstating things or that I just don't understand, but it offends my sensibilities that the media would televise such crass exploitation. And even the most casual reader of this message board knows I do not offend easily. -- Kevin M. (RPCV) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
