But it's curious how the media can brush aside what they have been covering in depth - the election in Iran and its aftermath and go into hours upon hours on the subject of Michael Jackson's passing.
I was and continue to be a fan of the "gloved one" and yet am quite aware, as my friend Alan posted on my facebook page a few days ago, "Michael Jackson's grotesque weirdnesses far overshadow his talent." Perhaps a bit harsh (as another post noted), but not far off. Jackson was immensely talented...probably one of the best at his craft. However, somewhere deep inside of him was an abounding insecurity that lead him to do some strange things.
Which enables me to move into the subject of the strangeness of our media. Last evening I channel surfed for quite some time to find out the latest news on Iran. From BBC America to CNN to MSNBC to (yes even) FOX and none of them even mentioned the story that they had been covering so intensely for the past week or so. None could tell me what's happening to the Persian people...none.
We are fixated on celebrity in this country to the point where it seems to overshadow things that can and do really affect our lives. I know that Micheal Jackson was an enormous figure in the world of music and that Farah Fawcett had a large and admiring fan base.
But, to not be able to hear what is happening in an area that can impact the world at large, because the television news media keeps repeating the same things over and over and over again about "The King of Pop" while "The Supreme Leader of Iran" talks execution of the protest leaders (read that on the internet) is indicative of how our society has evolved.
Celebrity over substance tends to numb the mind and retard substantive knowledge.
May their souls rest in peace while we try to create it here on earth.
Good call Dan, I understand your point of view. Yet as a marketing major at the glorious KU, I see where the media comes from. People want to hear about Michael, and that is what sells.
ReplyDeleteYou're right...which, for a society, is pretty sad!
ReplyDelete