quote:

Originally posted by Ninja_Kn1ght:
The latter follows from the former, sir.

im confused.

quote:

Originally posted by Ninja_Kn1ght:
People care about celebrities because they bring entertainment into their lives. Jackson has been a part of millions of peoples lives in some way, so yeah, when he dies, they care. This is happening right now and it's raw. He was a legendary artist and musician so this is a big deal.

Other people dying is important too, and it's a terrible tragedy but that didn't start happening today, so if you really care you should pursue the cause in the future. People are mourning Michael Jackson right now and they have a right to do so without people telling them what they "should" care about because holier-than-thou internet rangers have decided their feelings aren't legitimate enough or their interests are too base.

It's not that their feelings aren't legitimate, it's that many, many, many people will make NO effort to look into other issues. Or if they hear about them, they will just blink and move on.

Everyone has a right to feel what they want, and of course it's not up to me to say what they should care about (or, similarly, believe, as in religion). I am lamenting the fact that there are a LOT of people that choose not to care about many people dying as opposed to one person dying. And then the next celeb dies, and they care about that.

It's a tough argument to make that the amount of celeb crying we're going to have over the next months about this is anywhere near proportionate to the actual tragedy involved, especially in comparison with what else goes on in the world.

quote:

Originally posted by Broasaurus_Rex:
i thought europeans were cultured, enlightened, and intelligent. yet they are still obsessed with michael jackson. weird

It's a good thing the world isn't measured by any one person's opinion.

quote:

Originally posted by GypsyflyPMS:

quote:

Originally posted by Broasaurus_Rex:
i thought europeans were cultured, enlightened, and intelligent. yet they are still obsessed with michael jackson. weird

It's a good thing the world isn't measured by any one person's opinion.

no it's not.

quote:

Originally posted by GTZ_:

It's not that their feelings aren't legitimate, it's that many, many, many people will make NO effort to look into other issues. Or if they hear about them, they will just blink and move on.

Everyone has a right to feel what they want, and of course it's not up to me to say what they should care about (or, similarly, believe, as in religion). I am lamenting the fact that there are a LOT of people that choose not to care about many people dying as opposed to one person dying. And then the next celeb dies, and they care about that.

It's a tough argument to make that the amount of celeb crying we're going to have over the next months about this is anywhere near proportionate to the actual tragedy involved, especially in comparison with what else goes on in the world.

It's tough, I certainly agree that most people are far too apathetic to what's going on in the world. We live in a very egocentric society where people only really think about how to get themselves ahead. It sucks and it makes the world worse for everyone but Jackson dying is still sad and it does directly affect more people, in this part of the world at least.

I am impressed by the number of people on twitter etc. that seem to be interested in world events.

one good thing to come from this.

two hours of shepard smith, instead of one. he is such a dreamboat!

Late.

Show.

Monologue(s).

quote:

Originally posted by Ninja_Kn1ght:
It's tough, I certainly agree that most people are far too apathetic to what's going on in the world. We live in a very egocentric society where people only really think about how to get themselves ahead. It sucks and it makes the world worse for everyone but Jackson dying is still sad and it does directly affect more people.

Very true, my friend. I just wish there was some way to actively associate something of this magnitude with a larger social issue.

I mean, when Michael J. Fox dies, there will be a big thing about Parkinson's disease. Probably. I see an example like this as a Good Thing (in the societal sense), because the overall outcome will help to raise funds and awareness as people make donations in his honour and research into the disease can move forward (stem cells, ahoy!). I wish there was some kind of mechanism to attach people's effort spent feeling bad over this to really push to help change bad situations. It's a lot of effort to be sad, can we somehow put it to good use for benefit to others?

That was a very livejournal-y and angsty semi-rant.

can we go back to making light of the situation and not being all preachy

quote:

Originally posted by GTZ_:
It's a lot of effort to be sad, can we somehow put it to good use for benefit to others?

Thousands of years of human history say probably not.

MJ hasn't actually done anything creatively useful recently anyway has he? It doesn't seem like a big loss if he died. It just means there will be an extra 5% of tabloid space for more news of Brittany Spears.

quote:

Originally posted by Broasaurus_Rex:
can we go back to making light of the situation and not being all preachy

Just beat it.

i just posted that on my twitter


Michael Jackson showed up at the pearly gates and St. Peter said, “just beat it”

quote:

Originally posted by Broasaurus_Rex:
i just posted that on my twitter


Michael Jackson showed up at the pearly gates and St. Peter said, “just beat it”

Like. Whoa.

quote:

Originally posted by Broasaurus_Rex:
who cares?

lets talk about the protests in iran and the woman who was killed and the video was all over youtube

seconded

Very talented artist, but the whole kid-touching thing really tarnished his reputation.

Personally, David Carradine and Ed McMahon passing are bigger deals. Not so much because either is a "bigger" celebrity, but because I enjoyed those two more.

quote:

Originally posted by GTZ_:
I wish there was some kind of mechanism to attach people's effort spent feeling bad over this to really push to help change bad situations.

And the whole world has to answer right now just to tell you once again,

Who's bad?

quote:

It's not that their feelings aren't legitimate, it's that many, many, many people will make NO effort to look into other issues. Or if they hear about them, they will just blink and move on.

QFT. Many people were completely unaware that, for example, Somalia is still embroiled in a civil war, and it wasn't until their pirates targeted western European/American boats that anyone heard of it.

Personally, I regard individual celebrity deaths with the same notice I give any other individual. Which is kind of how you treat a puppy that's died. It's sad, for sure, but not really worth any more time devoted to crying over it than anyone else I never personally knew who died.

Except for Daniel Pearl. And only because I watched the video.

ANYWAY, back to MJ, the music world definitely lost a great performer, that's for sure. And I honestly don't buy into the whole pedo thing. Yes, in his interviews he was freaking creepy... but I'm creepy sometimes, and you don't see me molesting kids.



BECAUSE I TOOK A LESSON FROM PEDOBEAR AND HIDE IT WELL! HUR HUR HUR! /cruisecontrol

I jest of course. Please don't have the FBI show up at my door.

Edit:

quote:

Who's bad?

Kim Jong Il (or is it Kim Il Jong?) I know this because of my learnings and deep ethical discussions with myself.

Hmmmmm I wonder if my 80's memorabilia of Michael will now be worth something haha

Even though Michael has gone off the creepy end it still is sad that he is dead.

I guess everything comes in three's, first Ed then Farrah, and now Michael.

A woman stopped her car in the middle of San Francisco traffic, rolled down her window, and said "Michael Jackson's dead, I don't know what to do" at me. Later a student came into the university library I worked at and shouted "MJ's dead zomg!" The way people are acting in SF, it's like JFK died all over again. Guess when it's your time, you can't......beat it.

I am kinda sad that we'll never see a Captain EO 2, Cannonball Run 3, and Ed McMahon rap, this weeks' been stealing my childhood tv icons