In a Sense, Abroad Part Trois: Some Final Mutterings on the American Media's Michael Jackson Multi-Network Thanatothon

Some title, huh?

I say "American media" because in true elitist fashion, I am on holiday with my family outside of the states -- in the south of France, to be exact -- where my mother-in-law lives. We visit her every year at about this time and immerse ourselves in the region's culture, delightful political incorrectness and its relatively unspoiled beauty.

And along with drinking copious amounts of rosé and pretending not to look at the topless women scampering along the beaches of the cote d' Azur (which may put some of the less gracious in mind of ogling a variety of speckled meats swaying in a delicatessen window) it's also an occasion to observe the country of my birth from an edifying distance.

And sometimes it's like watching a psychotic ranting on a street corner.

Descriptions of the extravaganza of Michael Jackson's funeral have been leaked to us courtesy of emails from friends as well as news reports from the papers and Sky TV, all of which place the event in a more seemly context, rather than the 24 hour in-your-face saturation at home. And it begs several questions:

1) What the fuck is going on with the mainstream media in America?

2) Is there no indignity heaped upon the late entertainer -- and the American public -- who, like it or not, must have their optic nerves burnt to a frazzle in the contrived glow of this mercilessly inane spectacle?

3) Why does the wine back home give me a throbbing headache, while over here it's like drinking gallons of colored happy-water?

You gotta see it from where I'm standing to understand. Because it's times like these when it's all too apparent that the US of A has had its soul hijacked by interests who see it only as a platform for consumerism. Because it seems like Michael Jackson's life has been one long fire sale.

From my Frenchified perspective, I saw something of this tortured person's life in a different context, away from the controversies and eccentricities which consumed his later years, away from the obvious damage wrought upon his physical and psychological being and away from the bazaar-like spectacle of his death. From this distance, it is fairly placed among the myriad sociopolitical events occurring around the globe and given, perhaps, a more fitting presentation.

Having digested the grosses of the Dead Elvis industry and processed the ratings gains wrung from Lady Di's sensational departure, the media -- no dopes they -- are pulling out all the stops to make this a red-white-and-blue banner event among all the black bunting. That's what they do best. Eschewing thoughtful content for knee-jerk saccharine schmaltz, the media has been commandeered by the men who brought you "Headless Body in Topless Bar" and made it The Only Thing You Can See TV simply because it shoots grappling hooks into eyeballs in the hope that it sells. Not informs. Not enlightens. Not moves. Sells.

And don't get me wrong -- there is a place for exploitation. It's called The Side Show. Tragically, that side has slithered to the center and only the saddest of the freaks seem to matter to the media, who have made their living of late with cheaply manufactured versions of reality, lauding the mediocre and exiling expertise to the fringes.

Over here, as his music emanates from the car radio or his videos play on the television screen free from the distraction of glitzy accompanying commentary, one is treated to a rich, aural biography. It is impossible to ignore this young man's truly unique gifts, seeing him give as much as he could, move in ways most people wished they were able, lose himself in a song the way we all should be able to lose ourselves in life's wonder; his plaintive, honey voice singing "Got To Be There" still innocent, before any deviant behavior was beaten into him, before the time that digital harmonizers could make any cheerleader or aerobics instructor into a pop idol. He was once natural, rare, real.

But instead of nurturing artists, modern pop culture discards them, seeming to prefer exploitation to preservation. We ignore the lessons our elders seek to teach us; we trivialize the life and death experiences of the dwindling corps of World War II veterans needs to pass onto us; we marginalize our struggling public school teachers by paying them low wages and paying them little mind. Instead, we devise garish celebrations around people whose stardom was bred into them like a prize winning Pekingese.

Not everything should be for sale. The passing on of knowledge shouldn't. Love shouldn't. Mercy shouldn't. The market place has breached our personal sanctums, it's in our living rooms now, in our brains, in our blood.

We mistake commerce for culture, fanaticism for reverence. And having witnessed as much as I could take of Michael Jackson's star-studded memorial LIVE from the Staple's Center I am now certain there is an afterlife: it's called marketing.

The first two questions about the media and the indignities heaped upon blah blah blah, hopefully, were addressed in the rambling dissertation above. I mean, if you've come this far, even whether or not they have you might actually think so, such is the power of the media (of which I am, at this moment, a part of).

As to the final query: "Why does the wine back home give me a throbbing headache while over here it's like drinking gallons of colored happy-water?" that I fear is another corporate conspiracy rant for another time.

Right now, I'm putting up my sabots, popping in a J5 greatest hits CD, upturning my gourd and watching the show from a safe distance. Vive la vie! (They make thesauruses here, too!).

Comments

[TremoluxMan]

I never 'got' Jackson. Yes, he was a talented performer and a ground breaker in Pop Music. I'm not slamming him personally when I say I was appalled and disgusted by the fawning, unrelenting coverage of his passing. Let's see, all three networks covered it live that morning, the local news gave it extensive recaps just hours after its conclusion, the evening networks led off with Jackson items and recapped their morning coverage, then the prime-time news magazine shows did another full hour, and finally, the local nightly news covered it some more. Seriously? And the virtual deification that took place during it all was shocking. Civil rights pioneer, philanthropist? Mmmokay.

If Jesus himself came back to earth in the flesh and died all over again, he wouldn't have gotten that much airtime. Get some perspective people.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

***Seriously? And the virtual deification that took place during it all was shocking. Civil rights pioneer, philanthropist? Mmmokay***

How is any of this inaccurate?

He did charity work and was the first major black star that MTV played.

Forged the path for all who followed.

[TremoluxMan]

If you recall, MTV's format was different back then, more hard rock/metal and virtually no R & B or Pop. Jackson was astute enough to realize his act was as much visual as musical and MTV would be a perfect vehicle to get it front of and build an audience fast. MTV resisted more on a format than racist basis. Not being stupid, they changed format and embraced the Pop wave they saw coming, making a virtue of necessity and a fortune in the bargain. I don't recall Jackson lamenting all the poor Black Chicago and Delta Blues players or R & B and Soul artists not getting airtime or being justly compensated by the recording companies and publishers. Jackson, early on, was a sharp businessman. He snatched the Beatles catalog out from under McCartney; no small feat given Macca's business acumen. The whole MTV deal was all about the $$$ rather than fighting for racial equality. Do your homework.

[timinhi]

"He did charity work and was the first major black star that MTV played."

Really?! Wow! How life-changing. I guess no other celebrity has done charity work before or since, and if Michael hadn't broken the "MTV color barrier," no black performer would ever have appeared on it, huh? And of course, MTV really is so important to the survival of our culture, after all. I especially love all those wonderfully entertaining "reality shows" they now broadcast, seemingly 24-7. Get a grip.

[Mark Mack]

You continue to rail against Michael Jackson coverage! You have placed his passing and subsequent celebration of life, under the heading of strange sexual, celebrity sychophant behavior!
I respect that.
You have gone too far. You proudly wear your Elitism while vacationing in the South of France. You have destroyed America’s spirit and underestimated their love of elaborate, remarkable, lavish spectacles . You try to take our joy. All that I can forgive.
But Steven....­....Rosé wine?

[maigesheng]

Hahaha. No doubt.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

***And having witnessed as much as I could take of Michael Jackson's star-studded memorial LIVE from the Staple's Center I am now certain there is an afterlife: it's called marketing***


So, for all your complaining, you STILL watched at least some of the memorial?


The myth that MJ's death denied coverage for other stories is quite frankly nonsense.

In the midst of the Michael Jackson coverage I saw stories about Iran, North Korea, July 4th, Sarah Palin, a crane falling over in Liverpool, and the Harry Potter premiere.

[bugsbonzai]

Right, because only those who are completely ignorant of a subject are able to comment coherently on it. Gotcha. Sounds like you'd fit right into Bush administration thinking.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

***Right, because only those who are completely ignorant of a subject are able to comment coherently on it. Gotcha. Sounds like you'd fit right into Bush administration thinking***

Erm...no actually.

But rather I identify hypocrisy when I see.

Don't watch something.­...then complain that is being broadcast at all.

[viper234]

How was your headache during the excessive coverage of the aftermath of the Iranian elections, the successive replays of a young woman taking her last breaths on the street after being shot under circumstances that could not be confirmed? NBC, CNN, MSNBC all had a photograph of this young woman's face plastered on the TV screen day after day using her to drive their wall to wall coverage of the aftermath of the elections in that country. Tweets and FaceBook comments served as reporting, "the new journalism" don't you know. Didn't hear you mouthing off about night after night coverage of Mark Sanford's love letters or the media's preoccupation with every word coming out of Sarah Palin's mouth or the fact that Americans never see a flagged drapped coffin coming home from war or hear any real reporting about any of the wars this country is involved in or issues concerning the erosion of US civil liberties or the US use of torure. But you get a headache because Michael Jackson dies and woldwide coverage is heavy. Now that's weird. I have a headache when the US comes up with a legal framework for detaining people who've not been charged with a crime as a way to prevent them from committing "future crimes."

[GardenerNorCal]

I hear yah. I am remembering Michael they can't take that away from us, unless we let them.

[WellTickleMeWillie]

While I am somewhat ambivilant about MJ's death, he was a great artist, a parent and a role model to his black brothers. I do not believe in the pedophile allegations b/c MJ was so different than most of us that I truly can believe there was no sexual aspect to these children he supposedly entertained at Neverland. Having said that, the MSM are milking every $$$ they can from his death. The circus around him goes on generating even more media attention and $$$. But we can make the same claims about not only celebs but sports figures, rock stars and political mavericks like Sarah Palin. It benefits the MSM financially and the corporate establishment to constantly focus attention away from real people issues like our for-profit health care system and the truth about them. They do not want a well informed electorate that genuinely understands America's problems and the potential solutions b/c they stand to lose when the right solutions are applied to these problems. The monied plutocracy will do everything possible to do business as usual and divert attention away from their failures in regards to America's general welfare and pursuit of happiness. These are surplanted by consumerism and foolish spending and debt as subsitutes.

[letuckerchicago]

I agree with Steven's comments about the exploitation, commoditizing and fetishizing of artistic talent. However, in this case, I have to say that the memorial service was a wonderful homegoing for Michael. With a few notable exceptions, the tributes were wonderfully heartfelt and gave a glimpse into the Black artistic community of which Michael had been a part. Our White bretheren were reacquainted with the reality that Michael was a smart, hardworking, gifted Black person (much to the shock of Bill O'Reilley, apparently). What you saw, upcoming DVDs notwithstanding, was a classic Black funeral. If you didn't know, now you know.

[ediva75]

COSIGN RIGHT ALONG WITH U!!!

[chitown]

How many times did we hear commentators speculate about what kind of circus Michael Jackson's memorial was going to be? There was no circus. The police in LA prepared for a riot. There was no riot. And despite emails from friends, describing the event before it happened, there was no "extravaganza". (Who reads emails about subjects that have no interest for them?)

Surely in the south of France, there are many enjoyable activities available, other than subjecting oneself to LIVE viewing of an event for which one has pre-determined disdain, and then blogging about how disgusting it was.

It's the essence of irony that so many in the media are churning out pieces, i.e. making money, deploring those who are making money off of Michael Jackson, and then acting like it's Michael's fault.

[MyDogIsADemocrat]

Wow, this is the first time I've actually agreed with something you have written.

[writerjohnny]

LIVE from the Staples Center, it's the Michael Jackson Memorial available NOW on DVD. Stars and celebrities sing, cry, read poetry and act like they are talking about Dr. King, Ghandi and Sgt. York. It will make you feel stuff. Coming soon...DVD compilations, CD compilations, 100 books by people who almost knew him, 10 documentaries by people who never met him, a tribute starring the world's greatest Jackson impersonators at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the blockbuster biopic directed by Spike Lee and starring Will Smith. The sad death of a faded 50 something singer and songwriter becomes a billion dollar industry overnight. Now watch for other almost forgotten celebrities dying under semi mysterious conditions to keep that memorial train a chuggin' down those money tracks. Hey Larry King, you look great in that Michael Jackson hat. Seriously.

[Holypat777]

Bonjour!

Le vin est bon?

Great post!

Au revoir!

[WriteStuffNYC]

There was a perfect storm at work, more than catnip to the "mainstream media," which is why they couldn't resist this "all Michael, all the time." MJ was a powerful symbol to African-Americans, one about breaking through the barriers and becoming the Mohammad Ali of pop, leading the way for so many other black performers. (Not saying I agree, what with Stevie Wonder, Nat Cole and Sammy Davis, jr...) MJ was also a quarter century slo-mo trainwreck, one used on a regular basis as tabloid fodder, selling billions publications, to say nothing about the TV and radio hours devoted to gossip and gawking at their freak of the day. Add in the lurid accusations of pedophilia (putting MJ almost on a level with OJ on the notorious scale) as well as his death by apparently misusing drugs, and well, the wall-to-wall coverage was a fait accompli.

Besides, if FOX and NBC were going to jump in with both feet, could CBS and ABC fail to do so? Perhaps, but with such mega-ratings at stake the jobs of the executives in charge would hang in the balance as their boards of directors scrutinized the balance sheets at the end of the quarter.

If the public has been taught to burn for the next tidbit about the Paris-Lind­sey-and-Br­itney trainwrecks, it's a no-brainer that they'd be glued to the screen at the events surounding MJ's perfect departure from Celebrityland.

[simplysimon2]

Michael Jackson died? What's the big deal, we all die. We also all make moment to moment decisions about what to eat, drink, or ogle. Only an idiot would walk down a dark lane that had a reputation for mayhem. The same is true about watching or listening to any kind of media during the ritual praising of the famous-rec­ently-dead­. One can choose to watch or just "Walk On By". Avoid the nonsense that the overpaid, moronic executives, who are the "Deciders!" of MSM and not so main stream media, put before us. I just say No. Not that I have anything personal against MJ although his deviance does stick in my craw (appropriate, n'est pas?). But all the king's horses and all the king's men will never put Jacko's reputation together again. RIP

[progressivegreg]

Totally agree with your assesment of the MJ circus. An old movie called "The Big Carnival" involved a guy trapped in a mine and the media descended and the mans plight became very secondary to the media involvment. And that was back in the early 50's! To answer your question about wine, it knows when it crosses the Atlantic and it changes! By the way same thing with German Beir. Enjoy France and have some freedom fries, errr pomme frites. Viva La France

[WriteStuffNYC]

Excellent invocation of the Big Carnival reference! I couldn't agree more.

[Dynamohum]

The difference between French wine and American wine is SULFITES!! American wine has sulfites as a preservative and they cause headaches and hangovers in many people.

[Konnie]

wordsmithie - excellent as always. just enough twisting of the knife.....­.......int­o both the msm and us.

[hwadman28]

WTF indeed! Apparently, since MJ died, nothing else has happened in the world. What a relief, no more war or strife.
Your post did bring up another question. Why doesn't my mother-in-law live in the south of France?

[GardenerNorCal]

Yeah Palin resigned.