R.I.P. Whitney Houston
- Thread starter mrtonguetwista
- Start date
for sure.
I was thinking about how the media goes on for years ripping these troubled stars with any chance they get, making them complete jokes and of course when they die, it's totally flipped and they were "legends" and "icons" but the reality is the media probably played a big part in their demise.
Found this from a couple days ago, thought I'd share.
I was thinking about how the media goes on for years ripping these troubled stars with any chance they get, making them complete jokes and of course when they die, it's totally flipped and they were "legends" and "icons" but the reality is the media probably played a big part in their demise.
Found this from a couple days ago, thought I'd share.
the worship of celebrity itself plays a deeply unhealthy role in the US. Under conditions in which masses of people have seen their living standards worsen, and official politics assumes an entirely unreal character, in which none of the major questions of life can find expression, the need to live vicariously through celebrities grows and helps to fill the vacuum. The media exploits this, promoting a voyeuristic fascination with figures like Houston, Michael Jackson or Lindsay Lohan.
When a celebrity, whose significance is blown far out of proportion, is then caught “slipping up” or showing signs of real human weakness, their status as an American icon is quickly revoked, and adoration turns into anger and resentment. The media leads the way in the vindictive demand for accountability and punishment. The entire cynical process is itself a big business.
For years, reports on the scandals of Houston and husband Bobby Brown, including rumors of drug abuse and Brown’s frequent arrests, were common in the media. One especially ugly episode was an exploitative interview with Dianne Sawyer on ABC’s “Primetime” in 2002, in which Sawyer attempted to exact from the star a confession that she was not prepared to give.
A 2005 reality show, “Being Bobby Brown”, was a cheap and voyeuristic look into the lives of Houston and Brown. That Houston agreed to participate at all was a sign of serious distress on the part of the singer.
Now that Houston has died, the media coverage will go into overdrive. The scandalous details will be replayed, alongside memorials and tributes to Houston’s singing talents. There will be days of speculation as to the cause of death, until the official reports are released. There will almost certainly be new greatest hits packages from the music industry on the horizon and unreleased recordings will be made public. A great deal of money still stands to be made for those in the right position.
When a celebrity, whose significance is blown far out of proportion, is then caught “slipping up” or showing signs of real human weakness, their status as an American icon is quickly revoked, and adoration turns into anger and resentment. The media leads the way in the vindictive demand for accountability and punishment. The entire cynical process is itself a big business.
For years, reports on the scandals of Houston and husband Bobby Brown, including rumors of drug abuse and Brown’s frequent arrests, were common in the media. One especially ugly episode was an exploitative interview with Dianne Sawyer on ABC’s “Primetime” in 2002, in which Sawyer attempted to exact from the star a confession that she was not prepared to give.
A 2005 reality show, “Being Bobby Brown”, was a cheap and voyeuristic look into the lives of Houston and Brown. That Houston agreed to participate at all was a sign of serious distress on the part of the singer.
Now that Houston has died, the media coverage will go into overdrive. The scandalous details will be replayed, alongside memorials and tributes to Houston’s singing talents. There will be days of speculation as to the cause of death, until the official reports are released. There will almost certainly be new greatest hits packages from the music industry on the horizon and unreleased recordings will be made public. A great deal of money still stands to be made for those in the right position.
