Alan Mutter over at Reflections of a Newsosaur has a nice bit about how the media, already suffering a credibility problem, went entirely overboard on coverage of Michael Jackson. Well, except for those child molestation charges that conveniently seemed to be left out of the story (Why spoil a good narrative, right?).
The funny thing is, or perhaps sad, is it wasn't just the networks, cable channels and big papers churning out the Jacko stories. My Mom came over to visit and brought her smalltown paper with her and there on the front page, mercifully below the fold, was a glowing first-hand account about the Staples Center memorial. Why was it in the newspaper? The woman was a former resident of the town, of course!
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Too Much MJ Coverage
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4 comments:
We all know the reasons, and it has been a human condition since the beginning of our existence. We gravitate towards the exceptional and eccentric. Media rely on ads to pay salaries, and rarely is anything absolute including credibility. And presently I think the story is even more powerful because people want distractions from our terrible economy and ongoing issues that never seem to be corrected. Plus, he was an incredible performer.
I don't know if the child molestation charges will really ever be proven, and for me, the real news is the larger issue of prescription drugs. But my guess is that will eventually fade into the distance and reemerge just like every other issue we can't fully deal with.
Incidentally, I do find it amusing that as I type you have a Michael Jackson ad in your sidebar. Awesome!
I know we are in a celebrity-obsessed society and the media is always there to satisfy the demand (or, perhaps, create it), but I think this was overkill. No offense to his fans, and I had the Thriller cassette like everyone else, but he really hasn't had a hit in a decade or so and the main reason for him staying somewhat in the limelight here in the States was for the weird reasons.
I think when all is said and done the prescription drug angle will probably parallel that of Elvis. But drug abuse by celebrities is almost old hat and something that is seemingly expected in an unexpected death. The child molestation charges aren't.
Whenever I hear someone drone on about Jackson I'll always ask them if they would let their child spend the night at Neverland with him. And, almost to the person, there is a long, awkward pause followed by a "Well, no. But he is a great entertainer." He was, but those charges trump all. Even hardened criminals can't stand a molester.
Adsense can be funny. I was reading a feed that was blasting Sarah Palin and at the bottom was a "Donate to Sarah's PAC" display. I almost thought it was a joke within the post, before seeing the Adwords code.
In fact, as I am writing this the right bar has an ad for "Free Sex Offender Search." No Jackson ads.
I totally agree. With all that is going on in the world, seeing Wacko Jacko on TV on all 4 major networks and countless cable news and entertainment networks, there was more coverage than when a president dies.
Jackson could sing and dance but that was about it. Hopefully he is in more peace wherever he is than when is was on earth.
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