City of Legends

I was struck to a large extent by the contrasts in the coverage of the deaths, yesterday, of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.

For Farrah, there was a sense of respect, owing to her battle with cancer and the way she had ridden it out.  There was a sense of mourning for and with her, for all intents and purposes, husband, Ryan O’Neal.  Even the subject of their son, Redmond, and his situation, not being able to be with her as she died because he was in jail on non-violent drug charges, was handled largely with taste and tact.

For Michael Jackson, there was a ghoulish, perverse sort of feeding frenzy.  Tabloid shows from TMZ to Nancy Grace (let’s face it, the woman is vile) as well as all major and minor networks played conduit for the scum of the earth as they crawled from the sewers to recount how they had once had dinner in the same city as Michael and were now writing a book which you can buy through their website.

I had a moment’s hope that North Korea would go ahead and launch, just to give us a break in the coverage.

Don’t get me wrong, I recognize Michael Jackson’s life had its tragic elements and that he was a very screwed up and screwed over individual.  Maybe not as screwed up and screwed over as any of the MILLIONS OF HOMELESS PEOPLE, DRUG ADDICTS, SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS AND POLITICAL PRISONERS around the world, but we’re Americans, and we love a freak show to take our mind off the fact that there are RIOTS IN IRAN, A WAR IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN WHERE OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS ARE FIGHTING AND DYING, AIDS IS SAVAGING THOSE PARTS OF AFRICA NOT BEING CONSUMED BY GENOCIDAL WARS THAT KILL HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS and, of course, Spencer Pratt is still on television.

We are a nation, a species, a planet, perhaps, that has sometimes strange needs to be edified by the notion that even multi-millionaires who can have anyone and anything they want still die.  It reinforces our sense of vindication when are houses are foreclosed on and we are laid off that even with all that fame and all that money, they still have heartaches, heartbreaks and eventually die.

Jesus said to let the dead bury the dead, that there was more important work to be done than dwelling in the past.  Most certainly He was right and perhaps the difference in the level of dignity with which these two pivotal celebrities will be mourned will teach us something.  Remember that neither of these individuals ruled a nation, quelled a war or cured a disease.  Those sort of people, the people who really accomplish the celebration-worthy stuff, are really deified as we do with pop icons.

Farrah, I will miss your smile and beauty (and I, for one, like Saturn 3, and not just for your fleeting nude scene).  Michael, man, I wish you’d gotten your head together.  You gave us some pretty indelible images and memorable music.  Thank you.  Both of you.

Now about the Sudan, North Korea, Iran, Iraq and impending Swine Flu pandemic…