BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship

Subject: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 06:46 PM

From the Buffalo Beast

Now, let's all feel the nostalgic warmth of a shared viewpoint.

Group hug.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: PoppaGator
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 07:07 PM

Excellent! Really hilarious stuff, and on the money, too

By the way: did you notice that these hardasses didn't have anything nasty to say about the recently departed Pope you seem to hate so much? What's the matter with them?

Or are you some other "GUEST"? If so, my apologies...

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: PoppaGator
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 07:08 PM

PS: If you don't wanna take the time to read the whole thing, scroll down to #3 (counting backwards from 50).

But ~ you really should read the whole thing.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 07:14 PM

So excommunicate me for apostasy.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: Amos
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:32 PM

Well done, ROTFLMAO. Thanks a lot, Guest!! Now I have to go change my undies midday. Sheesh!! That's the cleanest cutting baldest tough stuff I have seen since Gawd knows when. Those guys deserve a Pulitzer for unvarnish.


A

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST,Correction
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:35 PM

Ahem...

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:44 PM

Right Guest Correction, but he wasn't on the 2004 list. I thoroughly enjoyed the 52 Funniest Things article, and actually had a fleeting desire to post the link to the papal obit thread. But I have already been lectured once today by Sir jOhn to stop causing trouble.

See the fine mess you've gotten us into now Guest Correction?

I got a good ironic chuckle out of this description of celebrity worship--from Ebony magazine, no less:

"There is nothing new about this. In 1937, 7,000 people gathered in Philadelphia to attend the funeral of Bessie Smith. In 1972, over 40,000 fans and dignitaries celebrated the life of Mahalia Jackson in Chicago. In 1981, hundreds of thousands of fans (including the prime minister), attended Bob Marley's funeral in Jamaica.

What is new, however, is the technological advances that allow mourners to instantaneously grieve with one another across geographical boundaries. The electronic age, consisting of the Internet, 24-hour news channels and the like, has transformed the once unorganized group of mass mourners into an active, organized cluster of celebrity worshippers, feeding on instant news updates, rumors concerning the celebrities' demise, and in the case of Tupac Shakur especially, gossip about his "real" whereabouts.

As a result, sociologists explain that the untimely death of a celebrity is generally followed by a modern-day communal mourning ritual.

First, the fans' makeshift memorials (complete with teddy bears and flowers), suddenly appear at the celebrity's birthplace, the final resting place, or at the scene of the celebrity's death. Next, the radio stations clutter the airwaves with the hit songs, the new songs, and the forgotten songs.

And finally, the close family members and friends of the fallen usually offer some closure in the form of final homecomings that are indeed fit for a king or queen--millions of television viewers watched the royalty of rap, R&B, and hip-hop pack the house at Aaliyah's funeral service in Manhattan, and openly threw their support behind Aaliyah's mother, Dana Haughton, as she released 22 white doves in honor of her daughter. And the Notorious B.I.G.'s funeral was equally spectacular.

At least one expert likens this fascination with departed celebrities to a modern-day religious movement.

"I would call celebrity worship a new form of religious culture that is very popular in the 20th century," explains Gary Laderman, professor of religion at Emory University, and author of Rest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in 20th Century America. "We live in a society that venerates a celebrity, and people may have very complicated relationships with them. They may not even know the fallen celebrity, yet they draw quite a bit of meaning from them, which is what religion does. It helps to construct meaning in their lives. Fans are able to draw meaning from this image appearing in the media, and they try to work in some way to maintain those connections."

Like in obituary threads in online chat forums.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: Little Hawk
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:45 PM

Now, THAT's bad taste. Really bad taste. Not that I'm upset about it, it just is, that's all.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:51 PM

Yah, right. Like the media circus is in good taste?

I think my favorite from the 52 list is this one:

30. Michael Jackson too broke to buy Pope's bones.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: Little Hawk
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:54 PM

The media circus is in equally bad taste, and far more dangerous in purpose. That's why I mostly pay little attention to it.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:56 PM

Though I loved these too...so hard to pick just one favorite:

25.LexisNexis search on phrase "the inner workings of the Vatican are shrouded in mystery" temporarily crashes system; Eric Alterman unable to search for press references to "What Liberal Media?" for 37 consecutive hours.

22.Mankind scrambles to choose new leader of inflexible, sexually morbid institutional anachronism; heretofore anonymous bureaucrat will instantly be celebrated as world's holiest man as he travels to AIDS-stricken Africa to denounce the use of condoms.

16.NBC Nightly News intern pulls wrong tape from drawer full of long-ago archived video obits; world thinks Boris Yeltsin has died, wonders why Brian Williams is calling him an "inspirational spiritual leader."

15.Williams, after broadcast: "Who's Boris Yeltsin?"

14.Matt Lauer to Williams: "He wrote the Contract for America."

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: Little Hawk
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 09:19 PM

Heh! Heh! That is very funny. I didn't read that far.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST,Correction
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 10:22 PM

Holy crap, talk about offensive!

I think these guys are just reacting to the insane condition of our current media. Still...huge balls.

Great linkage. This may be my new favorite site. Some of the old stuff is hilarious.

Highlights: http://www.buffalobeast.com/61/campaignads.htm
http://www.buffalobeast.com/62/page3-62.htm
http://www.buffalobeast.com/62/sab62.htm
http://www.buffalobeast.com/49/index.htm

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 10:46 PM

Gotta love the The Beastie! They've actually been around for awhile. I heard of them through a very subversive sort of guy who works at the local Catholic college. :)

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 11:39 PM

ummmmmmmmmmmmmm....well....I think I'm glad I'm not famous. Those guys take no prisoners.

What scares me is that I find myself nodding 'yeah', even about folks I thought I respected.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: Peace
Date: 06 Apr 05 - 12:19 AM

From what I have seen, the cure for celebrity worship is to marry one.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: Little Hawk
Date: 06 Apr 05 - 01:07 AM

Yes! Imagine, just for a moment, being married to Paris Hilton. Or Britney Spears. Or Whitney Houston. Or Ben Affleck. Or Condoleeza Rice.

GAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Apr 05 - 12:19 PM

Well, there are celebrities and celebrities, and "worship" of some types is not necessarily pathological. I can think of at least three clearcut and mutually exclusive categories:

1. Officeholders/"world leaders" ~ Interest in these personalities should be expected, because their decisions and actions do affect the public. While I usually disagree with those who lionize such characters, as though they could do no wrong, I certainly can't fault people for their interest.

2. Artists/entertainers ~ Their work entails an appeal to mass audiences, so it seems natural that large numbers of people would become attached to them. I have favorites of my own, and therefore can hardly begrudge others their similar attachments, even if they may not always be as "highbrow" as my own.

3. "Famous-for-being-famous" types like Paris Hilton, Kato Kaelin, TV amateur-hour winners, etc. For my money, it's the intense tabloid-driven interest in this bunch that is indicative of a sick society.

Maybe there isn't a very clear distinction between categories 2 and 3. I would consider Bessie Smith and Bob Marley to be serious popular artists worthy of a degree of adulation, but not, say, Jessica Simpson or WIlliam Hung. But perhaps that's no more than a matter of taste.

One thing is for certain: today's cult of celebrity certainly has taken public discourse in an unsettling direction as our attention is diverted from serious debate of critical issues by the obsessive coverage of sensational and personality-driven side issues.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Apr 05 - 12:28 PM

Are Guest 05 Apr 05 - 06:46 PM and Guest 06 Apr 05 - 12:19 PM the same person? I'm with McGrath of Harlow- what'samatta youse guys? If you want discourse, don't speak from the shadows.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST,WYS
Date: 06 Apr 05 - 12:35 PM

Being interested in the coverage does not necessarily equate to celebrity "worship," and I don't think it's helpful to dismiss current events (and the people acting them out for us all) by labeling it all "clebrity worship."

Media coverage (from whatever sources one chooses) can be a good window in on the current culture, for the purpose of reflecting on the culture and the trends that are affecting people. Sometimes, working with people, I find myself totally baffled by their mindsets. But a little dip in the culture pool-- be it clean or dirty-- can clarify the issues for me, and this makes it easier to see where folks are coming from.

Just last week, for instance, a discussion group for which I act as facilitator had a wonderful discussion about the implications of the whole Terri Schiavo mess. We didn't talk about what we each thought and felt about the mess-- we talked about what people around us here seemed to be struggling with as they tried to deal with similar life-end issues they're facing with close loved ones.

We ranged from there to what we each thought about the values expressed in the media figures' rants, contrasted with our personal and local community values. The discussion was enriched by my having watched most of the coverage, because I could raise questions to keep us moving through the topics without getting bogged down in arguing the merits of the apparent "two sides." (Our talk also was enriched by two people at the other end of the "media saturation" scale-- who only saw the news when she actually died, and had not seen the buildup to that point.)

It was a good way of moving beyond the polarized crap, and of exploring reflectively around the MANY factes of end-of-life issues. Does this mean I worshipped Terri Schiavo? I don't think so! :~) Although some of the reporters were kinda cute....

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST,PoppaGator
Date: 06 Apr 05 - 12:45 PM

12:19 was me, but not any earlier "guest" posts. I forgot that I had to use the "backdoor" and was cookieless; didn't mean to be anonymous. Please don't report me to Kevin!

I would have hoped it was obvious I was expressing a somewhat different point of view than the original complainant, but I guess not.

Good point, Susan, by the way. I think you expressed an aspect of what I was trying to say, and did it better.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST,wys
Date: 06 Apr 05 - 12:54 PM

Thanks, PG. I get pretty frustrated about the continual simplification of things around here, just for the purpose of tearing them down, by people who have an essentially negative view on just about everything! :~) Not only are thing usually a little more complex than what is so quickly attacked, they're often more positive as well.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: Rapparee
Date: 06 Apr 05 - 10:49 PM

Frankly, I don't give a flying...well, you know...about celebrities. Unless I know them. If I'm acquainted with them it's different. But since the last Hollywood actor I knew personally died a couple years back, at the moment I don't give a flying you-know-what.

By the way, I only recognized about half the people on that list. I truly don't have a clue as to who the others are, and neither do I care.

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: Ebbie
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 01:33 AM

Well, Poppagator, I thought it was possible that Guest had had a mental flare and come down on the reasonable side. But I guess that was too much to ask for. One of the really frustrating, hair-pulling realizations in life is the knowledge that practically NOBODY ever changes their minds on core issues. Sadly, that includes me. Given that, I suppose that discussions on almost any important matter are futile. Maybe we should all operate under the premise that the only discussion necessary is among like-minded people, and even then only to clarify the issues. 'Let my people go' (in peace?) may have a totally different implication...

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: Bill Hahn//\\
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 06:50 PM

Just Brilliant----Loved every bit---and YOU is right on target.

Strangely the site has much bad taste---yet makes valid points

Bill Hahn

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: DougR
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 06:57 PM

L.H., for a change I agree with you. It is really bad taste. I would say consider the source, but the source is a secret. It is designed to appeal to degenerates in my opinion.

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: The Cure for Celebrity Worship
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Apr 05 - 01:57 AM

Weird coincidence: I was just reading this today (loved it), and then tonight I was watching Court TV (yeah, I know that's lame), and the first story was about this story! I guess Tom Cruise is suing them over it--what a boob. They must be loving it. Cruise's lawyer was like, "we're gonna put them out of business!" wtf?