Boy ,what a couple of days huh? First Ed McMahon, former Marine and longtime sidekick of Johnny Carson passed away on Wednesday. Then yesterday I hear that Farrah Fawcett passed away as well as Michael Jackson.
When any celebrity passes away, you normally get a lot of "chatter" about them, their movies, what they did,etc. The posts about Michael Jackson were one after another glorifying this man who obsessed with plastic surgery and little boys. I actually had to turn off Twitter and Facebook because I just couldn't stand it anymore.
I'm not saying he did not contribute to pop culture… he did. He was someone's son, brother and father. It was just the amount of coverage this person got was seriously above and beyond. All of sudden Michael Jackson's classic songs were the top songs downloaded on Itunes, Facebook apps were being created ("What M.J. song are you ") . Congress even went so far as to have a moment of silence in MJ's honor. (this just sickens me) The list goes on and on ….
It got me thinking … why in the world does our society mourn our celebrities (especially a pedophile in my opinion) but we don't honor our troops who provide the ultimate sacrifice in the same manner. Why don't we honor there lives like we saw yesterday?? Our troops are the real heroes that deserve that honor.
It really says a lot about our society and the media when we forget about the people that are truly make a difference for ourselves and our children, our freedoms and our future.
What do you think ?
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I think it's because celebrities are loved by the world, by the fans who feel they know them and follow their work. It's almost like a personal loss on some levels. This doesn't make the troops less important, it's just that we don't 'know' each of them individually. Each and every one of them who loses their life in the line of duty matters. Same with police officers, firefighters, etc., who give their lives for our safety, but the world as a whole doesn't 'know' them. Locally, these losses get some extended news coverage. Nationally, or internationally, not usually, for the simple fact that Jane Doe in London has never heard of John Doe from Nebraska who died in the line of duty, whatever that duty may be. It would make little sense to have this type of extraordinary, extended coverage of that loss. This is not disrespectful or downplaying the loss for the loved ones, it just is what it is. My step-sister will die in the next few months from cancer. You won't hear about it anywhere; there will be no media coverage, but she's a hero to her daughter. Heroes come in all forms, from all walks of life and from all sorts of professions, and is not a title reserved only for those in the military, although we sure do appreciate them and are grateful for their commitment to protect and preserve our freedom. The celebrities who passed this week, MJ included, did make a difference in some people's lives, in their futures, and just because you (and maybe me) aren't one of those people, doesn't mean one or all of them didn't change at least one person's life for the better, or redirect their future in a positive way, because I guarantee you they did. I get why you're biased toward the military, and that's cool, but they just simply are not the only heroes out there.
Is it necessary to tear down one – (not convicted) "pedophile" – to raise awareness of others?
I've had some of those same thoughts watching the events of the past few days. I don't get the celebrity fascination. I'm the wife of an unsung hero, who has dedicated years of volunteer service to search and rescue and firefighting, so I can really relate to your train of thought on this. As my hero says "Not all heroes wear capes" . The most deserving are only remembered in the hearts and minds of those that know what they humbly did to serve their community or their country. It's the fact that we know what they sacrifice without the glory or the fame that makes it hard to comprehend the adulation of a pop star or TV personality.