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Jackson’s Memorial--Must See TV
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Goodbyes are sweet for TV celeb coverage
This week is shaping up as quite the series of memorial moments for fallen TV icons. Certainly the granddaddy of the memorials will be for Michael Jackson at his Neverland Ranch. But don’t forget Farrah Fawcett on Tuesday and TV pitchman Billy Mays, also gets the memorial treatment on Friday.
If you include Ed McMahon’s passing it has been an extraordinary run for the grim reaper. It would be easy to say TV will never be the same after all these larger than life TV figures have passed on, but I think TV is proving it will be quite the same--a constant churn of celebrity rise, celebrity falls, and celebrity passing.
The astounding, incessant coverage of all of these deaths has shown that TV allows certain people to bubble up to its surface and woo us with their talents (or in Mays’ case, marvel in their oddity), but that there is always someone else waiting in the wings for the airtime. TV icons are like shiny objects to a child. We look and we look and we look. The death of an icon inspires only one good long last look. TV (and the internet, and other mass media) love that lingering last look. And funerals, what great theater, is a wonderful way to package the final peek. Its all hypnotic. Especially because other shiny object celebrities trot out their own thoughts, tweets and blather about the fallen shiny object. What a great cycle!
But then, at some point, it must end. We all have different tolerance levels for how long the washing in nostalgia and death curiosity can continue-- and many are complaining with the Jackson coverage that they have reached theirs. But, it’s a democracy. Believe it or not, many haven’t maximum immersion yet. As long as the eyeballs tune in, we’ll keep seeing it.
And soon, there will be someone else. TV will make sure a new shiny object...or an odd one (sorry Billy Mays) arises and fascinates for a moment or for decades. And if one shall pass, TV will allow for us to give our regards, and build ratings points.
So, revel in it this week if you can. Its unlikely we will see such a rash of celebrity “community” for quite a while. And CNN needs the ad spike.
More coverage on the death of Michael Jackson
http://www.examiner.com/category-michael_jackson.html
More coverage on the death of Farrah Fawcett
http://www.examiner.com/category-farrah_fawcett.html
