The era of the endless campaign -which could only exist in a world where histrionic hype and style mean more than history and substance- we now devolve into the era of the endless-but-danceable dirge.
Tom Elia writes of American Celebrity Culture Writ Large:
ABC, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC will cover Michael Jackson’s memorial service live. They will be joined by E! network. CBS will have its ‘news anchor’ there, but has not yet decided whether it will cover the event live.
Eight percent of our brains, my ass.
Are the cameras and the press covering the teeming crowds of “mourners” because they are there? Or are the teeming crowds there because of the cameras and the press?
As Jimmy Durante said, “everybody’s trying to get into the act!”
Even, sadly, the organist at Trinity (Episcopal) Church in lower Manhattan (home of the clown mass, where the organist conveniently had a video camera on him as he “paid tribute” to Michael Jackson at the end of their services. (H/T).
Why do anything at all, if you aren’t doing it on camera?
A sick society gets sicker, still. Morbid excess for Jackson, an entertainer. But how many Americans know who Aaron Fairbairn is, or why he died on Independence Day?
Instapundit: has a great TEA PARTY Roundup!
July 5th, 2009 | 1:14 pm | #1
Sign of the Apocalypse! The applause at the end only confirms it. Unfreaking believable!
July 5th, 2009 | 1:32 pm | #2
Too much “media”. Media means something that is “in the way”, as opposed to “immediate”. It is no wonder that as a society we do not much anymore directly apprehend what is, nor get at the Truth, which often comes in on the carrier wave of silence.
July 5th, 2009 | 1:40 pm | #3
“Why I left the Episcopal Church”–in spades! This is the ludicrous push to the extreme of everything that’s been happening in the church for years.
That church looked pretty empty to me. Good. We would all be better off to be unchurched than to participate in the obscenities happening there now.
July 5th, 2009 | 1:45 pm | #4
Many years ago, I remember sitting in the staff meeting at the Episcopal church where I was the organist at the time. The visiting Canon was telling me that “we have to meet the people where they are” (in reference to the music he wanted to see in the church services), and I responded by saying that perhaps we should simply turn the worship service into the Jerry Springer Show, because that seemed to be where people were at the time. After 11 days of non-stop adoration & worship of everything Michael Jackson, this video is probably a fitting tribute to “where the people are” in this Country, unfortunately. Obviously, I’ve played the wrong music for postludes when I go sub for vacationing organists…I’ve had applause, but nothing like what I heard here!
July 5th, 2009 | 1:57 pm | #5
I think that you might doing yourself an injustice, Piano Girl. When we are very moved, or stretching to experience something above us – especially something that we perceive is holy and worthy of respect – that is when we are most quiet. Raucous acclaim often follows something that we recognize as familiar, something “ours.” And who are we? Not god-like, that for certain!
Loved your link to your previous post, too, Anchoress. We never had a video camera and to this day I prefer my memories and a few stills.
July 5th, 2009 | 2:00 pm | #6
Clown mass indeed! I’ve had it up to here with these unbalanced liberal arts music majors (look at me, look at me). How any music like that is considered appropriate in a sacred service is totally beyond my comprehension.
I note with some satisfaction that the twerp appears to be wearing red long johns with some type of cape. Some village somewhere is missing him.
July 5th, 2009 | 2:05 pm | #7
BEC…it has always bothered me to hear applause in a church service. I’ve always thought that those of us who participate in a worship service are there to serve & praise God, and not seek the attention to ourselves. When I was growing up, applause was unheard of, but that might just date me as being an almost old person!!!
Labwriter…a lot of people split the moment the service is over and don’t stick around for the postlude, although I’ve always thought of it as being a part of the service, as is the prelude. But that might explain why the church was mostly empty. Or, it could be an indication of other things in the health of that particular church.
July 5th, 2009 | 2:28 pm | #8
Piano Girl, my experience has been that most congregants don’t recognize the postlude as part of the service when it is more of a display of the virtuosity of the organist or how loud they can crank those pipes up.
Most of us are beating a hasty retreat while we can still hear.
July 5th, 2009 | 3:02 pm | #9
Want to bet that CBS follows the pack and covers this event LIVE also?
Pathetic.
July 5th, 2009 | 3:36 pm | #10
There are endless reasons why the church of my youth, the Episcopalians, are dead. This is just a post mortum effect.
July 5th, 2009 | 4:14 pm | #11
Wow! We sang America, the Beautiful as our closing hymn. I go to Mass b/c I am a sinner and want to somehow be uplifted and the music is a part of that. This is not church music.
What a horrible display of “affection” for a poor soul with more problems than one can even imagine. BTW, it’s not exactly recognizable as a piece on the organ – sounded more like a cat being dragged screaming and kicking across the keyboard.
July 5th, 2009 | 4:59 pm | #12
I think of the coverage of the Jackson funeral as a way for certain media to cleanse their palates. After all, the funeral of John Paul II, with its accompanying solemnity and profundity, probably gives certain journalists a bad taste in their mouths to this day!
July 5th, 2009 | 7:02 pm | #13
The day before Michael Jackson died, a 7-year old boy in Tennessee died of complications from the treatment for leukemia – the same type of leukemia my own sweet granddauhter is battling. THESE are the heroes that should be recognized and lauded. If all the money being spent on “remembering” Michael Jackson could be spent on research to find a cure for childhood cancer, perhaps we wouldn’t have so many children dying each day of cancer. (Sorry – this is my soapbox. The excessive coverage of MJ is more than I can stomach!)
July 5th, 2009 | 8:18 pm | #14
I had heard in the pass when Michael Jackson was pretty successful and a lot younger that his original religion Jehovah Witness were against some of his practices but obviously he never really listened. Sometimes I wonder if he was not cursed for not having listened?
Whatever caused his so called fall from grace all I can say is may God Bless his Soul.
The strength of the Almighty dollar and what “IT” can do to you when not used properly!
July 5th, 2009 | 8:51 pm | #15
In the Episcopal church I attended for the past 20 years (of which I am no longer a member), a small group would gather near the organ at the end of every service to hear the postlude. We would usually clap quietly at the end, or smile and wave, just to express appreciation for the hard work and beautiful music of our wonderful organist. The attention always seemed to discomfit her, since to her applause implied a response to a performance, which of course none of the music was meant to be.
And yes, it was a small group that stayed to the end of the postlude, while most people beat it out the door. Their loss.
July 6th, 2009 | 11:50 am | #16
Jackson wasn’t even that great an entertainer. Everything that he did was imitative and repetitive – or stupid (like grabbing his crotch – as though he was hoping for something to appear there). As a dancer – he mostly imitated Jackie Wilson and James Brown – and he could in no way hold a candle to either Sammy Davis, Jr. (who was a far better singer than Jackson as well) nor could he even come close to the brilliant and now largely forgotten Gregory Hines who was a brilliant dancer. Let’s not even go into the pedophile accusations! Clearly this was a deeply disturbed and very unhappy human – but he doesn’t deserve the hysterical adulation being heaped upon him!
[I was at a store this weekend and there was the ever-present tv, blaring some celeb-show, clips of Jackson's dancing thru the years...he devolved into, "spin, swing-leg, slap chest," after a while, didn't he? - admin]
July 6th, 2009 | 12:15 pm | #17
Michael Jackson got moved to the front of Potter’s Wax Museum down here in St. Augustine. My only consolation about the organist at Trinity is that most of my friends wouldn’t have recognized the postlude.
“Live network coverage” for the memorial – another reason I only watch HGTV and the Food Network (exception made for Antiques Roadshow).
July 6th, 2009 | 1:34 pm | #18
[...] uncovering by the largely-still-besotted Obama-press will be quickly buried under the continuing excesses of Michael Jackson coverage, and the monolithic-left snarking over Sarah Palin who seems, with her [...]
July 6th, 2009 | 5:24 pm | #19
Unreal!!! you folk posting comments her need to chill….relax! Jackson was a music icon and certainly is worthy of the attention being afforded his untimely and tragic death. I have always been a huge fan of his music and vibrant talent. He brought so much joy and vitality to so many as evidenced by the outpouring of collective world grief. You dudes need to take a few xanax and call me when things calm down. As far as the organist in the Episcopal church playing Jackson songs…how creative! I loved it!!!
Links
Blogs
Find Us
Contact