Anna Nicole Smith

[Touch Of Death]

RE: What's Wrong With US?

Could it be that too many of our fellow citizens think the demise of this Uberbimbo actually constitutes "news"?

Too much of our society is pre-occupied with knowing nonsense. I one time knew a guy who could run off any Red Sox batting average, but had no idea when his kids' birthdays were.

People don't know who (allegedly) represents them in Congress, but they know the latest on Paris Hilton. Is Britney Spears' right not to wear panties protected by the Bill of Rights? Anybody know anything about the doctors working on Bird Flu - K-fed's doing that right?

CNN gives an hour to lurid speculation about the 1001 possible causes of Anna Nicole's death - how many real heroes, like the guys who get murdered fighting terrorists - get an hour on CNN?

What's hot? What's Not?

Shallowness and stupidity are H-O-T.

Actually, the law bending that went on against her is quite interesting.
Sean

 

[grydth]

If you tell me you were drawn to the story as a matter of legal or social interest, I will absolutely take your word on that.

If you believe that those scholarly pursuits are what has drawn the sensationalist media and the frenzy starved public... i.e. most everyone else, then I would respectfully differ with you.

 

[elder999]

In the matter of Bong Soo Han, from here :

DIED. Bong Soo Han, 73, Korean martial-arts grand master who introduced hapkido to the West; of complications from cancer; in Santa Monica, Calif. He moved to the U.S. after training in Korea in the art, which combines fluid, circular movement with fierce, sharp kicks. He taught thousands about "perfection of character" through his International Hapkido Federation, but was best known for his work in such films as The Kentucky Fried Movie and 1971's Billy Jack.

In the matter of Anna Nicole Smith: Lead a tabloid life, die a tabloid death.

 

[tellner]

This is the week of the Scooter Libby trial, the week that the Inspector General said "The intelligence was faked to sell the Americans on the Iraq war", the week that Russert said "Cheney and Libby are liars" under oath and the week that the definitive study on global warming came out (it's worse than the pessimists thought). And what is the news full of? The same thirty second clip of a pretty woman with large breasts who married a rich old man.

Something is pathologically screwed up with this country and the propagandist pap which passes for news.

 

[IcemanSK]

The amazing thing to me is (like other's have said) how important this is to at least, the press. "It's sexy" "it's titilating", "it's so Marilyn Monroe." etc. The reality is, it's so Jerry Springer. What I mean is, it's another opportunity to show someone else's life that is worse than my life. And as long as someone is worse off (or more screwed up) than me, my life ain't so bad.

And, (as long as we're not talking about "real people with real problems" [celebs are not real BTW]) we don't have to focus on the real problems. (Like War or poverty). Anna Nicole, or K-Fed aren't "real" to us. We'll never meet them or ever really know them if we did meet them at the mall. But thinking about them sure takes my mind off of that kid I met the other day that is heaed to Iraq next week.

my $.02

 

[Carol]

I'm not raising this as some arcane technical point. Look at how much main stream publicity almost all departed martial arts masters DID NOT get, in life or in death .... compare to the media feeding frenzy this human train wreck is getting. Now, ask yourself - who has the most to offer us, and our children, in wisdom or example - a departed Sensei or Anna Nicole Smith?

Publicity surrounding death isn't necessarily good though. I lost a couple of dear friends in The Station nightclub fire which was a splashy story of its own. Aside from the 100 people lost, the club was owned by a couple of local TV personalities. The stories, the trials, the sentencing ... each bit of news coverage is like another stab in the gut reminding me that two very good friends were taken from me far too soon. I can't imagine what Anna Nicole's loved ones are going through right now.

Anna Nicole's death is all over the place. Is the coverage stupid? Yeah, I think so. But, no one makes me watch itbut no one is making us watch the TV coverage or click on the posts or read the magazines. Eventually the story will fade to astronauts wearing diapers driving cross-country in an attempt to murder the rival for their illicit love or...whoops, sorry, that was last week.


The Hall of Rememberance is not just for Martial Artists, btw.

 

[grydth]

In 1978 Alexander Solzenitsyn came out your way to give the commencement speech at Harvard. That speech, "A World Split Apart" has many points as valid in 2007 as they were then....... one key among them being his view of the media. Anyone can - and should - access this on the 'net. He said it better than I ever could.

Carol, you're right about the 'not nice' coverage...... but that only makes it worse. The media blows up to celebrity status some bimbo like this Smith - and then has another profitable feeding frenzy on the downside. They profit in making celebs and they profit in destroying celebs - and none of it is worth knowing. When the supply of celebs run short, they exploit some average folks like your friends.

You genuinely feel the grief - still I think - and most here are sad for you. But do the talking heads care, did they ever?

I don't know if those around ANS felt anything. For those that do, they should be allowed to grieve in peace...and privacy. But too many celeb associates are parasites like the body lice that infected soldiers on the Russian Front......when the dead body starts cooling, they emotionlessly move off to infest another host.

Nobody does make us watch..... but they have every tactic and trick to lure us in.... by appealing to the worst in us. Too often, it works. Nothing that drags you in and hooks you by appealing to the worst in you is ever good or beneficial. Not ever.

 

[Cirdan]

Circus for the masses. BAH!