Friday, June 26, 2009

Drowning in Jackson

By Alan Caruba

The now day-long “coverage” of Michael Jackson’s death continues unabated. It is what I call the “Five Known Facts Syndrome”; the endless repetition of the time and place of his death, the speculation about a drug overdose—medicinal or not, the amount of record sales, ad nauseum.

This Jacksonalia, the complete submersion of the nation into a baleful mourning of the performer’s passing, suggests the low state of our supposed news media. It's the news version of water-boarding.

These are people who constantly tell us that they decide what the news is or isn’t, but they have managed to demonstrate their complete ignorance and complete indifference to events that will sink our ship of state.

The result is seen in this example from the Nielsen Wire report:

“The breaking news of Michael Jackson’s sudden death dominated the web yesterday (and today), causing spikes in traffic and overwhelming social networks such as Twitter and Facebook with bursts of information and updates from millions of users. In comparison, discussions of Jackson far exceeded those of the swine flu scare as well as the inauguration of President Obama.”

While this is going on, Congress is trying to pass the highest tax in the history of the nation, “Cap-and-Trade”, a bill that exceeds a thousand pages and whose co-author admits ignorance of what’s in it at this point. Essentially, it asserts that carbon dioxide, something that every living person exhales, is causing “global warming” and the government must “limit” it and, of course, come up with a crazed scheme of "carbon credits" to force companies to pay for permission to produce or use energy.

Typically, members of the House of Representatives are being asked to vote on it without the opportunity to actually read it. That's not just stupid, it's suicidal.

There are likely only a handful of people in the nation who grasp this concept and it is doubtful that the President is one of them since he keeps babbling about “clean energy” and "green jobs" while finding new ways to ensure there will be no energy and no jobs.

In a similar fashion, the news media has yet to have publish big headlines quoting the President saying, AMERICA IS OUT OF MONEY. This apparently is an unimportant detail as Congress pursues legislation that will require a totally broke nation to borrow more and more and more to pay for things we cannot afford and should not be doing at all.

But, while we're at it, let's also destroy the nation's healthcare system despite the fact that most people like their insurance coverage just the way it is.

So, Michael Jackson is an odd but appropriate symbol for what happens when one indulges in too much spending, too much self-indulgence, while passing off decadent behavior as “entertainment.”

An America led by stupid people, i.e., Congress and the White House, and composed of at least half the population stupid enough to have voted for them, is hanging by a mere thread while everyone pretends that everything’s just fine.

It’s like pretending that Michael Jackson wasn’t seriously deranged even while watching him “perform” or pretending that his odd behavior could or should have been excused by his “talent.”

Michael Jackson is dead.

The party’s over.

And the piper is demanding to be paid.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

This sure sounds like the best red herring that these "stupids" in Washington could ask for. Almost, like a godsend to them. Now, they can do what they want while the whole media is focused on Michael Jackson.
*A red herring is an idiom referring to a device which intends to divert the audience from the truth or an item of significance.

Rich Kozlovich said...

Since I am in my truck all day...I listen to the radio all day...mostly light jazz and classical, with a bit of the other stuff thrown in.

Hearing an unending stream of praise and commiseration about MJ on some of the stations was to be expected; but light jazz too? I changed stations today more than in any time in my life. I finally gave up and went to.....NPR.....I at least expected something different there. But I landed right in the middle of an interview about Jackson with someone from outside the U.S. who was being asked; what was the impact of Jackson's death on him? The inference was that it had a major impact on everyone else in the world too.

We have lost minds. They are playing this as if someone really important died. What all did he contribute to humanity? He sang songs and had amazing foot work. In short; he was a song and dance man. Unfortunately the song being sung and the footwork being done by the media and publicity seekers is even fancier. And in spite of his acquittal, is there any doubt that the man was a child molester? Does anything else really matter?

I turned the radio off.

Guy said...

Rich, I couldn't agree with you more, but that's the state of things in our country today. People admire fancy footwork and meaningless showboating, and totally ignore the realities of the world around them. I know it can be depressing, and sometimes just plain overwhelming, but is sticking our heads in the sand the solution? Personally, if I'm going to get gutted, drawn and quartered by our government, I'd rather see it coming and at least TRY to defend myself....

Longstreet said...

It is just more bread and circuses, bread and circuses. Oh... and one dead clown!

May God help us!

JDL

Carolyn said...

It's Anna Nicole Simpson all over again. It's sad, yes- because (and I saw your yesteray's comments you cranky old Mr. Caruba!) :-) because once upon a time, this was such a talented guy who gave a lot to the people who loved his music. Personally, I stopped listening to his music after his Off The Wall album when he was still a handsome talented black man. After that, well, you stated that perfectly yesterday. I was thinking for a little while that Farrah Fawcett deserved a little more of the headlines, seeing as she fought the end of her life with dignity and bravery- but then again, she was a real person, and I'm kind of glad for her family and friends that they can go quietly on with their grief without all the splash.
It was sad for me, because like millions, I grew up with both of them. I was little when the J5 were popular, and I liked their music. She- well, I like millions of other preteen girls- wanted to be her.
As for the real news- I had to hunt far and wide and deep to find how the vote went today. I imagine there will be a lot of different people heading to Washington the next elections, but I think it's too late. We're as dead as the suicidal nut cases want us to be.
Seems hard to say after all the world's mess, but I still believe and trust- so I say GOD BLESS you Mr. Cranky... eh, I mean Caruba!

Doug said...

"The news version of water-boarding." I like it.

I'm so old that I remember MJ before he was white.

MJ's death is surprising in that single white females in this country usually live longer.

In MJ's honor, tonight I'm going looking for a pre-teen young boy to grieve with.

Sorry, folks, but I refuse to take part in this pervert worship. One down and unfortunately millions more to go.

Anonymous said...

Yesterday I could not get anything on CNN but MJ and I turned it off. Yes, he was a performer but a tragically flawed performer. It was glossed over on CNN that he was a serial peadophile in favour that he was man's answer to Heaven in music. Everyone, the MSM et al is an absolute awe of him and many awkward questions are being diverted
I always saw him as a wierdo - 'whacko Jacko' as we all knew him in the eighties in th UK. In the nineties when I was working there he threw a free concert in Brunei - I was not sure that he was riding the crest of a wave or trying to climb out of a trough
When I told my wife he had died her response that it was one less child molester to worry about. That is his true rememberance of many mothers.
What I am saying here is that his life was a 40 year showboat exteriior with little of solid interior substance.
His death seems to have had little impact here in the Philippines. A day after her death I heard a news flash that Farah was dead. She was completely overshadowed by MJ. Anyway, may they both rest in peace.
Such a blessing for Pelosi, though, it won't be the first time that controversial legislation has been passed hidden within a popular hoo haa.
A point I have noticed of late, please, gentlemen, let's not get too hung up about typos. We, all of us, are guilty from thime too tyme - we all know what is meant and should be able to ake aloowances.
Ragars to all.

Unknown said...

Amen!

A CNN reporter said he thought MJ's death was one of the biggest emotional impacts to the American public ever.

It's comments like this lead me to believe Americans will re-elect Obama.

I detest being force-fed this liberal agenda. Celebrity crazed Americans can't seem to get enough of it.

gilbertabrett said...

I thought I was by myself... I asked my mom last night what were the crooks up to in DC since the news would be focused on Michael for a little while. They can finish mortgaging the rest of the country off... I bet O'Drama is sad that he is not getting worshiped a lot this week...

I had to turn the radio too... way too much human worship going on here. I was only five or six when Elvis died and I remember the same thing. At least Elvis was white (although Little Miss Richard said he stole his/her music) and was not running all over the world losing millions buying silence to sleep with little boys...