Why do we care about heath ledgers death? as far as i see the tabloid media is an extension of high school. actually lets admit it life in general. gossip never stops. we all realize that a fair amount of us get off on knowing what others are doing. the numbers of us willing to admit that we hold this interest, doesn't add up to how much attention is generated. but honestly even if the Hollywood rumor mill is ridiculously out of control it doesn't make a difference to me. every time some one i vaguely know enters rehab, dies, overdoses or losses control, gets knocked up, or, in some way crosses that invisible wavering line of acceptable behavior. the information of the slip up it goes from mouth to mouth and i end up hearing it. the more surprising it is the more unlikely of the person the more buzz is created. people take mental notes and file it away letting it manifest in their sub conscience.
sure high school gossip sucks but i doubt it ever goes away. I've sat around with my grandma and heard her gossip about old ladies, parents gossip about kids, co-workers gossip everyone does it. gossip is just simple a matter of communicating hard to live by and unwritten social rules. it reminds us why we just don't do what we want independent of others opinions. obviously for some mere gossip isn't enough of a consequence to not partake. to some its one inconvenient part of life to others its a validation of there persona. we need to know whats acceptable and passing on information about another person lets us gauge others responses. we are simply just testing the water for when we fall in.
frankly i think we care more about heath ledgers death than Iraqi citizens because yr more likely to know a troubled young man w/ a drug problem sometime in yr life than yu are the victim of a suicide bombing. Americans CANNOT relate to that situation at all we aren't living in a civil war battle ground. heath ledger is much easily personified in a friend brother cousin husband than any Iraqi citizen could be to the average American. this death made us stop and think" well at least so and so's not dead" or "I'm glad i raised my kids right".
seeing those in high up places fall secures our faith in mediocrity. Its sickly comforting that not everyone who has everything is perfect. we see big flaws drug addictions, mental illnesses and say well at least i don't have that problem. Really its selfish of us to say that because its not your choice you didn't end up the same way because everyone is wired differently and life is mostly situational. at least you can be proud that you had one thing over heath ledger even if your not glamorous. you accomplished something you didn't over dose on sleeping pills yesterday night. you have gotten one thing right that heath ledger and Marilyn Monroe could not and that makes all the difference.
Humans have always had an appetite for the tabloids and its going to effect others. celebrities and common folk alike are tortured over it. maybe people well lose interest in one subject but gossip never stops and we have to move on with our lives and go on to the next big thing. purging all gossip thats unlikely because there are those who like to watch and those who want to be watched. it happens on every platform of visibility.
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5 comments:
Hey Jeni. I've never spooken to you on a blog before, just in person. I'm going to try very hard not to disagree with anything you posted. I know how you somtimes. very meaty blogs. juicy.
I agree with a lot of what you said. I think it's definately true that Americans find it much easier to relate to a drug problem that leads to death than anything related to war. And people definately feed off other people's weaknesses to feel more comfortable about themselves all the time. I like the way you wrote the end, in a kind of satirical way. As an aside, I like capitalization. And honestly, simple things like that can earn or lose you a lot more respect than you realize. I'm not saying I like it, but people judge based on grammar. I miiiight be one of them... ;)
And I, in turn, will not be judgemental and will say nothing more on the subject of grammar. I wasn't trying to be rude or offensive. (I don't think you took it that way, but I just want to be completely clear) What matters in the end is what you're saying regardless of whether or not you always use proper grammar.
Great post Jen. I agree with you (and Miriam) that one of the reasons his death is more publicized than say, someone who dies in Iraq is that we can relate more to him. But I ask, if we were exposed more to the stories of these young men and women who are dying in Iraq - if we hear more about their interests, hopes, dreams, favorite movies - by the media, perhaps we could relate more to them then. Stupid media, gossip hound, high schoolers...
I dissagree, I can relate more to my peers, the young men of my generation and older, than some millionaire celebrity with a junk habit.
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