Yes, the untimely departure of this pop culture icon is monumental and a major moment worth documenting and reporting. But really? The amount of media coverage on this topic is borderline ridiculous and quite unnecessary. I acknowledge the fact that Michael Jackson's death was something that is a big enough deal for people to cover it on news shows and the music channels. I guess that each channels conglomeration or documentary on Jackson's life were to be expected. Though each one said the same exact thing and showed the same clips of his life.I got a tiny bit annoyed when my favorite news channel, MSNBC, felt the need to make any new development on the death into a big deal.
But today was my breaking point. Michael Jackson's memorial service was today if you weren't aware when I'm not sure how you couldn't know. Its not like at least six channels weren't broadcasting it live and doing before memorial coverage- oh wait they were. I don't mean to sound bitter but I do not understand why so many stations need to broadcast the same thing. I wasn't surprised when channels such as E!, MTV, and VH1 were showing it, I mean that is their sort of thing. But when legitimate channels like Fox, MSNBC, and NBC were showing it I was genuinely displeased.
I'm done hearing about Michael Jackson's tragic childhood ion the spotlight, his pet chimp named Bubbles, how he was 'the world's greatest entertainer', how he was a beautiful and charitable person, or how his music was overshadowed by his erotic behavior and the media's perception of him. If I hear 'They don't care about us' or see the videos for 'Thriller' or 'Beat it', one more time I may just refuse to ever watch TV again because that'd be the only way to escape this.
I have to agree with you. All the coverage on his death is getting extensive. Farrah Fosset died the same day he did, before him actually. But once Michael died, her death didn't seem to matter.
Money and sensationalism, Morgan - it's how the media thrive. And Michael Jackson is the prime example.
Yes, it's the media's fault for making too much of a fuss over Jackson's death. But the public wants it. And the public will continue to want sensationalism until rational discourse is restored in the media. But as long as Fox, the New York Times, and especially MSNBC are politically closed-minded and can make money off of the public's ignorance and hunger for the sensational, they will never try to be rational.
Here are two good books on the subject, and they should be on the Teen Takeover staff's reading list: [i]Compassion Fatigue[/i] by Susan D. Moeller, and [i]Amusing Ourselves to Death[/i] by Neil Postman.