Something that's been gnawing at my mind for a while, but got me ruminating real hard ever since MJ's recent tragic demise. Why don't we let people RIP?
Michael Jackson is to music, what Sachin Tendulkar is to Cricket. He came and revolutionized Western music which seemed a little mundane(maybe?) after Elvis's death. This is arguably the best way to summarize Michael's contribution to his art. His personal life was marred by controversies, and while he was alive, Ok, a public figure, always in the media's eye, he got as much flak for it, as he got accolades for his music. But as soon as he passes on, the media picks up on all his personal life and starts producing and airing re-runs and re-runs of his personal issues, more than his musical genius. You get 30 mins of information on his drug habits, his court cases, what his worth is, his debt.... And then you get 10 min clips of his music, with the one summary quote from the reporter "no matter what his personal life, to us, hius music lives on". ell it does, if you keep airing more and more of his personal life, he'll be remembered as the guy who got hours of footage for having the worst personal life, rather than the man who made some of the greatest music ever!!! His personal life is exactly what it is, PERSONAL!!! Let go of that and concentrate on the better things...
And it's not just with celebrities that this happens. Even the common man isn't spared. The 26/11 Mumbai siege last 4 days for the people who were trapped in it and the people who were tragically killed in the mayhem. But the grief stricken family and friends were treated to a harsher fate, where they were not just forced to relive the catastrophe, but also had to view that on all the channels like it was this nightmare that wouldn't go away!!!! And all this while the media person makes a point of it saying, this would be the most traumatic period for the survivors, the family blah blah...!!! What is the media trying to do??
These are just a couple of recent activities that are snippets of how news media is being bound by the need to make whatever they dish out to the average viewer more cinematic and pot-boilerish!!! Commercialism zindabad!!! It's like News media is run by a clone of Elliot Carver from "Tomorrow never Dies" and being reported by the clone of Dick Thornburg of the "Die Hard Series". (people who've watched these movies know what I'm talking abt!!!)
A final plea to News Media, we trust you with giving us the News that's relevant, not the News that gives you TRP ratings. Give us the truth, but we trust you to make the choice of what we should remain ignorant about, so all of us always Live and Rest in Peace!!!!
