Celebrity Deaths And The Media

A media journalist's job is to get the story and to sell newspapers or gain television viewership. News stories may be factual at their core but are often embellished with sensational headlines and lead-ins to attract readers and viewers. Attention-grabbing headlines are used to draw the reader in. Sometimes the story isn't at all what the reader expected based on the headline and is actually focused on the facts. Quite often, the facts are manipulated by the journalist, who may add a positive or negative slant based on personal or political opinion. The media is a standard tool that politicians and government use to sway public opinion in their favor.

For instance, the public rarely reads stories of the great outcomes accomplished by state child protective services agencies. Instead, newspapers and television are quick to report the most heinous cases of abuse, neglect and child deaths. Their intent may be to increase public awareness and their hope may be to enrage people enough to prompt them to do something. In my state, this has never worked. It seems to have the effect of increasing public disdain for the low income population that is mainly affected by CPS. It hasn't resulted in increased funding for the agency to hire and retain educated and experienced workers. In fact, turnover continues to increase year after year. Any changes in legislation or policy have created increased physical and paperwork for workers and have done little, if anything, to protect the children. Perhaps focusing on good outcomes would serve to warm the hearts of the public into taking action toward helping to provide more effective services.

Statistics are manipulated all the time. For example: when a jail seeks funding to maintain itself, it will focus on the number of inmates admitted and related needs, but if the repeat offender rate happens to be low, it will be omitted. In other words, reporting success rates is much less likely to secure this type of funding. If the facility is seeking funding for a new program, success rates will be more useful. Grant writers pick and choose the statistics that will best support the need and objective and will influence the funding source in their favor.

Now that Michael has tragically passed on, every report or program seems to be featuring the music and videos that indicated his generous, caring spirit. "The Man In The Mirror," "We Are The World" and "Black and White" are important songs that project the message that we are the ones who can change the world by changing ourselves. I find it hard to believe that the monster he was made out to be would be capable of the writing songs that are so reflective of a beautiful, thoughtful and caring spirit.

In the entertainment world, "bad publicity is better than no publicity." Nearly every notorious celebrity has a sex tape these days "that wasn't supposed to get out." If you believe that, I have a beach in Oklahoma to sell you. Some celebrities are fully aware of the negative publicity and use it as a marketing strategy. It is believed that some have even launched their own wild stories in the interest of publicity and a few have even 'fessed up to doing this. Michael Jackson even admitted during an interview that he started the rumor that he was planning to have his body cryogenically frozen and preserved. Have you ever noticed that these stories tend to come out when a studio is about to release a new movie or the celebrity is promoting a book or product?

But what about the celebrities who want to protect their privacy? For them, sensational and tabloid reporting is damaging and hurtful. For instance, information about Farrah Fawcett's medical condition was leaked and reported by the tabloids before she had a chance to share it with her family. Farrah passed away from a rare form of cancer on the same day that Michael died, June 25, 2009.

"Why don't you let him be?
He's gone
We know
Give his mother & father peace
Your vulture's candor
Your casual slander
Will murder his memory
He's gone
We know
And it's nothing but a tragedy"

~ Natalie Merchant, "River"
Album: Tigerlily

Natalie Merchant's lyrics above were written after the death of River Phoenix and sum up the media's treatment of celebrities like River, Michael, Anna Nicole Smith and many more.

The day after Michael's death, I listened to programs and commentary on television about Michael. The supposed outpouring of sorrow by the media made me want to scream, "Oh, just stop it. Look how badly you treated him when he was alive." Today's news articles pointing fingers at his doctor and highlighting drug use as a factor prompted me to write this lens. I don't expect the debate and hypothetical theories surrounding his death to end any time soon. Heath Ledger's death, also related to prescription drug use, was still being discussed at least one year later. Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Cass Elliot and Jim Morrison's drug use is consistently mentioned in connection with their musical accomplishments decades later. Marilyn Monroe died in 1962 and theories of alcohol and prescription drug use, an affair with the president and even murder are still debated today, 47 years later. Researching any celebrity death is much less likely to yield an obituary than all the juicy, sometimes sordid, details of their life. Any deviation from the norm or allegation of wrongdoing during their lifetime is attached to their name forever. Maybe some of us should be grateful that our dreams of fame never came true!

Some people, including the celebrities themselves, feel that this all "goes with the territory." It's been said that one good celebrity photo can pay a paparazzi's rent for a year. Our society is obsessed with celebrity and eager for any glimpse into the personal lives of stars. Obsessed fans become very upset, even hateful, when they don't get it.

Just as good deeds done by the Average Joe or Jane often never make the news, the wrongs that would send the average person quietly to jail make national news for the celebrity. Ironically, the celebrity monging public is more likely to forgive a celebrity far more easily than they would the common citizen - except in the case of Michael Jackson. The media's inability to write anything about Michael without mentioning his legal troubles and eccentric mistakes seemingly had the objective of eliminating his fan base.

Of course, they haven't been successful. Millions of people across the globe are mourning his death as I write this. The same journalists who covered Michael Jackson's alleged criminal activities now claim to be mourning the death of a great artist, "The King of Pop."

Music has charms to soothe the savage breast
To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak. ~

William Congreve, The Mourning Bride, Act 1 Scene 1
English dramatist (1670 - 1729)

We do appreciate great music when we hear it. The music of Michael Jackson, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Cass Elliot, Janis Joplin will not only live on, but future generations of musicians and artists will seek to emulate their talent. Marilyn Monroe and Heath Ledger continue to entertain us on the big screen. Will we ever be able to forget that "illicit," illegal or prescription drugs or addictions clouded their lives and caused their deaths? Probably not.

Every life has a story and a lesson. Perhaps their stories are meant to influence and warn others in the entertainment industry. We have no way of knowing whether their alleged drug use was directly or indirectly tied to the pressures of celebrity or if they would have lived and died the same way as a non-celebrity.

Most of these stories are probably true. Hendrix, Joplin and Morrison achieved fame during a time that has been referred to as "the drug culture." Monroe lived in a time where "neurotic" women were often prescribed tranquilizers to shut down their female emotionality. When we take a look at the way that drugs are still playing a part in present day deaths, we must ask whether anything has really changed. These days, the focus is on prescription drugs. In our current "prozac society," is that really a big surprise?

Stories and rumors aside, the public and journalists might consider whether we are letting the people who gave us so much truly rest in peace. Is this knowledge necessary to an account of a person's life, gossip, or just a way to sell newspapers?

I find it interesting and ironic that the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that protects the privacy of the health information of the general public is completely ignored when it comes to celebrities and others in the public eye. Hospital and health care employees and companies are reprimanded, sanctioned or fired for violating this act, yet the media somehow gets around it.

**The photos show an uncanny resemblance between River Phoenix and Heath Ledger.

Michael Jackson was just two years younger than I am, and I literally grew up on his music. To my suprise, I found myself becoming misty-eyed with a lump in my throat while watching his memorial on television and listening to the songs that were performed.

Psychologists have been studying the one-way relationships we create with celebrities for decades. When the news of Michael Jackson's death was announced on June 25, 2009, it nearly crashed the internet. As Queen Latifah mentioned during her eulogy at his memorial, Michael Jackson was mourned from Birmingham, England to Birmingham, Alabama.

I'm still researching this and will be adding more information as I find it. Here are links to articles and reports offering facts and speculation on the special relationship we have with celebrities.

• The Science of Dead Celebrities Cosmic Log - msnbc.com
  
  Why do celebrities such as pop star Michael Jackson exert such a pull, especially when they've just passed away?
  
  For decades, psychologists have been studying the one-way relationships we create with celebrities. Some researchers say such connections are merely a fact of life in a media-saturated age. Others suggest that celebrating dead celebrities offers a way to come to terms with our own mortality - and reach for a kind of immortality as well.

One month later, entertainment networks are still running documentary specials about Michael's life and death. A few weeks ago, the Jackson family was reported to have stated that they felt that Michael was murdered. As of this writing, his doctor is under suspicion for manslaughter. And now he isn't again: Jackson Doc Gave Anesthetic Drug Before Death. They just can't seem to get this part of the story straight. (For up to the minute news, go to the "Michael Jackson In The Media" module below)

Dr. Murray is apparently a deadbeat dad, so this must make him a murderer. I'm being sarcastic. It doesn't make me think much of him, but why is that relevant if he's not officially under suspicion? I guess they can't save it for the courtroom because it wouldn't work there, so they've got to get it in somewhere. Kathryn Jackson, who did not protect her son from her abusive husband, got custody of Michael's kids at age 79. If these kids were involved in the child welfare system, she would not even be approved as a relative foster home. Custody should have been given to one of Michael's adult siblings, and I seriously question why none of them asked. Full Story Here.

The second article goes into detail about the condition of Michael's home and bedroom, pointing out that he had a "porcelain girl doll wearing a dress was found on top of the covers on his bed." My response to that is that one, Michael Jackson has a daughter and maybe the doll is hers and two, who cares? The article also reports that a handwritten note that said, "children are sweet and innocent " was found as if to imply that both of these items confirm that Michael is a child molester. I see no reason to continue to trash his name by including this information in the report. While it might serve the public to report that prescription drug addiction can kill, I see no reason to have included this in a news article.

When I heard the reason that Dr, Murray was under suspicion, I wondered if Michael had committed suicide and had asked his doctor to help him. In a show I watched on the TV Guide network last night, I noticed something very eerie. There was a clip of Michael speaking in front of a group of fans about his upcoming concert. The first thing I noticed was that his voice was quite different; deeper, stronger and more masculine than his typical high-pitched, soft voice.

He said, "This is it, the final curtain call."

Was Michael planning to commit suicide after the tour? Did something happen that made him choose to do it earlier than planned?

Michael had a lot to deal with. I live with chronic pain that has caused bouts of deep depression and thoughts of suicide. Reports allege that Michael was in a lot of pain, resulting in an addiction to prescription painkillers. Add the stress of being a celebrity and repeated allegations of child molestation to that, I can understand how he may have felt that life was just too hard.

Or, perhaps he had just accomplished all that he was meant to do during his time here and was allowed to go home.

I'm a master's level social worker by profession and have years of experience as a sexual abuse specialist in the field of child welfare. Sexual abuse is one of the most difficult types of abuse to confirm. Cases of false allegations, and there are many, make me very angry because of their negative impact on genuine victims and the damage caused to the lives of both the alleged perpetrator and victim.

I can't say whether Michael was guilty and it's likely I'll never have a firm opinion either way. Because sexual abuse is one of the most difficult forms of child abuse to prove, it is one of the easiest false allegations to create leverage in child custody cases. The first accusation against Michael had a strong impact on my opinion of the outcome of the all of the cases. I feel that in a case of genuine sexual abuse, no parent would accept a cash settlement in lieu of prosecution of the perpetrator - especially since financial restitution can be ordered as part of the perpetrator's sentence - hello? If I had to go by intuition alone, I'd have to admit that I've never believed that Michael was guilty - although letting children sleep in his bed was as stupid as dangling Blanket over the outside of a balcony.

Michael's looks and eccentric behavior didn't help him here, despite the fact that many artists and geniuses are typically eccentric. Some people felt that based on his appearance, it was expected. I've observed in most online discussions about child sexual abuse that many people don't realize that the perpetrator often has an average appearance and demeanor and is sometimes even well-respected in the community. They mistakenly believe that sexual perpetrators are "wierd" or different.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately two thirds, or 74 percent, of child sexual abuse perpetrators are known to the victim. They are fathers, stepfathers, dating a parent, sports coaches, teachers, neighbors and church personnel - and they are not always male.

Please be aware that the most signifcant danger to your child is likely to be in your own backyard.