American Media Breaks My Heart

Because of my duties at AbsolutePunk and all that's going on at RMP, I am not going to be writing much music in here anymore. I'm seguing this into just whatever the heck I feel like. For those that enjoyed "We've Never Heard of You Either," enjoy the archives/back entries and dive into my reviews at AbsolutePunk and all the music-related posts at RMP. For now, let me just wax poetic about whatever I feel like.

For starters, why is Michael Jackson's death so celebrated? Why can't people accept that championing a perverse, disillusioned, eccentric and incredibly odd person is borderline ludicrous. Sure I understand he contributed a lot to the music world, but he hasn't exactly been relative since the mid 90s. Okay, he made a brief blip on the radar with "You Rock My World," in 2001, but come on, he's been nothing but tabloid fodder for almost two decades. The point is, the media needs to focus their attention on soldiers on the frontlines and the fact that Iraqis rejoiced over us leaving Baghdad. Or how about the political quagmire in Iran, or the nuissance that is the North Korea. Hell, there are even more interesting stories in Africa than this Michael Jackson eulogizing and funereal curiosity. As an admitted music fan, I appreciate what he did for the pop charts and the influence he had on far too many, but I am pretty much tired and done with all of this press coverage.

That being said, it's more than just MJ. The last month-and-a-half devoted to Jon and Kate Gosselin is nauseating, embarassing and downright pathetic. Their sad plight is much the same as various couples across the country. Stop making it a bigger deal than it is. How about we focus our attention on the Web 2.0 inspired Moldovan revolution, or the rebuilding of L'Aquila, Italy. Or the political coup in Central America.

I just don't understand why American media focuses on the most trivial of stories. I really don't.