There has not been many movies recently, one of the ones that caught my eye was the Michael Jackson (MJ) 'This Is It' movie. This movie mainly shows footage of the tragic singer's final concert rehearsals before he left us.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Lifestyle/Story/STIStory_446401.html
Although I am not a MJ fan, but this movie certainly aroused the interest of me. Being able to see the footage before he left us is something you will not get to see in the future. Hence this movie is one that we should watch.
However there is widespread publicity all over the world and in different forms of media. For example, newspapers, FaceBook etc. From these sources this movie has become a widespread phenomenon without much fanfare. it is due to the media repeatedly driving across the fact that this movie is something special.
However the main focus here is MJ himself. We know that he passed away a few months ago. The reaction from the media and and his fans were huge. Fans mourned after him, creating memorial services for him. However what i feel disgusting was the negative publicity surrounding his death. Besides trying to find out the real cause, another aspect also brewed up a storm. His assets. He did not make a proper will and it caused much upheaval in the Jackson's family. What I thought was, should not this be a private affair? Why is it reported daily, repeatedly and some time distorted facts are being reported. However this is something that we cannot control and is often controlled by the gatekeepers of the media, for example the media owners etc.
From this we can see the agenda setting function of the media and the powerful effects theory. It has a deep impact on MJ's fans itself as they are led to believe some facts which are not true. This distances them away from the family itself and creates misunderstandings which will be hard to resolve.
Hence I think it is only right for us to respect the deceased's family and putting things into the past. We should only remember for what he is and not what he is not. His contributions to pop music are vital and its where he has brought pop music to where it is today. So we should using him as a topic of gossip and instead remember him for who he is.
R.I.P. MJ
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I think the reason why they like to kick up a storm and publicizing all personal issues and airing is dirty laundry is for a simple reason - to generate publicity. Which in turn, helps to trigger higher ratings and in return, higher profits (one of your favourite words). Good publicity or bad publicity doesn't matter to the media. All they want to scoop up is news news and even better, gossips. if you realize, they thrive more on gossips, that is because the same goes for us. You will probably see people reading celebrity and entertainment news, as compared to Times Magazine. The media knows it, exploits it, and sometimes they tend to exaggerate it, for better a better response from the mass, which is their ultimate aim.
ReplyDeleteEspecially on unobtrusive issues such as these, whereby the public is unable to gain such knowledge elsewhere, the media makes use of this, and alters our perception by focusing on the volume of news coverage, the tone it takes and further implores the personal affairs of the Jackson's.
Scary..
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI cannot stand the amount of media attention after MJ's death. I mean, when he was alive, all he gets are scandalous news on some paparazzi magzines. Focusing on him after his death is a bit too late, isn't it?
MJ is a naturally-born performer who has led us a new reign of music in our century. It's such a pity that he sink until so low at the very last few years of his life. So rather than focusing on his mistakes , let us remember him by what he has done for us!
Hi Justin!
ReplyDeleteI believe that the media is just making use of MJ for their own benefit. Before MJ's death, the media make use of his news, (fabricated or not) for sales of their magazines and make headline news. And now they are commercializing on his death. The media will do anything for their benefit, and even after someone's death, they will still not give the person a break. I wonder if MJ could see all these, would he be glad that he is still remembered by all, or be angered by how his news is blown up for the media's own benefits.
Erm i am not a MJ fan so i don't really know what's so good about his music.
ReplyDeleteHowever, i thought it will be good for this movie to be put up so that his fans can remininsce his presence.
Indeed, he is a celebrity and that is why his inheritance is one big juicy news that reporters crave for. That's one shortcoming of being famous i supposed.
Once you're famous, it's hard to keep things private.
Hey Justin! (:
ReplyDeleteRandom note: I think MJ made really cool MVs for his time.
Actually, I never knew about his MVs (only heard his songs) till his death, where the media started playing them in almost every channel. In every way possible, they raised the profile of his death, indeed.
I agree with you that it was really inhumane to dish out to public his private affairs, especially those concerning family members. However, KJ being a public figure, it is inevitable that he'll be subjected to this. I think it's a mater of choice for us whether we want to let the paparazzi win by lapping up stories they report, or simply walk away from such reports. (Moderate to Limited Effects Theory)
Yup(: What you think?
Sorry I meant MJ, not KJ!
ReplyDeleteThis is it. THAT'S IT. Please let MJ rest in peace. Let's keep all our love for him to ourselves and stop trying to show the world all our crocodiles' tears. I don't see anyone spreading so much more love except his diehard fans when he was still alive, wasn't it?
ReplyDeleteHi Justin!
ReplyDeleteYes, it is indeed unbecoming to have his private life dissected and shown for all to see and scrutinise, especially after his death. But such is the life of an entertainer and that is the price to pay for being a celebrity.
Even then, when the media does it, it becomes an insensitive thing because the family and lots of fans are in mourning yet such news is being talked about widely. Just give them a break.
But you know what, after watching the movie, i feel that it could calm the detractors' minds and hearts as the movie was beautiful. it showed a side to him that ordinary people would never see and that could take the topic away from being him caught in monetary issues. Then finally, people would stop talking about all that and start talking and remembering about how a legendary singer he was.
hello! (:
ReplyDeleteJust as you said, the intense scrutiny of the Jackson family after MJ's death & all the speculation about where his assets (including his children!) would end up seemed like a cruel thing to do, especially since he just passed away. But then again, he IS a celebrity. Not that celebrities don't deserve their privacy, but it's to be expected that this kind of coverage would appear in the media, especially since he was a legend in the entertainment world. There definitely should have been more focus on his achievements as a great musician & performer, as this is what most of the world remembers him by.
the media tends to cook up news so as to up their viewership. so why not do it with someone so famous right? even though it's so unfair to them and their family, why do they care as long as their news sell?
ReplyDeleteI also personally do not like the amount of media attention on MJ after such a long time after his death. However I think it's a good idea to release the footage of his last scenes on stage. If the fans don't mind spending the big bucks, I don't think we are in the position to say who's right and who's wrong here. It's just demand and supply, right?
ReplyDelete