While I feel terrible that Amy Winehouse has passed, and sickened by the fact that her death is destined to become a punchline on talk radio, the really terrible thing, I think, is that it’s going to dominate news around the world for the coming days, bumping the mass murder in Norway, and the current Murdoch scandal in England, from the headlines. While I think a lot could be gained from discussing her death, if it were done in a thoughtful way, I think that’s unlikely to happen. I doubt the her death will trigger any substantive discussion on drug addiction, or, for that matter, our obsession on celebrity, and its costs. It will just be more of the same voyeuristic gawking that we’ve come to expect from the post Anna Nicole Smith press. And, worse yet, I think news of her passing is going to keep us from pursuing those conversations that were developing about media consolidation, the state of journalism, religious extremism, and non-Muslim terrorism. It’s a sad day all around.
update: I went to the gym after posting this, and CNN was playing footage of Winehouse stumbling around on a stage recently, looking terrible, and forgetting all the words to her songs. Before showing the footage, the news anchor said, “Hopefully, people won’t remember her like this…” I thought that was classy.
20 Comments
How much do you want to bet that Murdoch’s people are trying to hack Winehouse’s phone?
And is it really news to anyone that Winehouse passed away? I bet every paper and television network has had an obit written for the past year. It was just a matter of time. So, no, it’s no more noteworthy than something coming crashing to the ground after being shot into the sky.
Who is Amy Winehouse? I’ve honestly never heard of her until now.
We are a shallow people..all that matters is entertainment and having “fun”..and betting on which artists will make it into the 27 club. Real news? No one cares anymore. If it causes people to have to think anything deep or real thoughts, people ignore it. If people have to actually act to change anything, no one does it. So yep Amy Winehouse is going to be more “media” worthy. Sorry I’m a bit cynical today.
She’s a British R&B singer, Pete. I don’t follow new music much, but she really stood out from all of the other auto-tuned pop stars of the modern era. Here’s a video. Her battle with drugs and alcohol has been well documented over the last five years or so.
I guess the sign of being officially old is to not know of famous music stars until after they die.
The difference between her and the usual celebrity train-wrecks is she actually contributed some valid art to the planet. That album is fantastic, maybe the best pop record of that decade. It’s great from start to finish and she wrote the songs herself. Her first one was half great too. I’m normally with you on the absurdity of celebrity nonsense as news argument. Personally, I was really pulling for her and looking forward to hearing what she came up with.
This post also appeared on Facebook, where someone named Jessica Letaw left the following comment:
Heidi-
I couldn’t agree more. Pop music, pro sports, tv, movies…what a wonderful place to spend our money. Surely we wouldn’t want to waste it on things like education and healthcare now would we? It is so much trouble to think, leave it to someone else. It is a brave, new world we live in.
More on Norwegian nationalist Anders Behring Breivik from Gawker:
I really don’t care about Winehouse, knowing zero about her.
What will interest me, however, is the stream of posts from Tater declaring Breivik as a hero.
If you incessantly spew hatred against a visible and easily identifiable group of people, eventually this is what you’ll get.
Sickening. I really don’t have words for how nauseating this is.
Has anyone ever heard of a person running in to a Tea Party (or any other right wing group) meeting and killing 85 people?
Not knowing about pop culture might prove you’re cool in some circles. Taking up space here advertising the fact rather than spending ten seconds on wikipedia is just you forcing us to wank your ego.
I’ll try to put it in terms Pete may understand. It’s like if Faye Wong died after her several years of hiatus.
Mark, it’s always funny to see you exploit a tragic event by writing a blog post complaining that other media are exploiting a tragic event.
Thank you, Matt, that helps make things very clear.
I looked up her entry on Wikipedia, but it didn’t make much sense to me.
The Winehouse jokes have started.
http://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/iyq22/congratulations_to_amy_winehouse/
I honestly don’t give a fuck that Amy Winehouse is dead. Yeah she was talented. No, I have never heard a voice like that. But I THANK GOD I never had to put up with her shit personally. Addicts are the most selfish jerks on the planet. (Check the video of her last ‘concert’ to see what I mean here.) All addicts are looking for is a caretaker they can use. No I WON’T give you a ride since you lost your license due to DUI. No YOU MAY NOT get ugly with me just because YOU CHOSE to get drunk or high. No I WAS NOT PUT ON THIS EARTH to do whatever your little junkie, addicted heart wants. I am at the point where I won’t put up with addicts and do not want them around me. If one CHOOSES to off themself due to their addiction, la-de-friggin-da. It’s evolution in action, nothing more and nothing less.
I found Russel Brand’s comments on her death quite thoughtful.
http://www.russellbrand.tv/2011/07/for-amy/
“No I WON’T give you a ride since you lost your license due to DUI. No YOU MAY NOT get ugly with me just because YOU CHOSE to get drunk or high. No I WAS NOT PUT ON THIS EARTH to do whatever your little junkie, addicted heart wants. I am at the point where I won’t put up with addicts and do not want them around me.”
This is the story of my life. You are a true brother.
From CNN:
The cause of her death was found to be alcohol poisoning.