Jun 29 2008
Death In Hollywood
This post is a little bit different. Following celebrity news as much as I do, there are some things that I see and they make me think. I’m sure we all have those things, and I usually just keep them to myself, but maybe I should start talking about them here. We’ll see how this goes. I think anyone can agree with me that we’ve lost a lot from Hollywood this year. It started in January with the deaths of actors Brad Renfro and Heath Ledger. Just yesterday, a young model jumped to her death in New York City. Last weekend, George Carlin left this world at the age of 71. There are countless others that have lost this world this year.
Last night, I was scrolling through the channels on my television. I wanted something to watch, and George Carlin had taken over HBO Comedy. Then I heard on my Twitter that Saturday Night Live was paying tribute to the comic by showing an episode he hosted from 1975. For some reason this made me start scratching my head a bit. Perhaps I haven’t noticed it, but George Carlin’s death seems to be getting a lot of attention this week. Many have died this year, and most of them have had their deaths mentioned and then everyone just seemed to move quickly on. Heath Ledger’s passing receives more attention now than immediately following his death.
Could that be because of the uncertainty surrounding the circumstances of his death? It could be. Hollywood is strange like that. People are fickle and one wrong step can make people go from loving someone to hating them in the next breath. The paparazzi follow the celebrities around and they report every single detail. Celebrities really aren’t perfect people. They might be on the screen or you might listen to them on the radio, but when it comes right down to it they are just people like you and me. Every single loss we’ve had this year is important to remember.
I have read about the death of Ledger’s death. Some things sound a little off. It will be interesting to see how one of the Olsen twins fits into the picture.
Very well said, I couldn’t agree more! It really speaks to how fickle this industry in the people in it are. I pray that I don’t become that person one day…
It’s true, every death is sad/should be remembered, but I think the difference is that Carlin was a pioneer in the industry in many ways. Also, it wasn’t just any SNL episode, it was the *first* SNL episode. For those of us old enough to remember it, it marked the advent of a new kind of television comedy…a new twist to the old standard variety show (think Tonight Show, Jack Benny, Dinah Shore, Merv Griffin…of which only the Tonight show is still around). For many, Carlin & his humor represented a cultural shift, he had the balls to say what others wouldn’t *and* didn’t just riff of them, gave thoughtful historical background and deep philosophy in his stand-up and recordings (on vinyl).
That’s my two-cents anyway on why Carlin’s death received so much attention. Unlike Ledger, who was a good actor and pretty face, and died a young, premature and misfortunate death, he wasn’t a cultural icon or added anything to the collective intelligence.
I think George Carlin’s death was so publicized because his career spanned like five decades and he was a ground breaker in the comedy industry. I think the Heath Ledger hubbub is primarily due to how tragic his death was (young age, still popular on screen, young daughter, etc.)
I always hate at the Academy Awards when the do the In Memoriam and people clap louder for some than others.
Libby
http://pokerbaby.today.com
He was the best. Check ebay, his notme.com rant, the site is for sale for a half a million bucks. I’ll miss him, Max