Well there are 2 things I can say today. The first is the good news that Mr. James Brown is finally being laid to rest. You may not have noticed the news on Mr. Brown, or the fact that he has not been buried for 2 months, as the main media seems to have found it unimportant. It definitely did not deserve as much coverage as the multiple hours of news dedicated to the death of and trials about Ms. Anna Nicole Smith, if the time dedicated to the story is the criteria determining worth. I feel it needed more attention.
The fact that Mr. Brown, the Hardest Working Man in Show Business, has been prevented from finally getting rest should have been mentioned. But not unlike my comments on the last stupid waste of time dedicated to a worthless cause (the battle between Rosie and Trump) I see that the current waste of time (about Ms. Smith) is far more important than any other news. Even news about Iraq, Iran and its nuclear ambitions, and the presidential hopefuls are all supplanted. It’s a shame that the news media is chasing the money no less than Mr. Howard K. Stern, in my opinion.
I must note that there is a major bias here. Like the Smith case, there was a dispute over where the deceased may be buried. There was, and is, a contest over the estate and the wealth that goes with that estate. There is also a child who may or may not benefit from the estate. And lastly there is a test of paternity that will be done with DNA being collected from the deceased.
Yet I notice that there are differences that count. Ms. Smith was a beautiful woman, but contributed little to the whole of entertainment or society. Mr. James Brown recorded records for decades with many being considered classics that continue to be heard even by the hip-hop generation of today. Anna Nicole made some money as a model and a bit more for a television ‘reality’ show, but the bulk of her wealth is tied to her marriage to an elderly billionaire. Mr. Brown, the Godfather of Soul, made his wealth from being an entertainer and was performing until the time of his death (he was scheduled to perform on New Year’s Eve in New York City). The estate of Mr. Brown has a value and is a known quantity, Ms. Smith’s estate may or may not be worth roughly $400 million dollars depending on court cases. Mr. Brown is known by millions world-wide, of all ages and races, and had thousands attend his viewing. Ms. Smith has become popular to millions and is well known to younger generations, mostly for the aforementioned lawsuit and reality television show.
Considering the commonalities and differences, and noting that former President Ford died at nearly the same time yet almost as much time was spent on the death of Mr. Brown, I am befuddled at the attention given to Anna Nicole Smith. What special happenstance is there where the delays in burying Mr. Brown warranted no attention?
The only differences that I am aware of are those I mentioned above (which would lead one to think that more attention was due to Mr. Brown’s estate) and the facts that one was a Black American, one was definitely on drugs, one had a child die recently, and one was old. What does this lopsided (actually I’d say one-sided) media attention say about the media and us as a society? How can any of us feel good that in both cases, the desire for wealth precludes the ability of celebrities (or anyone for that matter) to be laid to rest. Are a couple, or even millions, of dollars worth the indignity of allowing people to decay while the living bicker over the pennies that are left behind. Isn’t it obvious that the children demand the satisfaction of security and they should be left with a legacy that does not involve money-grubbing. Imagine the life you might have if one of the most vivid memories you have of your deceased parent, and public photos of them, pertain to the battle for the money they had.
I cannot imagine that either child will have a ‘normal’ life. Even considering how far from the norm celebrity’s children’s lives generally are. If for no other reason (beyond the fact that this news is not important) the charade should end for the benefit of those children. I have a simple solution to it all.
If there is no will giving the estate to a parent it goes to the children. The money and estate are placed in a trust that cannot be touched until the child is 21. The executor of the trust is picked by the court and cannot be a parent, also the executor must file the status of the estate with the court every year to ensure it is not being wasted. No money goes to the parent or anyone else. If you want the child, get a job and raise them.
This is what I think, what do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment