Sunday, July 06, 2003
Re the deaths of Gregory Peck, Katherine Hepburn and now Barry White: Ever notice that celebrity snuffings always seem to occur in clusters, kind of like fast food joints? Maybe there's some economic reason for it. Do the agents arrange their clients' carkings (or news of them) for maximum exposure? Who knows. Wouldn't put it past 'em...
It's interesting that when a major showbiz icon kicks the bucket, there's always a dominant angle on their legacy that everyone in the media gradually latches on to and flogs relentlessly. With Peck it was his inherent goodness and fairness, exemplified by his role in To Kill a Mockingbird. With Hepburn it was her independence and feistiness (the feminist chicks loved that!).
Don't know what it will be (or was?) for Barry White. Haven't been able to discern one, mainly because I haven't watched enough TV over the weekend. ( Also, he's only just carked, so maybe they haven't yet decided on a single theme. Or perhaps he just wasn't famous enough for the newsreaders to turn on the mock reverence?)
Whatever. That first point still holds, I reckon. Showbiz - and the reporting thereof - is always chockas with cliches and bullshit. Even death - the most final, real and certain thing there is - can't put a dent in that convention.
It's interesting that when a major showbiz icon kicks the bucket, there's always a dominant angle on their legacy that everyone in the media gradually latches on to and flogs relentlessly. With Peck it was his inherent goodness and fairness, exemplified by his role in To Kill a Mockingbird. With Hepburn it was her independence and feistiness (the feminist chicks loved that!).
Don't know what it will be (or was?) for Barry White. Haven't been able to discern one, mainly because I haven't watched enough TV over the weekend. ( Also, he's only just carked, so maybe they haven't yet decided on a single theme. Or perhaps he just wasn't famous enough for the newsreaders to turn on the mock reverence?)
Whatever. That first point still holds, I reckon. Showbiz - and the reporting thereof - is always chockas with cliches and bullshit. Even death - the most final, real and certain thing there is - can't put a dent in that convention.
