Good Lord, Don't Be Less Than Complimentary
You sanctimonious bastards.
That's all.
Steve Irwin died from a stingray barb to the chest. It's quite the loss for his family and friends.
My question is, why are we so quick to lionize any dead famous person - simply because they are famous? There are lots of people who are working diligently behind the scenes to make the world a better place. Many of them have made and are making significantly larger contributions than Steve Irwin did. And yet, because of his ability to self-promote and sell us a show, all of a sudden he walks on water.
Last night there were no fewer than eight, 20+ minute tributes to and examinations of Steve Irwin's life. Why???
Why indeed, when these same media outlets roasted him on a pillar after video surfaced showing him taking his toddler into a croc pit? And last night, not one critical word.
Steve Irwin definitely made some positive contributions to the world. From all accounts he was a great father and husband and a dedicated family man. But, he wasn't perfect! It's ok to point that out. It's ok to say "I'm sorry he's dead but he wasn't really my cup of tea."
I'm reminded of the period after Reagan died. Lord help you if you were offering a slightly less than complimentary view of the man. Anybody who made points like "He supported death squads in Nicaragua." or "He decided that ketchup fulfilled the role of vegetables for student lunches." or "He held the world hostage and played a dangerous game of brinkmanship." was set upon by a pack of angry, right-wing media pundits and politicians. You were denounced as being unpatriotic.
And so to the fawning public at large, I do feel for the family and friends of Steve Irwin.
Specifically to Jabberwock, Jody and Gregorius: Get over yourselves you self-righteous, sanctimonious jackasses and stop deciding "what's right", "what's moral" or "what's appropriate" for the rest of us.
That's all.
Steve Irwin died from a stingray barb to the chest. It's quite the loss for his family and friends.
My question is, why are we so quick to lionize any dead famous person - simply because they are famous? There are lots of people who are working diligently behind the scenes to make the world a better place. Many of them have made and are making significantly larger contributions than Steve Irwin did. And yet, because of his ability to self-promote and sell us a show, all of a sudden he walks on water.
Last night there were no fewer than eight, 20+ minute tributes to and examinations of Steve Irwin's life. Why???
Why indeed, when these same media outlets roasted him on a pillar after video surfaced showing him taking his toddler into a croc pit? And last night, not one critical word.
Steve Irwin definitely made some positive contributions to the world. From all accounts he was a great father and husband and a dedicated family man. But, he wasn't perfect! It's ok to point that out. It's ok to say "I'm sorry he's dead but he wasn't really my cup of tea."
I'm reminded of the period after Reagan died. Lord help you if you were offering a slightly less than complimentary view of the man. Anybody who made points like "He supported death squads in Nicaragua." or "He decided that ketchup fulfilled the role of vegetables for student lunches." or "He held the world hostage and played a dangerous game of brinkmanship." was set upon by a pack of angry, right-wing media pundits and politicians. You were denounced as being unpatriotic.
And so to the fawning public at large, I do feel for the family and friends of Steve Irwin.
Specifically to Jabberwock, Jody and Gregorius: Get over yourselves you self-righteous, sanctimonious jackasses and stop deciding "what's right", "what's moral" or "what's appropriate" for the rest of us.
posted by Todd at 9:30 a.m.
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