I was standing in line at the grocery store the other day and plastered all over every magazine and tabloid was stuff about the death of Whitney Houston. I thought about it for a minute as a journalist and my reaction was not what I expected. This woman had a bright career. She was talented and beautiful and clearly lost. She died a tragic death and as with any death there were people who experienced great pain and sorrow. Does that mean that the media should be able to make a quick buck from it?
This obsession I see with celebrities and the good and bad in their lives is a little disturbing. I will be the first one to admit that I suffer from this obsession too. Though I have no interest in who Ben ends up with on the Bachelor, I still watch every week. Though I know that the activities of my favorite artist's life doesn't really affect me much I still look for their posts on Facebook.
I think the interest is not a bad thing. I think the obsession and disrespect the media shows is more than unsettling. Televising that funeral was not only insensitive, but going too far. Constantly plastering this woman's face on every magazine and tabloid is too much. And speculating about what happened regardless of the facts is unfair.
People die everyday and the ones who are overpowered by their demons are the most tragic, but it doesn't mean we have a right to take advantage of it for a quick buck or a good bit in conversation.
As I prepare to fill the entertainment section of my school paper, an article on Whitney Houston is the last thing on my mind. I refuse to be part of this circus and I definitely reject the opportunity to be in the center ring.
