Quick exercise- Google Whitney Houston and see how many results you get. My query garnered 2,550,000,000 results in .14 seconds. Click here to view results. The untimely death of the diva has been front page news since last Saturday afternoon. I guess my question is this; is this much hype warranted? Don't get me wrong; I am very sorry for her family's loss, and I, too, feel the sense of sadness that she was lost so young. But I must be honest; I'm a bit surprised at the publicity, considering how long Houston has been out of the spotlight, especially for any positive reasons.
On Monday, one of my coworkers commented "You know, the truth of it is that I grieved for Whitney Houston a long time ago when she threw her talent away on drugs and alcohol". I find this statement callous and dispassionate, even though there is a ring of truth to it. But this is what makes it such a tough comment; have we really become so cynical that we no longer believe a person can redeem themselves while they still have breath to breath? True, Houston may have never revived her singing career; her voice was less than stellar on her last album. But what of the reported efforts to turn her life around? Don't they count as a reason to consider someone of value to mourn? Or do we only mourn when the deceased had something to offer, some visible talent to idolize?
On the other hand, we are a country at war, and I daresay that neither you or I could name the U.S. Army soldier who also died on Saturday, only his death came through the instrument of war? No? Private First Class Cesar Cortez of California. All that to say that we are a country who gives attention and praise, and apparently grief, to those who entertain us, but completely ignore those who fight for us. I can understand why some feel that Ms. Houston's death has received unwarranted facetime.
But perhaps we should take a lead from Houston's own family. They have reportedly declined a public spectacle to honor Houston, opting instead for a private memorial service in her home church in New Jersey, with only a handful of celebrities in attendance. The one concession the family has made is to the service being televised. Plans for Houston's Funeral Will this be enough to satisfy the information-hungry masses? One can only hope that the family is left to bury their loved one with dignity.
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