I have always found society’s preoccupation with and response to violence and death involving celebrities intriguing. There is certain a sufficient amount of drama in any average Joe or Jane’s life, but what makes violence perpetrated against other humans (who by chance happen to be more popular) so compelling?
Recently, through our short forays into understanding Tupac, we got a glimpse into the man’s incredible paranoia and insecurity. Chock full of prophesies of his own death and the violence prevalent in his own personal life, Tupac’s albums were critical and commercial successes. Additionally, the theatricality and controversial manner of his death and that of fellow rapper Biggie Smalls has fueled such a continued obsession with these two figures that their own mythology has been developed in the contemporary consciousness. It’s also enduring even today rappers still mention their names with reverence even as the 15-year anniversary of Tupac’s death approaches. Off the top of my head, I can cite the (possibly) violent deaths of Amelia Earhart, Marilyn Monroe, and Princess Diana as having incited a maelstrom of controversy and buzz. Perhaps in modern culture, we’re given so much access into the private lives of others that we begin to grow attached to them or even believe that in some way, there is a chance that we can live vicariously through them. All of this, of course were some of the thoughts I harbored before watching the following video.
What I found slightly disturbing were the comments this video prompted. While the violence and death depicted in this scene are obviously fake, the hatred directed at a particular character’s on screen death seemed genuine. Even the title of the video file makes clear what the poster intends for the viewer- the acceptance of this particular death as something worth celebrating. While that statement was probably a sensationalistic over generalization, it does indeed seem that should Bieber actually perish, that many would be satisfied with it. I can accept that civilization has been constructed in a way that we respect mortality and celebrate the destruction of enemies and the triumphs of heroes, but my question is why is reveling in the death of this particular celebrity so easy and widespread?
Perhaps it’s just my tendency to exaggerate-may be it’s ok to laugh and celebrate his on screen demise because it is what it precisely is…fake, staged, and harmless. In that case, can anyone enlighten me on the boundary that delineates the perception of violence as innocuous from violence and death that occurs in say Iraq, and can anyone inform me the presence or absence of what qualities of violence allow for it to be acceptable to solicit laughs instead of shock and horror?
We live in a very sad society; people want to see Justin Bieber die. The creative minds at CBS understand this, and thus this CSI episode was concocted. Everyday there are fake articles put out on the Internet claiming Justin Bieber has perished. The big television network decided to capitalize on the infatuation some American's have with Bieber's death and create a probably very popular episode. I see no harm in Justin's fake death in this show though, he's clearly getting the last laugh. This little kid probably got paid at least 100 grand for the cameo.
ReplyDeleteJust because this century we humans happen to have more toys than last century doesn't mean we have less bloodlust. Your post inspired me to write about the South Park Britney Spears human sacrifice episode, which is along the same lines. We can't have colosseums with captured prisoners fighting wild animals, but we can still watch pop stars die on TV.
ReplyDeleteThe reactions to the video are interesting in the way they confuse the character Justin Bieber plays in the CSI episode with the teenage pop singer. Similarly to Tupac who had different personas for each type of rap music video, whether a Braggadocio poem or a diss-track, Bieber is an entirely different character in CSI. After all, the pop star Bieber would never (hopefully) pull out a gun and start shooting cops. Nevertheless the CSI character and the teenage singer appear to be one and the same to many viewers who are offended by his fame.
ReplyDeleteSeeing Justin Bieber go out in a violent blaze of glory feels a lot like seeing a god die in a Greek myth or God of War. Society builds its celebrities up to a superhuman status. When a celebrity then shows flaws, it is more shocking than if it were a "normal" person. This CSI episode would certainly have not been as successful(ly awesome) if not for the fact that it was Justin Bieber as the villain rather than a B-list actor.
ReplyDeleteWe as the general public definitely have a tie to celebrities. People feel connected to them since we see them everywhere from magazines to movies. I could understand if the tv network was trying to exploit peoples hate for Bieber and have him killed in their show but I really hope that isnt so because thats just feeding these peoples feelings of hate. Im no fan of Justin Bieber but I really hope people wouldnt actually be happy to see him die because as biggie said "I would never wish death on nobody. 'Cause there ain't no coming back from that"
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