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Who is more important?
Posted by dcarroll • 7/20/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
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A while back entertainer Michael Jackson died. Since then the media and others have been buzzing.
A few days ago, journalist Walter Cronkite died. There hasn't been as much talk of that.
Even here on BC, people posted discussions on Mike.
I haven't seen one on Walter.
I believe Walter was more important to the world and the US than Michael.
What up with that?
User Comments
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I don't rank people.-
Thank you.
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I totally agree with you--that WC contributed a great deal to the world and has gotten relatively little media recognition. If I were the type of person who made up threads on any celebrity, I would post one on WC way before I would post one on MJ.
Part of the reason why people are more focused on MJ, though, is that it is a far more 'sensational' story than WC is. MJ's story is full of drama and that makes for more interest. (most) People will go with the sensational before anything else.-
Wow!!!!
I'm glad someone else thinks Walt was important. -
Some of my earliest memories were of WC delivering the news every night. My parents always watched the news and I was born during the turbulent 60's--WC always made us feel better, no matter how terrible the news was (Bobby Kennedy's and MLK's death--I actually remember WC delivering the news on both of those occasions--I was about 6 at the time).
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wrong spot
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I was not a fan of Mikes, but I think people are more familiar with MJ's personal life, so they feel like they knew MJ more than Walter. Add in the sensational nature of his death, and voila. I would agree Walter was more important. -
Walter is not simply important, but truly an ICON in our history!
But as the world goes, anything that is associated with intrigue, gossip, and scandal gets all the media attention. -
This reminds me of when Pricess Diana and Mother Teresa died around the same time. All you heard about was Diana. Mother Teresa deserved a lot more attention.
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I think it's always like that in life. In school, you wont be memorable unless you fall in these extreme categories:
1.extremely dumb( thought I don't believe in it because we have different aptitudes but some teachers or students want to label so)
2.extremely attractive
3.extremely ugly(again very subjective)
4.extremely mean
5.exteremely bright
6.extremely kind
7.extremely annoying. -
Thanks for all the comments, I was beginning to believe I was born on the dark side of the world.
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I believe that more people online responded to Michael Jackson's death because of the spotlight that he received through much of his life. When you make as many public mistakes as he did (suspending a small child over a railing comes to mind), the public seems to take note of you.
I believe that the lack of response towards Cronkite just proves that he was a more-or-less normal person. Only the attention seeking, truly bizarre, or those who have vast impacts on the world get much attention after they die. I don't believe that Cronkite was attention seeking or truly bizarre, so unless he cured cancer and I wasn't aware of this, he was a relatively normal person who just happened to have a job that made most of America aware of his existence. By contrast, Jackson seemed to do whatever it took to gain attention and was definitely an unusual (to say the least) individual.
There is nothing wrong with being normal. And, I would much rather be remembered as normal and not recorded in the pages of history books when I die, than be remembered for many of the things that history will remember Jackson for.-
@Carson
There is nothing wrong with being normal. And, I would much rather be remembered as normal and not recorded in the pages of history books when I die, than be remembered for many of the things that history will remember Jackson for.
I feel exactly the same way as you do. I still have images in my mind of MJ dangling a child over a balcony, and images his surgically altered face. To me MJ's story was one of a talented person who became a tragic figure, seemingly frozen in perpetual adolescence and dysfunctionality.
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To be fair, it was not unexpected that Walter Cronkite should pass away, at his age. He was indeed an icon of American journalism. But Michael Jackson died very unexpectedly on the cusp of a comeback attempt about which many people were very curious.
This is not to say that Michael Jackson was in any way more important than Walter Cronkite. He was, however, much better known to younger generations and perhaps the world in general.-
I think that is the key point, most people under 30 may not have known Walter C and his impact was national and limited to a generation. M Jackson reached across generations (The older generation watched MJ grow up) and cultures.
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I grew up watching WC, my father respected him greatly.
I also grew up listening to MJ but I didn't respect him.
For me the world lost a great voice when it lost Walter Cronkite and he lived a long and valued life. MJ didn't and that's a shame but when it comes to mourning them, I am sadder about WC.-
I didn't grow up watching Walter C but I respected him professionally. I grew up watching MJ and didn't respect him personally but enjoyed is craft/singing.
I don't think it has as much to do with respect, it is a matter of awareness and knowing who they are and how they impacted our lives. Walter didn't play a role in my life as a British immigrant, but I grew up watching mj in England and liking his music, as did my children. They don't have a clue who Walter C is, they didn't grow up with him as a familiar figure.
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Talking head did not capture the public's imagination as much as spinning legs did. So to speak. -
A death is a death,its never important or less important. Its life of a person which could be more or less privilaged .Death always is a very complex issue for most. I believe both of them played thier role nicely and bid adieu to this world in own fashion.
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I have asked the wrong question to start this discussion.
Who is more important is bad.
Maybe the why. Also I was more interested in other peoples remembrances of WC as opposed to MJ.
I can remember WC talking about Robert Kennedy's assassination the morning after as I got ready for school.
He was always there and he was always human, compassionate and humane.-
his voice was comforting. when he spoke it had a warmth to it and he was familiar. My father always watched him and we did as well, my parents were big on us knowing what was going on in our country and in the world. He wasn't about glam. or pop culture like a lot of newscasters are now.
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Walter Cronkite's career was outstanding. However, it's unlikely commemoration of his passing will ever equal the celebrity hoopla we just experienced over Michael Jackson's death. I say that with cynicism because I have zero interest in celebrities and I find fans who worship them to be odd.
Have you seen this video? Cronkite: In His Own Words
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZydXmiYCxA
Video: CBS on Cronkite's Legacy CBSNewsOnline
news.google.ca/news?pz=1&ned=ca&hl=en&q=Cronkite-
I haven't. I don't watch Youtube or any videos since I am on a ssslllloooowwww dialup network in rural Montana.
I do remember WC as the narrator for a school film series called something like, "You are there." The films were about different events in U.S. history. -
Floormodel, Thanks for the link. I always like those shows in school.
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