While reading Lex Berko’s article “Death on the Internet: The Rise of Livestreaming Funerals,” I immediately thought of a similar trend that had arisen in society: televised celebrity funerals. To my knowledge, the most recent instance of this phenomenon would be Whitney Houston’s funeral on February 18 2012.
In a way, I suppose that these televised funerals are nothing more than livestreamed funerals that are available to a wider audience. However, I feel that there is more of divide. A livestreamed funeral, though accessible to many, seems more private than a televised funeral service that is accessible to millions. The fact that the funeral is televised also seems to make a spectacle out of something that should be cathartic and intimate.
I agree with Berko that having a funeral livestreamed can be beneficial in allowing distant relatives to take part in the service, but televising a celebrity’s funeral is different. Since we are in the age of celebrity, with social media and paparazzi constantly following celebrities’ every move, we do build a closeness to our favorite celebrities. However, we do not know the true person that hides behind the façade presented in a celebrity’s media image.
For example, while many of the viewers of Houston’s funeral enjoyed Houston’s music and loved her persona, they did not know the true Whitney Elizabeth Houston. These viewers never saw behind the curtain. The person they were saying goodbye to is not the same person to whom Houston’s close friends and family were saying goodbye. I am interested to hear the rest of the classes thoughts on televised funerals. Do we think that the fact that the funeral takes place on television takes away from the service? Is it beneficial or detrimental to have death viewable to such a wide audience? How do televised funerals relate to Berko’s discussion of livestreamed funerals?
“The person they were saying goodbye to is not the same person to whom Houston’s close friends and family were saying goodbye.”
It’s interesting you say that. What we define as a “person” seems to be a very subjective concept to begin with. You as a person are not only what those who are close to you perceive you as. You are not only the person that those who don’t know you well, or are complete strangers to you, perceive you to be. You are not even only the person that you perceive yourself as to be. You are a conglomerate of all these different perspectives into one whole which doesn’t mean anything without the sum of its parts. Having said that, maybe the person watching Houston’s funeral does not know personal details from her life, but her music changed the life of said person. Maybe Houston left a stronger impact on a stranger than she did to some people she knew very well.
We often times hide from those who are close to us qualities and traits that we don’t have a problem showing to strangers. I think it’s a complicated matter in general, but I believe it says something about streaming funerals. If a celebrity’s influence and popularity is great, we can expect that the celebrity has many passionate fans and followers, and we can naturally assume that this celebrity meant a lot to them. Of course to varying degrees, but I believe that when an artist decides to share their work on a global level, and connect with people across the world with their work, then their connection to those very people becomes truly significant. I don’t see a reason why everyone who respects Houston deeply then, should not be allowed to say their goodbyes, if even from a television screen.