Whitney Houston blather

[hardnox604008]

OK, I'm going to contradict myself a little.

O'Reilly, Santorum et al weighed in on the matter.  In substance I don't disagree with them, nothing glamorous nor romantic about killing yourself with substances.

But am I the only one who is sick up to here with being constantly bombarded by white males who are blowing off whatever they heard today from Rush or Sean on the matter of being a Big White Daddy, toughlove, suck it up you sissies stuff?

Chris Christie wants to lower the flag, OK, whatever,  that is their business. Move on.

I'm not sure it is exactly 100% racism as just an obliviousness about everyone else on the planet but I'm just asking a hypothetical question- I wonder what they'd be saying if it was Elvis who had a very similar trajectory to his life?

[bruce MN]

I fully realize that it will be 42 years come October, but I'd still push for a maybe a whole week of half-staff for Janice Joplin.  Or  2nd your emotion re: The King.

That would be if we are going to be honoring addictive and dependent entertainers then let's set the bar higher than for a woman who became famous for doing a glitzy pop cover of a timelss country song for an incredibly bad movie.  And who started the ball rolling on the National Anthem being stretched out to 5 minutes before every race or ball game.

[r3020]

All she proved is money doesn't buy happiness.

[hardnox604008]

Yeah, I'm not even sure how much money she had, or kept.

Money, fame, being surrounded by sycophants and users. Similar stories by the dozens.

[Samnospam]

I've honestly never had the weakness of hero worshiping pop idols. Best I've ever been able to muster was a "oh, that's too bad". Although I will admit I've always liked Mclean's American Pie.

Historical figures I may have a weakness for.

[Milligan Hay - Iowa d:^)]

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@hardnox604008 wrote:

Yeah, I'm not even sure how much money she had, or kept.

Money, fame, being surrounded by sycophants and users. Similar stories by the dozens.

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I am sure the Federal Government will know exactly how much wealth that she had at the time of her death, as they will take 55% of everything that she has.

Maybe for that, the government feels that she deserves the flag being lowered in her name...... After all, she "paid for it".

[Papa Wheelie]

Let's see, Elvis died reading porno while straining at stool. He was a walking pharmacy, all with the ok of a doctor for his speed and downers.

[kraft-t]

However, if you aren't saving lives or feeding the hungry or healing the sick or defending the weak, you are hardly hero material. Tim Tebow, Michael Jordan, the manning boys are not heros. They are merely accomplished athletes. Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley, ll Divo are merely accomplished musicians. And composers such as Andrew Lloyd  Webber, Mozart, Puccini, Beethoven, Willie nelson have all enriched our lives but they aren't heros.

Honoring accomplished performers is ok but admiration borders on adoration.  Put things in their proper perspective folks.

[hardnox604008]

Hi Bruce,

Yeah, Janis and Jimmi went out in a true rock n' roll blaze of glory. I'm not sure about Jim Morrison, still thinking the CIA must have had something to do with that.

Total random association with Janis Joplin but it made me think of Mary Karr's memior series with about growing up in a totally crazy and sem-functioning dysfunctional family in a Texas coast refinery town. The only connection is that Janis was starting out in the local clubs during that time.

Even though the memoirist is female I didn't regard it as chicklit at all. It is nice to be reminded in this age of intolerance that worthwhile humans sometimes rise above weird circumstances. First and probably best is The Liar's Club, about her childhood. Cherry is about adolexcence and given is probably the darkest and most disturbing. Lit is her later life, alcoholism, recovery and embrace of the catholic church.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Karr

[hardnox604008]

I read that she was broke and living off record company advances so after the $5 million exemption I doubt it will be a big problem.

Also, since she didn't write her songs, the songwriters will get most of the money off the bump, particularly Dolly Parton for "I'll Always Love You."

Now I'm guessing that Dolly would have an estate tax problem but I'm also guessing that she has some smart folks working on that.