Talking

Talking to a hooker; back next week with that.

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Now playing: Leonard Cohen - Joan Of Arc
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There, for History

Unlike just anybody else it seems, I don’t remember where I was the day I heard Kennedy had been shot. Sorry. I can, however, remember where I was the day I watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on the Moon and I certainly enjoyed watching those enhanced pictures this time around on the 40th Anniversary of that landing. What I found remarkable about those celebrations, apart from the pictures, was the lack of Americanism about them. In their coverage, there seemed a desire by Americans to genuinely share their achievement with the world rather than take ownership. They were, for example, generous and gracious in acknowledging the role and contribution of the Soviet Union to the space race. American astronauts were paraded with dignity and all, it seems, were able to say what they liked. It was good to see. And I wonder if what we are seeing is a new-found dignity and maturity for America, rather than the jingoism of the past. Further evidence of that was the restrained way in which they covered the death of Walter Cronkite.
Contrast that with the hysterical coverage of Michael Jackson just a fortnight before. Have the Americans learnt so much in so little time? Or did one lead to the other? Are Americans themselves embarrassed by the Michael Jackson coverage?
But, returning to Cronkite, what I do remember about the Kennedy coverage was its announcement by a tearful Water Cronkite; it was perfect, if sad, television. Cronkite was there again for the Moon Landing and for that event we can add professional to perfect. Cronkite was there, always, for history. And history and we were well served by this man.
As a footnote, perhaps the only sadness attached to the Moon Landing celebrations was that Mr Cronkite didn’t get the opportunity to participate, perhaps by coming out of retirement to cover or comment on this event. He and we missed that by less than a week.

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Now playing: Plácido Domingo - Dein ist mein ganzes Herz
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Hey Joe

New Zealand news media are yet to reach the depths of personality-driven American media but they are close cousins with a distinct familial relationship. Witness the glorification this week and last of the death of Michael Jackson and the consequent funeral. They were on the television news every night in New Zealand, often the lead story of the news. Still are. That kind of sustained coverage is symptomatic of American media who are more than capable of giving the same coverage to a Lindsay Lohan story as they are to 9/11. Kobey Bryant probably tops them both.
But it is disturbing with the Michael Jackson story to see the same from the New Zealand media. As for Michael Jackson himself, I am ambivalent. I rate him as a performer and a dancer. But not as a singer, song-writer, arranger or as a person. I wrestled with the latter. Like most I had a view on Michael Jackson’s relationships with young boys and in my case that view was he was guilty as sin and charged. But coverage given that subject since his death (and here the media have done a good job) has made me less sure and maybe there was a genuine innocence there arising from an abusive upbringing and a weird but wonderful personality. I have no such ambivalence about his father, Joe, though. Joe Jackson is the best justification yet for patricide. The man is monstrous and his behaviour before and after Michael Jackson’s death despicable. Conversely, Katherine, his wife, seems okay. It’s probably okay also that she gets custody of Michael’s children. But if Joe is ever allowed to get near them we may well yet have another tragedy in the making. Despite that, despite the allegations of his life, I trust that Michael Jackson in his death will be at rest and that the New Zealand media will now give it a rest.

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