Charles Coleman-Funeral March
I admit it. I watched Whitney Houston's funeral on television, at least a lot of it. I laughed, I cried, I wondered who many of the performers were. I wouldn't have crossed the street to hear her sing, I have no idea why I was so moved. Still, I was glued to the screen.
I suspended disbelief long enough to accept that Whitney, who descended from Pop Royalty, was Pop Royalty herself. Can royalty ever leave quietly? Could her family have said, this is family, it's private, and turned the camera away? I doubt it, and am glad of it.
For we white folk, Whitney's service was alien. Our funerals are quick, antiseptic, and tinged with a dash of piety,something to get 'em out the door. However, as the officiant of the service, Reverend Winan's said "I'll mostly be speaking English and when I don't and you can't follow, know I wasn't speaking to you." The Rev a masterful preacher, was speaking to the converted, people rooted in the song and verse of the Old and New Testament. Believers believe! Reverend Winan brought the world to church on Saturday. It's a shame, it took a funeral to do it.
Towards the end of the service, I noticed the funeral program given to those attending, and bet my bride that surely a copy was already on EBAY. All I received were daggers for my trouble. knowing I was right, I had to look. Sure enough, at 2:30 EST, and hour and a half before the service was over, a copy was listed. Bidding was $6300.00 USD last I looked.
Toad
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11 comments:
I was pulled into the drama of Whitney's life and death as well Toad. What a sad statement of our times, for a friend or family who was invited, to list her funeral program on Ebay.
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Well that's just klassy. Someone at the funeral was ebaying during the funeral?
One can only hope it was someone at the printing company selling it.
Your bet was almost a sure thing. Certainly worth some monopoly money. Don't know if it was worth the darts, but I am certain you'll survive.
I'm sorry she died but I'll be very happy to turn on the tv and not see Whitney Houston "coverage."
Amen, Anon.
now if we could only get Piers Morgan off the air too.
Looks like the Whitney police have pulled the plug on the EBAY auction
I too was drawn to the funeral, I found myself drifting back and forth and was particularly touched by the poem Dionne Warwick read.
Although I grew up with Whitney's music, the reason I tuned in to honor a mother, a daughter, sister and friend to many.
Have a great night, Elizabeth
Count them, the young talents thrust into fame long before fundamental underpinnings to a psychic ego structure were ever set in place. Suddenly, these high-talent kids are launched on tour around the world, 10 shows in 4 days in Atlantic City, 15 shows in 5 days in NYC, 12 shows in 5 days in Chicago, traveling with an entourage all around the world, a monthlong blockbuster booking in Lost Vegas, unlimited per diem expense account, these young talents are supposed to find sleep somehow in the daytime, perform at max capacity night and matinee, no social life, no family life, only roadlife. If they turn out to be any good, this pattern goes on for decades, but the ego structure at foundation level never gets built, it likely stays at pre- or post-adolescent level.
Sorry, Toad, it just makes me sad, how do any showbiz people survive, especially the imbalanced young ones like Whitney et al, catapulted to fame straight from the church choir stall, with no coping skills, no education, no sense of self:world.
If you listened to Kevin Costner, he spoke the truth, i.e. that this child had no sense of whether she was "good" or not. There's the story.
-Flo
Flo, add to that the constant glare of paparazzi and news outlets covering every pimple and trip to 7-11, I can't imagine how or why anyone sells their soul of fame.
What a world...speechless.
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