Sunday’s breaking news was delivered to me via Facebook. Of course, my first reaction was to check another site, since you can’t believe (and shouldn’t believe) anything today without digging a little. It was quickly everywhere and I saw tons of reactions from basketball fans, die hard Lakers supporters and just people in general. What I began to see next, though, was a perfect microcosm of what the internet has for us as a society both good and bad.
I found out TMZ broke the story before his family had been notified. This is beyond disgusting. Any blowback? Not really. They got a “scolding” from the police. Good job, TMZ, money first, after all.
I saw a lot of posts scolding people for not sharing stories about the other victims and one that got traction that 31 soldiers had died and no one was talking about it. I clicked the story and it was from over a decade ago. So some of the people tongue/type lashing society didn’t even take three seconds and read the article proving their point. Great work.
Another offshoot of that point is this: you are allowed to be upset over a celebrity death without being disrespectful of others’ passing. Kobe Bryant was the best basketball player on earth for a decade at least. He won four rings and played for Team USA. He was the face of the NBA. Yes, it is tragic that others died, but we didn’t watch their lives, see their families and more. Full disclosure – I watch ZERO NBA. None. I haven’t watched an NBA game since the Cavs were in the finals years ago, but Kobe is familiar to society. You can’t discount that. Yes, human life is all equal, but you’re not a hero blasting “society” in these cases. Want to spread the word about other victims or people that passed? Then inform us. Share. And actually read the articles yourself.
To further give examples, my favorite band of all time was and is Pantera. When Dimebag got shot and killed onstage in 2004, it affected me deeply. It wouldn’t have done any good to have some random asshole scream in my face that someone else died that day and I should apologize to the Earth for feeling bad about one more than the other. Want to be upset with the media? OK, go for it. They won’t change. Lisa Lopes from TLC died the same day they found Layne Staley from Alice in Chains body in his apartment, dead from an overdose for weeks. MTV covered Lopes’ death in great detail and Staley’s barely was mentioned. I love AIC and Staley’s voice was and is my favorite off all time for the haunting power and dark, twisted angst that fit their music perfectly. I was very upset with MTV for years after and you know what? Didn’t change anything. TLC was more popular than Alice in Chains. That’s the way it is. I still have his music and I can enjoy it and his legacy without shitting all over TLC fans.
I saw a few other posts – one saying he would be alive if he wasn’t rich, taking helicopters everywhere. The stupidity in that can’t even be addressed. LA traffic is a disaster, so he was working around it. Plus, last I checked, people die in cars. People died getting tossed off horses. People die on bicycles. What a bizarre thing to focus on.
The last piece I noticed was the most complex. Kobe Bryant was accused of sexual assault in 2002. Right before the case was set to open, the accuser dropped the charges and filed a civil suit, where Kobe settled for an undisclosed sum and had to apologize. He definitely committed infidelity (which no one seems to mind) and in his apology said his definition of consent was not the same as his victim. I won’t comment on other than to notice to some people, this proved his guilt and others the charges being dropped proved his innocence. I have no idea and never will as to what happened. The details that leaked out are disturbing and disgusting if true. By accounts that came out after, Kobe was very private and visited dying children with the requirement no PR credit was given. He was generous with his money, appeared to be faithful to his wife afterwards and was a doting father to his girls. This is part of his legacy, for better or worse. I just wish some of those who like to share the sexual assault allegations were using some of that energy to fight sex trafficking and support victims of assault now, not just trying to score points with a post or two hours after his death. It’s not an excuse for him; just a desire to see that passion for something in 2020, not 2002.
Actually one more thing and I already posted about it. Ari Shaffir is a perfect example of what I hate about comedians. Shock humor can be funny, but it’s usually just trash and lazy. He posted jokes about Kobe’s death almost immediately and I saw the same thing on my feed. I have said it before and I’ll say it again: You’re not getting booked for your shit shock jokes, but you sure as hell are being passed over shows for them. Hope it’s worth making your “free speech” point. You have free speech as a right against the government. If you use your platforms for tasteless jokes, don’t insult people who have fought for open free speech against the government by lumping your garbage jokes in with it. Speech has consquences and I was glad to see Ari dropped by his talent agency as much as I will enjoy seeing turd open mic comics continue to be passed over for shows as they’re posting Kobe jokes while his body still hasn’t been recovered. Be better or go away. Maybe there’s knitting open mics or something where you don’t have to open your hole and let everyone know you’re a scumbag person.