Gone Fishin'
Dear Loyal Readers,
Like most of America, I'm taking today off -- even though I'm itching to say something about the hyperbolic coverage of Michael Jackson's untimely passing.
Sad as it is, and as talented a singer and dancer as Jackson was, I am getting a little weary of TV anchors claiming he was a "musical genius" and an "incredibly hard worker." I would love to hear a TV pundit point out: Jackson didn't write most of his songs; his producers (including Quincy Jones) deserve much of the credit for his success; and as for hard work, yes, he was industrious, but how would his efforts stack up against those of a coal miner, a steel worker, a farmer or a teacher, on any given day? As my brother pointed out, all those folks sing and dance for fun - but no one goes down a coal mine for kicks.
And, last, any middle-aged man in the habit of inviting young boys into their bed should not be confused with a saint. Just sayin'.
But I don't have time to say any of those things, because I'm goin' fishin'!
Hope you enjoy your weekend, too.
And as always, thanks for reading!
-JUB
Like most of America, I'm taking today off -- even though I'm itching to say something about the hyperbolic coverage of Michael Jackson's untimely passing.
Sad as it is, and as talented a singer and dancer as Jackson was, I am getting a little weary of TV anchors claiming he was a "musical genius" and an "incredibly hard worker." I would love to hear a TV pundit point out: Jackson didn't write most of his songs; his producers (including Quincy Jones) deserve much of the credit for his success; and as for hard work, yes, he was industrious, but how would his efforts stack up against those of a coal miner, a steel worker, a farmer or a teacher, on any given day? As my brother pointed out, all those folks sing and dance for fun - but no one goes down a coal mine for kicks.
And, last, any middle-aged man in the habit of inviting young boys into their bed should not be confused with a saint. Just sayin'.
But I don't have time to say any of those things, because I'm goin' fishin'!
Hope you enjoy your weekend, too.
And as always, thanks for reading!
-JUB
John,
One of the main reasons that I respect your opinion, and enjoy your writing, is that you do NOT worry about being politically correct.
While the majority of the media hype about Jackson's life and death seems to praise him to the sky, I tend to agree with your take on Michael Jackson, completely. You are "right on", from Quincy Jones writing so much of his stuff, to Michael's work ethic. It is really a very sad story of a child who never really had a real childhood. A pity!
Hope you caught a big one (or even a small one). Regards, Ed
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Much thanks, Dr. Ed.
Michael Jackson was undoubtedly a tortured soul -- starting with his abusive father -- for which we can all feel some empathy. But I can't go along with the media throng promoting him for sainthood.
If you liked that little bit, you should love tomorrow's commentary on the Jacksons versus the Williams sisters -- who, in my opinion, win hands down.
Stay tuned.
-JUB
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Good post, Bakes. And I am glad I am getting a regular dose of Bacon through your blog (mmmmm ... Bacon).
HOWEVAH ... you slid in one of my all-time pet peeves today, and you did it in the FIRST FRIGGIN' SENTENCE! "Untimely passing'? For real? Bakes, has anyone, ever, had a "timely" passing?!?!
Granted, there are folks who get to the end of their rope and are ready to cash in their chips (pick your metaphor), so their passing might be somewhat less painful than others. But "untimely"?
Can you imagine any soul coming up to The Pearly Gates and St. Peter remarking, "You know, you really could've timed that passing a little better."? I submit you could not.
That's my rant. Thanks for listening. Hope you and all fans of all things Bacon had a great Fourth of July weekend.
And may none of you pass in an untimely fashion. Sheesh.
Best,
Paul
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Professor Paul,
Thanks for the kind words, and your take on grammatical pet peeves.
As one who savors such things -- to the point of writing up a few each day for my students -- I would normally hop on the bandwagon of any pet peeve you can name. (See the less vs. few query raised a few weeks ago on this site. One of MY pet peeves, actually, and I still had to bow to a sharp reader who pointed out my error.)
But in this case, I'll concede half a loaf (not many of us want to go at any time -- though many can accept it when the time comes), but not the whole shebang.
I would submit that almost any grandparent could not complain too loudly about the timing of their passing, though almost anyone under the age, say, of 45 - conveniently picked -- should not go quietly into that dark night.
Also, anyone run over by a bus. That just sucks.
There. That's my two cents, back atcha.
-JUB
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