Whitney Houston and the Grammys

So, Whitney Houston died yesterday. I feel bad for her kids, but only insofar as they lost someone they loved. I think they may possibly be better off without her, but that's impossible for me to know.

That she died right before the Grammys presents an irony, and a point on my moral compass.

The irony is that this was the most honoured female singer . To die right before what is arguably the biggest awards show of the year for American singers would be ironic, and not in an Alanis Morrisette kinda way.

But, the point on my moral compass is this- she's an example of why I left the business end of the entertainment industry.

See, in my opinion, she was screwed from birth. She was born into this- her mother was Cissy Houston, her cousins were the Warwicks, her godmother Aretha Franklin- how utterly horrible! We, as consumers, simply get to enjoy the fruits of their talents. They have to toil in the fields of manure to produce that fruit. Make no mistake, it's not that I hate them, it's that I pity them. Imagine a world with no true human interaction, but instead, everything is a transaction- a negotiation to get to the next negotiation. Imagine a world that necessarily rewards talent with creature comforts, but punishes it with isolation. If you wonder why so many go crazy, or get addicted to some substance or another, it's right there- the entertainment industry is designed to turn people into things, and trade emotions for commodities.

So, you have to ask why she was the most honoured? I think there's no escaping the conclusion that she was most honoured in the way that a slave is most prized by a master. She bowed the most to her master's whims. Yes, I know who Clive Davis is. As far as masters go, he's relatively benign, but still I think you can guess what I think his job is. That people like him are so well liked in the industry, and that people like Whitney are so celebrated- well, that's where my morals and the culture differ.

So, I hope Whitney gets to rest. I hope that her early death scares her kids away from Whitney's life, because I think there's still hope for them.