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[MUSIC] THE SAVAGE ANIMAL
"8 Ways to Mourn Amy Winehouse" |
07.27.11 |
BY MIKEY MIGO
Amy Winehouse showed up and took the music world by storm. Her publicity and controversial ways would overshadow her talents, but her talents are hard to deny. She paid her dues. Her dad, a taxi driver, and mother a pharmacist, she had a normal upbringing. She got into music as a kid and worked on it from an early age. She got in, played the small clubs and took any singing gig she could. In 03, she released her debut album. The album got some buzz going and built her up. I think it was early 2007 when her big album was first getting out there. “Back to Black” was a HUGE album. The “Rehab” track brought her tons of attention and acclaim, but to me her best tune was “You Know I’m No Good”. When I was reviewing this album back then that is the tune that stuck with me. Time magazine named “Rehab” the best song of 07 and in 2008 the album got her a shelf full of Grammys. “Rehab” gained her the Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The “Back to Black” album itself for the Best Pop Vocal Album as well. Oh, and “Best New Artist” too. So yeah, she came out guns ‘a blazing.
Her old school sultry R&B stylings were a welcomed change to the music scene, but the problem was excess and addiction. As I write this, it’s not confirmed but I’m sure her lifestyle had something to do with her passing. The talk shows and people of bad taste are rejoicing because Amy Winehouse has passed away. She was 27.
So is she good enough to be in the infamous “27 Club”? It’s all subjective. We got Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Brian Jones from back in the day. Then in 94, Kurt Cobain was gone at 27 too. I can accept him being included too. Nirvana made a huge impact and was one of the best bands of a generation. Lots of other musician have passed away at the age of 27, but this weird club has that “icon status” that’s hard to dispute. I’ve never been a fan of Janis Joplin. I can only think of one, maybe two songs she did. She was talented, but who is to judge her status? I think the same could be said for Amy Winehouse. Amy Winehouse made her mark, gave us some great music, and became close to a house hold name as a one or two major album soul singing act can in today’s world. That said, I don’t think she belongs on the same page as a Cobain, Morrison, or Hendrix. But what’s the difference, really? The art in music is subjective, but the financial success and acclaim is proven and shown. People are quick to shout “screw her! she was a junkie!” Let’s not forget what the other members of this club died from. Imagine if TMZ or the internet would have been around to catch Jim Morrison’s screwed up outbursts? Things would be really different. Perceptions and God-like status would almost surely be different.
The problem here is that for the majority of her career she was a train wreck and addict. She was all over TMZ, gossip magazines, and websites of questionable taste. She lived a crazy life. She got famous due to legitimate talent and then turned into a caricature of a junkie rockstar and then to a footnote. I remember people making jokes and references comparing her to Courtney Love. Well folks, Love is alive. Who really knows how bad off she was? Wasn’t there video of her doing crack and/or doing other hard drugs? She did get forced into getting help, but obviously it didn’t take.
What got me is the reactions from people about the death of Amy Winehouse. I made me realize that the old “everyone mourns differently” stuff is complete shit. People all mourn the same. People all react the same. It’s not just Amy Winehouse, its all celebrities. I’m not a trained psychiatrist or anything like that. I have no valid training in coping or the way the brain works. That said, I like to think of myself as a smart guy. I’m an observer of the human race. With that said, there are eight ways people react to this kind of stuff…
THE BANDWAGONERS
The first is the “OMG! A Celebrity died! Let’s mourn like we were big fans the whole time”. This was most commonly seen when Michael Jackson died. Before Michael Jackson died most folks were repulsed by the man. They the “innocent until proven guilty” American shtick and persecuted the man. The talk shows and comedians had tons of jokes about him. Yeah, some were funny and I think we’re all guilty but still. No one gave a shit about the guy until he died. Then the world united hand in hand and sang man in the mirror, Usher seduced his coffin, and rubes across the land put an ass load of money into the “Jackson Estate”(aka Michael Jackson’s earnings). These are the people who were “always” a fan and are quick to throw random stories of their fandom to prove themselves.
THE FANS
Real fans. We all make fun of everything, but everyone has their favorites. I’m a huge fan of the band U2. They’ve been one of my favorite bands of all time for years. I know people shit on them and I deal with it my own way (tears). I’m not too stuffy about it. I’m a huge fan of the joke “What’s the difference between God and Bono? God doesn’t think he’s Bono”. Hilarious! Amy Winehouse was screwed up, but she still had her die hards. The point here is that we all like our shit. Sometimes our shit’s number is called and we’re bitch slapped with the reality that our shit is dead.
THE CURRENT EVENTS PEOPLE
How many times do you hear some Che Guevara shirt wearing baby seal loving jerk belittle a celebrity’s death? Yes, I KNOW a celebrity is “just like anyone else”. They really are. They’re famous and renowned, but in the end they poop, pee, and die just like everyone. These obnoxious yuppie types will not hesitate to tell us “Amy Winehouse was one junkie celebrity, but 94 people on Mars die EVERY DAY!” That sucks. That sucks badly. I don’t like seeing ANYONE die or harmed (except cat lovers), but why belittle a celebrity’s passing to push your own political agenda? Can one not care about both? Is it so wrong to be taken back by a favorite artist being taken from us?
THE NANCY REGANS
Straight edgers, nerds, and hypocrites unite! Its obvious Amy Winehouse screwed herself up with her lifestyle of drugs, drinking, and partying. That was her decision. It’s someone else’s decision to still be a fan. Not yours. I hate to say it, but all the best rock stars were druggies. Good for those who don’t need that kind of experience to achieve their artistic peak, but it’s a sad reality. Most artists are “tortured souls” and those are the types who rely on the drugs and self destruction. Why even chime in with your goodie two-shoe response of “She was a junkie! So what?!”? Seriously CM Nancy Regan, it’s not going to be an example to anyone if you’re making it seem lame NOT to do drugs.
THE ATTENTION GETTERS
Jay Leno is going to love this. Just keep that in mind before you start spouting off the obvious “She should have went to… REHAB! HaHaHa!” jokes. These kind of current event pop culture jokes are made for people like Jay Leno. You have to tip toe through this one if you’re looking for jokes. You’ll either be cheesy and obvious or you’ll be over the top. There’s not much in between. This is like the guy who laughs too loudly and moves around all theatrically when a joke is told in their presense. They’re attention stealers. The attention goes from the joke to the shmuck “rolling in the aisles”. Not cool. I like tasteless jokes. There is no harm in them when they come from a humorous place and not a hateful place. The problem is that with the internet you can’t tell the difference. You can’t hear someone’s tone on facebook or twitter. Jokes are one thing, but what about general references. What are YOU getting out of posting “Amy Winehouse is dead? What a surprise.”? Why post anything? You’re using the situation to spark a personal conversation when it’s obvious you’re negative about the situation. Move on. Find a new topic.
THE PRETEND SNOBS
If you listen to music, watch television, and are under the age of like 40 then you AT LEAST know the name “Amy Winehouse”. You’re not fooling anyone. But still there are snobs out there who’ll give a smug egocentric response of “Who?” when the news is brought up. If you tried doing this shtick when Michael Jackson died then you deserve to be slapped in the throat. Pop culture isn’t that hard to follow. Amy Winehouse has been in the news, the tabloids, the award shows, and all over for the past four or so years. If you’re on facebook, twitter, myspace, or read a newspaper then you should know who most celebrities are by at least their name. And really, if you don’t know why even mention it? Why be a smug asshole? It doesn’t make you seem better than anyone. It’s a tad bit pathetic if you ask me.
THE CASUAL FOLK
There will be people out there who aren’t going to fit into one of these categories. They’re not too douchey, they’re not making jokes, they’re not criticizing her lifestyle, and all of that. They’ll spend a few seconds going “Wow that sucks” and then they’ll respectfully move on with their lives. It’s not so much that they “live under a rock” but they just have more important things to worry about and to consume their time with.
THE FAMILY
Like it or not, Amy Winehouse has a family. Sure you could say “where were they when she was falling apart?” but we don’t know all the facts. A family can only do so much. I do remember reports about her family trying to help her get clean. You know they loved their daughter and family member. She was a famous person, she was a drug user, but most of all she was part of a family. That’s something that should be respected. The same can be said for anyone. Unless it’s the saddest of sad, everyone has people who care about them. I think a lot of us forget that aspect.
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