I love reading the obituaries. Of course, I enjoy them much more when they profile people with whom I am not acquainted. That’s why the New York Times obits are my favorites.The individual who did the most to elevate the obituary from the mundane to the artful was Robert McGill Thomas, Jr., a native of Shelbyville, TN whose byline was Robert McG. Thomas.
An obituary that caught my eye today was not in the NYT, but The Wall Street Journal, which does not have an “obituaries” section, but sometimes has short features entitled “Remberances.” Today’s “Rememberances” highlighted the life of Alfred Masini, 1930-2010. What?? You never heard of him? Well, no matter. Whether you know it or not, Mr. Masinis’ “legacy” has at some point infiltrated your consciousness. He was the creator of the televison programs “Entertainment Tonight” and “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”
The news item also mentioned that Mr. Masini was born in Jersey City, N.J. In one quote he explained how he thought up the “Lifestyles” program. “”When I was very young, I was very poor. I used to stand outside these big mansions and….wonder what they were like inside.” Another quote in the same article provides an excerpt from a Washington Post interview Mr. Masini gave in 1984. When questioned how he came up with ideas for new shows, Masini said, “I work on the premise that there are no new, unique ideas.”
Thus celebrity voyeurism was taken to new heights, courtesy of a man obviously determined to find out what was inside those mansions…as well as a lot of other information we could have all lived without these past 30 years. In addition to the two aforementioned TV shows, Masini also created “Star Search” and “Solid Gold.” Would you believe me when I tell you I already had surmised that he was a tacky Yankee before I read either of the quotes attributed to him?
But…not to defame the deceased….I must admit that celebrity voyeurism and media outlets creating “celebrities” is by no means an original idea. So, in a sense, Mr. Masini was right about how one could become rich without possessing an original idea. One of the funniest examples of tacky “celebrity” explotation is accurately depicted in the 1937 classic screwball comedy “Nothing Sacred.” Carole Lombard portrays a small town Vermont girl dying of a fatal illness. She is brought to New York City thorough the sponsorship of a newspaper that bears more than a passing resemblance to today’s New York Post.
Hoping to sell more newspapers as daily readers buy every issue to follow the weepy tale of the soon-to-be-deceased blonde beauty, the paper gives her the big promotional build-up, complete with a tickertape parade. Everywhere she goes, people want to talk to her. Usually they burst into tears because they are so moved by her valiance and bravery in the face of death. One of the funniest segments is a nightclub visit where the bandleader introduces a stage show depicting famous historical women in her honor.
Of course the cynical reporter that has dragged her out of Vermont eventually discovers that she really is not dying and she knew it, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have a good time in the big city. The shysters are outsmarted by the beautiful hick. The real good news is that when it is discovered that Lombard’s character “Hazel” is not about to die, the editors at The New York Sun decide it is better for her to disappear that to reveal that truth to their readers.
Because as every print (and broadcast) media person knows, living is so much less entertaining for readers than dying. And that is still as true today as it was 75 years ago. Didn’t you enjoy reading about Mr. Masini’s life and death more than you would have if you had spent time pondering the European financial crisis or trying to figure out how to solve the WikiLeaks dilemma? I thought so. You’re welcome.
Mark My Words 