THE ATTRACTION TO CELEBRITIES - WHETHER ALIVE...OR DEAD

Commentary by Gary B. Duglin

Some of you may have thought that nearly two weeks of indepth media coverage of Michael Jackson's untimely death was way overdone. I would agree that the broadcast and cable networks; along with such entertainment news shows as Access Hollywood, Extra, Entertainment Tonight and others devoted a bit too much time to the "King of Pop's" passing. However, Hollywood does know how to throw a funeral. The July 7th, 2009 memorial tribute to Michael Jackson was a spectacular event; one that "The Gloved One" would have loved.

According to Nielsen Media Research, approximately 31.1 million people in the United States watched the salute to Michael Jackson on television; with millions more catching video streams on their computers. In comparison to other monumental ceremonies, President Barack Obama's inauguration in January 2009 was seen by 38 million people on American TV; and twelve years ago, 33.2 million people in the United States watched Princess Diana's funeral.

CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, CNN, MTV and twelve other networks carried the Michael Jackson memorial live; a total of eighteen television operations nationwide. Nielsen says the combined audience share was 56, which translates in to 56 percent of the televisions that were turned on during the Hollywood happening were tuned in to the Jackson tribute.

The global audience is not immediately known, but there are preliminary reports of possibly one billion people. More than two-and-one-half-billion people witnessed Princess Diana's funeral on television sets around the world in 1997.

Just in case anyone's interested, the opening ceremony of last year's Beijing Olympics drew 34.2 million television viewers in the United States alone, while the 2009 season finale of American Idol, which aired in May, had 28.9 million spectators in the U.S.A. Former President Ronald Reagan's daytime funeral in 2004 was seen by only 20.8 million TV observers. But, his primetime burial attracted an audience of 35.1 million people.

As for the performances of iconic entertainers, 60 million Americans in 1956 were titillated by Elvis Presley's first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Eight years later, in 1964, 73.3 million Americans were mesmerized when we watched The Beatles for the first time on Ed's "really big show."

So Americans -
and Earthlings elsewhere -
have an insatiable appetite for celebrities. With a country - and a planet - with astronomical problems...there is a bizarre obsession with the rich and famous. Perhaps by watching and reading about the world's most celebrated citizens - allows us mere mortals...to escape the devastation of wars...the demolition of our economy...the horror of unspeakable crimes...and the arduous times - of life in the 21st century - for even a few minutes. If the magic of celebrities...is what it takes...to get us through the day...then what's wrong with that?

Copyright 2009 Gary B. Duglin. All Rights Reserved

IS COLLEGE ALWAYS NECESSARY TO BECOME RICH, FAMOUS AND POWERFUL? OBVIOUSLY NOT.

Commentary by Gary B. Duglin


What do Microsoft chairman and co-founder Bill Gates, Dell Computers founder Michael Dell, vacuum cleaner giant David Oreck, Beanie Baby king Ty Warner and retired CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite - once named "The Most Trusted Man In America" - all have in common? None of them have a master's degree.

In fact, numerous corporate CEOs, journalists and other successful businessmen...don't have MBAs or master's in any field of study. Better yet... Dell, Gates, Oreck, Warner and Cronkite...don't even have bachelor's degrees. That's right. None of them have a graduate or undergraduate diploma. Both Walter Cronkite and Michael Dell attended the University of Texas at Austin, but neither finished. Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard. David Oreck...never went to college. And Ty Warner spent only a year at Kalamazoo College in Michigan.

Besides them - billionaire Dennis Albaugh, who made his fortune from pesticides - has only an associate's degree from an Iowa community college, Vulcan chairman and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen dropped out of Washington State College, Virgin Group CEO Richard Branson has no college degree, show business and broadcasting mogul Barry Diller - who throughout his career was chairman of Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox - and who is the media executive responsible for the creation of the Fox television network - had enough of higher education after spending only three weeks at U.C.L.A...and...the list goes on and on.

But not having a degree didn't stop many magnates from being a big name on campus. One example is the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

Another corporate guru, whose name is stamped on millions of Americans' automobiles, not only didn't go to college...but Henry Ford never completed high school. At 16, Ford left home to apprentice as a machinist. He later began the Ford Motor Company...and in addition to manufacturing cars...Ford created assembly line production, which revolutionized the automaking industry.

Obviously though, just because these people and others have made it big without a college degree...doesn't mean everyone can. Then again, a college education doesn't guarantee a career with power and wealth. That being said...the next time you hear a teenager with an entrepreneurial mind...saying it's not necessary for him or her to go to college...because they've got an "idea"...you may want to listen. It's quite possible...your son or daughter...could someday become...the richest person in the world. If you have any doubts...just ask William Gates. He's Bill's dad.

Copyright 2009 Gary B. Duglin. All Rights Reserved.