Whitney Houston died?

[Silver Springs]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

Just curious, where are you hearing that someone is making money off of this? From the articles I read on the matter, it's a free web stream that can be viewed online. Not pay-per-view.

I read that it's also going to be shown on television. Which of course would suggest that they're paying for the privilege.

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by Silver Springs

I read that it's also going to be shown on television. Which of course would suggest that they're paying for the privilege.

Hmm. Yeah, that's kind of morbid and weird.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by Silver Springs

I can't believe I'm the only one who finds it sick. Surely not. I mean.... money is being exchanged for the privilege of covering what should be a private, intimate event. Nobody should be earning from a tragedy, no matter how it's dressed up as a "gift to the fans".

It's not any more or less "sick" than any other funeral for a high profile individual. Whenever heads of state have died (or royalty), their funerals have been broadcast. Their coffins are even dragged along on horse-drawn carriages. Although I think it is a little bit tacky to have a funeral in a sports arena (like Michael Jackson), I think it's rather touching that Whitney will be memorialized in the very church where she came of age. And the fans will want the closure that comes with attending a funeral, even if it's in the virtual sense. If the Houson family is making any money off the broadcast (I don't know if they are), then good for them. I'm sure the funeral will be costly, and from what I've read, Whitney was just about broke and was borrowing money from her record company towards the end of her life.

[Silver Springs]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

It's not any more or less "sick" than any other funeral for a high profile individual. Whenever heads of state have died (or royalty), their funerals have been broadcast. Their coffins are even dragged along on horse-drawn carriages. Although I think it is a little bit tacky to have a funeral in a sports arena (like Michael Jackson),

I'm not saying that I don't find those examples sick. It disgusts me how they parade tragedy and make it into a spectacle for other people's entertainment. Death is nothing to be entertained by.

[Jondalar]

Whitney's mom and daughter are devastated. I totally feel for them. I sorta think that Whitney got railroaded. She was too successful for the black community who thought she was catering to whites. Hence, she hooked up with Boddy Brown who she thought had street cred. I think Whitney should of just laughed at her critics. I thin Boddy led her into deeper things. I wish she had more confidence to NOT go down that road.

[iamnotafraid]

So sad. She threw her life and talent away.
Looks like she had help in doing that too.
I hope all the enablers feel good about their
roll in this.

[Macfanforever]

This reminds me of my best friend the same age as me.He's been in and out of AA plus the clinics for years now.He just hang around with the wrong people."Mr Brown" I just talked to him on the phone last night.He said he's doing ok.

[olive]

Originally Posted by Silver Springs

I'm not saying that I don't find those examples sick. It disgusts me how they parade tragedy and make it into a spectacle for other people's entertainment. Death is nothing to be entertained by.

the "public " demands it .I for the life of me ,will never understand it

with this bizarre obsession of celebrity worship , they need closure .... they have spent their lives idolizing them , dressing like them , shopping for jewelry, make up and clothing like them , collecting cheap and over priced memorabilia,and personal items , pilgrimages to their homes , they spend hours on the interweb searching for that "rare picture , or odd news clip , fantasizing about work they want to see them do , looking to them and their (pick one ) Movies recordings , writings to get them through all the difficult times in their lives , all this and more .... for someone who could care less about them .

they need to grieve the loss because in their minds this person was real to them and so was their relationship with them .

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by olive

the "public " demands it .I for the life of me ,will never understand it

with this bizarre obsession of celebrity worship , they need closure .... they have spent their lives idolizing them , dressing like them , shopping for jewelry, make up and clothing like them , collecting cheap and over priced memorabilia,and personal items , pilgrimages to their homes , they spend hours on the interweb searching for that "rare picture , or odd news clip , fantasizing about work they want to see them do , looking to them and their (pick one ) Movies recordings , writings to get them through all the difficult times in their lives , all this and more .... for someone who could care less about them .

they need to grieve the loss because in their minds this person was real to them and so was their relationship with them .

^^^I hope you are not talking about any chiffonheads.

Whitney Houston is part of how I understand the world, part of my consciousness. I wasn't a fan. I admired her talent, was moved by some of her music, and informed and then inspired by her negotiations of race and sex pressures in the entertainment business. I witnessed her hounded by a lynch mob media. She and MJ were the most influential (and probably greatest) singers of my lifetime. I, for one, appreciate the opportunity to have closure and to share it with others in the culture who recognize our shared experience of Whitney as something that binds us.

[Tango]

By Curt Wagner RedEye
5:21 p.m. CST, February 16, 2012
BET will air live coverage of Whitney Houston's funeral Saturday from New Jersey.

Correspondents April Woodard and Lola Oguinake will broadcast "Live: The Homegoing of Whitney Houston" from the funeral, which will be at Houston's childhood church, New Hope Baptist Church, in Newark, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 18. Another special, "BET Remembers Whitney," will follow.

Houston, who had a very public struggle with substance abuse, died at the age of 48 Saturday after being found submerged in the tub of her Beverly Hilton hotel room by a member of her personal staff.

Here's BET's press release:

The woman, the wonder, the legend ... BET and CENTRIC honor the memory of Whitney Houston with a BET News special LIVE: THE HOMEGOING OF WHITNEY HOUSTON premiering this Saturday, February 18, followed by BET REMEMBERS WHITNEY, a one-hour special commemorating the woman best known as "The Voice."

Beginning at 11:30AM ET/8:30AM PT, BET News and CENTRIC, along with on-air correspondents April Woodard and Lola Oguinake will bring viewers complete live, in-depth coverage of the legendary pop singer's funeral from her childhood church, New Hope Baptist Church, in Newark, New Jersey. Later that evening at 7:00 PM*, BET News correspondent Bevy Smith sits down with confidants and colleagues of the Queen of Pop including Kim Burrell, Kelley Price, Faith Evans, Ledisi, India.Arie, Tisha Martin Campbell and Tichina Arnold to share tender memories of the superstar's greatest qualities as a vocalist, mentor, mother and friend. BET REMEMBERS WHITNEY takes a deeply personal and heartfelt look at one of music's most beloved and renowned artists and recalls the amazing force behind her meteoric rise to superstardom and her uncanny ability to inspire others in a powerful way—whether in the spotlight or far away from the cameras.

Additionally, LIVE: THE HOMEGOING OF WHITNEY HOUSTON will air internationally on Saturday, February 18 at 4:30pm GMT / 6:30pm CAT and BET REMEMBERS WHITNEY will air internationally on Sunday, February 19 at 7:00 PMG MT / 9:00 PM CAT.


Copyright © 2012, RedEye
redeye-bet-to-air-live-coverage-from-whitney-houstons-funeral-20120216

[PolishStevieFan]

The funeral of Whitney Houston was just like it should be. Not overblown in a Michael Jackson's mode.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by PolishStevieFan

The funeral of Whitney Houston was just like it should be. Not overblown in a Michael Jackson's mode.

I think you are right. I watched it. Somehow it was star-studded but intimate. It made me really sad. She had her good points. I think Whitney was just caught between who she really was and what the world wanted her to be. She didn't enjoy the spotlight and made bad decisions. She had plenty of enablers.

[WildHearted]

The funeral service was beautiful. I missed the very beginning but I watched most of it and I was very moved. The speeches everyone made were lovely, the performances were touching, and I felt it was a very classy affair. It was definitely a celebration of her life.

By the end of it, I was sitting criss-cross on the floor in front of the TV crying while they lifted her body away as "I Will Always Love You" played...

Gone too soon. Rest In Peace Whitney.

[vivfox]

Did anyone notice Vivica A. Fox was at the funeral?

[WildHearted]

Originally Posted by vivfox

Did anyone notice Vivica A. Fox was at the funeral?

Yep, as were Mariah, Oprah, Mary J Blige, as well as all those who spoke/performed.