Militant Black Toast

By Any Means Necessary

Monday, June 04, 2007

Death isn't funny.. But

Today I got the sad news that Tony Thompson, lead singer of the group Hi-Five, has transitioned. That's new school old folks term for dying. They call it transitioning... Anyway, it's sad because it's unexpected, he's 31 and people love him. I'm not sad because I felt no connection and people die all the time-it'd be unrealistic for me to be too sad. Maybe that's why I found reading his myspace pages slightly humorous today. Lately everyone's been going to Myspace when tragedy strikes. I did it when VA Tech got shot up. It's an easy way for people to reach out and say, I'm okay. Or send condolences. I've noticed the news reporters will use the posts in their stories too.

BUT, when the news is Tony Thompson found dead at 31, possibly over a drug overdose. You shouldn't be addressing him directly as if he's alive on Myspace. I mean, I just got a slight chuckle out of the many many people saying, "I can't believe you're gone when I was just listening to you." Um, can you believe that Tupac is gone? Ok, bad example. Even I can't believe Pac is gone.

The post that inspired this post: "Oh I forgot one more thing, I was shocked to find out that you had died."

I know that death is extremely hard to take, so I'm not laughing at the death or the sadness and shock that makes people say silly things. But you gotta admit, it's silly. It gets super silly when you notice how many people are still posting directly to someone who's been gone for a whole weekend. Groupies professing their love.

Anyways, I bet it's therapeutic. Here's what I'm wondering. You know how in movies, the dead people always try to attend their own funerals and see people crying? It's kind of Hollywood, but I'm sure most of us kinda sorta hope we can watch our own funerals. Okay, just me? Whatever.

So, now I'm like. Can dead people read myspace posts? Obviously, this guys fans and friends think so. I'd like to read my myspace page when I'm gone. Hollywood hasn't really tackled that in film yet, but there's a lot of love on Myspace and there's more room for comments than at a funeral. How ill would that be if someone got a response from beyond? I mean, we may want to get some supernatural types on this. Cause if I can communicate to someone in the afterlife via email or something, I'm ready. Well, I haven't lost many technically savvy people yet, but I know as time moves on everyone will know how to log on and send notes.

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I def feel u...
but what I noticed as I surfed his page
was how many famous people from the old school have myspace pages now...who knew??
Troop...Ralph Tresvant...Keith Sweat...like all of them and they appear to be legit ass sites too

6/05/2007  
Blogger Unknown said...

Interesting.. Maybe I'm showing my geek stripes but I think a Blog-like addition to a funeral could seriously be appropriate these days, especially for our generation and younger. Like, a blog-obit and have comments (screened for inappropriate silliness) scrolling on a screen somewhere near the portrait. Umm... yeah... That's enough thought about funerals for me.

6/05/2007  
Blogger Atsui_Gal said...

Clay.. that's brilliant. It reminds me of the Robin Williams movie where he edits footage from implanted chips that people use to record their lives . And the idea is green, I was thinking of printing that shit out, but why not scroll it or project it onto a wall?

Then the dead person won't have to log on, he or she can just go to the funeral, see people cry and read the posts. Awesome.

6/06/2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Damn
so i was watchin VH1 Soul last night and they played like 3 Hi Five videos in a row....
and I must admit while the death of Thompson seems pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of world events now...
Hi Five wasn't a one-hit wonder or talentless group...they were pretty damn big btwn 91-96
Its funny how the world (myself included) can forget a person when they fall from fame

6/07/2007  

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