True inspiration, real American hero.

[ThrottleJockey]

I don't know if this belongs here but I want as many people as possible to see it.

[cambeul41]

I hope the kid never sees the fun you made of his real grief.

[ThrottleJockey]

I didn't make it for starters, just passing it along. Second off, I hope he does and I hope it pizzes him off enough to do something about it. Third off I don't see it as "fun" or "funny" at all, but rather a commentary about our times and what a REAL hero is rather than a pop culture icon strung out on crack that the media attempts to portray as a hero. I believe the caption qualifies as a thing they call "sarcasm".

[pmeisel]

Sarcasm is often in poor taste. While the thought may be appropriate, I don't think this image coupled with it, is.

[ArfinGreebly]

If I wanted to make fun of silly behavior, I wouldn't use an image of such gravity and emotional weight.

Neither would I directly phrase a caption to slight a recently deceased popular figure.

What I might do instead, if I had the talent of someone like Chris Muir or Michael Ramirez, would be to draw a cartoon with a split-frame juxtaposition, showing real heroism on one side and the indulgent, dissipated, irresponsible antics of those who would debase heroism, with a caption worded in the spirit of "one of these things is not like the other."

Or, if I had some of the photographic ability one sees in Oleg's work, I might compose a similar juxtaposed split-frame poster using posed actors.

The use of the image in the OP . . . I wouldn't go there. I believe it strays into the realm of poor taste.

I get what it's trying to say, but I believe its a dissonance rather than a resonance.

YMMV.

[KodiakBeer]

At the heart of this issue, is Governor Chris Christie ordering flags to fly half-mast in New Jersey for Whitney Houston.

That's "Chris Christie" as in "Why won't Chris Christie run for prez to give us a real conservative choice?" You know, that Chris Christie...

I hope every veteran in New Jersey stops by the governors mansion and spits on the front steps.

As for the poster, yeah, I hope the kid portrayed never becomes aware of it.


.

[pmeisel]

Well, does somebody have to be a hero to mourn their passing?

I don't confuse myself for a second that Norm Cash, one of my childhood ballpark heroes, contributed as much to our society as any one of a thousand Marine gunnery sergeants. But I did mourn his passing, as unromantic as it was (fell off a boat dock and drowned, probably drunk.)

I grew up with a few girls who were music nerds.... I am sure they would have been more interested in the passing of Whitney Houston than any number of military heroes. She was a great singer. Who had some unfortunate personal problems. Admired by many fans. And not by a whole bunch of other folks who could really care less.....

Heroism isn't the only reason to recognize a person's passing.

On the other hand, singing and entertaining makes you a "hero" only in the sense that some narrowly focused people admire you, not a hero in the sense that you did something heroic.

Sometimes we have to think about what words really mean in how we use them.

[ThrottleJockey]

Plus, all Whitney did was SING. Not compose, write, play an instrument or anything other than SING a song that had already been number 1 on the charts TWICE before performed by the original artist that wrote the song. Most of Whitneys fans don't even know that her most famous song was already 20+ years old much less that it wasn't hers. She made horrible choices and serves as one of the WORST role models for young girls/women/children. Placing her upon a pedestal only serves to further that. I would bet that if this young man were asked to define what a "hero" is or what sort of actions should be considered "inspirational", those of a drug addicted pimple on the ass of society would not enter the equation.

Oh, and as far as NJ lowering the flag is concerned, just makes me wanna puke every time they do it.

Thank you for your sacrifice young man, whomever you are.

[Aaryq]

I've seen little children receive a flag in that maner at a proper military funeral. I've known more than a few of my fellow Marines who were friends and mentors die in Iraq and Afghanistan. The image is in terrible taste.

[ThrottleJockey]

Quit reading between the lines. There is nothing there but a line.

[Selena]

Quit reading between the lines. There is nothing there but a line.

No, there is a picture of a child that has lost a parent that someone decided to use to make a social statement. It's akin to using the shooting of a congresswoman and a small child to push an agenda a la Bloomberg.

Speaking as someone with a sarcastic streak a mile wide and a foot deep, using this particular photo as the basis doesn't just cross the line between sarcasm and vulgarity it goes far beyond the pale into barbarism. I can go with sarcasm very close to the line if you prefer...

Attachment 91394

[pmeisel]

Yeah, TJ, all Frank Sinatra did was sing, too... and Johnny Cash, pretty much... and they garnered fame and adulation in their day.

Public admiration for celebrity is what it is. You can't control other people's tastes. So let it go, for what it is. A few years from now she'll be mostly forgotten except for some die-hard fans.

[ThrottleJockey]

Until she died, she WAS mostly forgotten. Frank and Johnny weren't, and I wouldn't consider them anything close to a hero or inspiration either.

[Lanius]

Whitney who?

I do not follow popular culture at all.

[Johnny Dollar]

At the heart of this issue, is Governor Chris Christie ordering flags to fly half-mast in New Jersey for Whitney Houston.

Christie did that? Missed that somehow.

Did he explain his reasoning?

Edit. My wife just told me about it..Told me to Google it up.

http://articles.cnn.com/2012-02-16/e...?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ

Facing angry critics, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is defending his decision to fly flags at half-staff on Friday to honor late New Jersey native Whitney Houston.

The executive order, released by his office Thursday, cites the singer's ties to the Garden State, her remarkable voice and far-reaching influence in support of the move.

"Whitney Houston's vibrant and spectacular voice endeared her to countless fans in New Jersey, across the nation, and around the world," the executive order read. "(She) left a legacy in this State that will be cherished for many years."

It's New Jersey.

[ThrottleJockey]

left a legacy in this State that will be cherished for many years.

Sure, that's where she left all her money...her crack dealer lives there.

[DRZinn]

I don't see any disrespect except to Whitnet Houston, which bothers me not at all. The image is presenting the child's father (or mother, possibly) as a real hero. What's the problem?

[Jamie B]

It is a childish cheap shot at Houston using a hallowed picture.

Lower that pond scum. Not the type of people that I would associate with.

Probably racist underpinnings on top of the cheap shot.

[DRZinn]

Childish how? Cheap how? The photo is making two statements only:

1. Whitney Houston is not a hero.
2. This child's dead father is a hero.

What childish or cheap about that? And racist? Now you're just reaching.

[Selena]

Hi DRZinn,

What childish or cheap about that? And racist? Now you're just reaching.

Because the grief a child feels losing a parent is an intensely private thing. Using that grief for a political (or societal) statement cheapens that grief. I can't see it being racist, just heartless. It's childish in the sense that nothing matters expect the author's cause of the moment, it's saying the kid should get over it on the author's terms.

[ClayInTx]

I understood what was meant by the OP and don’t accept that it makes fun of the child at all.

It does point a finger at what our society has become; entertainers make the headlines and real heroes make page four.

Throttle’s error was misjudging his audience.
.
.

[Lanius]

Because the grief a child feels losing a parent is an intensely private thing.

That is true. However, the poster does not put any names. Unless journalists sniff the kid out and start harrassing the family, the poster is effective and any harm done by the poster is outweighed by the poster driving home the message US society is in some ways just demented.

Especially the media part! And the bible-literalists like Santorum. That guy wants to try to speak against sex-for-fun if elected president.

While he is at it, he should try to speak against other favorite US pasttimes...

• Greasy food!
  Drinking Beer!
  Barbecue!
  Gun-shooting !
  Violent games and flicks!
  SUVs!
  Large-fuel inefficient cars!

If he is elected.. I really, really hope Mencken is dead wrong.

"As democracy is perfected, the office of President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."

[Joist]

Mencken has been proved right, a few times already.
There may be discussion about who the morons have been... I'm sure everyone has at least one nominee.

My Nomex is at the drycleaners. I won't tell you who my nominees for moron-in-chief are.

[PavePusher]

Maybe it's just me....

But I thought it was pretty clear the caption was aimed at the reader, to challange their social priorities, not intended as a comment from the flag-bearer to the boy (in which case, it would/should have been in quotation marks).

YMMV.

[Lanius]

If I were American,I would support Romney-Paul.


Romney is actually a nice guy. Or a really sneaky guy. When he was a chief of his hedge fund, and one daughter of one of his employyes was missing, they stopped working for a week, went to new york.

Then the financiers went around, asked junkies and the like, put up posters.. etc

They found her after six days or so.

Anyway.. though he is a Mormon, and sounds stupid and is anti-gun... he seems much better than the alternatives!