Comments on: Separating Icons From Heroes

Schieffer Says An Artist's Work And His Life Can Be Held Mutually Exclusive

[j_flood]

Bob - would you join me in retiring the words 'icon' and 'iconic' from our daily vernacular? The hyper-use of these words have diluted their meaning and rendered them as hollow terms.

Good column...

[wblacklow]

Bob Schieffer is absolutely right. No one has expressed it better than he.

[carmenlhb]

No, Mr. Jackson did not cure cancer, but did you? Why are you trying to compare his death with those of the soldiers that died in the Middle East??? What does that have to do with ANYTHING??? Michael Jackson was an entertainer with a troubled life, however he was ALSO philanthropist and humanitarian who raised MILLIONS for the poor and underprivileged of this world. Those soldiers in the Middle East sacrificed their lives for us. Their families are grieving just as MJ's family is grieving for him. Should the lives of those soldiers be put under a microscope for us to scrutinizie and pick apart as well??? Come on people, STOP JUDGING! Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Why can't we celebrate those among us who do good and leave the rest to The Good Lord???

[ladynforest]

Mr Scheiffer, You are an opportunist just as the ones who have accused Mr. Jackson of crimes he did not commit. You are using him in his passing as to further yourself. I personally know one of the so-called victims and I truly believe he was NOT molested. His stepfather and family were hoping to gain financially and they did.

[fanbelt40]

Wow, Mr. Scheiffer, you left me speechless after your careless and appalling opinion regarding Michael Jackson and the impact he will leave on Earth. Music is powerful and a talent like Michael Jackson doesn't come around very often. You think your icons, ie: Washington, Jefferson Lincoln, are the only people who will left a lasting legacy, well, they did and so will Michael. It seemed the whole Earth came to a halt when his death was announced, something that certainly won't happen to you when you go. So, I wonder, is it jealousy, ignorance, or what. The next time you express your opinion, perhaps you should stick with politics and leave the rest to us.

[woody2676]

It is a sad thing when a "Pop" star gets page one headlines and a beautiful actress (Farah Fawcett) gets one paragraph on page 6 when they die the same day. Farah had more class and not as much plastic. I would rather have seen Farah in person than Michael Jackson any day.

[woody2676]

It is a sad thing when a "Pop" star gets page one headlines and a beautiful actress (Farah Fawcett) gets one paragraph on page 6 when they die the same day. Farah had more class and not as much plastic. I would rather have seen Farah in person than Michael Jackson any day.

[maryk31]

I agree with much of Mr. Schieffer's comentary, but I must defend Van Gogh. He had a terrible debilitating illness, bipolar disorder, and to categorize him with murders is unfair and uninformed.

MK

[shnookskiki]

Dear Mr. Schieffer:

I think your commentary is out of place with a time of mourning for Mr. Jackson. Now is the time to reminisce about all his good contributions: his musical and dance genius, and his contributions to charities.

The crux of your arguement is that we shouldn't separating good deeds from bad people is hard, and that pop icons are not heros. Let's look at some of the American heros.

Jefferson, whom you mention, was no doubt a great American. But he did bad deeds (owning slaves, and impregating one out of marriage). We still honor him.

Generals MacArthur, Patton, and Eisenhower were great Americans, but they were in charge of busting up the Bonus Marchers' tent cities in 1932. One marcher was killed, and 50 people were hurt.

Some consider J. Edgar Hoover a great American, but the foundation of his career was perscuting Emma Goldman (a great American).

We have to separate the bad from the good, because nobody is all good.

Of course artists, too, aren't always good people. But their art helps us. And why is it that Europe has monuments and avenues named after artists, but America usually has them reserved for generals and politicians?

One reason artists are so great is that they are usually at odds with society. They step outside our framework and suggest better ways of conducting ourselves.

So, please honor Michael Jackson and all artists for showing us the way.

P.S. Van Gogh was not a bad person for being insane. He suffered under mental illness, and his art was all the better for it.

Stuart Kurtz

[bigsurf1]

Bob, i think you should consider taking the summer off. The entire world knows what a controversial character Michael Jackson was. You would have been better off not commenting at all.

[tomintvl]

Mr. Schieffer,
When finished listening to your closing thoughts yesterday the first thing that came to mind was, "Exactly!". Thank you for communicating to the masses what so many of us feel and have no pulpit to stand on.
I registered this morning just to let you know.
Also, I truly enjoy your show.

[beachbooks]

Thank you from both my husband and myself. We never never miss your show and so enjoyed your comments on Sunday. Ten American soldiers died in the Middle East last week yet we heard little about them.
Michael Jackson, the boy/man didn't cure cancer; he could sing and dance and write some songs. There was lots to celebrate about his talents but his was a troubled life. Let him rest in peace now and hopefully the media will do just that.

[carmenlhb]

No, Mr. Jackson did not cure cancer, but did you? Why are you trying to compare his death with those of the soldiers that died in the Middle East??? What does that have to do with ANYTHING??? Michael Jackson was an entertainer with a troubled life, however he was ALSO philanthropist and humanitarian who raised MILLIONS for the poor and underprivileged of this world. Those soldiers in the Middle East sacrificed their lives for us. Their families are grieving just as MJ's family is grieving for him. Should the lives of those soldiers be put under a microscope for us to scrutinizie and pick apart as well??? Come on people, STOP JUDGING! Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Why can't we celebrate those among us who do good and leave the rest to The Good Lord???

[rushlimpdrug]

Amen to your comment. Shame on bob, or does he know what shame is?

[DVL-NYC]

Mr. Jackson was, if nothing else, controversial. As a performer and a pop legend his unassailable position is at the very pinnacle ? well beyond the reach of such royal names as Sir Paul McCartney. It foolish to argue with demonstrated success.

That out of the way, I cannot help but mourn the now irrecoverable sadness of Michael Jackson the person. Offbeat? And then some! Sad? Not even TS Garp could find the words to express the depth of that restless solitude.

But, are any of us born so completely ... affected - or perhaps better said, disaffected? In Michael I believe we can't show a stronger case for how the vagaries of life can so twist a person. Fools aside, who among us wouldn't have wanted to see MJ rise above it all as a great American icon who finds a good measure of personal happiness to go along with that professional greatness he achieved and personify the greatest of American ideals ? that of magnificent annihilation of the demons that beset us and the mastery and apprehension of that elusive quantity we refer to as happiness?

Instead we are left with a man who, for various and sundry causes some partially exposed and some hidden and lost forever, is no less a van Gogh than van Gogh himself. Mr. van Gogh chose a life of extreme poverty because within him there was no choice. To do otherwise was spiritual suicide. Will those who study this period 100 years from now not see MJ in a similar light?

We all have incorporated aspects of Noel Coward?s works into our national awareness and his satirical estimation of how life rolls. How many know what this man went through or who he was? What of Samuel Clemmons or Will Rodgers? What do we know of their shortcomings? They have alluded to some, what are the others? It was unfashionable to ask, let alone report, such matters. Has it affected the influence they have had on the American psyche?

Celebrity exacts a horrendous cost ? that of the blackly voracious media whose stock in trade is moving copy, the more salacious the better! Settlement oriented parents who use their children as a bait wherewith they can claim harm and have insurance companies settle the bill in a roll of the dice that it will put a cap on the red ink. A gullible public that has nothing more to their exposure to the reality and possibility of life than their narrow, blind acceptance of the flotsam, jetsam with a whole lot of conjecture the MSM sand the tabloids serve up while their minds are firmly set in the siege mode of personal survival.

Through it all ? and in it all ? Michael Jackson presented the very grace of entertainment. Whatever the truth of his personal life, he is gone now. May he find a peace there he never found here.

[JohnsonL333]

Bob Schieffer is of course entitled to his opinion but not to his privileged position from which he espouses "his" point of view, which of course is not unique to him. It's America, even Rush Limbaugh has a right to free speech. That said, there remain huge barriers still to overcome. I look forward to the day when there's a real and palpable diversity of voices, faces, and viewpoints/opinions appearing on such rarified reservations like Face the Nation, This Week, Meet the Press, etc. As long as these conduits of "respectable opinion" remain limited to an ever shrinking demographic and mindset, the opinions expressed will reflect the same HOLLOWED SHALLOWNESS that Michael Jackson EXPLODED with his "unparalleled" (and yes, flawed) brilliance. I wish that for every mention of MJ's so-called weirdness, talking heads like Schieffer would feel equally compelled to tear down their idols, i.e. Ronald Reagan, Elvis, John Wayne, etc. Just scratch a teeny bit and the stench of privilege and impropriety is stifling. Reagan's dog whistle speech in Philadelphia, Mississippi, the infamous Elvis quote about getting his shoes shined, etc. Yes, Michael was flawed and imperfect. But his lifelong achievements tower over the glib assessment of a tired, stale and dismissive Schieffer.

[carmenlhb]

Thanks billyerds! I totally agree! Wish I would I have read your post before I constructed my own, it would have saved my blood pressure from rising!! CBS has lost a longtime viewer of Face the Nation after Mr. Scheifer's insensitive comments.

[carmenlhb]

Mr. Scheifer's comments were totally disrespectful, but that's what we should expect from the media. Always bypass the great works of a man to focus on things that are totally unimportant and irrevlevant to ignite insensitive statements from insensitive individuals. Weird? Yeah, maybe. But how "weird" is raising over $50 million for starving childen in Africa? How weird is breaking racial barriers and opening doors for many artists who would have NEVER had a chance without the great works of this man? But oh yeah, why focus on the positive, the things that really matter? Mr. Scheifer and others who agree with you on this site, your comments are uncalled for. Especially at a time when a family is greiving and dealing with the unthinkable. Michael Jacksons' humanitarian works speak volumes to what a "hero" is. And yes, to many Americans, and others all over the world he was and always will be considered a hero, not JUST a pop icon. In the words of Chris Rock, God Bless America AND everywhere else!

[blnelson]

Mr. Schieffer, Thank you so much for expressing your views on the death of Michael Jackson. I was beginning to think that I was the only person who felt this way. I would also like to add that regardless of his problems and his "weirdness", he was only a pop star, not the Dalai Lama, not the president of the US, and I think at this point, with all the other tragedies going on around the world, it's time for this topic to cease being the lead story of every network newscast.

[rushlimpdrug]

You are all kidding right? I mean no one ever spoke of Michael
Jackson as a hero.
This was one stupid piece of writing.
For "bob" to assume we do not know the difference is for him to
show his arrogance.
You are talking to an educated group of people as if we don't know
the difference between oranges and apples.

Grow up Bob, we know the difference of going to a concert and going
to a monument.

Explain it to your kids, but not to the readers, or viewers.

[geo01089]

Bob, your commentary is pointless (and it's certainly not the first time). You begin as if you're about to have great insight about American culture, and instead say nothing. I know you're close to retirement (or long past when you should have, in my mind), but get someone to write for you if you're going to continue.

As far as your take on Michael Jackson, you're too old understand any impact that he had on the culture (you're probably too old to even understand the impact Elvis had). Michael Jackson was an incredibly talented artist who broke barriers, and gave way for many black artists to follow. If you want to focus on his "weirdness", go ahead, just do it from your retirement community.




























































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