Perhaps I got this started off on the wrong foot. I was referring to the tone of the story and the YouTuber's reactions as being "crybabies". I meant to say I was open to hearing why I am wrong about this, but perhaps didn't articulate it well.
I think it's possible to have a reasonable counter-viewpoint, but I'm not hearing a lot of the "why", I'm hearing that it "just doesn't seem right". But the point is, I don't know what the reasons are why it doesn't seem right. What forms that opinion? Is it just a reactionary opinion or is there a principle I am missing out on? What is that principle?
I don't believe that the dead need necessarily be stripped from our community's consciousness. We will remember them somehow. Even today comedians do Chris Farley impressions as a demonstration of their mimicking skills and as a way to honor Farley. Whenever comedic material authored or performed by Farley is marketed, Farley's estate gets whatever he was legally entitled to. Recently Michael Jackson's final rehearsals and performances are being released to the public, even though they weren't quite finished. The public is going to be exposed to dead personalities, the question is what is acceptable. Is it acceptable to make jokes about the dead? Perhaps not just right when they died, but afterward it seems to be fair game. Is it acceptable to continue marketing their products that they endorsed? Of course, as Billy Mays and the dead musicians of the world have taught us. Using their likeness in commercials and so forth; well it's been done before, many times. Those who have legal ownership over copyrighted material who act on behalf of the deceased give their approval or disapproval on what would be the best way to honor the dead person and their legacy... allowing previously unreleased material to be marketed, allowing their likeness to appear certain places, etc...
Now when the people who are making these sorts of decisions allow Farley to appear in an advertisement, these are the people have the most personal and direct relationship with Farley giving their judgment on the matter that it is "ok" with them, and doesn't in any way dishonor Farley. Since there are no legal issues here, and I don't see any breach of ethics, and no one is being harmed by this, least of all Farley... what is the crime? What is the disservice? Who has been slighted?
I don't see a victim here. And I also don't think that it was done in bad taste. You have Farley's best and closest friend doing the commercial with him. Spade may be a sarcastic guy but Farley liked him and he liked Farley. I don't see how it is in bad taste, and I can't fathom why anyone would be upset about it.
I'm not seeing the reason, that's all. This is just a matter of opinion and it isn't important that we all end up agreeing; I just want to understand where the emotion or negative opinion comes from. What has been done that is bad? What has been done that is any different from naming a library or building after a dead person, or having a statue erected commemorating the deceased, or having CD's or archival footage marketed by those with legal permission to do so? Who is the victim, and what was the crime?
If it all boils down to a difference in what constitutes humor,can't really touch that. I understand that we should respect the dead, but I don't see the disrespect here.
I offer this: If they had dubbed over Farley's voice and made him say "BUY DIRECTV SERVICES, THEY'RE GRRRRRRREAT!" that wouldn't have been funny or clever, and it would have seemed disrespectful to Farley to me. But they didn't even touch Farley. They left his (hilarious) performance intact. The entire thing seemed like an homage to Farley, frankly, in addition to Spade speaking on behalf of DirecTV. More distasteful to me are people portraying Benjamin Franklin (for example) and having them sell things, but we recognize that these are actors, and it doesn't denigrate the memory of Ben Franklin to have some oaf running around dressed as him. To me it is simply a side-effect of being famous. There will always be some local car salesman dressed as Abe Lincoln trying to sell you a Lincoln. If we accept that kind of coarse commercialism as part of our society, what's wrong with what seems to be a very respectful tribute? I watched the ad and saw nothing remotely disrespectful in it.
Ah well... somehow I think I've already botched it and we won't get a meaningful discussion out of this, but I'll give it another shot. Show me where I'm wrong, or at least show me reasons why the opposing view is a correct view as well.
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