I love Capitalism... But this has always disgusted me.....

Don't get me wrong, making money is great. I like to eat, drink and be merry. If you work hard, then you should be able to reap whatever profits you deserve.

But despite my love of good food, there's always those images of 1000lb people being lifted out of their houses on cranes after their skin had to be surgically removed from the fibers of their couch. And despite my love of a good bottle of wine, or scotch, there's always that homeless dude down the block who's literally wasted his life away on alcohol, meth, etc.

And then there's money....

Every year Forbes publishes a list of the Top Earning Dead Celebrities and quite honestly, it makes me sick.

This year, Michael Jackson topped the list because...

Jackson's posthumous earnings come from his stake in the lucrative Sony/ATV catalog, the hit Sony film "This Is It" and renewed fan interest in music, videos, and all things Michael Jackson.

That lucky dog. Why are the dead rolling, in their graves.... I mean in all this cash?

Many dead celebrities make the bulk of their posthumous fortunes on licensing deals. Unlike their living counterparts, who can suddenly fall into a heap of trouble (see Lindsay Lohan, Mel Gibson), dead celebrities have images -- be they glamorous, rebellious or tough -- that are unlikely to change.

Oooooweeeeee, What a sweet spot to be in. But wait.... THESE PEOPLE ARE &^$&^%ING DEAD!!!!!

Gone, over, kaput, worms eating out their eyes and such.

Its not that death grosses me out, or money. Its the idea that somehow I'm supposed to buy into these dead folks, or envy the wealth that they're too ...rotting?.....to enjoy themselves. It's just a sick list and seems like a perverse worship of wealth over life itself.

If you disagree tell me why. If you agree, well howdy-doo to you.

People are buying Micheal Jackson/ Elvis albums or memorabilia. That then goes to their net worth regardless dead or alive. Just because Elvis is dead doesn't mean people can't still enjoy is albums/ merchandise. The money then goes to their estate which is usually their family members. What is wrong about that?

reply to post by snusfanatic


If a dead celebrities recordings/likeness/creation can generate a profit for their estate then I like this idea much more than the reality that media companies often profit from the dead, in perpetuity, simply for owning the "rights" to that celebrities work. Let MJ and Elvis' kids and grandkids get paid... the real crime is that sleazy media suits are also raking in that fat cash!

Oh, and mental note... I'm calling my mom and yelling at her for not pursuing Elvis - I could have been a rich, illegitimate love child!!!!

~Heff

reply to post by snusfanatic


When seeing things like this it is important to remember that the same freedom that allows you to enjoy that bottle of wine demands that you take responsibility, in one way or the other, over what you do.

Aside from that, I hate celebrity worship, and you won't find anyone else who is as much for free-markets and true capitalism than I am. Indeed, celebrity worship, in death or in life, is a luxury only the idiots, the inept, or the unthinking can get involved in.

Money is a tool. Like a hammer, a screwdriver, or gun, all serve their purposes in their respective fields. Hammers nail things, a screwdriver drives screws, a gun kills your enemy or your food, money functions as a means of exchange for goods and services. Some people are so shallow and useless that they think making money and excess is the whole of life. Others think they can rob you of what you earn and call it justice.

The rest of us, you and I, get to look on in horror at the things they do to us and themselves. But at least we can rest in the knowledge that we're never going to be them. And that's just fine by me.