Last week, I did a blog
about a woman who became a product of media. This week, I'm writing a blog
about a man who was determined to make sure that he would never become a
product. His name, friends, was Kurt Cobain.
Most of you probably know about – or have at least heard of – Kurt Cobain,
but in case you don’t, let me get you up to speed. Cobain was the guitarist,
singer, and lyricist for chart-topping grunge and punk band Nirvana. Many of
the bands messages included themes of toleration and individuality. With hit
songs such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Heart-Shaped Box,” Nirvana was
hugely successful. However, it was ultimately this success that proved too much
for Cobain. On April 8, 1994, he was found dead in his Seattle home due to a
self-inflicted gun shot to the head.
Why would he kill himself amidst the mass fame and recognition that he
had gained over the years? In Kurt’s eyes, it was because the world, even
though the messages of individuality and acceptance we loudly preached
through his music, had forgotten and left behind the true meaning of those
messages. Take the classic “Come as You Are,” for instance. This is a little
snippet from the beginning of the song, clearly detailing its message:
“Come as you are, as you were,
As I want you to be…”
As I want you to be…”
The song preaches acceptance and staying
true to who you are, but for many people, this message is shrugged off and it
just becomes another part of the song. This was the last thing that Cobain
wanted because it destroyed everything that he stood for.
Allow me to further elaborate. Above all things, these reactions
destroyed Cobain’s value of the self and the true meaning of things. With “Smells
Like Teen Spirit” sending Cobain straight into the limelight, he couldn’t help
feel that people were focused more on him
than his music. And as long as he and
his music were viewed like that, then in his eyes, there was no point in going
on living a worthless life.
So how does this all relate back to media? As I stated earlier, Cobain’s
story is about him trying and failing to overcome the effects and influence of
media. It was because of everyone’s mass attention towards what he considered
fake (seeing the big picture) instead of what he really stood for (specific
message) that drove him to kill himself.
So far, in my blogs, I have described two incredibly wonderful,
influential people having their lives destroyed by the influences and effects
of media. How many more will we lose because of our lack of ability to see what’s
real?
Unfortunately, I was unable to find a video to put on the page, but this is a link to one featuring some pictures of Kurt Cobain and some of his most inspirational quotes.
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