Are Celebrity Deaths Presented Differently in the Media According to Gender?

My piece will investigate how the media—specifically the style of newspaper typically referred to as a ‘broadsheet’—portrays celebrities after their deaths and whether or not their gender affects the lexis used. Throughout this piece I will be analysing obituaries about four celebrities who have passed away fairly recently, two of them male and two of them female. I will then compare the lexis used between each, making reference to and providing evidence for any similarities and differences found.

Are male and female deaths presented differently within the media in terms of lexis? According to gender, I feel that the authors will focus more on different points of the celebrities’ lives in order to create a different impression.

Firstly, I collected data on Kurt Cobain from The Guardian; the obituary in question was published in 1994. One of the opening sentences contained the verb phrase “looked slated for premature oblivion” which suggests that he was often portrayed as being quite rebellious, hinting that perhaps his lifestyle choices were not the best and telling the general public that due to this, his death was almost inevitable. However, the attributive adjective “premature” has connotations of being dead before his time, suggesting that he died too soon and has not yet shared enough of his talent, making the polysyllabic abstract noun “oblivion” not only dramatic and highly destructive, but also even more empty as his talent has now ceased. This impression is confirmed in the declarative, “the twist is that his death was apparently suicide” as this was not the death they were expecting—perhaps they had presumed an accidental death such as a drug overdose. The line implies shock, and those reading at the time would most likely feel the same due to other representations of him in the media. Despite this, Cobain’s music was highly regarded and he was seen as being a talented individual, obviously implied by the declarative, “Cobain’s death can only be viewed as a waste." The author seems disappointed with how the Nirvana frontman ended up, the tone wistful in a way that suggests they wish he had not died at such a young age.

According to Jakobson, all texts have one dominant function from six that he created, these obituaries falling specifically into the referential category with the purpose being to inform through context, much of which is provided per subject through the use of career highs and lows and any relevant drug habits.

I also analysed the view that NBC news took on the singer’s death, listening to the spoken lexis provided and interpreting the presentation it was intended to create of him while also gaining insight into his reputation at a time when his death was still raw. Early in the report, the correspondent describes him as being, “Among the most powerful voices of his generation.” Specifically, the noun phrase “powerful voices” is used here which informs viewers of the high level reputation he had as a vocalist, not to mention the respect he gained from others. He is also described as “an originator,” this complimentary polysyllabic noun being implemented as a careful way to describe one who is viewed as unique, suggesting that those who put the report together were aware of his large fan base and are therefore using more euphemistic lexis, wanting to avoid any misunderstanding that may lead to offence or complaint from his admirers.

Secondly, I collected data from the same source (The Guardian), this time on Robin Williams. The sibilant noun phrase “suspected suicide” is used in the article, displaying the writer’s obligation to be completely honest, having not had the cause of death confirmed, and making the obituary more reliable. The article then goes on to discuss his success and lists all the films and television shows he was a part of, before coming onto awards. Speaking about his first Oscar, the writer informs us that Williams “finally won.” The adverb “finally” suggests the award was well deserved and a long time coming, and even that his victory was supported by a vast majority who were seemingly tense in waiting for him to be rewarded for his work. The entire publication is carefully worded, as if the writer is concerned about offending fans, appearing acutely aware of the sheer number of fans Williams had. The fronted subordinate clause “perfect and hypnotically strange in the part” is the lexis used to describe his portrayal of Popeye, “perfect” being a highly complimentary evaluative adjective and “hypnotically” being another complimentary adverb which demonstrates a certain collective admiration for him and his talents. Another case of this technique being implemented comes when the writer declares that he had an “unpredictable but essentially comforting persona”. The adverb “essentially” emphasises the adjective “comforting” over “unpredictable” in order to present Williams in a positive light, wanting the general public to mourn the comedian as he was presented warmly by the media in life. The reliable nature of this obituary is very much in the same pattern as a number of Grice’s maxims, primarily quantity and quality are the ones being implemented. The author of the text has clearly taken care in being informative, as this is of course the purpose of the text, and also being truthful, creating an accurate account so that those reading are left with the correct information and the right amount of it.

I again used an NBC news report to gather data through spoken lexis, and the first thing emphasised in the Robin Williams report is that he was “Battling severe depression.” The present tense verb “battling” has arguably positive connotations of strength and war, painting him with the identity of a survivor who managed to face his issues for a lengthy period despite a notable amount of pressure and strain. The noun phrase “severe depression” stresses just how strong he really was to survive for so long. He is also described as having “burst” onto the scene, this verb reinforcing the idea of him being a strong character with a distinctive personality, who was able to make a large impression quickly, this description suiting his identity well, the man himself being comedic and well-loved worldwide. Taking the delicate nature of depression and applying it to a well-loved comedian such as Williams creates a deeply unpleasant topic, and extra measures were obviously taken to be respectful of the star, as while his death was a suicide it took place due to a mental illness, therefore applying blame would be inappropriate.

The first female celebrity I chose to collect my data on was Amy Winehouse, once again using The Guardian as a source. Early in the obituary, the author writes, “few could be considered as much of a loss to music as Amy Winehouse,” and this mournful declarative has a large impact, suggesting that she was almost beyond comparison to any other recent artists. The euphemistic noun “loss” was of particular importance in this line, likening her to a prized possession that one would struggle to do without, which is a wise metaphor as many did feel this way about her music, many fans at the time going through similar issues to Winehouse and listening to it almost like a form of therapy. However, the noun phrase “a tabloid dream” presents her in a more negative light, and in terms of her public persona she was often the centre of gossip-worthy scandal. As a known addict there were many dramas surrounding the artist in life and this was reflected in reports and headlines, such as the following from The Guardian, (Wednesday, January 20, 2010): ‘Amy Winehouse spared jail on assault charge’. This type of sensational headline is memorable, and the fact that this is being referenced in her obituary suggests that the media associated this with the star, focusing less on the talent and the music she was able to produce and more on herself as a person and the personal choices she made regarding drugs and alcohol.

I also analysed coverage of her death by the BBC, as I was unable to find an NBC report. In an effort to combat this, I used BBC coverage in my Whitney Houston investigation too in order to balance the data. Outside the home belonging to Winehouse it was reported to consist of a “very sombre atmosphere.” The intensifier “very” suggests a need to emphasise the noun phrase “sombre atmosphere” as if this is not a strong enough wording to describe the events that have just taken place, presenting her death as a major loss to viewers of the report. She is then described with the euphemistic noun phrase “a troubled character” which is truthful, reminding us of her destructive path in life, often fuelled by drugs and alcohol, suggesting that the report is honest and trying to be as accurate as possible without becoming too graphic so as not to upset viewers, the BBC having an exceptionally professional reputation as broadcasters and needing to express their report in the most neutral way they can while maintaining the accuracy and detail those viewing will require. The polysyllabic adjective “iconic” is applied to describe perhaps her most famous album ‘Back To Black’ in order to accurately report on the level of potential the late singer had for future projects that can now never take place.

Finally, I will be looking at the lexis The Guardian uses to present Whitney Houston in death. The media wanted to present her as being neglectful after reaching her peak, announcing that few other pop singers ever “treated their talent with the frustrating indifference she did.” This suggests some annoyance on the author’s part, and the audience would likely have felt similar when one considers her behaviour up until her death. In this way, the polysyllabic abstract noun “indifference” would be easy to agree with, creating a certain level of agreement between the reader and the media source. The apparent frustration is continued, with the writer casually declaring that “her skills were often wasted on bland adult-contemporary songs,” the evaluative adjective showing that they do not think she reached her full potential and there is even a collective disappointment tangible, it being troubling to see one so successful failing so badly. Despite this, the writer seems to maintain a great deal of respect for Houston regardless of personal opinion, labelling her as a member of an “elite group of female superstars.” The complimentary noun phrase “elite group” suggests that she is highly regarded as being part of an upper class, is viewed as a legend in some respects and one could say she is viewed as an expert in her field, having gained much experience in her lifetime. However, it becomes somewhat harsher when discussing her appearance on her ex-husband’s show, delicately informing the reader that she has “succeeded in losing the last remnants of her dignity” by appearing on it while on drugs. Reflecting upon the collocation “the last remnants”, it is suggested that towards the end of her life her reputation was in tatters already and she did not have much left. She was being taken less seriously due to taking herself less seriously—she was unable even to appear on television in a sober state. In light of this, the obituary is still rather aggressive, and there is little praise for her early work. Overall, the media presents Houston as a failed star with much untapped potential still to be discovered, her death in turn becoming an even more tragic occurrence.

Once again using the BBC, I collected spoken data on Whitney Houston in order to interpret current views on her during the time of her death. The report opens with, “She was one of music’s greatest performers.” The superlative does demonstrate the level of respect she was given, as even before her death is mentioned the need was felt to discuss how exceptional and valuable she was to music. However, later in the report she is described as “self-obsessed.” The adjective has negative connotations, painting a picture of Houston as a very temperamental person with an inflated view of her own talent and importance. The noun “Primadonna” being particularly offensive, it is informing viewers that she was a vain and overly sensitive person who was difficult to work with. The borrowing from Italian is an example of broadening as it paints Houston as a diva and not simply a performer, therefore we may feel this is rather indelicate to a celebrity whose death could not have been rawer at the time, and suggests that whatever reputation she once had has long since been broken by her behaviour leading up to her death. She is also described as being “desperate” in later life, relying on brief appearances to fuel her career in the few years after her divorce from Bobby Brown. The emotive adjective here also underlines the critical tenor of the obituary.

Overall, I do feel that deaths are presented differently based on gender, drugs being portrayed as a more serious issue in the case of the females. With regard to Cobain, drugs were almost part of his identity and seemed to be regarded merely as a fashionable activity of the time. While both genders received praise, it seemed that the females, at least in this data sample, were more openly criticised from areas in which it did not apply to men. The obituary on Houston was extremely negative for the very same life choices that were glossed over in Cobain’s. Mental illness is seemingly treated more delicately than the other issues presented though. Williams receives high amounts of praise and his issues are being almost avoided, despite them being the reason he died. Suicide seems to be treated as more of a tragedy than other forms of death, for example drug overdose. Anger and frustration are the prominent feelings in these situations, whereas in the case of Williams, pity seems to be far more relevant which is indeed appropriate.

Kurt Cobain Obituary: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/1994/apr/09/obituaries.adamsweeting

Kurt Cobain NBC news coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFVmD5XJ6ak

Robin Williams Obituary: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/12/robin-williams

Robin Williams NBC news coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXTF21q8crg

Amy Winehouse Obituary: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jul/23/amy-winehouse-obituary

Amy Winehouse BBC news coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiF8cmtXg2U

Whitney Houston Obituary: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/feb/12/whitney-houston-obituary

Whitney Houston BBC news coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUTw-USnL4I