Jet Li no longer missing in aftermath of Asian tsunami tragedy

[Klaus]

And the toll is at 51,000.

But the thread is moot (at least here in Sci-Fi/Fantasy), now that Jet has been found. There's a thread on Off-Topic about the tsunami catastrophe.

So mods, feel free to lock this one up!

 

[Umbran]

Umbran, I don't think there's a particular lack of empathy when someone looks for news on a single person, even if they're just a movie star.

I wasn't really thinking about empathy. Merely that Mr. Li is not really a separate news item. When the population of a small city dies, the fact that one of the folks there might have been a bit famous doesn't seem particularly remarkable, to me.

 

[Truth Seeker]

I wasn't really thinking about empathy. Merely that Mr. Li is not really a separate news item. When the population of a small city dies, the fact that one of the folks there might have been a bit famous doesn't seem particularly remarkable, to me.

I understood your view, it would seem kinda vain to seperate one person, from thousands...but for me, it was just surprising that he was there.

But not to inflate the matter, Author Arthur C. Clarke, was in the area as well, and have given a statement, that he is well also.

And there is more, but I will not take it beyond that...in the end, the loss in that area, is a terrible event, no matter what.

 

[Krieg]

FWIW some further info on Mr. Li & other celebrities in the disaster...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=796&e=1&u=/eo/20041228/en_celeb_eo/15599

 

[aurance]

I wasn't really thinking about empathy. Merely that Mr. Li is not really a separate news item. When the population of a small city dies, the fact that one of the folks there might have been a bit famous doesn't seem particularly remarkable, to me.

It would be remarkable if he were your brother, no?

Various individuals matter more or less to people. Obviously Jet Li matters less than say, one's own sibling, but we still have "parasocial" interactions with certain celebrities and identify with them, making them stand out more in our minds than a total stranger. It's completely natural, and newsworthy.

 

[Umbran]

It would be remarkable if he were your brother, no?

Depends upon your definition of "remarkable". What is meaningful to me personally and what is worthy of reportage in the news are two entirely different things.

... but we still have "parasocial" interactions with certain celebrities and identify with them, making them stand out more in our minds than a total stranger. It's completely natural, and newsworthy.

Natural, I'll grant you. Newsworthy, when compared to the 80,000+ other folks? I don't think so. I just don't find the lives of media-types to be generally newsworthy. There are a few exceptions, but only a very few.

If you really must have an individual to put a face on the tragedy, the wealthy guy who has already gotten plenty of recognition in his life is probably a weak choice. I'd think the gaggle of five-year-olds who now have no parents or home, and who might just die in a cholera epidemic, would put the thing in more proper perspective.

 

[dravot]

My friend's cousin is teaching english in Thailand, and was missing for a while. He turned up ok, and was on a plane headed inland when the tsunami hit, but couldn't communicate with family for some time.

 

[Ranger REG]

Natural, I'll grant you. Newsworthy, when compared to the 80,000+ other folks? I don't think so. I just don't find the lives of media-types to be generally newsworthy. There are a few exceptions, but only a very few.

If you really must have an individual to put a face on the tragedy, the wealthy guy who has already gotten plenty of recognition in his life is probably a weak choice. I'd think the gaggle of five-year-olds who now have no parents or home, and who might just die in a cholera epidemic, would put the thing in more proper perspective.

So are you scolding the thread starter for mentioning one celebrity rather than 80,000 people?

Granted, the news about Jet Li is not significantly newsworthy to me, but even I would not criticize the existence of this thread. Star or not, Jet Li and his daughter are lucky to be alive, as any survivor story is considered good news coming out of such a horrific tragedy. Just as with 9-11 Incident, where only a handful of survivors found alive trapped under the rubble of the WTC building or that one security guard that happen to have a Hawai'i tie rescued his colleagues and friends at the partially destroyed section of Pentagon building.

We shouldn't judge which survivor is newsworthy. At the same time, we shouldn't criticize which survivor story is newsworthy or not.

(Me? I'm criticizing the critic criticizing this thread.)

They're all good news.

So if you know someone, either personally or happens to come from your area, that either survive or perish in the tsunami and earthquake tragedy this past couple of days, and you think it is newsworthy to you, then go ahead and post them.

Better yet, how about donating what's left of your Christmas money to the Red Cross who are now helping victims of the tsunami and earthquake?