Really TLC?

[BoomerLynn]

It appears TLC has sunk even lower (if that's possible). I saw a commercial for a new show: Best Funeral Ever. Yep. Reality tv has now invaded funerals. Now I have no problem celebrating a person's life while mourning the loss of that person. I had an old friend from college pass away last year and at his layout our old group sat in a room off to the side of the viewing area laughing (and sometimes crying at the same time) and telling stories of the crazy stuff we did with him. This was a guy who was always making jokes and could make you smile no matter how bad a mood you were in. However, this show appears to be over-the-top ridiculous. These funerals seem to almost be stage productions instead of funerals. Add to that being on a reality show and it seems a bit out there.

Link for anyone who's interested:

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/other-s ... -jan-6.htm

[Alecto]

It appears TLC has sunk even lower (if that's possible). I saw a commercial for a new show: Best Funeral Ever. Yep. Reality tv has now invaded funerals. Now I have no problem celebrating a person's life while mourning the loss of that person. I had an old friend from college pass away last year and at his layout our old group sat in a room off to the side of the viewing area laughing (and sometimes crying at the same time) and telling stories of the crazy stuff we did with him. This was a guy who was always making jokes and could make you smile no matter how bad a mood you were in. However, this show appears to be over-the-top ridiculous. These funerals seem to almost be stage productions instead of funerals. Add to that being on a reality show and it seems a bit out there.

Link for anyone who's interested:

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/other-s ... -jan-6.htm

I am not gonna lie - I am kind of excited about this. It's a group that does more "life celebrations" than funerals. That is exactly what I want when I die - I want my family cracking up and remembering the good times.

[Witsec7]

I am not gonna lie - I am kind of excited about this. It's a group that does more "life celebrations" than funerals. That is exactly what I want when I die - I want my family cracking up and remembering the good times.

As a former embalmer who has her whole funeral and memorial written out I'm gonna look forward to this show. :dance:

[darareaksmey]

It appears TLC has sunk even lower (if that's possible). I saw a commercial for a new show: Best Funeral Ever. Yep. Reality tv has now invaded funerals. Now I have no problem celebrating a person's life while mourning the loss of that person. I had an old friend from college pass away last year and at his layout our old group sat in a room off to the side of the viewing area laughing (and sometimes crying at the same time) and telling stories of the crazy stuff we did with him. This was a guy who was always making jokes and could make you smile no matter how bad a mood you were in. However, this show appears to be over-the-top ridiculous. These funerals seem to almost be stage productions instead of funerals. Add to that being on a reality show and it seems a bit out there. Link for anyone who's interested:

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/other-s ... -jan-6.htm

Exactly. There is nothing people won't do for money, even if it's the paltry sum TLC pays for reality shows.

While I wouldn't care to have my funeral played out on cable TV, I'm sure I won't mind if people enjoy themselves at mine. It'd be better than weeping, wailing, gnashing teeth, talking crap about each other and me, etc. Better everyone get a bit tipsy and put on some good music.

[mpheels]

Here's an article the NY Times ran a few years ago that might give some insight into the background (not breaking, it's the Times): http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/nyreg ... wanted=all

The article is specifically about Ghanaian funerals, but I think they are some similar/related cultural and historical threads running through the funerals TLC is filming. So there are funerals that are Big Events, but I don't think they are making them Big just for the cameras.

[mkitten]

This is the first I've heard of the show, however, IF (and given that this is TLC that's a big if) the show is respectful of the grief process and allows people to maintain their individual boundaries; then I see nothing fundamentally objectionable about the concept. Death is a natural and inevitable part of the life cycle and the relatively recent Western practice of sterilizing and hiding the dying process from sight (behind closed hospital doors, whisking the deceased away as soon as possible to the funeral home to 'minimize trauma,') and just American society in general (not all, but at least in my experience and from what I observed listening to the experiences in dealing with death and the dying process in a course I took in the early 2000's at Arizona State in Death and Dying from Dr. Christopher Carr.)

A show like this might help to further the dialogue about normalizing a more open and generally accepted, healthy grieving process. I know that one of my personal weaknesses is that I really feel awkward when I have a friend who has someone close who has died because I really don't know how to respond, except to say that I'm sorry and I'm here to listen. I think that if death weren't so hidden that it would be just as hard and heartbreaking and soulcrushing to deal with; but maybe some small part of anxiety could be relieved if grieving people didn't feel some sort of pressure to act like everything was ok when it clearly isn't.

Edit: riffles

[RosyDaisy]

This isn't the first reality show about funerals. There was one on A&E called "Family Plots" that ran from 2004-2006. The focus of the show was families coming to the funeral home to make the arrangements and (of course) work place drama. It never showed the actual funerals or the wakes, at least I don't think so. I'm sure TLC's show is going to be about over the top funerals and wakes.

[Minerva]

As a former embalmer who has her whole funeral and memorial written out I'm gonna look forward to this show. :dance:

You worked as an embalmer?! *Goes to look for the AMA*

ETA Whoa, how'd I start posting in Worldly Distractions without noticing? I guess this is why I shouldn't FJ while drinking. Or maybe should. I suppose I like surprises.

[BoomerLynn]

I am not gonna lie - I am kind of excited about this. It's a group that does more "life celebrations" than funerals. That is exactly what I want when I die - I want my family cracking up and remembering the good times.

I just want to clarify...I am all for life celebrations, this just seemed a bit over-the-top. The commercial I saw on tv showed a family talking to the funeral director and it sounded more like they were staging a play than anything. Another I saw on TLC's website had "professional grievers (?)" that were there simply to start crying and wailing, I think to get the actual family members to open up and go ahead and cry. (I really hope I'm making sense here :oops: ). One guy was rolling across a pew yelling. I don't think grieving should be prompted, for lack of a better word. It should be allowed to happen naturally. Some people cry in public. Others are very stoic, or even putting on a happy face, and prefer to do their grieving in private. I guess what I am trying to say is that to me it seems more like a show than a celebration of a person's life. YMMV.

[RosyDaisy]

The only thing that would have made this show worse would be if the the funeral home's name was Pearly Gates.

[SilverBeach]

I watched the premier episode of BFE, and although you could say that the barbeque and christmas themed funerals had tacky elements (a barbecue sauce fountain? really?), I like the concept of having a funeral that reflects a personal aspect of the deceased. It made me think that when I must bury my dear mother one day, I should hold a life celebration for her in a bookstore. She has had a lifelong love of reading and respect for books, which I acquired from her, and always has been surrounded by her reading material. Either that or a coffeeshop, because she loves coffee and I got that from her also. Personalization makes a funeral less of a morbid affair that just enhances the grief of the mourners, IMO. I've buried both my brothers, my dad, dear friends, and stepdaughter, and wish I had been aware of the custom funeral concept when they passed away. We could't have done it for the stepdaughter, she was active duty military and the AF controlled everything, but for my brothers and dad, I would have liked it.

[PennySycamore]

I watched part of the episode. Was watching Million Dollar Makeover on Bravo till my daughter called to me into see the barbecue funeral. That funeral was for a guy that sang the Baby Back Rib jingle for Chili's. I thought his funeral was great except it was weird to have some live pigs at the funeral. I can't blame the pigs for freaking out; I'd freak out too if my comrades were being eaten. I liked the funeral for the man who had suffered from spina bifida. He's never been able to go on fair rides while he was alive, so they had his service at the East Texas State Fair. The family then took his ashes on all the rides.