Our country’s celebrity obsession hit a new low earlier this month.
If it please the court of readers, I’d like to submit these exhibits regarding the Lake Fire.
Exhibit A: “The battle to save Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch from destructive Lake fire” is the headline for an LA Times July 12 feature-length piece.
Exhibit B: A TMZ article from July 7, “Neverland Ranch in Path of Massive SoCal Wildfire.”
Exhibit B1: A TMZ article from July 8, “Neverland Ranch Protected by Crew Amid SoCal Wildfire.”
Exhibit B2: A TMZ article from July 9, “Neverland Ranch Saved From Massive Lake Wildfire.” When clicked on, the headline reads: HUGE WILDFIRE REACHED MJ ESTATE ... But Fire Crews Saved It!”
(Aren’t you glad our headlines don’t yell at you in all caps?)
Exhibit C: A July 12 infrared map on the Watch Duty app showed the Lake Fire’s spread and had but one landmark aside from Los Olivos on it: “The Neverland Gates.”
Why is the estate of the late-pop star so important?! What does that say about us as a culture? That our culture cares more about the weirdo who haunts a Disneyland-wannabe quasi-landmark than the other structures, people, animals, towns, cultural landmarks, and national forest lands that are impacted?
These outlets put Neverland in the headlines but there are actual people evacuating from the fire! (Granted Neverland is owned and maintained by an actual person, “billionaire businessman Ron Burkle, who purchased it for $22 million in 2020,” according to TMZ. Yes, I will quote the outrageous online entertainment publication).
Midland School, just outside of Los Olivos, evacuated its on-site staff and farm animals on July 6 and 7, just after the fire started, before the county issued a mandatory evacuation order. This boarding high school has nearly 3,000 acres and is home to 80 students during the school year, plus a 20-acre farm with 21 horses, 16 cattle, and more than 60 chickens.
“The emergency itself is terrifying, right? Like we’re talking about losing land, potentially losing homes, all of these things that [are] so hard,” said Hannah Nelson, who’d stepped into the head role at the school five days before the fire started.
We’ve got a non-shiny, real-life struggle to save the lives and livelihoods of students, teachers, and animals, and yet it’s a former pop icon who is given the headline inches. Instead of burning our valuable energy obsessing over people and places marked by the façade of celebrity, let’s turn our attention to the neighbors in need!
Speaking of neighbors and need, Santa Maria needs to start paying attention to the election. And I’m not talking about the dumpster fire of a presidential race.
Locally, Santa Maria, you’re not off the hook: You’ve got two City Council seats up for election, and the mayor’s spot.
Political newcomer and Immigrant Legal Defense Center attorney Maria Salguero is challenging incumbent Carlos Escobedo in the District 1 race.
“What makes me particularly excited about running for District 1 at this time is that the stakes are very high at a national level,” Salguero said. “These elections are going to be a crucial tipping point.”
Will Mayor Alice Patino run again? Will someone step up to challenge the longtime incumbent? Stay tuned. Things are just starting to heat up.
The Canary’s mind is on fire. Tell it to stop, drop, and roll at canary@santamariasun.com.