Monday – A Matter of Professional Curiosity

[ninanevermore]

.
.
.
It occurred to me this morning that the water cooler talk about the passing of Michael Jackson sounds a little different when you work at a large corporation that owns funeral homes.

I've overheard the following remarks today:

"So, do you know who has Michael Jackson? Do we?"

"I don't know. No one's saying."

"Surely we do! I mean, you don't think they'd trust a mom-and-pop with someone like him, do you?"

"Maybe. You'd think we would, but I haven't heard anything."

"Hmmm. What about Farrah?"

"Dunno."

It's not that the people I work with are morbid. If we were in the catering industry, the same kind of talk would happen whenever a celebrity announced a wedding. I guess business is business no matter what business you're in, and a high-profile contract is always bound to attract a lot of speculation.




* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * # * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Comments

[simplecity2htwn.livejournal.com]

How does that work in terms of publicity? I mean, if you're a caterer and you do some celebrity's wedding, you can show off pictures of the event and publicize it on your website. If you do a funeral, I'm sure the family wouldn't want you using it as a "reference account". Or would they? For that matter, if it's a celebrity, do you throw in freebies?

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

I know the funeral museum here in Houston has a few programs from celebrity funerals, and a sugar cookie with the cartoon face of Rodney Dangerfield on it that was one of the concessions served at his wake (looking at it, you can just hear the late comedian say, "Awww, why don't you bite me?"). These items are displayed with the blessings and consent of the estates, however.

No freebies for the rich that I know of, but I don't work on that end of the business. As far as being a reference account, we don't get to brag. We get our name mentioned in the obit, and we can confirm that "we served the Jackson family," should someone ask. Good tastes requires that we be more low-key than other industries.

[drippedonpaper.livejournal.com]

This was interesting to me. I never would have thought about it but, yes, that too is part of a loss.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

Alas, someone has to "undertake" the task of caring for the dead, and so an industry was born.

[artkouros.livejournal.com]

oh sure - my dad still speaks proudly about Lee Harvey Oswald being buried in one of our caskets. (the first time they buried him, not the second)

BTW - have you ever watched Six Feet Under? Your company is the predominate villain, under a slightly different name, of course.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

Nothing wrong with taking a little pride in your work.

Keeping in mind that pride cometh before the fall.

When I get around to watching TV again, I'll have to check out 6 feet under on disk. I'll probably get a kick out of seeing my current employer in that role.

I just work here, by the way. In no way is it "my company." For what they pay me, they are "my casual acquaintance," at best.

[aymen.livejournal.com]

I have never thought about this, but you're so right!

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

Anyone in the industry would want to serve those client families: both funerals are sure to be lavish affairs. In the current economy, most families are not splurging on the dearly departed, and that hits home.

[jenelycam.livejournal.com]

Those are some major clients to get... *giggles*

*HUGS*

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

No kidding! I'm kind of curious, too, now that the subject has been brought up.

*Hugs Dawn back*

[jenelycam.livejournal.com]

I would be curious too. Not that I'm morbid, but a claim to fame is a claim to fame. LOL

[millysdaughter.livejournal.com]

My sis-in-law works in the industry, so it sounds reasonable to me.
EVERY business has its own "insider" conversation that sounds odd to those outside the loop.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

So true. But I must confess, the insider conversations I overheard in Oil and Gas offices and Civil service were never quite so interesting as the ones I hear around here.

[millysdaughter.livejournal.com]

**giggles**