Best Funerals Ever.

I have always liked New Orleans style funerals because they are a send off. I don't want a funeral. If those who loved me want to gather and have a celebration of my life that would be grand, but only if THEY feel the need.

Death is a transition and the person's next step. I do not believe in heaven or hell but do know we do not cease to exist.

It is sad, of course, to lose a loved one. I just like the idea of having the funeral or memorial gathering to be upbeat. This is impossible in some cases, like the loss of a child.

That said, this show was nuts and downright silly!

My problem with this isn't upbeat funerals. My Dad's graveside service was sad, yes, but it was family. The memorial service after was full of laughter, tears yes, but lots of memories. I even cracked up laughing when I realized that the director was finally singing Dad's favorite hymns in the right tempo (he ironically tends to sing them in a funeral dirge pace).

I think my problem here though is having people's lives shown on national (and in a way international) TV. While the family may have no problem with it, there could be cases the deceased didn't and that would be disrespectful of their wishes. I dare say there will also someday probably be a case of siblings or combined families versus the original family arguments that will lead to a suit here. (Not kidding sadly - we had a HUGE FRACAS between two families of the deceased - who had remarried - over who was and was not allowed to be in the obituary. And, one case the fight was actually in the office I worked).

Wow.

Happened to stumble up on this just now.

Wow.

Being Southern, I totally get and understand the concept of an upbeat "homegoing" service/after-service celebration for someone who has passed. Like Shoepie said, New Orleans funerals come to mind, for me, mostly, in that regard.

I suppose people do what they have to do to come to terms with someone's death. The story about the family that took their loved one's remains on fair rides because going on fair rides was something he couldn't physically do while he was alive DID touch me. I know Jerry (the deceased) is riding the living daylights out of rides wherever he is now, and yes, my eyes were halfway out of my head while I watched. But It touched me that his family wanted to do something like that for him.

Having said that . . .

Do I think it should have been telecast?

To echo a few others, above: "No!".

It takes all kinds, I suppose.

Haven't caught the Christmas or BBQ funerals (I was late to the party). But I'm just nosy and honest enough to admit that I'll DVR a repeat and check 'em out later, though.

I am also honest enough to admit that this is one show I don't see myself tuning in to on a regular basis.

I tell you I live In Cali and I have seen just about everything,but this was disturbing to me. I mean anything that leaves me speechless is not good,lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MsDiva2007

I tell you I live In Cali and I have seen just about everything,but this was disturbing to me. I mean anything that leaves me speechless is not good,lol

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:rofl:rofl

The ladies walking down the aisle holding GIANT BABY BACK RIBS over their heads.......

Hiring people to show up and cry hysterically......

People sitting in pews with GIANT GINGERBREAD heads on........

BBQ sauce fountain......

A deceased body in a BBQ MEAT SMOKER.......Another deceased body in a SANTA SLEIGH......



YES Ness, please find a repeat and watch the entire show.

For those that said this is what they do in the South .... why did some of the people they called about taking Jerry's ashes on FAIR rides either hang up on them or rolled their eyes at them?

I am all for a celebration of one's life but for me I want the service very low key! Quiet and respectful! Then AFTER WARDS I would want a huge par-tay!!!!

When I saw the listing for this show, I couldn't believe it. I have no intention of watching it, because I agree that it's disrespectful towards the deceased, who obviously cannot say whether he/she wants to participate in the show.

I also immediately started wondering if it would encourage the kind of competitive "theme" funerals that are suddenly more common among weddings. Oh, and I did also wonder if these funerals are taking place in churches, because I've heard some pretty amazing stories from ministers about funeral requests they have turned down because they simply weren't in keeping with the tenets of the religion in question. Or decorum in general. Basically what those people were told by the ministers was that they were free to do such things at any kind of ceremony or gathering prior to the funeral or afterwards, provided they were not in the church at the time. But what went on in the church would have to be approved by the minister conducting the service.

If you go to Golden Gate funeral home website. There is video of a disco funeral with people dancing down the center of a church aisle with a disco ball. A friend of mine that lives in Dallas said she has heard stories of the funerals. smh

The thing with a New Orleans style funeral is that they typically start out with a more traditional style funeral and then at some point in the march back from the cemetery, the spirit is supposed to have been freed from the earthly bounds, and that's when the more celebratory aspect of the funeral starts.

It's the weird excessiveness of the funerals that have been described that weirds me out--it's like they're competing to have the biggest, grandest, blingiest funeral they can have: My Super Sweet Final Exit. I have no problem with traditional funerals being replaced with, or combined with, celebrations of lives. But the rest of it...well, does anyone else remember the old John Denver tune, "Take Me When I'm Gone to Forest Lawn"?

I did find myself wondering if funeral homes actually hire professional mourners. I know that money can buy just about anything. This isn't a regular show, is it? I stumbled across the hour-long show, but I didn't think it was anything that was going to be a series.

Many years ago, a friend/co-worker died at age 28 from a heart condition....he actually dropped over on the job. He was very beloved, and known for his sense of humor and good deeds. Somebody sent a bunch of helium balloons to the funeral home, and the delivery guy totally freaked out when he found out that he was delivering the balloons to a funeral home. Everybody who knew "Rick" knew that the balloons were appropriate for the situation. They made everybody smile, and he would have loved it.

That's about as wild as I've seen it. I doubt that balloons are out of place in this day and age. I no longer "do" funerals.