Why are we, as a society, so interested in viewing the traumatic and disturbing experiences of others?  Why is it that when we hear police sirens or see an ambulance or see someone hurt, we’re more interested in what’s going on than actually helping the individual?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not making the mistake of assuming that everyone is like this. I won’t even go so far as to say that the vast majority of society shares an interest in the morose.  However, people’s tenacity for finding, absorbing, and distributing negative subject matter is common enough to at least be noticed.  You may not share these same interests, but can you honestly say that this phenomenon doesn’t exist?

So is society, or those in society who are fascinated with violent media, normal or abnormal?  We’ve all probably laughed at a friend who tripped and fell, but is it okay to laugh at and become excited about a worldstarhiphop video, showing someone being seriously beaten?  These videos have views that range from the thousands to the millions.  This evident interest in violent media may be something to worry about.  Next time a friend attempts to show you a “funny” web clip or video of someone fighting or getting jumped, you might want to rethink just how “funny” it really is.

What, exactly, can be done with Soul Train, given that it lasted nearly four decades and is considered an American institution, even though there hasn’t been a new episode in six years? Will the soul of Soul Train carry on or drift into history?

Soul Train Holdings, LLC, the entity created by NBA legend and entrepreneur Earvin “Magic” Johnson when he bought the Soul Train library and brand last year, has a lot of ideas. Among them are bringing a Soul Train variety show back to television, CEO Kenard Gibbs told The Associated Press. There have been discussions with writers about taking Soul Train to Broadway, Gibbs said, and also in the works are film opportunities, potential book deals and, in 2013, the first Soul Train cruise.

“The brand itself, we believe, has far, far other entertainment-based tentacles we can stretch,” Gibbs said.

During a memorial for Cornelius in Los Angeles last week, Johnson assured Cornelius’ son Tony, “The brand that your father has created will last a lifetime.”

Black Entertainment Network, LLC, BET, and Centric TV, a BET Network, also has rights to the Soul Train brand and name, and have revamped the Soul Train Awards, which have aired on BET Networks since 2009. The awards show has been the network’s second highest-rated special, said Paxton Baker, Centric executive vice president and general manager.

Baxter said the show has held its own and plans are under way for a tribute to Cornelius for this year’s show, planned for broadcast Nov. 25, keeping its Sunday-after-Thanksgiving air date tradition, on BET and Centric.

“For our part, it was a great brand and made a lot of sense for us to go out and acquire the brand and put our stamp on it,” Baker said.

There are some 1,100 hours of Soul Train episodes and specials, many of which have only aired once on television. Some are posted on the Soul Train website, reminding viewers of celebrities’ past lives.

Talk show host Jay Leno recently reminded star athlete Johnson, that even he once grooved on the iconic show’s dance floor. Leno aired a clip of a younger, slimmer Johnson towering over the other dancers with moves best described as bouncing, and jokingly asked if Johnson bought Soul Train “just so you could burn that tape?”

There is no shortchanging the impact that Soul Train still has today. “Soul Train” lines — some impromptu, some organized — popped up around the country in honor of Cornelius after his death Feb. 1. Before Cornelius died, however, they were a staple at weddings or other festive gatherings and even found their way into movies such as Spike Lee’s Crooklyn in 1994 and the family holiday story This Christmas in 2007.

“What Soul Train did was to make it so visible and make it almost a ritual for black America,” said Mark Anthony Neal, a professor of African and African-American Studies at Duke University.

In the 1970s, Soul Train alone provided a national, weekly showcase for R&B artists, black culture and fashion, and gave advertisers an entry to the black consumer market. By the `80s, mainstream audiences moved on while African Americans stuck with the show, said Christopher Lehman, author of A Critical History of Soul Train on Television.

“As a result, mainstream audiences begin to see Soul Train as a show that is a relic of the `70s just because it hadn’t been showing music that was popular with the mainstream since the `70′s, even though the music had been popular with African Americans all along,” Lehman said.

The success of Soul Train got many others into the game, some that had far more resources to devote to programming, said Marc Lamont Hill, associate professor of education at Columbia University and an expert on the hip-hop generation. Soul Train had to compete with video shows on BET that broadcast black artists, and eventually MTV and VH-1. A plethora of awards shows also provide competition, including the BET Awards.

Now, Hill said, the entertainment culture has shifted, where shows featuring black culture are no longer owned solely by African Americans, he said.

“To some extent Soul Train‘s legacy is partially dependent on people who didn’t create it, who may not be as committed to the culture as its original creators,” Hill said.

Gibbs acknowledged that it is not easy to continue a television show’s brand beyond its lifetime on television — and there are few shows that have. But he said he’s certain it can happen for Soul Train.

“I think that dance, fashion and music, the best of music, are really the tent poles for Soul Train going forward. I believe those things are enduring just as the ideas and ideals of love, peace and soul are enduring,” Gibbs said.

Whatever the future of the show and its progeny, black independent media — what was the “germ” of Soul Train — are increasing their foothold in American mainstream culture, Neal said. Radio show producers Tom Joyner and Michael Baisden and Issa Rae, creator of the Web-produced show The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl are carrying on the Soul Train legacy and “all benefitting from something Don Cornelius set in motion with Soul Train,” Neal said.

“When all is said and done, he wanted to be able to present black acts on television on what he saw as its most organic context …. He understood correctly there was an interest for that well beyond black communities,” Neal said.

“We were fortunate to see the Queen of Soul at the very top of her performing genius,” concert-goer Prater said after seeing Franklin perform at Radio City Hall last month. “From start to finish, the show was spell binding as Re Re’s wonderful voice filled the hall with its amazing range and versatility. With ease she went from ballads to upbeat; from soul to gospel. She seemed to enjoy every minute of the performance which made us, her audience, enjoy it even more.”

You can view more reviews and purchase tickets at Ticketmaster.com.

Known for her distinctive style, bold prints, and oversized glasses, Zelda was the “it girl” way into the age of 95 on the NY scene. Her youthful spirit kept her relevant in the young world of fashion and appreciated by the masses. She was a fixture in the world of art and night life and could be seen out embellished in African prints that meant more to her than just a fashion statement.

Though she departs us, her style, humanitarian efforts in Africa, and iconic soul will never be forgotten. From housewife to socialite to eternal fashionista, rest in peace, Zelda.

The oh-so beautiful and clearly brainy supermodel received her MBA from Harvard’s Business School Owner/President Management Program on Feb. 17. We knew she had to be a brainiac with all of the accomplishments she has under her belt, but now the mogul has the papers to prove it.

Congrats, Tyra!

Though his own line may not have received rave reviews last January, his collab with Dion Lee for their A/W 2012 collection has caused the naysayers to retract their words. Skeptics stood and wondered if this was just another notch Kanye set out to add to his designer belt. All have come to see that this is the real thing.

Kanye West is a true fashion designer! Now that is cray!

Will it become a recurring role or just a guest spot? Either way, good luck to Eve.  Whitney airs on NBC Wednesday at 8 p.m.

“I am incredibly happy for Rachel. This girl has it,” Simon Cowell who was her mentor on X-Factor said in a statement. “We saw her potential at the first audition and Nickelodeon and Columbia are the right homes for her.”

Rachel will be making her first Nickelodeon appearance on the network’s hit show Fred: The Show. Crow’s Nickelodeon show will be centered around her, but there isn’t any word about additional casting.

Produced by Sheen himself, the cast so far includes Selma Blair, reports Entertainment Weekly. Blair’s character Kate is Sheen’s “friend with benefits,” a fellow therapist who helps Sheen control his anger. FX has ordered 10 initial episodes, and will go into additional episodes if the series does well.

Good luck, Ashton, because Charlie is coming for you!

Get to know the designer’s style a little more by checking out Marni’s Spring 2012 Runway Collection.