Micheal jackson will not be buried or cremated but recycled into plastic bags so he can remain white, plastic and dangerous for kids to play with..!!

I found Michael Jackson's death shocking only because, well... it's not like I keep tabs on celebrity death pools or anything, but I really wasn't expecting Michael Jackson to buy the farm *just yet*. I didn't expect him to live to be ancient, but I thought he'd continue on his elusive ways until he was at least at retirement age.

Anyway I'm siding a bit with you, Satur8. I do respect Michael Jackson's talents and his contributions to the music (and music video) world, and in that aspect I think he will be greatly missed - but I have never been nor will I now pretend I'm some great fan of his. It doesn't mean people can't grieve and I understand that, but... I'll stop now before I say something judgmental about the man's character and stigmas that have followed him since the early 90's. Anyhow. The martyrfication of Michael Jackson is reaching critical proportions. It's seriously mass hysteria here on the airwaves. Driving to work this morning I'm listening to an oldies station and there were scientific types yapping on about how those hyperbolic chambers that Michael Jackson was obsessed with once upon a time could have contributed to his dying from a heart attack. And this afternoon there was a panel discussion on news radio about all the rX drugs the man was on and (uhm, yeah, no big secret he's a pill addict) and how it's possible he had an eating disorder (well duh) and the deep seated emotional issues he had as a child drove him to being a serial cosmetic surgery junkie (double duh). And then the guy who organized the Neverland Ranch auction was on the radio too spouting off all this nonsense. You know, the usual circus. And then we have Lisa Marie spilling her grief on MySpaz and Liz Taylor's hammering on about how much she and Michael loved each other. And Perez Hilton, who's an asshole anyway who's receiving some more karmic comeuppance is currently being crucified on network and cable news because he initially called Michael Jackson's death a publicity stunt.. Blah! Come ON! Enough already. I need to shut up before I implode.

But I still feel bad for Michael Jackson's kids. This circus isn't good for kids, let alone anyone.

Haha, that is terrible Chris! But still funny!

I'm with satur8 on this.

No denying he was hugely successful and, in his day released, with Quincy Jones, a few excellent and influential albums (Off the Wall, Thriller) which everyone knows. After that, was there ever anything that was above average?

I was never a fan, but most others of my generation are, and there are some of his albums at home.

To me, all the media coverage is just over the top and excessive. When I first heard the news, there is an initial shock and surprise, but it doesn't seem to warrant the adulation and sycophancy and wall-to-wall coverage that's been going on for the last 24 hours or so. It just seems symptomatic of the media these days - the airwaves have to be filled with something, no matter how relevant/irrelevant.

The aspect that gets me the most, though, is the hypocrisy. For many, many years, he'd been an item of ridicule for the media, and at the time of the abuse trials a hate figure. How quickly that changes? As chemdup says, there's no need to make a martyr of him.

I'm not sure how much of the items reported at that time were true, even the abuse allegations - my take is that he was a very vulnerable and mixed up man who had grown up and lived in the public eye, and genuinely meant well. It's the army of hangers-on surrounding and living off of him, not providing the honest guidance and support that was needed.

What did (and still does) mean far more to me - I remember getting up for school on the morning of December 1980 with my mum in tears, with the news that John Lennon had been killed. As is normal at a young age, you're familiar with the music your parents play, and the Beatles were a mainstay at home.

Anyway, I guess that what I'm trying to say is that the best way to remember him will be with personal memories, and what his music means to you. The sudden martyrdom of a man that had been a source of ridicule for many years doesn't cut it for me, and it doesn't need to be force-fed down your throat by the media.

Anyway, rant over, and prepared for a flaming...

PS Iggy - like the out of my life gag earlier. Nice one.

I was a little hesitant to mention John Lennon because I wasn't sure if it was right to steal MJ's thunder, but I am so glad you did graysquire! I have some fleeting memories of when Elvis died and the hysteria that ensued over the King Of Rock. But John Lennon. I was only 8 when he passed away but I will never forget the day he died. It really left an impression - this cult of celebrity and the public cycle of grief. I remember the publicized shock and outrage over the manner in which he died, and I remember the initial hysteria and public displays of fan-grief in Central Park which was played out in the news... but it all seemed to fade into a silent, vigil-like grief rather quickly. I think for a short while after John Lennon died, a lot of people felt that was the day that music died also - and there wasn't a circus here with round the clock all-John-Lennon-all-the-time pumped through the radio stations. If anything it felt more like a moment of silence after his passing than anything else. It may have been different in the UK since he was from there, but that's how I remember the reaction to his untimely death here in the States. Then again - I was young so I'm probably missing loads of details.

@TJ : and the 12 best sellers on Amazon right now are MJ albums too. Quincy Jones is going to be happy

Whirly - I don't recall there being as much hysteria around John Lennon's death. Yes, there was a lot of his music played at the time, and there was the charting of all the Beatles and his solo stuff - IIRC, the Double Fantasy album wasn't doing well on release, and afterwards, well... all singles from it charted. Inevitable. But I think overall the response was very measured, recognised as the end of an era for that generation, and marked in a more respectful manner.

However, the media has changed immeasurably - and for worse - since then.

And back to another rant - a current strapline on CNN is "the world mourns Michael Jackson"... And if the family do want their privacy to be respected, why is Janet Jackson on Larry King? You've got it spot on with the cult of celebrity and the public grieving - you're told (mainly by media) that you need to grieve, so you must comply and if not you're pilloried. The ability (or inability) for people to think for themselves never ceases to amaze me.

George Orwell had it right.

@Ben

Yep, more royalties for producers and writers.

I remember sneaking in the Thriller video in the VHS player when I was a kid before my mom got home from work because she said it was satanic! Ha!

Loved the Moonwalker movie too, and that Genesis game.

...and you know Disney's gonna bring back EO!

HOOTER on Keys! FuzzBall on Bass! looking forward to it

This is what it's all about right here: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=V2MI73_ueMQ

Another pedophile in hell, YA!

I don't know how to quote people on here but I think Graysquire makes some interesting points. I haven't really seen any TV coverage of what's happened, mainly read about it in some of the papers but I can believe the media totally over-covering the man's passing.

I can't help remembering back to a few months ago when Jade Goody (British minor celebrity who achieved fame via a reality TV show) passed away. The media covered her decline and death obsessively, ramming down the British people's throats how very tragic it is and basically telling us all to be shocked and upset over it. Whilst I agree that it is very tragic (as with anyone in the same situation, famous or not) her life being cut short by cervical cancer at age 27, and as encouraging as it is that it raised awareness of one of countless forms of a terrible disease, that's what she was, a MINOR celebrity. I'm not cynical enough to criticise her actions before she died (like her raising as much money as she could for her 2 children's future) so I'm not holding anything against her personally but the whole thing was blown out of all proportion by the media. Apparently her funeral was shown live on Sky News, surely something which you would think would be reserved only for a king/queen, The Pope or maybe a president or prime minister.

This is probably the wrong topic to talk about another celebrity's death but I think it adds to the debate about over-coverage by the media. I personally think it's because of the individual companies' obsession with claiming any story or event (or development of either) before their rivals, even the tiniest or most trivial snippet of information. Maybe (in these circumstances) they want to be seen as being more compassionate than their rivals as well?

If you can understand french, this is hilarious. If you can't... well maybe it will be fun too.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=24e2qJMMqJ8

Graysquire, it wasn't a gag.

I was out of the loop for a few hours there, so forgive me if I'm going back to the first page...

I was young when John Lennon died. Although I understood death and could see the adults around me were moved by this particular man's passing, it wasn't until I was much older that I truly understood the significance of the event. Although there was pelnty of media coverage for its time, the news media just wasn't available 24/7 on several television channels and via instant internet gratification as it is now.

Flash forward to today, and we have a meida frenzy over a much less deserving man. It is what it is, a pop culture event in the era of technology, experienced by the reality TV generation.

It's all about the scoop in the angle, not the integrity, the facts or the research.

@ben_j, That reminded me of Chris tucker in the Fifth Element. that gets a LoL even if I don't know the language.

Iggy, apologies, misinterpreted your comment. No offence meant, hopefully none taken.

i think it would be sweet if justice remixed MJ, considering he's such a big influence on them

http://www.makli.com...ichael-jackson/

Good thing...

What the hell?