Farewell King of Pop...

Amy Austin | June 25, 2009
Holy Shit, I cannot believe it!

Michael Jackson dead at 50

Lori Lancaster | June 25, 2009
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Tony Peters | June 25, 2009
I'm having a hard time caring that he's gone...

Scott Hardie | June 26, 2009
I'm not saying this to be contrary or morbid, but I don't think it's much of a surprise. A normal death of natural causes at an old age would have been a surprise. The second half of his life has been one long, gradual track wreck in slow motion. Same for Anna Nicole Smith two years ago, same as Amy Winehouse and Britney Spears in the next two years. I was about to write that Gary Coleman is on the list too, but look at Dana Plato.

Like any child of the 80s, I will always have a special place for his music. I also salute his tremendous influence on music and entertainment. (Rock Block trivia: Jackson will forever be the only performer added directly to R10 after the game started.) But "freak" and "pedophile" are the two nasty words that come to mind first when I think of him, as it is for many people, and the gushing tributes that will appear in our media in the next few days are going to have a hard time getting around that.

Samir Mehta | June 26, 2009
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Lori Lancaster | June 26, 2009
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Samir Mehta | June 26, 2009
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Jackie Mason | June 26, 2009
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Samir Mehta | June 26, 2009
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Ryan Dunn | June 26, 2009
Man in the Mirror.

Tony Peters | June 26, 2009
Ok admittedly I was never a fan, coupled with the fact that I think all pedophiles should die a painful death I just don't think we as a planet are any worse off with him gone. No matter what he did no matter what was done to him nothing forgives his sexual proclivities.

Scott Hardie | June 26, 2009
"Beat It," but I liked a bunch of his songs.

Somewhere tonight, Jay Leno is shaking his fists, shouting "Why?! Why did it have to happen when my show is off the air?!"

I can't find the video of it now (although this video is pretty good too), but I can't help but be reminded of the way off-color joke that got Gilbert Gottfried banned from Hollywood Squares. Tom Bergeron asked, "According to a recent interview, what does Michael Jackson do in his spare time?" Gottfriend shrugged and said, "Blows bubbles?"

Amy Austin | June 26, 2009
What Jackie said is basically what I was getting at about the shock factor. And as I said before when Anna Nicole Smith (a bit less surprisingly, imo) died... the fact that someone's life was essentially a "train wreck" and their death somewhat logically pursuant to that catastrophic spectacle doesn't make it any less tragic or diminish the intrinsic value of a human being. Do people living lives of self-destructive chaos die every day? Yeah, sure... and while their families may have seen it coming miles away (and yeah... maybe even contributed, as I believe probably is correct in Joe's case), I doubt they are that much less saddened by it. I'm sure Joe is not happy to outlive one his youngest children, even if he was asshole of a father (maybe even *especially* because of it -- we have no idea what kind of personal demons and/or regrets the man might be living with). The famous just happen to have lots of fans... and more witnesses to the downward spiral that is someone like Anna's, MJ's or even Britney's path to self-annihilation. In the case of Britney and others like her still living, I think people banking on their deaths is even sadder still, and morbid, and a rather grotesque statement about human nature in general that we can be so uncompassionate and desensitized to others' pain... even if it is self-inflicted or way too sensationalized by the media. Regardless of the freak MJ became and/or the likelihood that he was a pedophile, I remain somewhat "shocked and saddened"... and hope that I never lose the ability to feel that way about a death, even in the face of the overwhelmingly and truly annoying media frenzy that inevitably follows.

Scott Hardie | June 26, 2009
Well said, Amy. I am saddened a little by his death, but saddened a lot by his life. Personal demons indeed. Like his father, be probably created more demons in more lives that he touched.

I do believe that certain celebrities are likelier to have an unhappy end, but I don't say it without compassion. Britney Spears in particular does not deserve the horrible glare of the spotlight that she now suffers, but it's a cycle: The crazier she acts, the more new coverage she gets, the more pressure she's under to capitalize on it with a ridiculous new song or performance, the more criticism she gets, the crazier she acts. South Park's great episode about her pretty much sums up the sympathy I have for the mess she's in.

Amy Austin | June 26, 2009
Yeah, I saw that episode and found it surprisingly sympathetic (considering how infamously brutal Matt & Trey can be in their roasting of celebs) to her situation, too. I'd dare to say that it was *the* most sympathetic portrayal I've seen on their show, honestly.

Steve Dunn | June 26, 2009
Jackson 5 - Who's Loving You

Steve West | June 26, 2009
Jackson 5 - The Love You Save

Lori Lancaster | June 26, 2009
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Scott Hardie | June 28, 2009
Nice tribute from Slate...

Amy Austin | June 28, 2009
I always wished I could moonwalk. I remember well being in the fifth grade then and having a classmate who could do it.

(How the hell did that guy in army boots do it so fluidly?!!! Maybe it was Norman!)

Jackie Mason | June 29, 2009
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Lori Lancaster | June 29, 2009
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Scott Hardie | July 9, 2009
Wait a minute... His funeral cost Los Angeles $1.4 million, and now they can't pay for it, and they're asking fans to donate? (link) Who in the hell approved this? I'm sure it's a complex situation and I haven't been paying attention anyway, but there's something very wrong here. If AEG announced that they were going to put it on and didn't ask the city first, then they should foot the bill or be sued. Why not charge for the event, cover the bill for holding it, and give the remaining profit to one of Jackson's numerous charities?

Jackie Mason | July 9, 2009
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