It is a shame, much of the past 15 years has been a shame. He became a sad figure – and I mean that in the sense you sort of felt sorry for him, with such a wealth of talent and dearth of normalness.
For those who subscribe to the “troika” theory of celebrity deaths, this makes: Farah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, Michael Jackson as a set.
Well, given that he was a child molester I am little unnerved at all the reverence in the press. His talents were huge though, so I am sad they were wasted on such a man.
Cathymac, while the allegations against Jackson were not substantiated, and very well could have been the work of a gold-digging extortionist, you have proved that you are the sort of pond scum that instantly believes that anyone charged with any salacious act, must, of course, be guilty. After all, that’s the way your TV told you to think.
Only a pea-brained, bigoted, Republican would use the announcement of a fellow citizen’s death to dredge-up the most reprehensible, scandalous charges that were ever made against him.
“Only a pea-brained, bigoted, Republican ”
Not true, pea-brained, bigoted, Democrats do this all the time, even more so than Republicans..
This subject deteriorated with the first comment. For shame!
I for one shall remember him fondly for his music.
I have serious doubts that Jackson ever molested anyone. He did not have anything like a normal childhood, in which we all learn what is and is not socially acceptable. It never occurred to him that there was anything wrong with having children for friends. And who else would like him for who he was, because he was just fun to be around? Only children.
While not wanting to jump on the guy’s grave, I have to say – a bit of a freak, right? Fabulous singer and writer, but also the freak part.
Clairese Lippincott …evidently, your memory isn’t so scornful of Democrats that took over Paul Wellstone’s funeral to make points against Republicans….who Wellstone actually got on very well with. Is it hard being so desperately partisan?? I put the emphasis on desperate, here, Claire…cause it’s kinda pathetic, really.
Leave Michael alone! He made Thriller!
Whatever Clairese, OJ was innocent too, huh? This has nothing to do with being a Republican, and I have a feeling you are using an alias and are probably a regular poster. I ask you Clairese, would you trust your young children with Jackson for the weekend?
If someone chooses to believe that Jackson was just “eccentric” that is their opinion. After the freak show/circus trial a couple years ago and the revelation that there had been previous charges against Jackson, I formed my own opinion. While I feel bad that he had a difficult childhood, I don’t feel bad about saying I think he was a child molester.
OJ was framed.
It is not a political issue, what you think about Michael Jackson. I hope we are all on the same page about that.
I’m sad. I loved his music and I’ll never forget being blown away watching him perform on Motown 25. Cathymac you’re a real class act.
RWK, yes, Thriller was (and still is) a great album. Very difficult to do a successful encore after a blockbuster such as this.
Let’s not forget Farrah, can’t remember how many I knew that had that poster up in their apartments.
zimzo, his best live performance imho was when he performed Billy Jean at the Grammy’s. Electrifying is an understatement..
Zimzo I think we are on the same page about MJ’s achievements, since he was our contemporary and we saw him all the way up, but I think you are being a little disingenuous discounting Cmac’s problems with MJ.
Thriller was in the early 80s. A lot happened since then, of which I am certain most news trickled down to the missile silo.
To wit: In the 1990s, you would not have wanted MJ around your kid. And I mean: you, Zimzo, if your kid had been born then and a candidate to hang out in Neverland. I doubt you would have sent yours to the party.
I believe we need to have a proper RIP for Michael Jackson, but it needs to acknowledge the man in toto.
Farrah gave it hell and fought to the end. The Burning Bed gave people a new perspective of her.
I always thought that it was a shame that Michael didn’t like or love himself enough to be Michael, he was a very attractive person before the knives.
Many years of good dancing.
lets all use big words and try hard to sound smart and informed. just cuz you know and love MJ’s music does not mean you know anything about who he really was.
it is so sad that the king of pop is already dead. we are going to miss him but his music will be remembered forever.
Zimzo, If you read my first post I stated that “His talents were huge though, so I am sad they were wasted on such a man.”
I’m not discounting anything he did as an entertainer, I’m a true 80’s kid and back in the day MJ was one of my favorite singers. When children are exploited it is horrible, and it is my opinion that as an adult he exploited his relationship with more than a few young boys – and that too is unexcusable.
I am not alone in this opinion.
OK, how about this. He was a VERY talented wierd little freak. He was one of the strangest people on the planet . On top of that he allowed his wierdness to over take his life to the point in which he squandered one of the largest fortunes ever amassed by a performer. Estimates have him 150 to 200 million in debt. He is 150 million in the hole and what does he have to show for it ? A closet full of cloths from the Sgt. Pepper album cover, a Ferris wheel and a monkey.
Lots of talent. Lots of weirdness. Lots of drugs. Way to much plastic surgery. Very, very sad outcome for such a gifted man.
Stoner — “squandered”? Hmmm. Seems to me he managed to screw The Man out of $150M.
I’m sorry to say, I think the monkey is dead too.
MJ was a genius, and genius very often tips into unstable.
Farrah was beautiful, inside and out.
I didn’t have much of an opinion on Ed, but (not to disrespect a dead man) my Mom for whatever reason couldn’t stand him. She always said if she ever won the Reader’s Digest Sweepstakes she’d refuse the money because she wouldn’t want to have to talk to Ed McMahon.
Whatever happened to MJ’s child(ren)?
I know he had a child with a white woman that nobody knew anything about – the woman, that is.
Mark Steyn’s take on MJ, as usual – hilarious:
http://www.steynonline.com/content/view/2196/28/
Lovisa,
FOX News discusses your very question :
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529185,00.html
Who really cares ?
All I see are people crying in streets about someone they don’t really know and have likely never actually met.
Others rant about him being a child molester without any real proof.
on
This stuff is classic bandwagon effect/herd instinct where people “do” & “believe” things because a number of other people do and believe the same thing)
Come on people..he was a talented, tragic entertainer, not someone who invented penicillin.
Who cares about his death ? I sure don’t.
What I care about, and what the news story should really be about, is the irrational thought processes of a large portion of the population.
Complain about the President being called Messiah? Then, who in’ell is Michael Jackson? Yesterday there wasn’t a single TV station that didn’t go through the whole frigging thing, starting with the 911 call. People standing on the streets looking at a building?
The heros we have!
Peter Pan and the Piped Piper rolled into one.
Just a tragic life. The importance of childhood should be remembered for everyone.
Michael Jackson is my favorite pop artist ever since i was a child. He is truly the King of Pop and i am saddened by this news.