Michael Jackson Dead

[benji]

Normal people yes.

Personally, I find it refreshing when people don't change their opinions on a person when they die. It's why I didn't mind the glee over Reagan, Rehnquist, Hussein, Castro, Kim, etc. dying (or on the path to) in certain circles. (And disliked the round the clock coverage then.)

I think Jackson got a pass on any ills because of the suddenness. Same with that fat broad who married old men I can't remember the name of.

I'm not decrying the "too bad" or even "it's sad" they died. I couldn't give two shits about Jackson or Anna Nicole Smith (that's her name!) but I will miss Billy Mays. It's the unprincipled switch because of hysteria. It was common opinion that Jackson was a pedophile freak, now he's the most important person in modern cultural history. (For the next couple weeks anyway.) With Mays, people are being more realistic I think. The people who found him annoying still do, the people who thought he was awesome still do, but nobody wanted him to die young. Nobody wanted Jackson to go early, but because it's been a media hysteria, they feel like they need to change their opinions. Jackson gets wall to wall cover, and a godawful tribute ceremony. Billy Mays got an hour and half over two weeks on his show, Pitchmen, that was simply the people who knew him talking about him, laughing with him, relating about him. It was infinitely more touching than every half-rate celebrity crawling out of the woodwork to declare their love of Jackson and how him liking KFC was the greatest moment in their life.

Easy example looking at internet forums. A guy falls into a vat of chocolate, or another silly way to go. Lots of funny puns. And we laugh because it is funny. A celebrity like a Ledger or Jackson goes, it's beyond the pale to joke. Ban worthy. We think we know the celebrities because we've worshiped them. And our royalty are dying. We're learning our royalty are mortal. And it makes us question our own since it's in our face.

When someone dies, or otherwise heads down that path to seclusion (since I mentioned Reagan, he's a good example) it's fine to discuss their legacy, their impact, and so on. But when you're sitting around in the wee hours of the night desperately hoping for shots of a body bag coming out of a coroner's office, and prying into any idiot you can get to come on and speculate and ramble, (I saw a graphic "[GUY NOBODY KNOWS] FROM N'SYNC COMMENTS ON JACKSON'S DEATH AND LEGACY" on CNN or Faux) something's wrong with your culture.

And the worst part is, they won't admit why. They'll claim some kind of cultural development, an "impact", and blah blah blah blah. If Andrew Begley dies tomorrow, why does he get whatever his families pays for, and Jackson gets 24/7 coverage for four days and front pages all over? Jackson sold a hundred million albums of music, and spent over two decades causing headlines with his dysfunctions. Andrew Begley probably won't do the former, and I'm sure we can only hope he does the latter. (Because then we get big $$$ on "tell-alls" where we just make up stories. Like the time Andrew came over to my house looking for a cat and peanut butter, and I was like Andrew, what could you ever need that for, and he said, well, you know...)

[Andrew]

I see what you're saying, but I still think part of it is due to the custom of avoiding speaking ill of the recently deceased. That said, with celebrities it's certainly exaggerated to the nth degree.

I can only speak for myself, but while I did enjoy his music and think he was a brilliant entertainer - successful, if nothing else - he had a lot of eccentricities and some very unusual ideas. Maybe he didn't molest any children, but he didn't seem to get why people might think it was strange or unusual for him to share a bed with other people's children. To that end, I would disagree with Al Sharpton's remarks that "There wasn't nothing strange about (Michael Jackson). What was strange was what (Michael Jackson) had to deal with", because there were definitely some oddities about the man. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but he was certainly a unique individual (to put it diplomatically).

I do think it's a shame and some of the details are disturbing to me, but I could honestly say I'd feel that way if I heard those things about most any fellow human being who had passed on. But no question he did bring a lot of the jokes on himself and there certainly was a weirdness to the man we the public saw.

As for whether those jokes should be told now...well, once again everyone's fair game but the jokes aren't fresh, so basically it's capitalising on the shock value of telling jokes that people might say are disrespectful given the circumstances. It's the Family Guy approach to shock humour, not all that shocking anymore and no longer all that humourous. I wouldn't condemn anyone who tells Michael Jackson jokes at this time but I might turn my nose up at such a joke in a Comic Book Guy-ish, armchair comedy critic kind of manner.

[shadowgrin]

It seems most people change their tone when someone dies or becomes terminally ill. I've yet to hear a eulogy that opines someone was a miserable bastard and the world is a better place without them.

That's the eulogy I want if I ever die a horrible shocking death.
I keep telling that to people I know to tell how much a jerk I am if I do die in a horrible manner. Of course I haven't told it yet to people who hate me because I doubt they will go through all that trouble to go to my funeral.

I always see that kind of situation in the news. A man died because he was shot by the police/beaten up by a mob while caught robbing someone/taking a child as hostage, and the family of the recently deceased criminal will cry during the news coverage saying how could that happen since he's really a nice man who was forced by circumstance or poverty to do a crime. They seem to forget that other people are victimized with what that deceased person did and what he did finally caught up to him.

[Jackal]

It seems most people change their tone when someone dies or becomes terminally ill. I've yet to hear a eulogy that opines someone was a miserable bastard and the world is a better place without them.

I'm still alive though.

(Although Repole might think I'm dying. )

[Andrew]

I always see that kind of situation in the news. A man died because he was shot by the police/beaten up by a mob while caught robbing someone/taking a child as hostage, and the family of the recently deceased criminal will cry during the news coverage saying how could that happen since he's really a nice man who was forced by circumstance or poverty to do a crime. They seem to forget that other people are victimized with what that deceased person did and what he did finally caught up to him.

It makes me wonder what was said at Chris Benoit's funeral. There'd obviously be good things to talk about in his professional and personal life, but does it come to a point where you say "He was a fine man...until he snapped, killed his wife and seven year old son over the course of two days before taking his own life"?

[shadowgrin]

Probably regret from family members or close friends for "not being there for him" with whatever that was troubling Benoit.
Blame makes it easier to accept something/someone despite the wrong that person did.

[Andrew]

Good point. And I suppose there's always euphemisms and other colourful ways of getting around the issue in a eulogy.

[Joe the Space Marine]

Seems Latoya found an opportunity to make some money as she is trying to sell the Jacko was killed theory. Ah, graverobbers. Much better if they are family.

[Andrew]

He might've been. Perhaps not intentionally, but his personal physician doesn't sound like much of a doctor, with the improper CPR techniques and pumping him full of painkillers and the like. It can't have helped.

[Dan's Brain]

Instead of chewing gum, chew bacon!

[Andrew]

Hey, did you go to Hollywood Upstairs Medical College too?

[Andrew]

Michael Jackson's death ruled a homicide

Pop star Michael Jackson's death was ruled a homicide from drug overdose on Friday, fueling speculation his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, may soon be charged with manslaughter or another crime.

The Los Angeles County Coroner said in its ruling that the powerful anesthetic propofol, which is used in surgery and has been dubbed "milk of amnesia" by some doctors, as well as the sedative lorazepam were the primary drugs responsible for Jackson's sudden death on June 25 at the age of 50.

Other drugs found in the singer's body were midazolam, diazepam, lidocaine and ephedrine.

Los Angeles police said they will refer the case to prosecutors for possible criminal charges when they have completed a probe into Jackson's death. In previous court filings, police have said Murray, who was with the singer the day he died, was being investigated for manslaughter.

Not altogether surprising given the circumstances surrounding his death and the way Dr Murray went into hiding.

[benji]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... anket.html

ACTOR Macaulay Culkin is the mystery dad of Michael Jackson's son Blanket, it was claimed last night.
The Home Alone film star is said to have donated sperm to help Jacko create his seven-year-old offspring - real name Prince Michael II - with an unknown surrogate mum.

[Al Ka Pwn]

Looks like he was killed after all. Guess I owe Latoya an apology. I saw her in big brother and she is actually quite a cool person. Can't sing for shit, but her boobs are huge.

[shadowgrin]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2614985/Home-Alone-Macaulay-Culkin-is-dad-of-Blanket.html

@ the pic. Jacko is copping a feel of Caulkin's ass.

[el badman]

ACTOR Macaulay Culkin is the mystery dad of Michael Jackson's son Blanket

There's so much wrong with this statement alone, it's hard to know where to begin.

[J@3]

The biggest travesty is that Macaulay Culkin is dating Mila Kunis.

[shadowgrin]

Doobie is agony because of that.

[Patr1ck]

The biggest travesty is that Macaulay Culkin is dating Mila Kunis.

Really? If I meet that bithc I'm hittin. Fuckt hat fag.

[J@3]

The biggest travesty is that Macaulay Culkin is dating Mila Kunis.

Really? If I meet that bithc I'm hittin. Fuckt hat fag.

Quoted for prosperity.

[shadowgrin]

http://twitter.com/OldFunnyJoker/status/17010668602

1yr since Michael Jackson's death, I think it would be appropriate to pause for a moment and think of all those he touched.

[Andrew]

Should've seen that one coming.