Power of Pop Culture: Michael Jackson’s Final Makeover
by John NolteTo anyone paying attention, Michael Jackson died sometime before 1989. Tragically, in just a few years following 1982’s “Thriller,” this unbelievably attractive and talented young man had switched races, started down a grotesque road of self-loathing, disfigurement and, through a series of increasingly bizarre antics, lost his status as a star by perfectly meeting my definition of celebrity: One who doesn’t let dignity get in the way of fame. Everything that happened after 1989 was so increasingly off-the-charts those of us who made fun of Elvis probably owe him an apology.
Yesterday’s clampdown of the news media and worldwide outpouring of grief for a man whose narcissism was so complete he had himself buried in a 14-karat gold coffin like some demented, disfigured, predatory pharaoh was nauseating. Sure, celebrate the music, but defying explanation is the lamenting and hushed, effusive praise for the man, a man so indulgent he reportedly left behind $400 million in debt, a man who admitted sharing his bed with young boys, hired a gay porn producer as his personal videographer, dangled a newborn baby over a third-floor balcony and laid out millions for a settlement rather than clear his name of child molestation charges. But there you go. Such is life in Celebrityville where all is forgiven except attempting to hold yourself to a higher moral standing.
Remove that which has nothing to do with an individual’s character – talent and celebrity – and with Jackson you’re left with someone not a single one of those mourners (outside of family, of course) would stand living next door to. Which isn’t to say there isn’t a place for honoring those in the performing arts who bring joy into our lives. Hell, I’m still not over Jack Lemmon’s death and that was eight-years ago. I get all that. To a point.
This past week has been a troubling reminder of the power of pop culture and a leftist news media ready and eager to enable it. How did things get to a point where someone who lived such a grotesque life receives more favorable coverage than a devoted mother and self-made Governor of Alaska?
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186 Comments
I'm still trying to figure out why the headline "Michael Jackson to be buried without his brains" was news. I just kinda assumed that to be the case….
Kind of oxymoronic – since he didn't appear to live with his brain, either.
I've always thought that Michael Jackson was more like a 16th century Turkish sultan, complete with total access to a large coterie of young boys. The fact that the media and MJ's celebrity enablers allowed him to live like this is a complete stain on all parties.
Jackson's funeral had a lot in common with the Paul Wellstone memorial, even more creepy. The deification of this dead kid-toucher was revolting.
I'm equally distrubed by this guy King as well as Jesse Jackson.
Look, is it so hard for us to say: He was a great artist. He made an unparalleled contribution to music.
And at the same time: He had psychological problems. He was a child molester. He was molested as a child himself.
I realize that the overall truth here doesn't neatly fit into the agends of either some on the left or some on the right. But both of these concepts are in fact part of the overall truth.
Why does the recognition of these truths need to be mutually exclusive??!
I'm equally disturbed by this guy King as well as Jesse Jackson.
Look, is it so hard for us to say: He was a great artist. He made an unparalleled contribution to music.
And at the same time: He had psychological problems. He was a child molester. He was molested as a child himself.
I realize that the overall truth here doesn't neatly fit into the agends of either some on the left or some on the right. But both of these concepts are in fact part of the overall truth.
Why does the recognition of these truths need to be mutually exclusive??!
John – I forgive you for a post on a topic that seemingly was exhausted a week ago because of your definition of celebrity. It is a classic and elevates your post to something special. In the meantime, I promise to not comment on this man again (at least I hope so.)
[...] King Campaigns for President of Those Tired of Michael Jackson Coverage John Nolte, Big Hollywood: Power of Pop Culture: Michael Jackson’s Final Makeover My Way: Elephants lumber to Staples before Jackson service Clinging to G & G: A final rest [...]
[...] act GayPatriot: Michael Jackson Memorial Circus & Real Heroes John Nolte, Big Hollywood: Power of Pop Culture: Michael Jackson’s Final Makeover The Thinker: Even in death… Cometh At Midnight: Michael Jackson’s Memorial Brent Baker, [...]
I didn't watch any of the coverage, it was just too grotesque. I can understand the desire to pay tribute to a great entertainer, but even without the weirdness, it would seem over-the-top to me. But then, why should I be surprised that the media continues its lionization of backward values?
But the fact is, there was a lot of weirdness there and yet in death, that's completely glossed over. He goes from being "wacko Jacko" to a misunderstood artist. I see clips of Brooke Shields making strange comments about Michael being perched on a crescent moon. Um, huh? Then, you have a child who spent most of her life with a scarf over her head suddenly on stage making a statement in front of the world. The weirdness continues.
I truly don't understand any of this. I don't understand why the black community is making such a point of saying "he's ours" when it appears Michael went out of his way to abandon what he came from. He "married" white women, had white children and did the best he could to erase his skin color and ethnicity. And don't even get me started on his "relationships" with little boys. Why would any culture want to embrace any of that?
[...] James Hudnall, Big Hollywood: My Disturbing Michael Jackson Experience John Nolte, Big Hollywood: Power of Pop Culture: Michael Jackson’s Final Makeover Jude, Big Hollywood: On Michael Jackson TVNewser: TV News Devotes 28 Hours to Michael Jackson; 93% [...]
Nailed it John, nailed it.
I too have been bothered by the adoration of this child molesting pervert … but honestly at this point I'm just glad that he won't be able to hurt anyone else (even if he seems to have been "pardoned" for the damage he already caused).
grotesque life receives more favorable coverage than a devoted mother and self-made Governor of Alaska?
Because he is a reflection of the sick people that live in Hollywierd and Palin is the exact oposite of the perverts that live there. Also he is or was Black.
Mr. Nolte, I appreciate your post, and agree 100%. But the best way to express your opinion on that human train wreck is to ignore him entirely. No more articles, no more comments.
For everyone's sake, please: no more.
Great op-ed piece, John! You nicely captured my sentiment regarding the media hoopla over the demise of Michael Jackson.
I was a funeral director and embalmer for several years. I have been envolved with enough funerals to know that everyone becomes a saint when they die, unless their family hated them.
Rarely are those who are close (or who wanted to be) able to assess the totality of the person they mourn.
I am reminded of the man whose obituary told of his work with children and his love of animals. They omitted the part about his having been an executed murderer of young children.
It is par for the course, but rarely is the delusion on the international level. We just witnessed the rewriting of history and are powerless to stop it.
How did things get to a point where someone who lived such a grotesque life receives more favorable coverage than a devoted mother and self-made Governor of Alaska?
Favorable? The lurid details of Jackson's life have been robustly detailed -and dutifly repeated by the Crypto-Marxist-Em-Ess-Em well before his body even made it to the ambulance. Curse their bias when they take a moment to reflect on his passing while the most powerful woman in Alaska takes a “different, more effective path” by quitting her job.
You totally nailed it, John. Celebrating what someone created is fine, but this thing where everybody in the media is doing a 180 on his character and, uh, "extracurricular" activities is totally disgusting and shameless. But again, this is typical of an industry run by people with no morals or shame. And as long as people feed this beast, it'll stay around for a long, long time.
I remember being in 5th grade in Tucson and our d.a.r.e officer invited a local news anchor to come to school and tell us about his job and what the news business was like. What it actually turned into was him getting visibly angry about his job, telling us not to trust the news media because they will put out whatever lies and garbage they want, and that they have no regard for the viewers at all…that they have an agenda and that they will always push that in any way they can. And this was from a guy we saw every night at 6pm. I don't know, that guy's visit always stuck with me.
I love the quote from The Onion A.V. Club on the funeral: "If you have to say at a funeral that there wasn't anything strange about the deceased, there was definitely something strange about the deceased."
I always loved the Onion story about how Jackson's corpse was found at Neverland Ranch and no one had any clue "who – or what" it was that was living there now: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/neverland_ra...
what we have here is Pagan Idolatry 101…
Jackson was a fine and gifted entertainer who brought joy to millions worldwide. No doubt there. He was a troubled man-child who had only his wealth to comfort him. Ditto. His death should both be mourned and remembered.
But we stop short of the hero worship/whitewash that elevates this flawed human to idol status…
Google has put an ad for Michael Jackson in the sidebar with a pic of him as a pre/early-teen. I keep scrolling back and forth from that image to the one of older Michael in this article, wondering how and why but not really wanting to know. John, I think you're right that "Michael Jackson died sometime before 1989."
I read somewhere that most of the Jackson Family was in sad financial shape. It didn't take them long to glom onto MJ's agenda and make it their own. I understand they are trying to take over his concerts with a tour de force. How long will it take this to fall on its a$$? People want Micheal, and unless they can resurrect him, or hologram him, none of it will fly
For our conspiracy nuts, how long will it take to have an MJ sighting? He didn't die, he just had to take his misunderstood anomolies underground. Ask Elvis, he's been slinging hash at Waffle House for thirty years.
Why would we want to see coverage about a woman who just quit her job? Everything she promised and said to get elected didn't mean a thing, and she just quits without explanation because she wants to go and do something else. Naw, we'll wait and see the real media coverage on this adorable mother when her skeletons come out of the closet and the media has field day with her. You can best believe that it's coming too….
ewww.. brings new meaing to "Turkish Delight"
because perhaps 40 million people are knocked out by her? And after 17 ethics probes (and 17 acquittals)
one suspects no skeletons exist anywhere-
Much to your detriment…
[...] is the original post: Power of Pop Culture: Michael Jackson’s Final Makeover Tags: entertainment, hollywood, Michael Jackson Death, Michael Jackson Died, [...]
Wait.. did you say 14 karat gold coffin?
Scuse me all, I'm off on another "archeological" expedition.
*grabs shovel and heads to California*
You can't blame the leftist Media when Fox News was covering it too. I don't know which was worse, the coverage or the people complaining about the coverage. Michael Jackson was a worldwide musical ICON whether people want to admit it or not. Its no secret that America is a celebrity obsessed culture. People can shut off their TVs and get their news from other outlets (newspapers, radio, internet) for topics they are interested in (other than MJ).
Has there ever been a more concerted political hit-job as the one directed at Sarah Palin? I've never seen anything like it.
The great thing about capitalism is that anyone with a better idea and the drive to achieve it, can.
We should be thankful for many things.
First that we have our freedom of speech so that we can speak up against the glorification of the worst amongst us. Jackson would fit in that category if the child molestation accusations are true.
Second that we still are a capitalist society and we have people willing to put the time, effort, and expense into giving others an alternate forum to express their thoughts. Big Holywood is a great place to air those alternative viewpoints.
And lastly, that we have people who understand that to win a war of ideas, you must successfully engage those you wish to "convert", and show them the world as it could be. Hollywood isn't one cohesive organism. It is a group of diverse people. As more people are "won" over, the louder the chorus will be and hopefully, one day the time will come when we do not glorify the worst in us.
Yeah, that Arkansas Project thingy was just run out of some guys garage..
Wasn't he a devoted father? And, no offense to the wonderful people of Alaska, but isn't the governor of Alaska honestly less important than someone who was able to create something that touched billions of people on this planet, even as far away as Afghanistan and Japan? Jackson's music helped open up China to the west because he was the first Western artist they listened to and they wanted to hear more. Without China today, America would have no cash and no products. An argument could be made, that strange or not, Jackson is far more important than Sarah Palin ever was or will be. And I have a mostly favorable opinion of Sarah Palin.
I agree. It takes a while for the legacy to become accurate. He'll probably end up being remembered like Elvs- Great musican/entertainer, weird guy and there will be costumed MJ's like the flying Elvises from here on out.
The line starts here!
Yeah, went real well.
Scaife should have taken some lessons from Soros
And the media never supported Bill Clinton. They never attempted to make Lewinsky look like an opportunistic you-know-what. The media support of Sarah Palin is exactly the same as it was for Bill Clinton.
I don't even think I need to mention the sarcasm intended here.
very pithy…
ahhh I smell a Mad Mad Mad Mad World type cross country race afoot!
Oh but the second half of truth is slander and didn't really happen…. at least that's what his apoligists are saying… in addition to him having been acquited (to which I say so was O.J. but we all know he did it)…
Lack of self esteem? For a group that has so much to be proud of, the reclamation of Jackson seems wierd to me as well.
All I know is I am STILL waiting for 30 minutes of news coverage that doesn't mention Michael Jackson even once…
Need a lift?
Will be?
Elvis has achieved kitsch status, MJ is still too odd to be a fun costume
Get in, sit down, strap up, shut up and hold on!
hey, I may be a liberal troll here, but I'm NOT with the Michael Jackson apologists. I'm a definite fan of his music (the older stuff tho) BUT: They are seriously risking do our society a massive diservice by trying to sweep MJ's issues under the rug.
Jackson was both a pedophile and a victim. This must be recognized and included in the healthy conversation about how we, as a society (and as communities, as parents, as educators, etc) , all need to improve how we protect our children.
Really? How many newspapers does Soros own?
For a bunch who like to portray yourselves as self-reliant warrior types, you sure like to whine a lot.
"This past week has been a troubling reminder of the power of pop culture and a leftist news media ready and eager to enable it. How did things get to a point where someone who lived such a grotesque life receives more favorable coverage than a devoted mother and self-made Governor of Alaska?
Nailed it.
How about I bring the back-hoe?
Was he a devoted father? We don't know what happened behind closed doors. He was almost certainly a child molester, at best he overstepped boundaries when it came to children (having kids sleep in his bed, etc.). Children often will cling to the father figure that they do have, even if severely flawed, especially if there is no other for them to turn to.
Is Jackson more popular, more celebrated than Sarah Palin? Has he had a greater impact on the world? Yes. But does that make him MORE IMPORTANT? No. Palin seems to be a wonderful mother, who actually bothered to make sure that her children have a stable, two-parent home. Did Jackson bother to provide a mother to his children? No. And now they are essentially orphans. Will Jackson be remembered longer? Yes. But which is more important, the impact of celebrity, or the impact of a mother's love on her children? Which is more important in the end?
Indeed. It seemed that everyday you had to get to pages 7 or 8 of the newspapers just to know who Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones or Vince Foster was. If only Sarah Palin toed the line for the MSM and forego the aerial hunting expeditions or not disclose who "real Americans" were at a public campagin rally.
owns: zero
controls: NY Times, LA Times, Newsweek, Time- and gets a pass from The Economist because of Malloch Brown, his toady and a former editor there… how much criticism have you seen of Soros in those periodicals?
Very little, if any…
Naturally, Joel McHale and The Soup completely destroyed the networks and their coverage. The worst was the title sequence from a "very special Today Show" (echoes of Blossom) shot at Neverland Ranch which looked more like the opening of a soap opera.
And Bruce W. in the comments above is right – Fox is just as guilty as the others in this.
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, a grave robbin we will go.
Sheesh. No actual rebuttal so you go straight to insults. Typical troll.
Soros has committed billions to forwarding his agenda. When Bush was in office he said getting Bush out of office was the "central focus of his life." (Washington Post). Forbes lists him as the 29th wealthiest person in the world– he can buy as many newspapers as he wants. But why bother? He already has as much media support as he needs.
Speaking of whining. I notice that Obama frets quite a bit over every negative word Fox News says about him. Bush was raked over the coals daily, and I never heard him complaining– certainly not as much in his eight years as we've already heard from "the One."
What truly frightens me is that all of the coverage had HUGE ratings. I heard a comment along the way from a news guy – the coverage is what the viewers wanted. As long as the viewers stick, we'll have to suffer. yeesh.
Do you really want to start comparing the media's treatment of Clinton vs. Palin?
How about his gem from Nina Burleigh– a supposed feminist and contributor for "Time" magazine in an interview for the "Washington Post."
"I would be happy to give him a blowjob just to thank him for keeping abortion legal. I think American women should be lining up with their presidential kneepads on to show their gratitude for keeping the theocracy off our backs."
Can you find anything like that in support of Palin in a mainstream publication?
well said and done…
Next will be the billion "tell-all" books from everyone who ever knew him.
Imagine, if you will, the following exchange between, say, a young Tiger Woods, and his late father Earl Woods (God rest his soul):
….Child: What is… Irreverent?
Dad: Al Sharpton
….Child: What is a Glory hound?
Dad: Al Sharpton
….Child: What's an Arse?
Dad: Al Sharpton
….Child: What is a Bottom feeder?
Dad: Al Sharpton
….Child: What is a Racist?
Dad: Al Sharpton
….Child: What's an Opportunist?
Dad: Al Sharpton
….Child: What is a Blowhard?
Dad: Al Sharpton
….Child: What is a Megalomaniac?
Dad: Al Sharpton
….Child: What's an Egotist?
Dad: Al Sharpton
….Child: What is a Narcissist?
Dad: Al Sharpton
The whole thing has been weird. The pubic has always been intrigued with weird things. I don't hold this whole issue against the media or the huge amount of people who watched it as being a big deal. Palin will continue to be in the news(run Sarah run) but MJ is done. Except for the sightings which will soon start to happen.
On my <a href'="http://ccexm.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-michael-jackson-could-have-helped.html> blog I suggested how Jackson could have teamed with Arnold to help California's budget trouble by having his memorial and burial at the state capital.
For all the fervor that took place one would have thought that Christ had died instead of a singer/dancer with a checkered past. As I pointed out in a response to Palin's resignation – this has more to do with collective ignorance and lack of thought as well as our obsessive need to touch on something we consider important. Sad!
Absolutely. We've all heard it about five million times by now.
PLEASE. SHUT. THE. F__K. UP. ABOUT. MICHAEL. F__KING. JACKSON.
Pretty interesting profession man. Are you in a different field now?
By way of full disclosure I did not watch any of the MJ memorial "service" or the various "specials" that have been on during the last week. I have only seen bits and pieces on local newscasts or on the web. Hopefully all of this will die down in the next couple of weeks now that the Jackson family, Rev. Jackson, Rev. Sharpton and all those thousands of "close friends" have gotten their face time and fulfilled their own agendas. No offense to anyone out there but the reaction of a large percentage of Michael Jackson fans borders on the demented. I was a huge fan of Johnny Cash and was sorry to see him go but I got over it the next day. Several people have pointed out this is truly our "Princess Di" moment. The outpouring of grief (both real and simulated) seems to fulfill some deep national need but I'll be damned if I know what that need is.
"white wash" hee hee!
John…I agree with everything you said with one correction. The casket was not 14k gold. It is a Batesville Casket Co. top of the line. It's called The Prometheum. Same one James Brown had. They only make 50 of them a year. Its a full couch which means it doesn't open in 2 halves. Very popular with African-americans and east coast Italians. I think because you can see the shoes. Anyway, its made of bronze, 100 hours of hand buffing and polishing (hence the "gold" look.) It's done in its own dust free, air conditioned room at the factory by a guy in a dust and static free suit. Very nice, very pricey…retail $25,000. Anybody would be proud to be seen dead in it. I know these things. I am The Funeral Guy. whttp://www.thefuninfuneral.blogspot.com
yeah Homeland Security/FEMA type stuff.
In my trivails as an undertaker, I worked for a medical school for a while. Let me just say that if you did for recreation what what I got paid to do, you'd be in prison.
Government contracting pays better but is much more boring.
lack of self-esteem; yes!
http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient&am...
If 10 sources aren't enough, I'll add links to the second and third page.
dcase nor you can't provide a rebuttal to my arguement, namely that Soros does not have direct access to media in the same manner that dysfunctional billionaires like Richard Scaife have (or for that matter, Rupert Murdoch, the "Reverend" Sun Myung Moon- whom of which did not exactly give the Clenis a free pass) then you baselessly assert Soros "controls" the Times, Newsweek, etc.
Proof? Is Soros even a majority shareholder in any of those media outlets? How does the Great Liberal Boogeyman control the editorial board?
"Bush was raked over the coals daily, and I never heard him complaining-"
Nah, never.
People are dying in Iran, so are our soldiers in Afghanistan, Palin resigned, Billy Mays and Karl Malden died. Yet it's Jacko 24/7. A junkie pedophile gets treated like a saint by mostly media whores and the leeches who sponged off him.
Right now he is being lionized. But time and many stories that will come out will chip away at this statues feet of mud.
your post was actually quite amazing. Pretty ominous, too.
Probably a reality show with said plot comes out next year. Rev. Al hosts…
it is all about the money with these folks. as long as they were getting a paycheck, they let this sick freak molest and self-destruct.
And recently unreleased studio tracks. This'll be like the pop version of Tupac.
OK. I could easily take the opposite position on this. But I read it with an open mind, and I have to admit there were times that I was reading to cuss at ya, but most of the time I was nodding, thinking, "he has a point." Then I get to the very end, and you justify all this with a reference to the absolutely STUPIDEST person to ever run for office. This woman would've been President in a couple of years. And the end of the world theory for 2012 would've probably been moved up thanks to that dim wit. You want us to agree with you when you yourself support that moron? I know my comment here probably discredits me since I am using such bad terms to describe her, but I'm not the one writing a "serious" article. Unless of course this was meant as a joke, in which case, touché Mr. Nolte. I know you proabaly won't even read this so it doesn't really matter anyway.
y'know we missed that- freudian slip as it were…
I guess one solution is to make it a law that Sarah Palin's resignation receive more media attention than the death of Michael Jackson. I have not seen one supermarket tabloid with her on the cover. Unacceptable.
No human being is worthy of idolatry.
"…definition of celebrity: One who doesn’t let dignity get in the way of fame." Ha ha ha…perfect.
John — a great, truly great article. And so glad you wrote this. My head was about to explode with this past week's A Nation Brought To Its Knees sob-a-thon, but yesterday's media pageant was almost too much. Your talent for salient incision as well as concision are truly immense. Well done, my friend.
"Great artist," "unparalleled contribution to music?" C'mon.
Ray Charles was great artist who made an unparalleled contribution to music. Ditto James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and Hank Wiliams — and of those still among us — Bob Dylan and Chuck Berry.
Michael Jackson is simply NOT in their class in terms of artistry, creativity or lasting influence.
Sure Jackson's output was brilliantly marketed, but it was nothing more than bland pop tunes and over-produced dance tracks.
BTW, I liked the Jackson 5 — "I Want You Back" is one of the best records of all time. But MJ on his own…you can have him.
I did not watch ANY of the coverage. I did briefly see a still photograph of the Jackson family together on a newscast and at least one of them (couldn't tell which one) had on a sequined glove. I thought that was just pathetic. Now, I hear today that Jermaine is going to try to revive HIS solo career. These leeches, along with Sharpton and his ilk, will milk this death for every single nickle, while elevating this sad, depraved man to the status of MLK. It is official – the world has lost it's collective mind. I hate to say it, but the same kind of uninformed, uneducated, and easily malleable morons that think Obama is God are the same kind bawling in the streets over Micheal Jackson. It is at the same time sad, and frightening.
Why look for skeletons in her closet? The Dems and their cronies in the MSM seem to be doing fine just making skeletons up.
They're already supposedly seen his ghost while on a tour of Neverland. Larry King's program.
I did some further checking with the company. Casket does have some gold plating. My bad.
I did some further checking with the company. Casket does have some gold plating. My bad. Unfortunately, I've never sold one. LOL.
Did you miss that "danging his baby over the rail?" Good grief. His kids should've been removed from his custody at that point. Good father, my rump.
Heh, I bet you spent some time hunting that one down. Given the sheer volume of grief Bush got from the media, those instances could have– and should have– been far more frequent. Pew Research has some interesting stats comparing coverage of Obama, Clinton and Bush. Not surprisingly, Bush comes in last. The only surprise was the overwhelmingly favorable coverage Obama has gotten in comparison to Clinton. Of course, the media is no longer even trying to pretend it's objective…
Heh, I bet you spent some time hunting that one down. Given the sheer volume of grief Bush got from the media, those instances could have– and should have– been far more frequent. Pew Research has some interesting stats comparing coverage of Obama, Clinton and Bush. Not surprisingly, Bush comes in last. The only surprise was the overwhelmingly favorable coverage Obama has gotten in comparison to Clinton. Of course, the media is no longer even trying to pretend it's objective…
I've been thinking a bit about Michael Jackson (who could miss him these days). When I heard about his autopsy – bald, skeletal frame, etc.. the image of Tolkien’s creature popped into my head. I thought, this guy became a real life Gollum. He began much like Sméagol, a healthy and apparently normal individual. But he gave in to his worst desires and his narcissism transformed him into the bizarre creature that died last week. His “precious” was fame, wealth and self indulgence. He is a lesson for us all.
Michael Jackson owns a place amoung those you list, and he wrote more of his own music than several on your list. and on top of that, he could dance like none of them.
as far as his superiority there… ah, just look at the sales figures. that's a valid criteria- this is pop music we're talking about. the volumes are mind blowing.
or maybe its because he sold a gazillion records?
"Remove that which has nothing to do with an individual’s character – talent and celebrity – and with Jackson you’re left with someone not a single one of those mourners (outside of family, of course) would stand living next door to."
How right you are, John. Look at that picture and tell me he doesn't look like Richard Ramirez.
P.S. I'm sooo tired of hearing about Mike's "unparalleled" contributions to music. What bulls**t. Mozart, Bach, Beethoven…those guys are unparalleled musical geniuses. Mike was simply an entertainer, a completely different thing. Once the current wave of nostalgia passes, his ditties will be relegated to the dustbin of history where they've already been languishing for the past twenty years.
yes. thankyou.
Pppllllllllleeeeeeeeezzzzzzzeeeeeee
NO MORE MICHAEL JACKSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John Nolte- "How did things get to a point where someone who lived such a grotesque life receives more favorable coverage than a devoted mother and self-made Governor of Alaska?"
What a way to put it.
We don't know what happened behind closed doors. He was almost certainly a child molester, at best he overstepped boundaries when it came to children (having kids sleep in his bed, etc.).
You actually put those two sentences back to back and continued with no regard to it's irony? Wow, just WOW.
Sigh.
Yet another comment of mine that has to be approved by the site admin.
This one will probably not make it though. Are the rest of you getting these, or are "they" watching me?
I'm sorry, maybe I'm not catching on here. What exactly is the irony? I was saying we don't know what happened behind closed doors. He was probably a child molester, if not, he DID do really inappropriate things like having sleepovers and such.
Get ready! It's coming! The Japanese will be making a Michael Jackson robot! It walks, it sings and comes with white dye and multiple noses1 The fans will go wild! The new Michael robot package also will include little boy robots and a special room mockup to make the set complete. The entire package is nicknamed 'Thriller' and HSC will be the first to market. I personally think NeverLand should be renamed NeverMore Land, quote the Jackson. Can you say SLIMEY??
I get at least one a day.
Jackson 5 -1 =4 still out there. Daddy Joe must be proud. He created some of the most dysfunctional people on the planet. It amazes me how slimey that whole mess is. Yet the adulation is enough to make most sane people sick.
Average singer, good dancer, but way over the hill.
Creepy and wierd and likely a pedophile.
Wow, lets make him a saint. The standards are low in the AA community I guess.
Thank you, thank you jackinmaine! I read all the posts here before I said the same thing, and just read yours, and you summed up my thoughts nicely.
I woke up to MJ on the news. I had lunch and it was MJ in the news. I came home from work and the news was ALL MJ. I am sick up to my eyeballs with this guy.
May tomorrow find no, none, zero blogs on BH dedicated to this sicko. Please, BH- no more.
it isn't a financial control; it is an ideological mindset- they are seeking the same thing, so therefore they are the house organs of the Open Society Institute. Scaife at least is a US citizen unlike Soros. So this is just disputing ownership versus editorial control.
And Bush never did complain…
Princess Dianas Memorial was 10X the cost of Winston Churchills…
Who knows how more expensive Mj's Funeral is going to be vs. Reagan…
Shit…
Totally agreed. It's ok to say he was monumentally talented as an artist – but also is ok to say he was monumentally troubled as a person. You can, as he and many others have obviously proven, be both those things.
Confession TIme: I'm old. I remember as a child my parents played Spade Cooley records–records were those discs that you used to listen to music before 8 tracks, cassettes, and CD's. One day I asked my mother if I could play one of his records, "swinging on the devil's gate." "Nope. We don't have any of his records any more," she answered. I asked her why and she said, "He did some bad things and we aren't going to play his music again."
Now, Spade Cooley was no Michael Jackson–but very few consumers are "my mother" any more, either.
I wish I could remember what that guy's name was. I vividly remember him pointing at us and saying "They don't give a tinker d**n about what you think!" and all of us looking at eachother and being mildly freaked out because we weren't used to someone talking like that at school.
On that note, I don't really know what unit of measurement a "tinker d**n" is, however I'm guessing it's pretty small.
There's the next Indy movie…"Indiana Jones and The Casket of the Neverland King".
Actually, that ain't half bad…maybe I should start writing a screenplay…
Michael Jackson died??
the thing that keeps her in the spotlight is not her 'cracking down and learning at the national level' nonsense- it is the relentless and basically evil attacks aginst her that hack off her fans and keep even modestly interested parties (us?) completely on her side…
You can say it's backfiring.
It can't be any worse than the "Crystal Skull".
"How did things get to a point where someone who lived such a grotesque life receives more favorable coverage than a devoted mother and self-made Governor of Alaska?"
Amen to that! Proof once again of the insanity of this country.
There may have been a hint of whine in an earlier comment about the analog to digital, my not paying for cable/satellite, etc., and the poor, if at all, reception. Update: no exposure….I'm clean. Oh, there are remnants of a memory of wasting too much time watching a white bronco, but that was so long ago. Oh, feeling nostalgic…maybe I'll pull up a Rick Astley or Bobbie Brown music video on You Tube. B Brown had that square hair thing going.
Wait, was that a solid 24k coffin, or 24k leaf?
You really are a funeral guy. I thought you were just shaking my tree over a detail.
Ha. Thanks for commenting.
"Yes. But which is more important, the impact of celebrity, or the impact of a mother's love on her children?"
The impact, of course.
No one really remembers reliably if the Pharoahs were nice guys or not, but the pyramids are still there all the same. So long as Jacko's music is still on the radio 50 years from now, Michael the Icon will still be remembered mostly-fondly while everything he ever did or didn't do as a mere human will be background noise – the rough equivalent of JFK's philandering or Sinatra's mob ties. You don't have to LIKE that that's the way it is, but that's the way it is.
If I may, John…
aren't you sorta going against your own point just by making it here? If Jackson "wasn't worth all the coverage," then he's certainly not worth YOUR time commenting on it, no? Just for example: I *know* that World Cup Soccer is the biggest sporting-related "thing" on the planet Earth. And it's not like I'm insulated from it – my 'hood is predominantly immigrant – soccer is ALL AROUND ME. But I don't care about Soccer. At all. Not one bit. The only POSSIBLE way I can imagine caring about soccer is if Peter Jackson made a movie about a soccer match played by a team of talking/joke-telling monkeys against a team of topless Italian and Japanese supermodels on the moon. And even then, I'd probably wait for DVD.
(continued)
(continued)
Point is: Y'know what I don't do about soccer? Blog about it
Because I literally, honestly, truly do not care. It doesn't matter to me, one way or the other. You, obviously, DO care about MJ and the MJ phenomenon – just like what seems to be MOST of the country. I'm sorry, but this ain't one you can pin on "the media" or "the left." The folks, the common-man, "THE PEOPLE" are, were and ever will be fascinated by Jacko – thats where the coverage is coming from. If – to use your example – Palin "mattered" to America as much as this oddball did, McCain would be president right now 
I thought he was studying eastern meditation in the Kalamazoo K-Mart in between joyrides with his buddies from the Alpha Zeta quadrant.
That's it. it's another Shovel Ready project set to go. Both Red Square and Obama will be pleased.
I suppose that they could have had his gold plated but it's interesting that a normal person gets polished bronze for the same price. Believe me when you see it, it looks gold.
Also, now that I think about t alerting the media that it is a "14k gold casket" would just add to the hype. Hard to imagine the The Jackson family wanting to do that…hmmmmmm? Why wouldn't the media double check that claim? Maybe cause it was to good to check. Just a thought.
Ever heard of Occum's Razor? Prepare to get a little jujitsued politically:
The MSM realized they had smeared Michael Jackson with false allegations about child molestation, and their attempt to deify him is to pay penance for the damage the did.
And as for the allegations of child molestation, take a look into the mind of the father of the first accuser who was given this $22 million extortion price. Evidence came out that he had planned to use his other children as bargaining chips if he failed at successfully getting Jackson prosecuted. Most likely, Jackson would have been acquitted anyway due to the lack of evidence, but because Jackson was the naive man-child that he was, he didn't know how to deal with extortion and predatory John Edwards-style trial lawyers.
If anything, this predatory father (who also happens to be a dentist, if that were not enough) is the one truly responsible for ruining and murdering Michael Jackson. Yes, I said murdering. His actions set off a chain of events that led to the ultimate death of Jackson, essentially becoming a long-term murder that was carried out for a period of 14 years. But if I know the mind of Michael Jackson, he will come back from beyond the grave to haunt this, how should I say it… "basterd in a basket", so to speak. Perhaps the ghost of Michael Jackson will use ghost dentistry equipment to scare the living daylights out of Dr. "Basterd-in-a Basket" by pretending to drill a hole through his guts. Only then will the Thriller have the last laugh because Michael Jackson was and always will be… The Thriller.
Then again, he may go over to the ghost of Vincent Price to ask him to laugh for him.
Indeed. I like things nailed down. Nolte's good at it.
But, uhhhh, dude…
You just DID "blog about soccer".
By the way, I would SOOOO buy that soccer movie of yours. I'd even invest in a Blue Ray.
Dude…
I'm old. But who the heck was "Spade Cooley"?
We got Jesse Jackson's speech here, http://stopthepresses2.blogspot.com/search/label/...
Forget comparisons to Wolfgang Amadeus and Ludwig van, he doesn't belong in the considerably less prestigious pantheon of pop performers (BTW, I'm no music snob –I love pop, rock, soul, country, and R&B in all their various forms.)
The biggest lie however, is all this nonsense about Jackson being the first pop singer to have broad appeal across racial lines. The majority of the "founding fathers" of rock'n'roll were black (which makes sense, considering the music evolved from R&B and the blues). All those white kids at the sock hop were boppin' to Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, and a couple hundred black doo-wop groups. (continues)
It was CHILD ABUSE that the Jackson's family forced Paris (the daughter) to proclaim her love for her "father" Michael Jackson at the photo op so-called Memorial. Next will come all the People Magazine covers of Paris giving interviews on her childhood under the veil as MJ's daughter. All CHILD ABUSE.
(continued)
Until the late '60s/early '70s, when the market fragmented (for lots of reasons requiring much more space to discuss), pop/rock radio was probably the most racially integrated insititution in America. You'd hear the Beatles, Otis Redding, the Beach Boys, James Brown, the Stones, Aretha Franklin, the Beach Boys, the Four Tops, the Kinks, and Little Stevie Wonder all on the same radio station.
To hear it told now, we were all locked in little musical ghettoes until the Glorious King of Pop appeared. Yeah, right.
He had a country western band and he had an affair with a married woman–I think. I don't know much more. Look him up on the internet.I haven't ever heard much of him since he was banned from my childhood–I did hear they were going to make a movie about him at one time. My parents also listened to Sinclair something's Polka Parade when I was a kid, too. (Hey, we can't be held responsible for either or parents' or our kids' tastes in music, right?)
All of which will be in the "dollar bin" at Wal-Mart a year after their release.
funny you should mention that. I'm currently working on an Independant film entitled: "Hank Danger and the Space Mummy's Tomb". Webisodes should be viewable online near the end of next month or early September.
and no, I don't play Hank Danger. We actually have a good looking young guy for that role.
They RAPED him I tell you! George and Steve raped Indy!
ohh the horror!
Awesome! I get to dip into the porkulus package money!
You're not a troll. Regardless if we disagre, you can make a cogent arguement, and that's well appreciated. Besides, where would a Jew like me be without someone to argue with?
yu gotta be kidding?????
Ray Charles was definitely The MAN!
Wow. Thanks for sharing all that.
Seriously. It gives me the insight I was previously lacking in trying to comprehend all the wackjobs that have come out of the woodwork during the past week's media-orchestrated festivities.
Are you that overweight, middle-aged man I saw hanging over the barrier and crying as Michael's final entourage passed by?
By the way, M.J. could have slept with my son for 22 million. We'd have split the money. But just because the kid's father was a creep, it doesn't mean that the allegations were therefore not true. Work on your logic.
Dude.. when you say stuff like that, you should use a Vincent Price impersonation.
it's about 0.05 of a gosh darn. measured metrically of course.
the only reason the media didn't service Clinton as much or adoringly as they did Obama is because Clinton already had interns to take care of that for him.
the only reason the media didn't service Clinton as much or adoringly as they now do Obama is because Clinton already had interns to take care of that for him.
Latest report, MJ's ghost was seen running away from Elvis' ghost who could be heard screaming.. YOU DID WHAT WITH MY DAUGHTER???!!!
Dang that's pricey! Glad I've already paid for the cheap Viking Funeral option. Much cheaper: got the row boat, kindling and lighter fluid all ready for that final day on the shores here at Lake Michigan. Even picked up a bunch of horned helmets and drinking horns for the guests wholesale.
A metaphor with a lesson we all should heed.
A metaphor with a lesson we all should heed.
a personal favorite of mine has always been Scott Joplin
a personal favorite of mine has always been Scott Joplin, but then I'm a piano player.
it happens to me as well. I'm guessing it gets triggered automatically.
Personally I enjoy Wierd Al Yankovick's "Polka Party", which I am sure will be fuel for my son's embarassment when he reaches his teen years.
I just realized who Michael Jackson reminds me of: That child-stealing candy man in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. That guy STILL gives me the creeps, and I'm 44!
Old hollywood elites never die. They just melt away…
14 K, and a bunch of us are making a roadtrip to go dig it up. Wanna join the fun?
Actually there is an older movie about soccer already out there: "Victory" with Michael Cain, Sylvester Stallone and featuring my childhood soccer hero Pele. It's more of a WWII movie really, but soccer is central to the story.
OH, and I would buy your soccer movie too. You should write the screenplay outline and pitch it to Peter Jackson.
Brook Shield's comments were very heart felt about someone she hadn't seen since 1991. She was asked to speak simply because she could be used to showcase the previous MJ, before surgery and before his pedophilic activities became common knowledge. I lost some respect for Ms. Shields for her participation in this.
"I am reminded of the man whose obituary told of his work with children and his love of animals. They omitted the part about his having been an executed murderer of young children." – Oh yeah, he LOOOVED children and small animals – especially with mashed potatoes and gravy and a side of greens. But you're spot-on about how people become saints when they die; witness the cult for Joe Stalin that exists TO THIS DAY in Russia.
OK LETS GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY – Michael Jackson was acquitted of all ALLEGATIONS of child molestation by an ALL WHITE jury. No other child coaberated the allegations and no evidence was ever found to directly prove anything illegal went on with children at Neverland with children or anywhere else. Nothing. I'm a Republican so I don't subscribe to the VERY LIBERAL mantra that the facts don't matter, its just the seriousness of the charge. But some of you are and that's a shame.
Was Michael strange? Yes. Did he live an odd lifestyle? Yes. Did he have sleepovers with young children? Yes. Boys and Girls. Does that make him a pedophile? No. Did that make him gay? No. He dated woman, he married two women, he had sex with Lisa Marie Presley. All that is fact. Did he disfigure himself because he thought he was ugly and looked like his father? Yes. Does that make him a pedophile? No. Did Michael need therapy? Certainly. Was Michael a serial contract breaker? Yes. Was he a loving Father? You bet. Did he do everything he could to make sure his children didn't grow up without a childhood? You Bet. Did Michael give more to charity than any other single performer in history? Yes. Did Michael open Neverland to terminally ill children so they could enjoy the same things other kids do like amusements parks, petting zoos? Absolutely. Was Michael addicted to prescription drugs. Yes – so was my aunt. Big deal. Did that make him less of a Father to his kids? Nope. They will never see him in that light. Everyday was Christmas to them.
After all of that – Michael was an unparalleled, talented and extremely hard working entertainer who brought joy and music to billions of people over the decades. And THAT is what he will ultimately be remembered for. And that is all that matters to his FANS.
He broke down racial barriers in the entertainment field. He was post-racial. He had fans worldwide of every race, religion and color. Why was his appeal so varied and fanatical? Because he was genuine. You never got the sense Michael was conceited about his importance or talent like say…Madonna.
All of you who ONLY want to focus on a small period in his adult life where he was accused and acquitted of baseless charges are missing out on what Michael ultimately brought to the world. Joy. And that is what he be remembered for – and rightfully so.
It's a sad state of affairs when this much attention is lavashed on someone with highly questionable morals. He did'nt cure cancer or even the common cold. He sang & danced, get over it.
"Wait.. did you say 14 karat gold coffin?" – it's only gold-plated. Still, a recycling/salvage yard would probably give you a good price for the bronze.
And going just a little further back in time, Gershwin, Stravinski… Glenn Miller, Leonard Bernstein… Chick Corea, JL Ponty… and for breaking the racial barriers, Sammy Davis junior, Charlie Parker, Ol' Sachmo, Duke Ellington…
Sorry, MJ is not the greatest musician of all time, nor of the latest century, half century or even quarter century, only the one who caught the attention of the media machine most recently by dying. Boohoohoo they all cry, making sure the camera is catching their best crying face.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. My formal (liberal arts) education has apparently been sadly lacking, as I had no working knowledge of "Occam's Razor". Public schools…what can I say?
Thank God for Wikipedia:
"Of several acceptable explanations for a phenomenon, the simplest is preferable, provided that it takes all circumstances into account.”
Of course, the "simplest" explanation in the Jackson case is that he was, in fact, a molester.
So I guess I fail to see your point.
Yes. Nothing worse than a parent who "sings along with the music" when driving the car pool. It it's to Weird Al, even better. (I really like his latest homage (?) to the Doors about Craig's List.
I actually knew an intern that worked in the Clinton White House. She had some stories that support your theory…
still a fun trip to the coast for those of us who have been to Disneyland more than enough times.
SPot on there! Love being a close personal friend of Al (another way of saying I'm on the e-mail notify list of his website and thus heard said song there).
I always had my suspicions that M.L. was not the only intern approached for such things considering his track record with others.
A Tinker's Dam is an old pottery term, the potter would build a small circler reservoir to hold a small amount of water to dip his fingers in to keep them moist while working with the clay. When he was done he would just wipe it away with the back of his hand. The reference refers to one of those things in life that has no monetary or emotional value.
You just don't want to part with that bag of gold around your neck.
Suiting up and going in…..
Each time I would see Michael Jackson on the news, I would think, "Someday I'm going to wake up and find out that Michael Jackson is now Michelle Jackson.
"No one really remembers reliably if the Pharoahs were nice guys or not"
being Jewish I can tell you. They were not.
Of course! I'm taking that with me! Will need it in Valhalla. The best seats in the mead hall are quite pricey from what I've heard.
Better bring a wet suit, gas mask and a mining helmet too. It is M.J. after all.
OK, where did this ridiculous idea come from that "innocent until proven guilty" applies to anyone but the judge and the 12 people on the jury? Not even the Constitution requires anyone but the trier of fact in a criminal trial (i.e. the jury) to presume any such thing. It is a fact that, prior to the late '90s trial on child molestation, there was an accusation and investigation of another incident, that would have resulte din a trial, but for the fac thtat MJ paid the accuser a multimillion dollar settlement on condition that he not testify in any criminal investigation. ____If you elect to disregard any charges that don't eventually result in a conviction by jury (and not until), that's your right. But it's my right, as a prosecutor, and as a person with an I.Q. higher than room temperature to take all the fact sinto account, not just the ones presented and adjudicated by a judge and jury of twelve.
Yes, favorable. While some repeated the (overwhelmingly true) "lurid details" of his life, one need only look at the fact that the City of L.A. is laying out at least $3.5 million of sorely needed money to foot the bill for literally thousands of mourners, the generally favorable coverage among the media of "the tragedy," and the sympathetic portrayals among the more noted of his mourners (e.g. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton waxing rhapsodic about MJ's contribution, not merely to pop music, but to race relations as a whole) to conclude that the tenor of the coverage has been, by and large, positive.
Contrast that to Sarah Palin's announcement, which has been covered by the MSM as if it was a resignation one step ahead of an FBI indictment. So far as I can tell, beyond certain contributors to this very website, even most Republicans are saying "What could she possibly be thinking?" and commenting upon the folly of her act, and what it must show about her.
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