The Canonization of Michael Jackson

Ever since Michael Jackson died, the media blitz has been ridiculous. I walked past a newsstand at Target yesterday and there were four magazines devoted to him. Times and Newsweek each had him on the cover. And there were a couple of tribute issues.

And fans are in tears and pouring into bankrupt California to a memorial for him...

And yet where were these fans when he was alive, eh? Nowhere. Now he's dead and all of a sudden he's back on top as the "King of Pop."

It's just ridiculous. I don't watch the news reports, but apparently they are breakig down the fans of Jackson into Democrats and Republicans (Dems liked him, Republicans didnn't) old and young, etc. Then of course there was that special on BET a few days ago where some guy said, "MIchael Jackson belonged to us (African-Americans) and we just loaned him to you." And Jackson's identity issues (the nose job, the bleaching of the skin) were all caused by whites. And the pedophilia, et al, that was just white man trying to take him down, just like they "took down Cassius Clay."

(Presumably that refers to the fact that Clay was drafted to go to Vietnam, refused, and went to prison for a year or two instead. Frankly, I sympathise with the guy! But I don't think they picked on him deliberately... after all, Elvis Presley was drafted, too! (Course not in war time.)

Anyway, I remember liking Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five when I was a kid, and when they were there natural selves. Then he did the nose thing, and the skin bleach thing, and got all weird. As for the pedophilia...don't know about that. I never followed the case, but apparently the parents deliberately put their kid into that situation so they could get money out of Jackson..and I seem to remember they lost that lawsuit...

Then of course there's all the vultures gathering. Jackson is deeply in debt, but his estate is supposed to be worth million --- lawyers are scenting their fortunes being made here.

But what's more obscene that that is that there were actually paparazzi using telephoto lenses to get photos of Jackson inside the ambulance with an oxygen mask over his mouth. And this pic was published! Why does anybody need to see that? Only sick people would want to see that.