Did I miss the memo where Michael Jackson was declared the second coming of Gandhi? Was his performance of Billie Jean so epic that the memorial service for its creator would fill the Rose Bowl? (I know, the service is actually at the Staple Center.) Will Thriller endure in the American cultural pantheon alongside God Bless America, The Battle Hymn of The Republic or The Purple People Eater? Although it is a truism that each generation has its popular icons, the media outpouring for the King of Pop has been, to say the least, extraordinary to say the most, excessive.
Far be it from me to confuse the issue with facts but, Michael Jackson hasn't produced anything musically significant in years. What he has produced is a steady stream of head-shaking headlines. From waving his baby over the railing of a German hotel balcony to hosting children's sleepovers at the Neverland Ranch, Jackson has given new definition to the term "artist as kook". Physically, he has transformed himself (with the help of a condition called vitiligo) from an adorable black child sensation to a cartoon crossover between Plasticman and Mummenschantz. Jackson had, by the time of his death, more work done on his face that the statues on Mount Rushmore.
All of this odd behavior doesn't diminish his enormous talent and universal appeal. Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time and produced seven number one hits. His stage performances throughout the eighties were legendary. Jackson almost singlehandedly put MTV on the broadcast map. Nevertheless, the endless television coverage and the plethora of magazine cover stories is more fitting for Pope John Paul II or FDR than a musician. The single most absurd coverage to date is Anderson Cooper's trackdown of Bubbles the Chimp. CNN should be ashamed.
The specifics of the memorial scheduled for July 7th in Los Angeles have been kept secret but one suspects that the service will have all the solemnity of a Cirque du Soleis. Leading the mourners will be Joe Jackson who has thusfar found the death of his meal-ticket son a wonderful opportunity to discuss his new record company. Expect to see all your old favorites. They'll be Jesse Jackson, a requisite fixture at the service of any black celebrity (he had the gig for Miles Davis), Al Sharpton, a requisite fixture at the funeral of any black person who dies tragically (Al did the honors for James Brown) and Debbie Rowe. Ms. Rowe was the charming young lady who 1) married Michael, 2) may have given him two children, and 3)sold the kids to Jackson ...twice.
If Ms. Rowe is attending, there is a payday in her future.
Amid all the disgraceful huckstering, there is one person who appears to possess the only dignity available in the entire Southern California area. Michael's mother Katherine, who has been awarded temporary custody of the Jackson children, has been a pillar of reserve and decorum throughout the entire sorded affair. As Angelenos rush to buy their memorial service tickets on ebay and gush effusively over how much Michael Jackson meant to them, someone should pay attention to Katherine Jackson. She didn't loose a paycheck or a free ride to undeserved celebrity.She probably doesn't know how many gold records Michael Jackson had or, how far in debt his estate actually is. Katherine Jackson lost a son. That's enough tragedy for anyone.
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