Another Michael Jackson blog entry.

So, I know the internet is exploding with talk of Michael Jackson's death. I first heard about it around 6:15, when the general consensus was that it was nothing more than rumor mongering from TMZ. By 6:30, it was confirmed by more reputable sources. By 6:45, a google search for "Michael Jackson death" brought up several pages, blogs, and news sites proclaiming it to be a hoax or publicity stunt. By 7:00, the fighting evolved into how much respect and mourning the man really deserved. It was/is everywhere. Allow me to throw my two humble cents into a pile
of pennies that could fill Scrooge McDuck's tower.

I'm really confused over how I should feel. On one hand, its Michael Jackson. The king of pop, the man behind Thriller, a sensation that arguably has never been matched. If you wanted to attatch a single name to the 80's, his would be a very good canidate. His death is truly an end of an era.

But on the other hand, he was a pedophile, and for that me should be lining up to spit on his grave.

But on the OTHER other hand, he's Michael Jackson, for Chrissakes. His impact on culture the world over cannot be ignored, and in the face of death, we ought to remember the positive aspects of his life; the music and the sensation, whatever else may have happened after his downfall.

But on the OTHER other other hand, he was a fucking pedophile, and the fact that he was a supermegastar should not excuse that. Try telling the families of the kids he molested to "just focus on the music."

...

So I'll just say this: Right now, it doesnt really matter what he did, good or bad. What his life was, what it became, or even whether or not you liked his music (don't forget that there are many out there who did not) doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. For better or worse, Michael Jackson was part of the American (if not the whole world) psyche. His death is, if nothing else, significant. And it is that very significance that desrves our respect.