[Snail]

Probably the only celebrity death I've actually felt sad for TBH.

[terran_emperor]

I'll second that...Damn what a week.
First, my oldest Cat (Marlene) had to be put down on Tuesday due to a tumor behind her eye...she was 17...
Then Jackson yesterday.
And today is the two year anniversary of my Grandmother's Death...

So what a week...

[Snail]

Most celebrity deaths I tend to laugh at, like Steve Irwin and Jade Goody and all, but Michael Jackson's demise has some tragic echo to it that just makes it hard for me to shrug off.

[colecampbell666]

I honestly don't see why any of this is so important. Sure, it's sad boo hoo, but thousands die every day.

[General Battuta]

People like to bring that up. 'Why should we care when it's just a statistic?'

Go read up on Dunbar's Number. Jackson is more of a person to most of us than the rest of those statistics.

The human mind is not a rational creature and shouldn't be expected to act like one.

EDIT: That said, I haven't really heard much of Jackson's music, so he is a bit of a statistic to me. My condolences to the troubled, though.

[karajorma]

I've never understood the reaction of some to Celebrity death threads. I suppose it's good to have a place where all the people with nothing better to do in their lives can deliberately post on a thread to say that they don't care about the topic at hand rather than showing a modicum of restraint and not bleating every vapid thought that enters their heads.

So you didn't care about Michael Jackson? Why the **** are you even reading this thread then?

[Snail]

I've never understood the reaction of some to Celebrity death threads. I suppose it's good to have a place where all the people with nothing better to do in their lives can deliberately post on a thread to say that they don't care about the topic at hand rather than showing a modicum of restraint and not bleating every vapid thought that enters their heads.

So you didn't care about Michael Jackson? Why the **** are you even reading this thread then?

QFT


Either show some respect or get the **** out.

[TrashMan]

This marks the first, and possibly last time I will agree with Trashman. I am devastated when a member of my family dies. An alleged child molester with a penchant for overdoing the plastic surgery who sang songs I never much cared for 20 years ago should not overshadow every other death in the world.

Shouldn't happen, but it will. Celebrities are marketable and sell papers. Joe Doe, father of 3, beloved husband and pillar of comunity that was killed in a roberry doesn't sell the papers nearly as much. And there's a killing to be made selling all kind of memorabilia. You can bet MJ's stuff is gonna sell like crazy now.

But really...the only time? Your count must be off.

[StarSlayer]

Shouldn't happen but it will?  What your complaining about is fundamental to human culture.  Like it or not the guy had millions of fans and is known throughout the globe.  Seriously just because his style of music isn't your cup of tea its bloody ignorance to not recognize the cultural impact the man had on music, dance and society in general.  It's true "blue collar Joe's" life isn't worth any less then Michael Jackson's but Joe is only known by his kith and kin and nor did he influence the lives of millions of people.  Society creates famous people; political leaders, athletes, musicians whatever its.  The only way you could eradicate this would be if everyone on the globe decided gave up on culture itself.   If your willing to stop watching TV, Sports, Literature, Art, Music, News, politics, etc. so that everybody gets equal fame when they die then have fun .

[TrashMan]

Shouldn't happen but it will?  What your complaining about is fundamental to human culture.

You got it. Not all things about humanity are great and spiffy.

That said, who said I don't like his songs?

[Ghostavo]

What other pop star could claim to have brought Google to it's knees?

[StarSlayer]

Shouldn't happen but it will?  What your complaining about is fundamental to human culture.

You got it. Not all things about humanity are great and spiffy.

That said, who said I don't like his songs?

In order for you to create a society were everyone is treated completely equal you would need to give up culture. Fame and idolization is part and parcel with it.  You would be willing to give up Le nozze di Figaro, Mona Lisa, etc. so that blue collar Joe gets as much recognition in death as a famous person?  I tend to think what we would lose would be a far greater travesty then being miffed about some celebrity getting more then their share of news coverage on death.  A world where we ignore achievements and subdue every facet of society that garners attention sounds very bland.

[colecampbell666]

Yeah, I agree that he has had a massive impact on the culture of today's world, and that remark may have been a little harsh.

[TrashMan]

No one is denying his impact on the music world or his legacy.

There is a difference between being respected for ones achievements, and idolized.

[karajorma]

There is also a difference between showing some respect for the dead and those saddened by it and being a complete and utter twat.

Death threads and the anonymity of the internet seems to result in a proliferation of posts of the latter sort. So seeing as how simply pointing out the stupidity of saying you don't care about him only to continue reading and commenting on this thread hasn't worked I'm going to move on to simply saying that anyone else who chooses to prat about on this thread will have at least the next three days to think about what they did.

[Mongoose]

It's funny...I grew up primarily during the Wacko Jacko years, and it was only recently that I started to gain an appreciation of just how influential he was on pop music, but something about this news breaking so suddenly still affected me somehow.  Even looking strictly at those later years of allegations, ever-odder plastic surgeries, and financial troubles, it's a strange thing to think about such a massive and enduring pop culture presence being yanked away just like that.  For all the troubles he ran into later in life, the man was a musical legend, and probably one of the greatest pure showmen the world has seen or will see.  Long live the King.

[Scotty]

What other pop star could claim to have brought Google to it's knees?

I lol'd at this.

[Snail]

It's funny...I grew up primarily during the Wacko Jacko years, and it was only recently that I started to gain an appreciation of just how influential he was on pop music, but something about this news breaking so suddenly still affected me somehow.  Even looking strictly at those later years of allegations, ever-odder plastic surgeries, and financial troubles, it's a strange thing to think about such a massive and enduring pop culture presence being yanked away just like that.  For all the troubles he ran into later in life, the man was a musical legend, and probably one of the greatest pure showmen the world has seen or will see.  Long live the King.

Yeah, that's how I felt too.

[Liberator]

I know MJ was like the most famous person in the world that everyone mostly liked.  So it's fine that there's been wall to wall coverage of his passing.  But it's gods damned morbid as hell to even consider airing the 911 call, much less actually doing it.  That one event changed the coverage from slightly self-serving to tasteless "I don't give a **** about anything!" sensationalist bull****.  I don't care to see any more coverage since they said they were going to air it.

[Bob-san]

I won't comment about his personal life (because the media has ways of distorting things), but that man was a great and talented artist.