Posted on 06/26/2009 12:36:48 AM PDT by RobinMasters
Generally speaking, I’m a believer in the rule that we should not speak ill of the dead. Or at least we should wait a decent interval before doing so (if we never spoke ill of the dead, history would be meaningless). But, I must say I find the media’s instinctive rush to sanctify Michael Jackson disgusting.
Look, I understand that Michael Jackson was an "icon." I understand that some people loved his work and that many people who never met him believed they loved the man too.
But I didn't, and I’m hardly alone. If Michael Jackson were just another famous person, I’d probably stay silent and let the pro forma celebration of his memory roll by without comment. (For instance, I have no problem whatsoever with the media taking a moment to pay respects to Farah Fawcett).
(Excerpt) Read more at corner.nationalreview.com ...
Death is a good career move.
Those stats just confirmed your truth...I found it interesting how many records Bing Crosby had sold...PLUS I was angered that Aerosmith and the Backstreet Boys were in the same tier...that’s just plain WRONG ! ...magritte
Normally I’m one of those “leave the dead alone for a while” people but in this case I feel that’s wrong.
No matter whether you think he was pedophile who got off or was wrongly accused you can’t help but admit he was a freak of epic proportions, whose oddness was over tolerated and possibly even encouraged. And as for semblance of feeling for his family and loved ones, those are the people who had the most power to push him to the help he so desperately needed through basically his entire life. Help that if he’d gotten it he might be alive today. Maybe they should take a few minutes now to wonder why they kept standing by him while his behavior got odder and odder.
Moreso, he was a "Pied Piper" for other weirdos. Just look at the people who were outside the court for days during his trial, or the ones outside the hospital when he died.
“It’s more fun to hate him for unproven allegations that may or may not be true. Or it’s just hard for some people to hold more than a single idea in their head at time - that someone can be intensely talented, but at the same time intensely flawed and that one can celebrate someone’s talent without endorsing that person’s struggle with various demons.”
That just about sums it up.
The fight for his estate between heirs and creditors will be as entertaining as his trial for perversion.
“750 million (so far). “
Dang.
Everybody loves a fellow traveler.
It was his “fans” that bothered me even more, and I’m not talking about those who just liked the music, these were like Trekkies, the kind that Bill Shatner would tell to “Get a Life!”
I will never forget reading the statement/deposition of his victim during the trial. As a former victim/survivor of child sexual abuse myself, his accounting had an absolute eerie ring of truth to it, and I was convinced from that moment until now that he was telling the truth.
However much Michael abused little boys in his care (which of course he did), his life should be pitied more than anything, because of such a wasted existence, when he could have done such good with what God gave him. His legacy, sadly, will forever be mixed with his talent AND his accusers’ voices. I feel the most sorry for his three children, who will end up God’s knows where, probably without the intensive therapy they desparately need, from being raised by a delusional abuser who couldn’t tell fantasy from reality.
Unfortunately, I don’t think Michael is resting in peace anywhere.
You can’t ignore that he’s sold more records than anyone else. That’s an objective fact. You may be a snob who holds himself above the public taste but I think that says more about you than about MJ’s music. I think his music rates highly. Only time can tell but I generally think that people will still listen to Jackson’s music for a long time to come because they are good songs that people can relate to.
He did?
Top Selling Artists according to Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
Artist Certified Units in Millions
BEATLES, THE 170
BROOKS, GARTH 128
PRESLEY, ELVIS 119
LED ZEPPELIN 111.5
EAGLES 100
JOEL, BILLY 79.5
PINK FLOYD 74.5
STREISAND, BARBRA 71
AC/DC 71
JOHN, ELTON 70
STRAIT, GEORGE 68
AEROSMITH 66.5
ROLLING STONES, THE 66
SPRINGSTEEN, BRUCE 64
MADONNA 63.5
CAREY, MARIAH 62.5
JACKSON, MICHAEL 61.5
And now, Barack Obama can take his rightful place as the "King of Pop."
Dear dude garbanzo, I seriously suggest that you try to expand your musical tastes beyond pop stars who wear one glove and try to turn themselves into Casper the Friendly Ghost. My own belief is that the people who like Jackson’s music probably haven’t listened much to classical, jazz, the great American songbook, or much other serious music. If you haven’t listened to serious music, I hope you try. If you have listened to and do like serious music and you think Jackson ranks right up there, then you have a serious musical aptitude problem. while I’m in the mood of running down overrated seventies icons, I guess you think Prince is great stuff too, huh?
Listen, I usually wouldn’t run down Jackson like I am, but I’ve always resented people claiming a certain entertainer means more than they actually do. I think Sinatra is a far superior singer to Jackson, but I’m not a big Sinatra fan either. I like ABBA a lot, but I make no claims that ABBA was the musical act of the century. They weren’t. But I’ll watch Agnitha and Anna Frid a lot longer than I will Jackson.
Via the American Conservative, I’m reminded that Ronald Reagan once had much more effusive praise for Michael Jackson than anything to be found in my little stroll down memory lane. Of course, Reagan didn’t know about Jackson’s extracurricular activities at the time. Back then, none of us did.
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/06/26/conservative-michael-jackson-f
As far as commercial success, he may indeed have been the “act of the century”. But as much as I enjoyed his pop stuff at the time, he wasn’t close to being one of my favorite entertainers either. Later on he just got too weird for me to stomach.
Wasn’t a tremendous Beatle fan at the time, but in retrospect, for variety, longevity, and yes quality, I’d have to pick them, individually and collectively. Sinatra would rank right up there too as an entertainer; he was quite a good actor too.
“Every channel says this is a sad day for America. I agree. But not for the same reasons.”
America’s economy just died and they are mourning ad nauseum (including FOX) a pedophile.
I guess America’s values were already dead. Right. that’s why they elected that empty suit who voted present on Iran.
I was thinking some more about MJ and his numbers. Even if he’s in third place, if only Elvis and the Beatles have sold more records, that’s saying something. Hell, throw in Bing, and it’s still impressive. I think the thing with MJ is that he was big all over the world. That’s where his overall numbers come from. He was a global star. His legacy is garbage though. Justin Timberlake.
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