I want to take a minute to address the Michael Jackson mania that is going on over the country and explain why I think it’s so absurd. People seem to get caught up in their emotions and ignore the realities around them. I just can’t do that. Michael Jackson was the World’s Greatest Entertainer. There’s no doubting that. However the keyword here is that he was an ENTERTAINER. His job was to basically distract us from the mundane happenings of the world. The problem with our society is we’ve elevated the court jester into the prince of the throne. It’s not just MJ. We do it with all Rappers, Pop Stars, Athletes, video hoes, etc. This post here will get more comments and opinions and prompt more discussion than the other posts I’ll do on Afghanistan, the President’s trip to Russia and other real non-entertainment, non-”sexy” news bits. I have friends that will say they don’t keep up with politics, but can rattle off the latest rumors from TMZ and MediaTakeout (as if those places are legitimate sources…another sign we are in trouble). I understand that people love the entertainment these people bring but it’s getting to the point where it’s become absurd. Its reached the point that a lot of people are now addicted to living vicariously through celebrities and they are no different than any other junkie. Look, I’m an MJ Fan. I remember when my cousin and I put on white socks, black dress shoes and hiked our pants up to perform Man in the Mirror for the family in my grandparent’s living room. I remember sitting down as a family to watch Michael Jackson’s music video premiers. I even remember trying (and failing miserably) to moonwalk. Those were great memories. But while they were great memories, they have not had a deep impact on my life. I would be the man I am today without MJ’s music. It was nice to grow up with it, but my life wasn’t changed by it. It makes a nice sound bite to say Michael Jackson affected our lives but compared to 8 years of Bush, 2 wars and massive deficits, it isn’t even in the same hemisphere. Those things take money out of our pockets. They send our friends and family to foreign countries to fight and possibly get injured and die unnecessarily. MJ dying, while tragic, does none of that. To his family, this is a great tragedy and my condolences to them. But as a fan, I find it kinda silly to even begin to tear up. I didn’t know the man and my life isn’t affected by his death. The temporary euphoria we feel when we hear Michael’s music is like the morphine given to a burn victim. It doesn’t heal the wounds or hide the scars, just dulls the reality of the pain away. Michael’s music made us feel good and forget about the troubles of the world, but those issues are still there. When something like this happens we tend to forget about everything else and focus on it in some silly attempt to avoid what’s real in our life. Well listen, its time to snap back to reality.
The notion that it’s rude or uncaring for people to use Michael Jackson’s death to point how easily we forget important things that affect us all is laughable. Let’s go back 2 years when another celebrity died. When Anna Nicole Smith died, many of the same people crying and “in deep mourning” over Michael Jackson now, were saying things like “Why the fuck should we care about her?” Not only that, but a good deal of us were pointing out how absurd it was that Anna Nicole Smith and all the drama surrounding her was getting around the clock coverage, while Genarlow Wilson was sitting in jail serving 10 years for rape. Funny thing was Wilson had already been in jail for 1 – 2 years, but it wasn’t until the ridiculous media coverage of Smith that people actually found out about this young man. So yes, I find it ridiculous and hypocritical that the same people that were bringing up Genarlow Wilson in light of the Anna Nicole Smith media circus are now somehow offended and upset when people bring up the troops, Universal Health Care, Jada Justice and a slew of other REAL important issues during the Michael Jackson frenzy. Come on folks, just because this time it’s someone we were a fan of doesn’t mean its okay for us to do the same thing we were bitching about others doing 2 years ago. Time to snap out of the entertainment fantasy world we’ve been dazed in and come back to reality. Grieve the man but at some point we have to be able to take a step back from the situation and say “Yeah, this is pretty fucked up and becoming ridiculous.” It’s absurd that the city of Los Angeles is prepping security for hundreds of thousands of fans for the MJ memorial when California is operating without a budget. California is broke as hell. Like the auto industry, the State of California asked for a bailout. The State is paying $53 million worth of bills with IOUs and furloughing its workers. IOUs. But they’re still going to pay for a Michael Jackson memorial. That’s absurd. But no one cares about that. That’s how you know we’ve gone too far. The California taxpayers will be shelling out $3.8 million for 2,000 police officers and other security measures. Again, the state is $7 billion in debt. Seven BILLION.
This site was created because I said “There’s too much crazy shit going on.” Well, this is part of that “crazy shit.” Remember how you felt when white folk were losing their minds over Anna Nicole Smith, Princess Di, Lacey Peterson and the Cable News channels were covering each of those stories endlessly? I feel the same way now. I point out hypocrisy and this is one I can’t ignore. Am I saying you need to donate all your time to the troops, protest the war and know every bill that goes through the Congress? Of course not. But if you’re going to get teary eyed over MJ, take off of work for his memorial and claim this is such a huge impact on your life, then you should at least show the same interest in the everyday things that really affect your life. Otherwise you’re the adult version of a child that can’t read, write or do math…but knows the words and dance moves to the latest Soulja Boy record. It’s about priorities and while you might not want to admit it, yours are completely fucked up.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Dude, just let it go and get over it. Whether you decide to get off of your high horse and come down to the reality of things (as CRAZY as the reality right now may be) for a moment in public or in private, at the end of the day, when you take away all of your redundant analogies and increasinlgy LAME efforts to digress from the obvious and what IS, you know that MJ WAS A BIG DEAL. Period. You might not like it, you might not agree with it, but that doesn’t change that it is what it is….so move on, get over yourself, and let this man die in peace. And whether you want to admit it or not, comparing f*cking Anna Nicole Smith to Michael Jackson is absurd, and YOU KNOW IT. This post was completely unecessary….SAME SH*T, DIFFERENT DAY.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Never said MJ wasn’t a big deal. But his death isn’t a national tragedy. It’s not something that needs to be broadcast across the world like its something important. You didn’t know MJ, as you say, let him rest in peace. The fact that everyone is so preoccupied with watching this shit shows how completely fucked up people’s thought process is. You watch this bullshit but then everyone will move on to the next asinine topic while ignoring real shit. And I didn’t compare Anna Nicole Smith to Michael Jackson talent wise. I compared the over the top reaction and coverage of her death to the same bullshit people are doing for his. If you don’t want to hear the truth, don’t listen or read it.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Yeah, so I disagree with the first post all day long. This is absurd. I live in Cali and as a resident and taxpayer, I’m outraged at the fact that they are paying for the security at his funeral. I’m an MJ fan. I’m not hating. Where I live in Cali, it’s a big military town. We don’t get this much press or hoopla over the soldiers that come back in a box. That is what is sad. We have young men dying in a war that needs to be re-evaluated and stopped, but we don’t cover that story. It’s entertainment and stupidity that we value and flock to. A little escapism is fine. I’m guilty of that too. But when you have a broke state paying for overtime for police and other state officials but can’t pay teachers decently and are laying them off left and right, it’s not cool. It’s about priorities. I suggest the first poster get some…
July 7th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
What’s really fucked up is there are people that are actually MAD that the State is asking for donations to pay for this shit. I saw someone try to say that “MJ paid taxes, the least the State can do is pay for this” What.the.FUCK.
As you said, Soldiers come back in boxes and no one gives a shit. MJ dies of a drug overdose and bammas shedding tears. Sorry, but that’s the definition of fucked up.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
My priorities are just fine, thanks. I did not take off work, I did not purchase a ticket to California, nor did I attend any of the local candle light vigils that were held. I just find it selfish that people are tying SO HARD to push other agendas (WHATEVER THEY ARE) in light of this man’s death. If you want to talk about soliders dying and how California is broke as a state, as i’ve said before BOTH OF THHOSE THINGS WOULD BE OCCURING WITH OR WITHOUT this man’s death…so WHY is it that you cannnot seem to say your piece and promote your perfect priorities without taking away from who and what he was? It is an unnecessary approach to take when (supposedly) your concerns are more so that people don’t focus ENOUGH on relevant news, than that they are focusing TOO MUCH on the death of this entertainer. I just think it’s a cop out to become oh-so-passionate about “what else is going on” because MJ (or anyone else who YOU feel should not be so important) has died…
July 7th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Who’s taking away from who he is? Its one thing to listen to some MJ in his honor, its another to be glued to the TV watching a gotdamn funeral. Every single news outlet is covering this bullshit? Sorry but Michael Jackson isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things. He made good music and was a great entertainer, okay, but that’s not important. I built this site on trying to bring absurdities like this to light, this time is no different. Next week it’ll be some other asinine topic that some entertainer did that will keep the real issues from being talked about. Fuck that. I’m not taking away anything from Michael. I’m pointing out how its absurd that everyone else, in their selfish ass need to escape reality, are making this such a big issue. He died, okay…move the fuck on. Having this huge spectacle in a state that’s broke as shit right now is ABSURD. Michael didn’t do shit for your life other then give you some good music to listen to. But hey…do you. Enjoy the ridiculous coverage.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Fuck it, I’m reading people’s comments on Twitter and its clear that people are treating this like some kind of concert or award show. Commenting on how people are dressed, cracking jokes…GTFOH if you want me to really believe this is about MJ.
July 7th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
WHY does it have to mean that people are trying to “escape reality????” WTF. People were fans…they are sad to see him go. That’s it. You’re making TOO much of it. YES there are those people out there who don’t care enough about real issues, but my guess would be that MOST PEOPLE who are watching the service or sad because he passed are just that. THAT’S it. Not everything needs to be OVER analyzed…for a lot of people, what you see is what it is….and there’s NOTHING wrong with that.
July 7th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Yea you are right, we are fans, just FANS, if thats the case where was all this hoopla over farah fawcett, what about ed mcmahon? There is way more important shit going on in the world much more tragic shit then the death of a nigga “who could sing good”
I said it a week after ago, had this been george bush, NO ONE would give a shit. oh but its mike, lets forget the batshit insane crap he has done the past 15 years and celebrate him. he deserves it……
July 7th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Exactly. We’re fans, not members of the immediate family. He made music. Reacting to his death like you lost a close family member is pretty fucking stupid, I’m sorry but it is. I’m sorry if its uncomfortable to deal with the fact that people elevate these stars to the point of ridiculousness. That’s not being over analytical. That’s just being factual. Its easy to see when its not you being the irrational one.
July 7th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Im not too sure what to think here. Its true there are bigger things that deserve at least half the attention MJ is getting, and its twice as silly that people were no where near having his back during all his trial crap yet are breaking their necks to mourn and say how “good a man he was”. At the same time i mourn the fact that another HUMAN has died. thats as far as it goes for me.
July 7th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
MZlogic, you accuse Kriss of “making TOO much of it”, but you’re missing the logic — it’s not Kriss that’s making too much of it, it’s everyone else that is over-celebrating the life of a man who was, in essence, nothing more than an entertainer. Michael didn’t create an invention that will forever alter life as we know it. Michael didn’t come up with the cure for a disease that’s been plaguing humanity. Michael entertained. He may have touched millions in a a way that no other entertainer before him did and he may likely remain the most popular entertainer on the global scale, but that doesn’t take away from what he was at his core — an entertainer. Kriss is merely reacting to everybody else’s overreaction of this man’s death.
If anything, I found Kriss’ piece to be completely fair. Kriss didn’t introduce extraneous allegations about Michael’s personal life. Kriss introduced examples of white people acting just as foolish over Anna Nicole’s and Princess Di’s death so as not to make this exclusively a “black thing”. And Kriss kept it as a fact based argument and stayed away from personal attacks on rabid fans until the last sentence where Kriss writes, “It’s about priorities and while you might not want to admit it, yours are completely fucked up.” While you may argue that it’s Kriss’ opinion, it’s an opinion that Kriss does a good job supporting and an opinion that I, quite frankly, agree with — and there are many more like us.
The sad part is that in the age of 24 hour news stations, the internet, and sites like Twitter where people can read about, follow, and fawn over celebrities — this mentality of celebrity worship is not only here to stay, but it’s likley to grow. It’s sad.
July 7th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
@ James. SIGH. Let’s make something clear. I have nothing against you, Kriss, or anyone else who feels the need to repeatedly state/express/explain your position as a stand out in the majority. 10 points for you for being different, that is your opinion and you are entitled to it….and even MORE so, though I TOTALLY disagree w/ your point of view, I respect it….I just DO NOT feel that it is logical. What’s more, I COMPLETELY agree that people don’t pay enough attention to the news as they should….all I am saying that there is a HUUUUGGGEEE chance that there are others, LIKE MYSELF, who pay just as much attention (if not more) to “all things important” and just because we ALSO choose to be affected by the death of an entertainer DOES NOT MEAN THAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE OUT OF WHACK because WHO EVER SAID that MJ was at the TOP of the priority list? You all make assumptions based on the mere MENTION of MJ’s death that someone is “doing too much”. It is NOT a far-fetched idea that the SAME people who were saddened by MJ’s death are also abreast AND passionate about important happenings in our daily lives at the same time…and to say or think that that is the case is a GENERALIZED, ILLOGICAL statement.
July 7th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Generalized logic? The entire day its been about MJ…all day. That’s not a generalization, that’s fact. Again, its cool. When Britney Spears dies and I get on people for giving that too much attention, I hope you and everyone else comes here and defends their right to blow that shit out of proportion as well.
July 7th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Mzlogic, I just want to address a couple of things you wrote:
“WHO EVER SAID that MJ was at the TOP of the priority list?”
I speak for myself (and I think I speak for Kriss on this one), our criticism of celebrity mania was not pointed just at fans, it was also pointed at the media. It may be a chicken-and-the-egg argument as to what’s driving what (Is the media simply giving people the celebrity coverage they want? Or are people simply taking the celebrity coverage the news is shovelling at them?), but the fact remains that the Michael Jackson coverage is at the top of the priority list for the media. It has been for a week and a half now, and I suspect that it will be for another week. I really don’t think that can be logically argued.
Speaking of logical arguments, you also wrote…
“I TOTALLY disagree w/ your point of view, I respect it….I just DO NOT feel that it is logical.”
Yes, yes, because nothing says logic like randomized all-caps. Maybe that’s why I see it in legal briefs and reputable newspapers all the time. Oh wait…
July 7th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
LOL @ James….I see that someone is getting a little in their feelings. I was following you until the “maybe that’s why I see it in legal briefs and reputable newspapers all the time” line. I am not a newspaper editor/writer, nor am I a lawyer..never claimed to be neither…you made your point before you got petty, hun….lets stay on topic.
July 7th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Dear Anonymous,
You’re absolutely correct. I just re-read my earlier post and I do come across as a bit of a dick (probably because I am.) Unfortunately, I just tried to edit my earlier comment and I can’t. So with that in mind, MZlogic, please accept my apologies and my recognition of my own A-hole behavior.
The first point of my previous post still stands, though. Anonymous is right — let’s try to keep to that track or something resembling it.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Okay, I’ll admit the MJ coverage has been a bit excessive, and I blame it on the current times where as soon as Media people sniff at something the majority is interested in, they bombard all of us with that information till we’re nauseated. That said, here is the fact: MJ was an entertainer AND he is being mourned by most like he’s a member of the family. If you have a problem with that, totally fine, but just accept that you’re in the minority. While you may be one of the enlightened few, you’ll still come off as a major jackass when you choose to voice your brilliant opinion. Here’s some perspective: Christians mourn the death of Christ every fucking year during Good Friday or whenever, and yet there are some (ahem, me included) who personally think there’s something borderline stupid about Christianity . But since I’m in the hardcore minority, I mostly shut up about this gem of thought. Or, if I choose to speak up, I don’t take it personally if everyone gets on me about it. But then again, this is your blog and it is a place to vent. Did I mention I love your blog? Because I do
July 8th, 2009 at 12:37 am
James,
Do not apologize for being a “dick” if you are in actuality apologizing for it. Someone needs to point out the silliness of this and all the celebrity BS and you should not back down from your position. Shoot, I grew up with MJ’s music, but the whole crazy part has to do with the reaction from the crowd. I’ve tried to equate it with the way I felt about Sean Taylor (from the Redskins) dying… and I have not found anything nearly as tragic or heartbreaking about the death of MJ over Taylor. Yes, I mourn Taylor’s death, but I didn’t waste hours upon hours of my life paying tribute. Anyways, the point was that I was with you and Kriss up on this… don’t back down.
July 8th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Thanks for the kind words, NC Chris. I wasn’t apologizing for the premise of my argument, I was apologizing for coming across as a pretensious fool in the last line of my earlier post. I wouldn’t apologize for the point I made because, well, I’m right.
In an earlier comment Kriss wrote: “Reacting to his death like you lost a close family member is pretty fucking stupid, I’m sorry but it is. I’m sorry if its uncomfortable to deal with the fact that people elevate these stars to the point of ridiculousness.”
I couldn’t help but be reminded of that comment when I read the following status line on Facebook today: “I dare anyone to say MJ wasn’t the king of pop, you had people begging for tickets to a funeral, which was held at at a sports arena!!and broadcast around the world!!! when people say negative things about mj I just think how many people are coming to your funeral hater!!”
I don’t want to get into the hypocrisy of being hurt when people speak ill about Michael’s funeral, and then turning around and speaking ill about the lesser attendance at somebody else’s funeral. I also don’t want to get into the irony of railing against people saying “negative things” by saying something negative yourself.
Instead, I just want to simply ask — is this what it has come to? Has excessive media coverage of celebrities so warped our minds that we now judge the relative value of a person’s life by the attendance at his/her funeral? I guarantee you that Michael will have more people at his funeral than all of our parents will, but does that make Michael a better person than our parents?
I also pointed out to her that, by using her yardstick by which she measures life value, Joseph Stalin (who reputedly was guilty of killing 20 million of his own country men through purges) was a way better person than Michael because he had four million people at his funeral and Michael only had one million at his. I haven’t heard from her since.
July 8th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
most people are engineered to be ignorant and complacent, and there are many industries who profit from ignorance and complacency. stop expecting people to be sensible and informed. The whole MJ spectacle is just another testament to this. You have to lower your expectations for the rational performance of the human animal.
July 15th, 2009 at 7:38 am
Finally, someone said what I’ve been thinking all along. Yes, it’s tragic that he died. It was also tragic that Farrah Fawcett died on the same day. One radio station goes on the air and says “We had this big tribute planned for Farrah Fawcett for tonight’s broadcast but we are not showing it now that Micheal Jackson has died”. Even in death there is a celebrity hierachy, I guess. Yes, he was a good entertainer but this mass outpouring of grief is ridiculous. When I die, I will probably have 6 people at my funeral but at least they will have personally known me (better make that 5 people).
July 20th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
“When Britney Spears dies and I get on people for giving that too much attention”
OH GOD NO! I hope she doesnt get as much coverage as MJ. Dont get em wrong I am a fan of both but this is excessive. I love MJs songs but people are treating him like his passing was Godly. It wasnt. It was sudden and most people are still shocked but all this press coverage around his personal stuff is something that should be private and between family. The fans and the haters should care less. He produced great music and was the best entertainer to date. For that, he should be remembered. For everything else, there should be no judgment that should be passed and thats of course what the media is doing. Damn the news and damn the media. Its all a bunch of BS. PS I hate reality TV. I hope to God they dont make a reality TV show based on MJ or surrounding his family, etc. I will be one pissed cable customer