# Michael Jackson has DIED...



## cheerio (May 16, 2009)

http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/25/michael-jackson-rushed-to-the-hospital/

not a fan of the source but you never know


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## Cowgirl (Nov 1, 2008)

Wow...with the passing of Farrah and now this...looks like a big hollywood news day.


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## Addie (Jun 10, 2009)

It seems legitimate. CNN has something posted on their website saying a local TV station has reported it.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

Poor disturbed Michael.
Such talent.

Just sayin...


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## rho (Feb 12, 2009)

it's in my local news also - Newsday is saying he has died but I see CNN is still saying he is hospitalized after going into cardiac arrest earlier today and saying that EMT's revived him -


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## cheerio (May 16, 2009)

rho said:


> it's in my local news also - Newsday is saying he has died but I see CNN is still saying he is hospitalized after going into cardiac arrest earlier today and saying that EMT's revived him -


tmz has also said that he has now died
http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/25/michael-jackson-dies-death-dead-cardiac-arrest/


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Just heard it on the news. How sad.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Wow Michael and Farrah...two icons.  I feel, for those who loved them.  His death was probably very quick, whereas poor Farrah suffered.  God be with them.


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## mwvickers (Jan 26, 2009)

According to FOX News he is in the hospital from possible cardiac arrest.  Where did you hear he died?


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

links? to a reputable source. I can only find it on 1 questionable tabloid site


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

My brother just heard it on the radio.  Checked to see if true and it is all over the internet...googled it.


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

Yeah but all the google sources cite the same 1 tabloid source.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gK_BZYsLvb9-YlmofeU7Ye4OzVuQ


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## Cowgirl (Nov 1, 2008)

TMZ seems to be beating the networks on this one...very very sad.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

*Pop icon Michael Jackson dead: TMZ.com website*

59 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Pop icon Michael Jackson died Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest, the entertainment website TMZ.com reported.

The website reported that Jackson, 50, suffered a heart attack just after 12:00 pm (1900 GMT) local time and paramedics were unable to revive him.

Jackson's manager Tohme E. Tohme was not immediately available for comment when contacted by AFP. Officials at UCLA Medical Center where Jackson was treated also could not be reached for comment.

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Devin Gales would not confirm Jackson's identity but said paramedics went to an address corresponding to the star's home at 12:21 pm (1921 GMT) and the person was taken to UCLA Medical Center.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Hopefully it is a rumor...for Michael's sake.  In any event...my prayers are with his family.  His mom appears to be a very lovely woman.


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

CNN is now saying that he's in a coma.


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## rho (Feb 12, 2009)

LA Times says he has died -


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## mwvickers (Jan 26, 2009)

Buttercup *member #83* said:


> CNN is now saying that he's in a coma.


And FOX agrees with this.


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## rho (Feb 12, 2009)

the LA Times is saying that he has died according to MSNBC


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## lynninva (Feb 7, 2009)

ABC News just broke in to report that he has died.


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## Kind (Jan 28, 2009)

Wow, what a bummer. RIP    One of my childhood heroes.


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

Fox and CNN agree on something? 



*looks around to see if hell has frozen over*


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Wow...I hope I am wrong.  I am trying to get a hold of my brother to see which radio station he heard it on.  But it is going to voicemail.


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## Kind (Jan 28, 2009)

Okay, too many different stories. Will wait but it looks bad.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

Holy cow.  How utterly bizarre--which would fit his life, truly.  

CNN still has "coma" rather than death at 3:29 PM PST.  Either way, how unexpected.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

NBC just reported it. . . . broke into regular programming which is o.k. I guess, but it was the local NEWS.  Breaking into a NEWS show for NEWS just seems silly.  And they wonder why traditional media is having trouble.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

http://www.canyon-news.com/artman2/publish/celebritynews/Michael_Jackson_Dead_At_50.php


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

NBC news is reporting that he has died.

We have two threads on this. I am going to merge them.

L


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Live on tv now...nbc


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## chilady1 (Jun 9, 2009)

So sad - I love Michael Jackson, can't forget the Thriller album and Off the Wall, will be sorely missed


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

I just hope his kids end up in the care of someone who wants their best interests and is caring and sane.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

They're spending a lot of time on the local NBC broadcast talking to Donnie Simpson on the phone. . . . .I think it's not rumor, but fact.

And it's the headline on MSNBC too. . . .


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## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

How sad  

I know many did not like him,but I personally think he got a bad wrap in many ways.

A loss for sure.

RIP Michael


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

I hope the media doesn't turn his services into a circus...His family deserves some privacy and respect.


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

here is the MSNBC link http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31552029/ns/entertainment-music/

Michael Jackson has died at age 50 after being rushed to UCLA Medical Center, NBC News has confirmed.

Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told the L.A. Times that Jackson was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his home and CPR was performed.


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## CoolMom1960 (Mar 16, 2009)

Very sad for his family.  Maybe the man can find the peace he could never find in life in his death.    

Very very talented musician.  The scarier part is he is only 1 year older than I am.


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## EllenR (Mar 31, 2009)

CoolMom1960 said:


> Very sad for his family. Maybe the man can find the peace he could never find in life in his death.
> 
> Very very talented musician. The scarier part is he is only 1 year older than I am.


I was thinking the same thing. That's terrifying.

Wow. What a sad day all around. I'm in shock.

EllenR


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

I was never a huge fan, but I always recognized he was undeniably talented. Heck, what young person didn't have the Thriller album in the early 80s?
Sorry to see him go, especially at such a young age.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

CoolMom1960 said:


> The scarier part is he is only 1 year older than I am.


It may be an unfair judgment on him, but I don't think age is the factor here. I'm waiting for the "drugs or alcohol were involved" statement to come out. Too many types of antidepressants, anti anxiety meds, even plain ol' anti-inflammatories in excess can cause cardiac arrest. And he was not a happy person.

I too hope he finds peace.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Weird I couldn't find my own thread...and now it has cheerio next to it as having started my thread...odd.

Anyhow...The media circus has begun:  Droves of people are outside the hospital where Michael was pronounced dead.  Guess it is the biggest news since Elvis and Lennon.


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

CoolMom1960 said:


> Very very talented musician. The scarier part is he is only 1 year older than I am.


I just bad vibes anytime someone around my age dies, for any reason...

This did not surprise me, though. Saddened me, yes, but I'm just not surprised.


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

darkbow said:


> I was never a huge fan, but I always recognized he was undeniably talented. Heck, what young person didn't have the Thriller album in the early 80s?
> Sorry to see him go, especially at such a young age.


eh I remember my mom had it. Personally I was never into that kind of music. He was no John Lennon to me.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

I have to be honest:  nothing in hollywood surprises me.  I've become immune.  I will say, however, that today proves, through both Farrah and Michael, MONEY can NOT buy you your health.

I feel badly for both...because Farah suffered and in Michael's case, in the end...his allegations, and his eccentricities, overshadowed his greatness.  I feel for their families.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Not just Michael and Farrah, but we lost David Carradine and Ed McMahon this week too.  Celebrity deaths always seem to come in threes at the very least.  Kind of odd how that almost always holds true.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

*If I may be rude:* I have to honestly say that I feel sorry that: After Farrah struggled through two years and put herself (at the worst moment of her life) on public display to show people the horrors of cancer: her death is going to be (by the media) overshadowed by Michael's. Of course I feel badly about Michael (don't get me wrong), but I wish for Farrah's memory and the effort she put in for cancer awareness: that they hadn't died on the same day.

Does that soud rude? I hope not.


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

No I agree, I turned on the tv to watch the news and it was literally the whole hour dedicated to MJ. Larry King called his death historic. I mean come on his death was historic?


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I agree it's a shame that all three deaths will be overshadowed just because Michael was such a bizzare person, but I guarantee he has more fans and controversy makes news which makes ratings which is all news sources seem to care about anymore.  He was also the most unexpected death out of the four, so I suppose that garners a lot more attention.  But it really is a shame to overshadow Farrah and her message, and David Carradine isn't even being mentioned anywhere that I can see.  Ed McMahon probably got the coverage he did just because he died a couple days before.  I wish the news was more concerned with stories than ratings, but they've proven again and again that they're not when the Octomom and the Pratts get more coverage than a bombing in Iraq.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

sjc said:


> *If I may be rude:* I have to honestly say that I feel sorry that: After Farrah struggled through two years and put herself (at the worst moment of her life) on public display to show people the horrors of cancer: her death is going to be (by the media) overshadowed by Michael's. Of course I feel badly about Michael (don't get me wrong), but I wish for Farrah's memory and the effort she put in for cancer awareness: that they hadn't died on the same day.
> 
> Does that soud rude? I hope not.


I agree. I'm watching Access Hollywood right now and they have devoted the show to Farrah. I'm glad. I really feel bad about Michael Jackson and his poor children.


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

VictoriaP said:


> It may be an unfair judgment on him, but I don't think age is the factor here. I'm waiting for the "drugs or alcohol were involved" statement to come out. Too many types of antidepressants, anti anxiety meds, even plain ol' anti-inflammatories in excess can cause cardiac arrest. And he was not a happy person.
> 
> I too hope he finds peace.


Agreed.

I also think it's sad that his death will overshadow Farrah's. I'm not a big follower or admirer of celebrities, but I admired what she was trying to do regarding showing what it's like to deal with cancer.


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## Cowgirl (Nov 1, 2008)

SJC...doesn't sound rude to me.  I was thinking exactly the same thing.


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## Addie (Jun 10, 2009)

sjc said:


> *If I may be rude:* I have to honestly say that I feel sorry that: After Farrah struggled through two years and put herself (at the worst moment of her life) on public display to show people the horrors of cancer: her death is going to be (by the media) overshadowed by Michael's. Of course I feel badly about Michael (don't get me wrong), but I wish for Farrah's memory and the effort she put in for cancer awareness: that they hadn't died on the same day.
> 
> Does that soud rude? I hope not.


It doesn't sound rude to me. I was thinking the same thing.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

> I agree. I'm watching Access Hollywood right now and they have devoted the show to Farrah. I'm glad. I really feel bad about Michael Jackson and his poor children.


They had more time to put the piece on Farrah together; Michael's news is only a couple hours old.


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## CoolMom1960 (Mar 16, 2009)

I don't remember who said it best Lester Holt or Brian Williams  - "Farrah's death everyone was expecting, Michael Jackson's death caught us by surprise.

Both deaths are tragic.  Farrah's and her fight with cancer, her son not with her at the end since he was in jail and Micheal simply because his life was so tragic.  And yes, it almost doesn't seem fair that Michael's death will over over shadow Farrah's , but then who said death was fair?

The debate over who's death is more news worthy is sort of inconsequential don't you think?  Two people lost their battle with demons today, the Demon named Cancer and the Demon  forfeited childhood for stardom.  Hug your families tonight and hope neither of them get a grip on your loved ones.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

well said.


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## lynninva (Feb 7, 2009)

ABC is doing one hour specials on both Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett tonight.  I think the one on Michael is at 9 EDT, and Barbara Walters is hosting a 20/20 special on Farrah's life at 10 EDT.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

sjc said:


> Weird I couldn't find my own thread...and now it has cheerio next to it as having started my thread...odd.


As I posted, I merged the two threads and in doing so, the original thread starter became the thread starter. That's why your name and thread disappeared. Just trying to keep things organized.



> Anyhow...The media circus has begun: Droves of people are outside the hospital where Michael was pronounced dead. Guess it is the biggest news since Elvis and Lennon.


Well, I was never a huge MJ fan but I guess for a certain segment of the fandom, it is as big as Lennon and Elvis.

L


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Re: the celebrities mentioned...

David Carradine died (killed himself) in a kinky sexual practice that he had apparently been engaging in for years. This time it went wrong. Puritans that we are, we don't like to talk about sex and we really don't like to talk about kinky sex, like auto-erotic asphyxiation, so no wonder his death is not getting much publicity.

Ed McMahon...he was old and broke. Wasn't he trying to re-mortgage his house on ebay or something? Sell all his gold on ads on the Super Bowl? There is probably a segment of Hollywood who is glad he is gone. He was becoming an embarrassment.

Farrah...she was trying to do everything right, bring awareness to the cause, had a TV show and so on ...and then

She made the unfortunate mistake of dying on the same day the Michael Jackson died. Ooops, sorry, Farrah, you will forever be lost in the limelight.

Sorry if I sound cynical. It is a little bit like when a celebrity dies (unfortunately) between Dec 20 and Jan 1. They never make it into the news. Farrah's message has  been eclipsed by MJs eccentricities.

Apologies in advance to MJ fans. Although I enjoyed (but never owned) the Thriller album, I never cared for much of his other stuff and I detested the song BEN, which I was forced to listen to endlessly when I was in 8th or 9th grade.

L


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## Cowgirl (Nov 1, 2008)

I just heard somebody on CNN say MJ's death will be akin to President Kennedy's death.  I'm sitting here thinking WHAT?
I'm afraid the circus has just begun.


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## Dori (Oct 28, 2008)

I didn't know MJ was a talent.  I always thought he was a kook.  Farrah Fawcett was a great lady.  Don't know Carradine, but Ed McMahon was my favorite of the lot of them.  I miss him.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

I will never forget the sea of flowers for Princess Diana. I will never forget where I was when Elvis died or when the OJ chase was taking place_ live_: I guess we all know where we were the moment Michael died: The Kindleboards Forum








Farrah: Bless her soul for bringing so much to the forefront. Her special last month was so spot-on...she held nothing back. Especially being so known for her hair and having the courage to show her chemo-head (as me & mom call it...Mom battling too). In her movies she brought domestic violence to a new level where women didn't have to suffer the shame and could come forward and know they'd be protected by law.

The poster: The hair: Every man wanted her and every woman wanted to be her. RIP


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## ladyknight33 (Feb 2, 2009)

RIP Michael Jackson

My prayer go out to his loved ones especially the children.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Cowgirl said:


> I just heard somebody on CNN say MJ's death will be kin to President Kennedy's death. I'm sitting here thinking WHAT?
> I'm afraid the circus has just begun.


Michael Jackson and President Kennedy in the same breath? Sorry, no.

Ugh.

L


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## CoolMom1960 (Mar 16, 2009)

Dori said:


> I didn't know MJ was a talent. I always thought he was a kook. Farrah Fawcett was a great lady. Don't know Carradine, but Ed McMahon was my favorite of the lot of them. I miss him.


For me being a youngster in the 60's became aware of MJ because of the Jackson 5 and was all the rage while I was in high school and college. I still have on my playlist music from the Jackson 5, Rock With You, The Victory Tour, Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad. I think what made him so special as a young man was the fact that his music broke color, gender and music style barriers.

Each generation has musical icons that define their memories of their youth, and for me, Michael Jackson was one of them. Granted the older and weirder he got - the sadder his situation became. He really did have his youth stolen from him.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Cowgirl:


> SJC...doesn't sound rude to me. I was thinking exactly the same thing.


Thanks.


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## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

My thoughts and prayers are with the families.

I felt very sorry for Jermaine when he spoke for the Jackson family and my heart goes out to Michael's 3 young children. 

I watched Farrah's documentary a few weeks ago and bawled. She was so brave and a fighter!

I loved Ed McMahon and Johnny Carson. What a great pair they were.

I am saddened by the lost of all 3, they were very talented. All 3 of these celebreties were troubled in one way or another. May they rest in peace.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

sjc said:


> I will never forget the sea of flowers for Princess Diana.


And yet... Five days later another important figure died, and because that was the day before Diana's funeral, it was barely reported and almost ignored by the general public.

That was


Spoiler



Mother Teresa


.


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

Cowgirl said:


> I just heard somebody on CNN say MJ's death will be akin to President Kennedy's death. I'm sitting here thinking WHAT?
> I'm afraid the circus has just begun.


Oh puh-lease. His death isn't even akin to John Lennon's, who was murdered. John Lennon dying is a day I will never forget. Same with Freddy Mercury, who died of aids. But Michael Jackson. I'm sorry he died but it isn't anything compared to the other two for me. And president Kennedy being assassinated. Are they insane?


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

I think whichever death has more of an effect is a result of how these lives intertwined with yours. 

Like others, I hope Farrah isn't forgotten in the media circus, because my mother's death is still so raw to me, and Farrah's struggle resonates for that  reason. I know what that vigil is like and the wounds haven't healed. Michael Jackson's death, while sad, just doesn't hit me on the same level. 

I was a pre-teen when Farrah became famous, really famous, curious about my own femininity. I can close my eyes and see a display of Farrah shampoo -- anybody remember that? -- at the drugstore. I doubt that store is even open anymore. It was outside of that store that I petted my first sheltie, and now I can't get rid of them.  My first haircut, my hair was down to my behind, was definitely Farrah inspired. 

In junior high, we were rounded up into the cafetorium -- which is the combination of a cafeteria and, as yoiu might guess, auditorium -- to be told about some school program. What was it? Who remembers. Maybe  under hypnosis. One of the things you could win or earn was the new Michael Jackson record :stares defiantly:: that's right -- record). Proving I had my thumb on the pulse of pop culture, I wondered why anyone would want this stupid Thriller thing. I think the sales show I was pretty smart on that one. 

Still, he is part of my teens. 

I can't lie and say the allegations against him don't make me less inclined to mourn him, but even without that, and no matter what the media  decides, I can't stop thinking of Farrah. 

I wish both sets of friends and families peace, as well as the loved ones of Ed McMahon.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

*Susan:* I agree, I remember being outraged with the media over the lack of coverage for the death of Mother Teresa. However, what gave me peace with that situation...was: Mother Teresa didn't need the spotlight...Diana craved it. Mother Teresa lived humbly and she went out the same way. I started to appreciate that maybe Diana's coverage provided Mother Teresa with her wish...to go out as simply as she could.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

A lot of people simply were not alive when Kennedy died -- not too many of the pretty boys (and girls) on T.V. today, and as time goes on his death does diminish in relevance to people, at least conscious relevance. This is symbolized in the rumors that Walter Cronkite is not expected to be with us much longer. And, of course, the continued health concerns of Ted Kennedy.


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

Ok but cardiac arrest is not the same as assassination. One is the result of a premeditated conspiracy to kill our POTUS and the other is a death from natural causes. And I say this as the wife of someone who has almost died from a heart attack and has had bypass surgery to save his life. It's horrible and scary but it's not an assassination.


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## MonaSW (Nov 16, 2008)

May he rest in peace free of his demons.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

sjc said:


> *Susan:* I agree, I remember being outraged with the media over the lack of coverage for the death of Mother Teresa. However, what gave me peace with that situation...was: Mother Teresa didn't need the spotlight...Diana craved it. Mother Teresa lived humbly and she went out the same way. I started to appreciate that maybe Diana's coverage provided Mother Teresa with her wish...to go out as simply as she could.


I never thought of it that way.... but it's a very good way of looking at it.


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## Elijsha (Dec 10, 2008)

> Ed McMahon...he was old and broke. Wasn't he trying to re-mortgage his house on ebay or something? Sell all his gold on ads on the Super Bowl? There is probably a segment of Hollywood who is glad he is gone. He was becoming an embarrassment.


 Glad someone was dead? Harsh!


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Rasputina said:


> Ok but cardiac arrest is not the same as assassination. One is the result of a premeditated conspiracy to kill our POTUS and the other is a death from natural causes. And I say this as the wife of someone who has almost died from a heart attack and has had bypass surgery to save his life. It's horrible and scary but it's not an assassination.


Not disputing that.

I'm only commenting on:

1. The short attention span of pop culture.

2. The effect of witnessing things first hand.

The nature of the world is that events lose importance to people as witnesses die. That's why Holocaust Museums and Memorials are so important -- to keep reminding people, touching people, over an event that will have no survivors very shortly. The same with WWII, in general. For millions upon millions, it was the defining event of their lives, but time marches on.

My grandmother can speak about the war like it was yesterday. She thinks I'm a dolt for not knowing which Big Band is responsible for which song. I can be fascinated by her stories, but they aren't my experience.

I think most people intellectually get that Kennedy's assassination was a bigger event, but people aren't speaking from an intellectual place.

I balked when someone said Jackson was bigger than The Beatles, because I can remember my mother playing me the song, Michelle, at Sears and telling me I was named after that song. I can remember Lennon's death so clearly. Their lyrics speak to me in profound ways. That's my experience though, and irrelevant to many people. People who were born after Lennon died are facing the big 3-0.

Someone else my age might remember going to the rollerskating rink and skating to Billie Jean with their crush, or have some deep connection to We Are The World. For them, Michael Jackson's death is bigger than The Beatles or Kennedy -- even if it's really, really not -- at least not with Kennedy. Famous people entwine with our lives in different ways -- their events somehow mesh with our own, bookmarking them.

You don't have to sell me on presidential assassinations being extra bad. I voted for a man who we all know needs extra diligent secret service and if he does die, it will be one of the hugest events of my life. The last truly lucid day of my mother's life was inauguration day, and we made fun of Aretha Franklin's hat, which makes his well-being even more important to me. For someone else, they remember Camelot.

So, yeah, in the face of death people say things from their gut, on not with any honest evaluation on where that event or death stacks up in the grand scheme of things.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Elijsha said:


> Glad someone was dead? Harsh!


Well, it strikes me as unlikely that Ed McMahon is anywhere in the list of the Top 100 embarrassments in Hollywood. It isn't like we're in the days of Rock Hudson being in the closet and stars being circumspect so as not to incur the wrath of Louie B. Mayer.


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## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

This is all so sad.

All life has meaning.
We cannot quantify who's death should, or does have more meaning.
It is not for us to judge whether to someone else Michael's death hits them or impacts them as much as JFK's did with others at that time.

This thread is about Michael Jackson dying,not about other people's deaths.

I truly hope his life and death can be given some respect in it's own right,respect he never seemed to be allowed or truly given while alive.

That he will finally have Peace is my heartfelt hope.


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## koolmnbv (Mar 25, 2009)

I think along with being an extreme talent as a small child and only growing with that he was also involved in breaking/starting so many barriers and trends.

Also he was an impact on the history of the music buisness as whole.

He was breakthrough in the start and popularity of CD's (compact disks) 
The entire MTV generation.
Thriller and its impact even to this day.
And of course the innovation in his dance moves that set the way for future artists in that genre.  

Very few artists have that overall effect on an entire industry. 

I think his death deserves its publicity in his own right, as does Farrahs in hers. 

Plus EVERYONE has people that love them and will grieve their loss. Regardless of how others may feel about that person.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I gasped when I learned through a NY Times email that Michael Jackson was dead.  I went out for a few hours, came back and found that most of the TV world is now broadcasting about MJ 24/7, especially the cable news networks.  This is all that they are covering now, as if nothing else is happening in the world.

I'm not an MJ fan, but I did buy the Thriller album in 1983.  I think it's sad when a whole cottage industry of memorial TV takes over the air waves.  After 20 minutes of this, I turned it off and that's how my TV will remain until all the fuss is over.

It is a big story and he was a big star, but enough is enough.  His career was over.  Guess if you're a big fan of his and grew up on his music, this is very hard to handle.  I was devastated when John Lennon was shot in 1980.


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

yep, I'm so grateful we have tivo right now.


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2009)

Leslie said:


> Ed McMahon...he was old and broke. Wasn't he trying to re-mortgage his house on ebay or something? Sell all his gold on ads on the Super Bowl? There is probably a segment of Hollywood who is glad he is gone. He was becoming an embarrassment.


Wow that was incredibly rude and downright cruel. He's not the first person to run into financial problems in old age. May we all count our blessings that we don't end up in a similar predicament. My own parents are dealing with such issues right now because my dad is a GM retiree. They never dreamed GM would go bankrupt.


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## Aravis60 (Feb 18, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> And yet... Five days later another important figure died, and because that was the day before Diana's funeral, it was barely reported and almost ignored by the general public.
> 
> That was
> 
> ...


I remember this really well. I was just starting college at the time and was at freshman orientation. I went to a Catholic university, so Mother Teresa's death was a pretty big deal.


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2009)

Two things I heard on the news:

Michael Jackson's lawyer says that the family was not totally shocked about what happened as Michael had had a serious prescription drug abuse problem for awhile now and they were very scared something like this would happen.

Michael Jackson's will says that in the event of his death, the rights to the Beatles catalog he owns shall be given to Paul McCartney.


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## unrequited (Feb 26, 2009)




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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

unrequited said:


>


That's cute.
Reminds me of the Eddy Murphy routine about "Buckwheat's been shot" that he did after the Reagan assasination attempt.
The media can be so irritating.

Just sayin......


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

geoffthomas said:


> The media can be so irritating.
> 
> Just sayin......


Yeah. . .it was the same Monday with the metro crash. The only news was that it happened: there was no new news until Tuesday when investigators could begin to figure out what had really happened. But they were on the air for 3 or 4 hours. . .every channel. . .showing the same pictures. And they were calling it 'breaking news' still at 8 at night. . .I was watching the baseball game, but, every time I flipped channels during a commercial, there it was on the 3 major networks.

I haven't even put the news on this morning, like I usually do, because I know all it'll be is wall to wall Michael Jackson.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

Susan in VA said:


> And yet... Five days later another important figure died, and because that was the day before Diana's funeral, it was barely reported and almost ignored by the general public.
> 
> That was
> 
> ...


I remember being disgusted that her death was overshadowed by Diana's.


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## Cowgirl (Nov 1, 2008)

CS said:


> I remember being disgusted that her death was overshadowed by Diana's.


I was also disgusted.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

NYCKindleFan said:


> Michael Jackson's will says that in the event of his death, the rights to the Beatles catalog he owns shall be given to Paul McCartney.


I could be wrong, but didn't that get sold already?

They're doing a Beatles version of the Rock Band game, and I doubt Jacko was involved in any way.


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## Cowgirl (Nov 1, 2008)

I think he sold half of it to Sony a few years back but I think he still owns or rather owned the other 50%.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

RIP all those who have died recently, celebrity or not.

Farrah's is sad because she leaves behind people who love her and I feel for her family. I did not watch a show that she was in, I can't remember her movies, I know of her but she had no cultural relevance to my life.

Michael Jackson did. I was 11 when Thriller came out. I was so excited when I finally got Thriller for my birthday. It was the best gift I got that year. It is one of the few birthday gifts that I actually remember receiving. His music was a very large part of my childhood. 

Watching him slip into more and more eccentric behavior and seemingly loose whatever grip on reality he had was difficult for me to watch. It saddens me that I am more focused on how sad his life has been and how hurt he had to be as a person to feel the need for all that surgery, the expensive kids toys, the need to be surrounded by young kids, and the just generally weird behavior. I wish I could be more focused on the music and his cultural impact but that part of his life seems to be so far in the back ground.

I hope that his kids end up with someone who loves them and protects them. Maybe it would be a good idea to make sure that they end up with someone who won't market them like Michael and his brothers were marketed at their age.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I doubt that the Beatles collection will go to Paul. Michael Jackson was $400 million in debt. The collection might be sold to Paul but that is the only way he is getting it. There is no way that the people Jackson owed money to will let that go without a challenge.


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## jpmorgan49 (Feb 10, 2009)

I too wasn't a big MJ fan but I'm knowledgeable enough to realize that he was a genius when it came to music and dance.  I really find it annoying the the press will now show nothing but MJ for at least throughout the weekend.  I watched the impromptu MJ show on ABC last night and I liked it.  Unfortunately it seems the same interviews, etc and being played and replayed today for me once is enough.  It just means more reading time.   May MJ and Farrah rest in Peace in spite of the Press.
jp


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## Elmore Hammes (Jun 23, 2009)

I fondly remember listening to "Thriller" while in high school, oh so many years ago. It was an awesome achievement, and you can't overstate how compelling (and for MTV, profitable) the videos from that album were. While a rather quixotic human being, the talent, imagination and ability to entertain were unmatched during that time.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I think it is always important to separate the person from their work.
I don't ask the person that has created a beautiful carved desk that I purchase who to vote for because I admire their craftsmanship.
So too I don't care what MJ thinks about anything and can overlook his "lifestyle" because his body of work is both impressive and, to me, enjoyable.
He stopped adding to his good work a long time ago, IMHO.

RIP, MJ.

Just sayin....


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I do think Michael _made_ MTV. . .until Thriller, music videos were spliced together videos of various live concerts. . . .he made the visuals as important as the music. . . .for better or worse depending on your perspective. He has a deserved legacy and ought to be remembered. But I'm watching tennis right now, not retrospectives for 48 hours straight!


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I do think Michael _made_ MTV. . .until Thriller, music videos were spliced together videos of various live concerts. . . .he made the visuals as important as the music. . . .for better or worse depending on your perspective. He has a deserved legacy and ought to be remembered. But I'm watching tennis right now, not retrospectives for 48 hours straight!


Do you remember (now my mind goes to an MJ song - there were so many great ones!) when Thriller debuted? Back then there was no MTV but a show called "Friday Night Videos." Everyone knew the video was coming - I remember watching it with a bunch of friends _and _ my parents - it was cultural event! We also VCRed it - and watched it over and over and over. It was the first video that told a story and wasn't, like you said, "spliced together concerts." He really changed the face of music videos and concert tours.

And his music! It is so fun to dance and move to.

It is very sad what became of his life and I feel so sad for his children. But he was an amazing entertainer for a lot of his life. Incredibly talented. It's unfortunate we will never know his full potential because his real life kind of ate up and took over his professional life. Very sad.

I too am avoiding the TV covereage and I was a fan! I hate what the media does when a notable person dies so I just don't participate.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I do think Michael _made_ MTV. . .until Thriller, *music videos were spliced together videos of various live concerts.* . . .he made the visuals as important as the music. . . .for better or worse depending on your perspective. He has a deserved legacy and ought to be remembered. But I'm watching tennis right now, not retrospectives for 48 hours straight!


Well, not exactly...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_video

a few highlights:

Among the first music videos were clips produced by ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith who started making short musical films for Saturday Night Live. In 1981, he released Elephant Parts, the first video album and first winner of a Grammy for music video, directed by William Dear. A further experiment on NBC television called Television Parts was not successful, due to network meddling (notably an intrusive laugh track and corny gags).

and...

n 1981, the U.S. video channel MTV launched, airing "Video Killed the Radio Star" and beginning an era of 24-hour-a-day music on television. With this new outlet for material, the music video would, by the mid-1980s, grow to play a central role in popular music marketing. Many important acts of this period, most notably Adam & the Ants, Madonna and Mylène Farmer, owed a great deal of their success to the skillful construction and seductive appeal of their videos. Some academics have compared music video to silent film, and it is suggested that stars like Madonna have (often quite deliberately) constructed an image that in many ways echoes the image of the great stars of the silent era such as Greta Garbo.

but MJ and Thriller were important...

In 1983, arguably the most successful and influential music video of all time was released-the nearly 14-minute-long video for Michael Jackson's song "Thriller." The video set new standards for production, having cost US$500,000 to film. That video, along with earlier videos by Jackson for his songs "Billie Jean" and "Beat It", also was instrumental in getting music videos by African-American artists played on MTV; earlier, such videos were rare because MTV initially conceived itself as a rock-music-oriented channel.

L


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

KindleMom said:


> Do you remember (now my mind goes to an MJ song - there were so many great ones!) when Thriller debuted? Back then there was no MTV but a show called "Friday Night Videos."


Maybe MTV wasn't on your cable line-up, but it did exist...see my other message--it started broadcasting in 1981.

I remember when Thriller debuted on MTV. It was a big deal. I just found this on Entertainment Weekly:

*MICHAEL'S MONSTER SMASH *

He warned us. Right at the start of the MTV debut of Michael Jackson's 14-minute horror-themed mini-movie Thriller on Dec. 2, 1983, the whippet-thin singer declared in a whispery voice, ''I'm not like other guys.''

He sure wasn't. Jackson and his managers had raised a whopping production budget of $600,000 -- more than 20 times the era's average promo-clip budget -- to turn the Thriller video into an elaborate showcase for the makeup effects of Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London). In what now looks disturbingly like a warm-up for his obsession with rebuilding his own face, Jackson had Baker transform him into a jut-jawed lycanthrope as well as a pock-cheeked zombie; in the bargain, Jackson wound up resurrecting his year-old Thriller album. Already an enormous hit (having sold 20 million copies worldwide) but fading on the charts, Thriller zoomed back to No. 1, taking on truly monstrous proportions. To date, the worldwide sales tally is 44 million -- and by now it's clear that the album's staggering success has become both a totem and an albatross for Jackson. Determined to top it, he's made his promotional assaults ever grander, even as his behavior turns ever weirder.

Is it any wonder he turned grandiose? In the Thriller video's immediate wake, mania for all things Michael became so intense that his public appearances took on the cast of religious visitations. Even an hour-long promotional program partly financed by MTV, The Making of Thriller, became a major hit on the music channel and on Showtime. ''We called it 'The Making of Filler,''' recalls director John Landis (Animal House, American Werewolf), who conceived the original Thriller clip as a theatrical short. When fledgling Vestron Video offered to pay $500,000 for the right to sell the Making of program on VHS cassettes, Landis remembers wondering ''Who would buy this thing after they've seen it for free?''

Within six months of Thriller's MTV launch, a staggering 750,000 copies of the Making of tape had been sold at $30 apiece, an unusually low price (hit movies cost at least twice that; there was virtually no priced-to-sell market). ''People have claimed the whole thing was marketing brilliance, but it was all a happy accident,'' says Landis. ''The truth is, Thriller was a vanity video.'' Maybe so, but to millions of fans, Jackson never looked so good.

(note: This article was written in December 1996)


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

In defense of Ann, very few people had cable until later in the 80s.  I came from a wealthy family (just my parents, not me - LOL!) and we didn't get cable until 1986-7 or so.  MTV wasn't big until after Thriller came out.  

But interesting that MTV was around when Thriller came out.  I still think Thriller changed the music video genre though.  It was a mini-movie, not just a musical film.  IMO it was better produced than a lot of movies that were released at the same time.  

On a side note, I knew one of the dancers who was in "Thriller" and "Beat It."  Sadly he died of AIDS many years ago, but he loved the opportunity of working with MJ the artist and of course the notariety of being in such great videos


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

Here are two blogs about MJ written by two people who actually knew him, Deepak Chopra and his son.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-chopra/a-tribute-to-my-friend-mi_b_221268.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gotham-chopra/my-friend-mike_b_221280.html


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## Sweety18 (Feb 14, 2009)

RIP Michael


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

geoffthomas said:


> I think it is always important to separate the person from their work.
> I don't ask the person that has created a beautiful carved desk that I purchase who to vote for because I admire their craftsmanship.
> So too I don't care what MJ thinks about anything and can overlook his "lifestyle" because his body of work is both impressive and, to me, enjoyable.
> He stopped adding to his good work a long time ago, IMHO.
> ...


I can't agree with always. I draw the line at rapists, murders and child molesters.


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

sjc said:


> *Susan:* I agree, I remember being outraged with the media over the lack of coverage for the death of Mother Teresa. However, what gave me peace with that situation...was: Mother Teresa didn't need the spotlight...Diana craved it. Mother Teresa lived humbly and she went out the same way. I started to appreciate that maybe Diana's coverage provided Mother Teresa with her wish...to go out as simply as she could.


I agree. As a Catholic woman I had this same thought then. 

Of course Farrah will always be in my mind I used to watch Charlie's Angels on cable and loved how tough these women were, made me think I could do anything when I was a kid. I always thought she was a genuine person.
And I will never forget seeing the THRILLER video on The HUGE Street Screen at DisneyWorld's Pleassure Island for my High School Graduation trip. Everyone on the street was dancing to the video! I felt like I was actually part of a new video, because there were hundreds of people doing the dance together and it was like MIDNIGHT and we were outside having one heck of a time!


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

Rasputina said:


> I can't agree with always. I draw the line at rapists, murders and child molesters.


Exactly, if you harm another.... especially the weak, trusting & innocent. It is just not right.

I liked Michael Jackson's music and videos, back before he had all of the allegations against him, after that I did not even WANT to know anymore...


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## EllenR (Mar 31, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> And yet... Five days later another important figure died, and because that was the day before Diana's funeral, it was barely reported and almost ignored by the general public.
> 
> That was
> 
> ...


I remember that. I was heartbroken by her loss on this earth and also realized the moment would be lost in the sea of media coverage, which it was. However, I sincerely doubt that Blessed Teresa would have wanted any more attention on her death than she received. She died as she lived, with a quiet grace and more faith than anyone I have ever seen.

As far as sjc's comment, I did not find it rude either because I thought the same thing. While I was a BIG MJ fan until the accusations of molestation, I am appalled at the newspaper today that had a full front page on MJ and a little blurb on the side about Farrah. More coverage inside, of course, but really. To me she as an icon of my adolescence just as much as Michael Jackson was a pop icon of my youth.

Sad. Very sad.


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## Tippy (Dec 8, 2008)

Well said Ellen R.  I wholeheartedly agree.


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## sixnsolid (Mar 13, 2009)

Rasputina said:


> I can't agree with always. I draw the line at rapists, murders and child molesters.


Amen


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## koolmnbv (Mar 25, 2009)

I agree entirely about the things said about both Diana/Mother Theresa. I am also Catholic so in our home she was a great loss, and her death and LIFE was always talked about. 

With that said, I think the way and timing of Diana's death and also the paparazzi aspect added alot of fuel to it. Had Princess Diana been Mother Theresa's age and lived a long whole life maybe it might not have been portrayed the same way by the media. 

It still should not have over shadowed the death of someone else truly remarkable that walked this earth. I just think circumstances add or change the way things get portrayed. Not that I agree. 

One amazing person's life is not any less important just because she grew old and was lived a long full life and did not die as a shock by the chasing photographers etc.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

The media loves anything that is sensational.  Mother Teresa's death wouldn't get much publicity anyway.  Look at how the media sensationalized Anna Nicole Smith's death.  Anybody who was written up in the tabloids regularly gets the extra media coverage in death.


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## kindle zen (Mar 18, 2009)

i have no comment on mj but i do hope his children are able to successfully weather all the turmoil, past, present and future.  all my best to them.

all my best to farrah too.


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## angelad (Jun 19, 2009)

God Bless his Soul!


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

I'm from a lower middle class family -- raised by a single working mom. We got MTV around '81 or '82 and there were all sorts of videos. Thriller was huge and more elaborate than anything else, but there was tons of other stuff. 

Now we didn't get a VCR until '88 or '89.  

Diana's death was a big deal for me. I cared about Mother Theresa, too, but it wasn't a shock like the death of a young and vibrant woman. All the soap opera stuff aside, Diana worked hard on the issues of AIDS and landmines, and it's not like it was all infidelities and bulimia. It felt like it was time for Mother Theresa to go home, that it was time for her to rest what had to be a weary body. Diana had young children.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Listening to the radio...Someone already remade M. Jackson's Billie Jean in a rock way. (sniff) Come on. I like the original


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## koolmnbv (Mar 25, 2009)

Vegas_Asian said:


> Listening to the radio...Someone already remade M. Jackson's Billie Jean in a rock way. (sniff) Come on. I like the original


I know last years American Idol David Cook did Billie Jean. Fall Out Boy did Beat It and this year on American Idol Adam Lambert did Black or white. All of these were remade fairly recently before his death.

I am sure there are a million other re-makes these are just a few of the more recent "rock" style ones.


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

Here's an interesting twist on the MTV/MJ discussion. Apparently there were no black artists being played on early MTV. It took CBS threatening MTV to get them to show an MJ video. It was after Thriller's network debut and Billie Jean's network debut that MTV showed it's first MJ video. Kinda hard to believe these days. Especially when Thriller was so huge when it was first released. Didn't MTV want that advertising revenue? Things are sure different now, good thing.

http://www.hollyscoop.com/music/michael-jackson/chris-brown-and-pdiddy-pen-tribute-song-for-michael_1687.aspx

Also, here is a Michael's last interview confirming the above. It seems like he made MTV, and not with their blessing at first, not the other way around.

http://www.ebonyjet.com/culture/music/index.aspx?id=13602


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## LaraAmber (Feb 24, 2009)

What got me was watching a promo for the news this weekend and it referred to the Michael Jackson death and "a nation in mourning".  Really?  After 9/11 that was a "nation in mourning", no one could think about anything else, people would break down into tears at random (I know I broke down a few times at my desk, since my father and sister regularly visited there for business meetings, but were luckily both back on the West Coast at the time), and everyone was an emotional wreck.  My emotional response was "huh" when they announced MJ's death.  If they wanted to say "the music industry in mourning" fine, that would make sense, a lot of people who worked with him, were heavily influenced by him when developing their own style, etc.  But "the nation"?

I feel sorry for his family and hope no turns his death into a source of humor.

Lara Amber


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