Jack & Jill Politics

great choice for the cover pic...wonder what the fam will put on the Obit

Is it just me or does it seem that Joe Jackson is working the media attention of his son's death to push his new record label? I hope that I have looked at this in the wrong light. Please let me be wrong. I just get the feeling that there should have been one statement from the family as a family, not him outside with Jackson and Sharpton and his partner.

That issue is going to be so sold out where I am :( Beautiful cover, though. I feel so bad Michael didn't like himself. He really was a beautiful young man.

So glad I have a subscription!! I hope this BET tribute is worth me lifting my ban to watch cuz I have to see it.

AFTERNOON OPEN THREAD IS UP!!

tvguide is doing one as well. i hope they do his career and talent justice; otherwise they're just the latest in line to cash in on him once again.

I hope Time does him justice...I don't think that people realize just how much Michael Jackson did to not only change our musical landscape, but also our cultural - and by virtue, political - one as well. So for those of you a bit exasperated that we're still talking about him: get over it...please.

To gauge the magnitude of MJ's loss: take any of today's biggest artists and celebrities - the Beyonces, Jay-Zs, P-Diddys, Britney Spears, and John Mahers of the world, and they are all still eclipsed by Jackson. Easily, and no disrespect intended to any of them. But such was his greatness.

A lot of 'people who don't realize' out there. Some of those 'people who don't realize' are the news directors of the Christian Broadcasting Network, and one Michael Medved in particular. I sat through their retrospective on MJ's life, right up until guest commentator Medved made a comment about how MJ hadn't used any of his wealth to help people/charities. After that, I tuned out their ignorance. But I felt bad about the kind of misinformation a so-called Christian Broadcasting Network would relay, and the people who would absorb it not knowing any better.

As for today's biggest artists, you so have that right, and that's why I've given you a 'like'. That's not to say there aren't big talents, just that an MJ level talent, crossing all boundaries, that takes a very special person with very special talents and charisma. Then again, MJ came up when you had to have an actual talent to be big (the exceptiong being Madonna), his voice was genuine and his dance moves needed no cgi.

They said what? I haven't looked it up on the interwebz to confirm, but during one of the many tributes, I heard that he gave more money to humanitarian causes, especially for children, than any other pop star. EVER I haven't liked Medved in for ever. he was a twerp when he and some other dude did movie reviews on PBS after Siskel & Ebert went to syndicated regular tv and he's gotten worse over the years.

You know I've come to believe that most of these people listen to these stations because they don't want to be informed. Over all this time with anything that they want to know about, they hear time and time again that they are getting erroneous information and they continue to depend on these same people as their source. Maybe they are upset because Michael didn't give his money to them and so it doesn't count. At any rate, he worked for every cent he made and he didn't have to give his money to anyone if he didn't want to. Wonder how many of them had ever been an enabler by purchasing Michaels records?

before he died
his back catalogues were outselling alot of todays artists
now if they couldn't compete with him in life
there is no way they are going to be able to compete with him now

At somepoint we must take the time to ask how much of this is sincere, genuine adulation and how much is just outright exploitation and how do we know the difference. And further, should we be outraged.

You know I really do believe you have a point when you mention exploitation. Al Sharpton asked that very question when he pointed out that some of the people expressing sorrow today were running from his yesterday. Michael was a very lonely man in this in part had to do with the rejection that he faced in so many circles.
I also think that it is important to note that within hours ppl were selling MJ t-shirt outside of Ronald Reagan medical center where he died. This was not because they loved MJ but because they saw a quick way to make a buck.

The irony (unfortunately) being Al Sharpton himself being one of the biggest exploiters out there.

I wonder who could have reached Michael after all these years, though? Maybe the only real friend he really did have was Elizabeth Taylor. So many people had control, what could Michael have done to break free of all the leeches?

This is "A-merry-ca" as the Field Negro spells it. I'm sure you weren't surprised at the MJ t-shirts, were you? I'm sure there will be sequined gloves, glitter white socks and more before the weekend is over...

Oh I'll be buying me up one over off Abernathy Blvd sometime this week. I saw a man with a MJ T-shirt on today with R.I.P. and his birthdate and death date underneath. You know how we do.

I watched some of the gatherings on You Tube celebrating Michael's music from San Francisico, Berlin, and London - freakin' amazing.

p.s. I don't usually buy Time as it's kinda lighteweight intellectually; hafta break with that for a minute.

What about the Filipino inmates?

And they did this one a while ago in 2007...Thriller

too funny!!

Thanks for posting these. I actually found the the most recent one to be quite moving. It really is amazing when you think of the reach that Michael Jackson had.

People have been bitching on the U-tube about the waste in dollars, etc., in relation to the older vids. Better dancing than fighting. Besides it's exercise.

Now this newest one - it's actually kind of touching.