Michael Jackson - RIP

[DukieInKansas]

Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital this afternoon. Paramedics found him with no pulse. They were not able to revive him and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. Per a radio report I just heard.

The man was a bit strange but very talented. Condolences to his family, friends, and fans.

[colchar]

I was just gonna post this. The BBC is reporting extensively on the story right now so, if you get it, check out BBC World News.

[DukieInKansas]

I was just gonna post this. The BBC is reporting extensively on the story right now so, if you get it, check out BBC World News.

Thanks for the additional info - I just had the radio and then found it on TMZ.com. Since TMZ apparently had the paramedic/hospital portion first, I figured it was true. Very sad day in the entertainment world.

[TillyGalore]

CNN is reporting he is in a coma. Praying for his family, regardless of his condition.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I think it's too bad that Farrah Fawcett's death will be overshadowed by his.

[colchar]

I think it's too bad that Farrah Fawcett's death will be overshadowed by his.

As do I. He might have been a good entertainer (not that I liked him myself) but the stuff with the kids tarnished him forever.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I think it's too bad that Farrah Fawcett's death will be overshadowed by his.

As do I. He might have been a good entertainer (not that I liked him myself) but the stuff with the kids tarnished him forever.

Me three. I never had a Michael Jackson poster. Don't want one now, either. But the Farrah poster... ;)

[CameronBornAndBred]

I think it's too bad that Farrah Fawcett's death will be overshadowed by his.

As do I. He might have been a good entertainer (not that I liked him myself) but the stuff with the kids tarnished him forever.

Me three. I never had a Michael Jackson poster. Don't want one now, either. But the Farrah poster... ;)

Since you wrote this, does that make you a Michael Jackson poster?

[CathyCA]

And when the groove is dead and gone (yeah)
You know that love survives
So we can rock forever on.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I think it's too bad that Farrah Fawcett's death will be overshadowed by his.

As do I. He might have been a good entertainer (not that I liked him myself) but the stuff with the kids tarnished him forever.
Me three. I never had a Michael Jackson poster. Don't want one now, either. But the Farrah poster... ;)

Since you wrote this, does that make you a Michael Jackson poster?

Ummmm, no!

[windsor]

Speculation this morning that demerol may have been involed (I would not be shocked to hear that he abused prescription drugs). Also reports he owed big dollars to pharmacies. Increasingly I saw him as a pitiful character - no one around him with the balls to tell him the truth: Michael grown men DO NOT share beds with young boys - even if (unlikely event) it is totally innocent. Michael - stop trying to look like Diane Ross! Michael - a chimp as a best friend? You married who? You named your kids WHAT?

I feel for his children and family. Given Michael's behavior you have to wonder about those poor kids.

[TillyGalore]

Speculation this morning that demerol may have been involed (I would not be shocked to hear that he abused prescription drugs). Also reports he owed big dollars to pharmacies. Increasingly I saw him as a pitiful character - no one around him with the balls to tell him the truth: Michael grown men DO NOT share beds with young boys - even if (unlikely event) it is totally innocent. Michael - stop trying to look like Diane Ross! Michael - a chimp as a best friend? You married who? You named your kids WHAT?

I feel for his children and family. Given Michael's behavior you have to wonder about those poor kids.

I too have wondered if this may have an accidental overdose leading to a cardiac arrest. And, that it seemed no had the chutzpa to set him straight RE the kids in the bed, the chimp and so forth.

Did MJ become too famous too young? As he did not have a "normal" childhood, was he looking for that as an adult? Also, did he not mature in the way the rest of us did do to having a "normal" childhood? So many questions and we will likely never know the answers.

Wonder who will get the kids and if they can give them "normal" childhoods.

[DukeUsul]

Am I dead inside because I really don't care that Michael or Farrah died? Hmm. Not anymore so than any of the other thousands of people who died yesterday.

Here's a prayer and a raise of the glass to everyone who died yesterday.

[bjornolf]

Definitely a sad and tragic ending to his life, though (by that I'm talking about the last several YEARS of his life, not just the death, though that is sad too). It sounds like the King of Pop, who seemed to have a real thing for Elvis (marrying the daughter and all) may have gone out in an eerily similar way to the King, even being similar in age (as in middle age, not the exact same age, I know).

[CathyCA]

Am I dead inside because I really don't care that Michael or Farrah died? Hmm. Not anymore so than any of the other thousands of people who died yesterday.

You're probably just too young for it to affect you personally. Every time I've heard one of Michael Jackson's songs over the past 18 hours, I have remembered exactly where I was when I first heard those songs, for instance:

ABC - the theme song to the Jackson 5 Saturday morning cartoon show. I never missed an episode.
Rockin' Robin - at the Roller Skating rink, 4th grade
Ben - slumber party in the 4th grade
Don't Stop Til You Get Enough - high school cheerleading routine
Rock With You - dance contest in high school (my cousin and I won)

And then everything after that becomes part of the soundtrack of my college days, i.e. the entire Thriller album, which I had as an L.P., replaced it with a cassette, and then a CD which I converted to my ipod a few years ago. Back in the day, very few artists released albums with more than one or two hit songs on it. Thriller was packed with all kinds of fun, singable, danceable songs. No artist had ever given the fans as much in an album as Michael Jackson gave to us. He even gave us Paul McCartney (The Girl Is Mine). I remember listening to Billie Jean blaring in the car on the way down to Myrtle Beach junior year.

And then there was Thriller - one of the biggest music videos ever. I remember gathering with the girls in the commons room at Broughton to watch the premiere of this video. We were blown away. We'd never seen anything like it.

Michael Jackson was an amazing entertainer.

I remember when Elvis died not "feeling" what others may have felt. I think it's because his music wasn't a part of the soundtrack of my life.

But for those of us who grew up in the 70s and came of age in the 80s, Michael and Farrah were our pop culture, and it's a very weird feeling for me anyway, not to have them around anymore.

[DukeUsul]

Well, I'm a child of the 80's. I remember watching the Thriller video when it premiered. We had Thriller on LP and tape. My siblings and I used to re-enact the video in the living room. I grew up listening to Michael and Beat It, Billy Jean, and so on. Maybe it's just cuz he lost all relevance to me after the early 90s.

[captmojo]

These super-wealthy entertainers seem to have a knack for looking out for each other, to a certain extent.
Jackson buys the rights for McCartney/Lennon music.
Lisa-Marie weds Jackson at his worst possible public relations moments.

He wasn't allowed to have a childhood that resembled anything normal. For this I truly grieve. He was money compensated, in more than kind.
I believe his out-of-court settlement makes him appear guilty. Looks like he's kept himself out of that sort of trouble since.

I'm sad to see the death of anyone.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I grew up listening to Michael and Beat It

I think that's Colchar's theme song too!

[Ben63]

My friends and I had to do video project our junior year in HS to redo Macbeth. Our main theme was Thriller with some other stuff mixed in. Enjoy.

http://www.facebook.com/Ben63#/video/vi ... 1093819589