Before Michael Jackson died on Thursday of "unknown causes", I didn't know how old he was. He gave the impression of someone who was ageless, maybe because of all his plastic surgery in the past 20 years that made his pale white skin, curly black hair and sunglasses irregonizable, as well as resemblance to sister, La Toya. I don't know much about Michael Jackson's personal life outside of how the media has portrayed, bizarre behavior, child molestation allegations, and Peter Pan lifestyle at his Neverland Ranch.
The more bizarre Jackson got, the more we responded to the behavior and not the music, and the further he ran from the world.
Michael Jackson's death is already being compared to another king in music, Elvis Presley. Their deaths are similar.
When Michael Jackson died, the amount of Twitter, Facebook status updates, and texts anouncing his death and commemorating him were astounding. I've never seen that much actvity and dare I say unity, in the 2 years I've been on Facebook.
As the days since his death pass, more and more details about Michael Jackson and his personal life are being revealed. You can't turn on the t.v. without seeing some headline, interview, or tribute about Michael Jackson. According to Lisa Marie Presley, the Prince of Pop knew he was going to end up like the King of Rock and Roll. There's no way in knowing how much of a posthmous impact his death will have. This New York Times article sums that up pretty well.
Last week wasn't good for Hollywood. First there was the death of Ed McMahon, followed by Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson on Thursday, and Billy Mays, the OxiClean guy, on Sunday.
When the news broke that Michael Jackson was in cardiac arrest (which is heart failure and not a heart attack) and then a coma, his family was immediately by his side at UCLA. About an hour or two after this, the LA Times and the AP Press confirmed that Michael Jackson had died at the untimely age of 50 from a condition oddly enough common for men his age. While CNN was waiting for confirmation on Michael's death, the news network strangely began to eulogize and remember him before anything was official. That was strange.
Across the street from UCLA Medical Center, a frat house began to play Michael Jackson's music, loud enough to be heard from the crowd gathered outside the hospital. While major news organizations and publications confirmed his death, none of it was really authorized or official despite the reputation of these organizations and publications, until it was announced by the hospital press department, which by law could not give news, without the permission of the Jackson family.
While Michael Jackson (MJ) may be gone and the Man in the Mirror's reflection faded, his influence and impact on music will not be forgotten.
I'll Be There-Jackson 5
Man in the Mirror-Michael Jackson
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