OT: Michael Jackson not breathing...
Kevin M.
Yeah, I know, a potentially life threatening thing, but what I find
most striking is that he's renting a place for 100X what I am, even
though I'm closer to the beach than he is. Sure, I don't have one
fireplace, let alone 12, but I think you'd have to agree Mr. Jackson
is getting screwed, rent-wise.
As CNN is trying to fill TV time while waiting for word from UCLA
Medical, Wolf and the gang have been recounting the more odd moments
of Jackson's life. If one didn't know better, you'd think is was a
Daily Show sketch. Here's the list so far:
Has been set on fire
Accused of sleeping with little boys
Bought the elephant man's bones
Recreated (pre-Johnny Depp) Pirates of the Caribbean ride in his home
Dangled his own baby over the balcony of a building
Once married to Elvis Presley's daughter
It seems like his life has been compiled by the folks who create Mad-Libs.
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)
Joe Hass
Kevin M.
>
> ABC News: Jackson dead.
... or extremely sleepy.
At the moment, the only "source" of Jackson being dead is TMZ, which
is not to say it isn't true, but, so far, that's it.
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)
Joe Hass
interrupted their Breaking Weather News with that story and the ABC
sourcing. YMMV.
Kevin M.
>
> To be clear: my report came from WXYZ-TV and their anchor who
> interrupted their Breaking Weather News with that story and the ABC
> sourcing. YMMV.
Fair enough.
So far, the websites of ABC, CBS, MSNBC, and CNN haven't posted news
of MJ's death. CNN just went live stating he is "in a coma."
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)
David Lynch
news citing these reports.
David J. Lynch
djl...@gmail.com
Kevin M.
status to Schrodinger's Cat Paradox.
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)
Wrecks
> AP, CBS, and LA Times now saying that he has died.
Kevin M.
>
>
>> AP, CBS, and LA Times now saying that he has died.
>
> How can they tell?
He looks pale
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)
Kevin M.
about Jackson from celebrities... because the world needed to know
what Lindsey Lohan and one of the Wayans brothers had to say... in 140
characters or less:
http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/25/michael-jackson-twitter/
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)
Kevin M.
I particularly like the ones who speak to Jackson himself, as if he
subscribed to/followed their tweats before or after death.
Actually, now that I think of it, following celebrity tweats is one of
Dante's levels of hell.
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)
Mark J.
three songs, preceded by Nina Blackwood reading a bulletin on the
death (all of the living original MTV VJs are DJs on the channel, as
they were with Sirius' old equivalent before the programming merger of
the two systems). Since the schedule shows Alan Hunter as the DJ on
duty, I think we now know that 80s on 8 is voice-tracked.
And I don't know if they're hand-picking songs to play inbetween the
Jackson songs, but the last two (after "Man in the Mirror") were Bruce
Springsteen's "Glory Days" and Howard Jones' "No One Is to Blame,"
which seems to be some sort of comment to me.
Karla Robinson
I find myself to be very sad about this. At the height of his popularity, I
would argue that no one has ever been as internationally famous as Michael
Jackson. And he held that status for a very long time, considering the
fickle public's readiness to move on to the next big thing. Sway is on MTV
describing his music as the soundtrack of a generation, and that is surely
true. It is unfortunate that his tremendous talent was undone by whatever
demons haunted him.
PGage
Sirius XM 80s on 8 seems to be playing a Michael Jackson song every
three songs, preceded by Nina Blackwood reading a bulletin on the
death (all of the living original MTV VJs are DJs on the channel, as
they were with Sirius' old equivalent before the programming merger of
the two systems). Since the schedule shows Alan Hunter as the DJ on
duty, I think we now know that 80s on 8 is voice-tracked.(SNIP)
I got a kick out of Wolf Blitzer earlier today taking on some DJ duites - at one point turning to the camera and saying soulfully "I want to hear some Michael Jackson right now" over the opening to "I Want You Back".
Kevin M.
premiere of the Thriller music video. I recall the red leather "Beat
It" jacket. I recall Michael Jackson on fire. But none of these things
were life-altering events for me. Setting aside all (and there is an
impressive list) of the whacked out aspects of Michael Jackson's life,
his career in pop music has been over for some time. When is the last
time any radio station played a Michael Jackson song, other than the
lite-FM stations who play a few Jackson 5 classics during their
kitschy "disco-retro" nights? His music doesn't fit any modern radio
station's format, not even easy-listening.
I can think of two things Michael Jackson did in terms of reshaping
the music scene:
1- His videos helped catapult MTV into the mainstream
2- His success led directly to the pop culture phenomena which
resulted in boy bands and Britney Spears
For these two things, Jackson should not be celebrated but condemned.
His style lacked substance, replacing it with a basic, danceable
backbeat. He set the course of lyrical and instrument-based music back
by at least a decade, championing the cause of a successful music
video being more important than a well performed single.
Should he be pitied because fame was thrust upon him at an early age?
Maybe, but an early age was the only time he seemed human to outside
observers.
The death of Michael Jackson should not be the lead story in any local
or national newspaper or news broadcast. In print, it should be in the
entertainment section, just before the comics. On TV, it should follow
the words, "And finally tonight," as a 30 second tag to the newscast,
with a simple card with his name and a picture as a few seconds of one
of his songs plays under the closing credits.
Michael Jackson's death matters... to his family and his friends. It
is not a devastating blow to the music industry. It does not impact
society on any level. The very definition of pop culture is that it
pops into and out of fashion rapidly. Michael Jackson popped out of
fashion a long time ago. Had he died in the 1980s, his death might
have held a small degree of social relevance. But pop music is of the
moment, and Jackson's moment has passed.
I am neither happy nor saddened by his death, but I am shocked and
somewhat appalled by those who have chosen to place great import on
his passing. At day's end, Michael Jackson will be remembered, not for
his music, but for the allegations and rumors that surrounded his
later years. And I specifically chose not to write about that because,
at day's end, allegations and rumors matter even less than decades old
pop music.
I know a lot of people have written, tweated, and blogged that Michael
Jackson should "rest in peace." I won't do that, not because of any
deeply held convictions, but because it doesn't seem appropriate to
the man he was (or seemed to be). So, to Michael, I can only say, sham
on.
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)
PGage
OK. I am a child of the '80s. (SNIP)
I am neither happy nor saddened by his death, but I am shocked and
somewhat appalled by those who have chosen to place great import on
his passing.(SNIP
On the other hand, I am a child of the '70s. The Jackson I remember fondly is of the Jackson 5. I bought "Off The Wall", but most of his 80s music was already out of my musical sweet spot as it came out, and long ago any appreciation I had for him as a musician was lost in my concern at his increasingly bizarre and perhaps predatory behavior. Growing up I knew people on the fringes of the Jackson circle, and I have some sympathy for the pressures on Michael as he grew up, which imposed a dramatic price on him, but of course none of that is an excuse for his behavior.
But I think a lot of people of my generation at least will be at least a little sad at news of his death - just as we were at the news of Farrah's death. We mourn the exciting, dynamic, seemingly joyful young boy we knew when we were young, and in so doing we mourn the loss of another small piece of our own youth.
Karla Robinson
statements, Kevin.:
-----Original Message-----
From: tvor...@googlegroups.com [mailto:tvor...@googlegroups.com] On
Behalf Of Kevin M.
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 9:56 PM
SNIP
I can think of two things Michael Jackson did in terms of reshaping
the music scene:
1- His videos helped catapult MTV into the mainstream
2- His success led directly to the pop culture phenomena which
resulted in boy bands and Britney Spears
For these two things, Jackson should not be celebrated but condemned.
His style lacked substance, replacing it with a basic, danceable
backbeat. He set the course of lyrical and instrument-based music back
by at least a decade, championing the cause of a successful music
video being more important than a well performed single.
SNIP
Karla again: If you look at the track listing for the album Thriller, you
will notice that you've probably heard all of those songs, and know several
of them quite well, despite yourself. The reason for that isn't just the
admittedly well produced videos. Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson produced
a truly epic album, with amazing hooks, very memorable songs, slow jams and
dance songs and more rock-influenced numbers. If the music wasn't so good,
the album wouldn't be the monster seller it still is.
Music was moving to danceable backbeats during the disco era, just before
Michael became a solo artist and released "Off the Wall," also arguably a
tremendous album and still regarded as such by music critics. A lot of
music in the late 80s and early 90s was throwaway pop, but so was much music
of the 60s and 70s. Look at the pop charts from that era, and you'll see a
bunch of crap alongside the genius of Motown and Dylan and The Beatles. It
was ever thus with music, and will be ever thus.
I just can't lay blame on Michael for some of the crap we saw in the 80s,
just because he made truly great videos and songs that some tried (and
failed) to imitate.
Karla Robinson
Joe Coughlin
I am neither happy nor saddened by his death, but I am shocked and
somewhat appalled by those who have chosen to place great import on
his passing. At day's end, Michael Jackson will be remembered, not for
his music, but for the allegations and rumors that surrounded his
later years. And I specifically chose not to write about that because,
at day's end, allegations and rumors matter even less than decades old
pop music.
I know a lot of people have written, tweated, and blogged that Michael
Jackson should "rest in peace." I won't do that, not because of any
deeply held convictions, but because it doesn't seem appropriate to
the man he was (or seemed to be). So, to Michael, I can only say, sham
on.
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)
You can't make the decision of relevance for everyone. For some people, his music was the soundtrack of their childhood and the two can't be separated. I remember the playground the day after Motown 25. "How did he do that?", we all wondered.
--
+++++++++++++++
Joe Coughlin
Happy Accidents
http://inturnaround.vox.com
Dave Sikula
On Jun 25, 3:34 pm, Wrecks <LandOfA...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > AP, CBS, and LA Times now saying that he has died.
>
> How can they tell?
--Dave Sikula
Dave Sikula
On Jun 25, 5:16 pm, "Karla Robinson" <karlasrobin...@zoominternet.net>
wrote:
>
> I find myself to be very sad about this. At the height of his popularity, I
> would argue that no one has ever been as internationally famous as Michael
> Jackson.
--Dave Sikula
Wrecks
Karla Robinson
but did they conquer Asia the way Michael did?
Kevin M.
Farrah thread, I'll post this one over here. If Steven Weber was a
chick, I would so do him:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-weber/pop-goes-the-king_b_221730.html
A few excerpts:
The "King of Pop" is dead. But while the man may have mattered, his
self-anointed royalty is just another example of the superficiality of
our pop culture and its rotating cadre of paper-thin ambassadors.
...
And then over time we watch silently as the smiling strangers take the
kid by the hand and lead him down a path a certain dysfunction, where
money and fame are substituted for affection and affirmation. A life
of candy ensures decay.
...
And he is not alone. So bombarded are we with comparable examples of
what is supposed to constitute Success, where the only worthwhile life
is lived in public, new generations are raised thinking "This is
life's imperative. You only live if you're seen". Like the light
inside the refrigerator.
...
But by all means dismiss and underpay the teacher, the cop, the people
who handle our endless refuse and when they die, give them no more
than a backward glance, an absent "oh, yeah---they kicked. Did you see
the new iPhone?". It is such misappropriation of concern
...
even Farrah , riddled with cancer, had the business acumen to maximize
her commercial appeal to the end, filming her slow, tortuous demise
when she might just have easily fought her fight in dignified privacy.
...
Michael Jackson was another soul in torment who had his talent
exploited, his singularity mass produced, his place in the natural
order disrupted by greedy, insatiable masters. The king, it seems, was
really just a pawn.
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)
Wrecks
lately. The best of those I've heard so far goes like this...
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Little Boy Blue.
Little Boy Blue who?
Michael Jackson.
Wrecks
Michael Jackson killed so the papers would focus on someone else for
awhile.
Ben Scripps
Bob in Jersey
Ben Scripps, to Wrecks:
Would have been a damn feat were it my mom...she doesn't even like to go
into the front room to look at the screen, never mind do anything...
URL you gave comes up blank, Ben. Try this one:
http://www.picturesforsadchildren.com/blog/famous.png
--
BOB
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