The Web Collapses Under the Weight of Michael Jackson’s Death
Would have been a fitting end, had he broken the internet on his way out. He probably earned it.
Here are my thoughts on Michael –
TMZ was the hero of the day today. That’s sad. If there ever is to be, historically, a day that journalism died, people will look back and remember today as TMZ held on to the MJ death, and every other news agency balked and waited. I hope TMZ is wrong one day…so wrong that it destroys them. But today is not that day. Today is the day Harvey Levin picks up his grande water bottle for his cameras and whiteboard, and smug his way to millions of more dollars in advertising.
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Everybody in the world knows Michael Jackson. From Botswana to Belarus, there are 9-year old kids on YouTube (from recent uploads, mind you) moonwalking with a white glove and red-zippered jacket utilizing the choreography from MJ’s heyday. They think it’s hip and new and cool — and that’s fine.
It’s fine because you can talk to 99 percent of the population on this planet, mention Michael Jackson and make a connection. Start something. Share a moment. That’s amazing to me. I don’t know how to say “How’s the weather?” in 192 different and distinct languages. I DO know, however, how to say, “Michael Jackson” in English. Even in 2009, that’s enough to start a conversation, connect. Every time we connect with another human being it means we’re not as alone as we thought and not as scared as we thought. That’s important.
From the first “You’re so gay you like Michael Jackson” joke on the 4th grade playground that I heard, to an hour ago when I read “His last request was to ask if he could be moved to the children’s ward,” MJ was at least a conversation starter, a chance to relate and a moment to share. From his moonwalk on Motown’s anniversary show to the Thriller album being in every household in America in the 80’s (Seriously. Close your eyes. Open that Thriller album with your mind. Do you see Michael and that tiger? I do), he was as loved and respected as he was mocked. He was a genuine talent. And a nut job. And he took a chimp to the Grammys. And Brooke Shields. And hung out with Emmanuel Lewis. And Corey Feldman. And wore military garb as if he was the general of dance.
And bought the Elephant Man’s bones or something.
As human beings we seem to continually move away from each other, stare at our computers in solitude, watch, read, experience and choose to pay attention to more and more segmented and niche experiences. But as we do that and move further and further apart from each other, we can always look back at the last 30 years and have Michael. When Michael was on network TV we all watched. When he had a Pepsi commercial we were all there. When he was accused of…well, you know—we all saw. When MJ was in his heyday, there was never 900 different TV channels, 1000 different podcasts and 4 million different ways to click on “Michael Jackson” on Google search.
We had the water cooler, the dinner table, the classroom, the playground and the backyard bbq.
So, for better or for worse, there will never be another MJ. The jokes will continue, we’ll laugh together, we’ll mock together. We’ll kinda feel better about ourselves. Let’s thank him for that. He made a few bucks off us but he paid for it in many, many ways.
So, as we almost break the internet discussing his passing, crack each other up with jokes at his expense, and yet also share our favorite songs and moments and recount his God-given abilities as a songwriter, musician, dancer and performer – however we do it, it’s ok, because as long as we’re still talking and sharing with each other in 2009 as everything seems to be falling around us…it’s a good thing.
FROM BOINGBOING.NET –
