RIPs

[kaaawababy]

You know, I wouldn't wish death on anyone or anyone's family, but I'm having a really hard time getting worked up about Michael Jackson. I was as surprised as anyone when I read about it this afternoon, but all this effusive praise seems a bit much. By all accounts, the man was a child molester. Yes, a talented dancer and performer, but still. I'm

Comments

[donnafantastico]

I'm totally with you. I was surprised when I heard the news (though not "shocked") but I have conflicting feelings about this. On one hand, I would never wish death on someone, nor would I want someone to have to endure the pain of losing a father or brother or son, but I can't really feel any strong emotion about it. Maybe I'm a little bit too young, because he was never that amazing artist to me without being tainted by the child abuse accusations (Aside from "Bad" and Captain EO at Disneyland!) but I can't really get upset by the death of a man who was most likely a pedophile. He was an amazing and groundbreaking artist, of course, and his musical career is successful beyond all imagining, but a man has to be judged by more than just a body of work, and I think that's what makes it troubling to me.

He leaves behind a weird legacy.

[kaaawababy]

Word. It really makes you stop and think because if he were a regular guy, he'd just be a pedophile. But since he was also an artist, people seem willing to push aside the ramifications of his personal life in support of his artistic achievement. And it seems that the level of artistry matters, too. Are people going to cry like this when OJ dies? How about Robert Blake?