bye michael

What makes a celebrity death so different from a normal death? I'll tell you what -- people (and let's get this right, total strangers), feel they have a right to rubbish the person before they're even cold and stiff.

 

It makes me sick.

 

News of Michael Jackson's death sent a ripple around the world. It knocked the wind out of me. He's someone you just imagine will be around forever. I grew up with him, and now he's gone.

 

One of my early memories is of a littler version of me in primary school, standing in the library absolutely enraptured by a book with all the lyrics from 'Thriller' written out, including pictures. I was in heaven, so excited!

 

This man shaped my taste in music and I'm not the only one. His influence can be seen and heard everywhere, there's no denying it. His career spanned four decades for crying out loud. And yet, he's not even been dead 24hours and the viral emails have started, the vitriol on various blogs is cranking along, and everyone's got an opinion.

 

"He's a basket case and the world is better off without him" – would you say that about someone you actually knew? Why does it make it ok to say it about a stranger? Especially one who has either directly or indirectly given you such enjoyment?

 

And what’s with the jokes? The man died, for christsake, and you want to make a joke out of it? I don’t know who’s worse – the teller of the joke, or the one laughing.

 

Has this man become more than human? Did he go beyond human? Is that why we think it’s fine to treat him as some sort of inanimate object? He was a man, with children, and siblings, and friends, who have all lost him, and now they’re listening to the world rip the shit out of him.

 

I for one have realised how much I take for granted, and how many people I take for granted, thinking they’ll always be here.

 

I was going to finish by saying rest in peace, but he won’t even be given the dignity of that. Shame on us all.

 

 

thanks for the music.