Michael Jackson's Memorial

[MTSRocks]

It's really not.

[Juliajms]

It really is. The fact that he is a huge star is not debatable, but that he deserves this send off is very debatable.

I tend to think that people who make 23 million dollar payoffs are probably guilty of something.

[JackPeyton]

thank you.

[All My Shadows]

NBC and ABC ran specials on the Thursday and Friday, and I think Bravo! reran "Farrah's Story" several times over the weekend. WGN America showed several episodes of Charlie's Angels, and TVLand showed two episodes of CA and two episodes of Chasing Farrah, which was a reality show that followed her around a few years ago. One of the Encore channels has been airing The Burning Bed a lot recently, too.

At first I was upset about how MJ's death quickly overshadowed Farrah's, but then I remembered an old saying. "Give me my flowers while I am living." Once everyone learned that Farrah's cancer was terminal, support and love for her just poured in immediately, and it lasted for months before she died. She was alive to see it, and I think it meant a lot to her. MJ, on the other hand, was basically a walking joke for the last 15 years, and especially the last 5. I always thought it was strange how people will talk [!@#$%^&*] about someone as long as they're alive and are able to hear it, but when that person dies, it suddenly becomes "disrespectful." It's okay when the person can actually be affected by it, but when that person is no longer here and couldn't care less, it's a problem. Makes no sense.

[dragonflies]

I second JP's thank you!

Well said! I said pretty much the same at another board. Now that he's gone they suddenly can't say enough nice things to him, but when he was alive they could have cared less.

[Juliajms]

I think it's because it's over and done with. Most people just feel like it's best to let the dead rest in peace. That's pretty much how I feel about it. I've just done my best to avoid any and all coverage of this whole situation and don't talk about it IRL. I hope his alleged victims have managed to avoid the media circus as well. It has to be a slap in the face to them, but it's the world we live in. Celebrities are held to a completely different standard than the average person.

[Soapsuds]

Personally I dont think the soaps should be pre-empted for Jackson's service. If I wanted to watch it I could catch it on CNN news. Yes he was a music icon but do all the networks need to cover his service. No!

[SFK]

I know it's annoying for some, but I completely understand it, it is VERY newsworthy, not everyone has cable, and the networks simply would not be doing their jobs if they didn't cover the circus that will be going on in L.A. I can barely get up to three fingers when trying to count entertainers as insanely famous, worshipped, and adored as Michael Jackson, then add a controversial past decade and an early (again, controversial) death on top of that, to me there's just no question that the media would be all over this funeral.

[dragonflies]

Personally I'm just sick of hearing about MJ, let the guy RIP. The media are nothing but hypocrites anyways.

[JAS0N47]

"Days of Our Lives" will be preempted nationally on Tuesday, July 7 for coverage of the Michael Jackson funeral/memorial. This will be the 278th overall preemption in "Days" history. This will be the 5th preemption of "Days" for a funeral (along with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, President Harry S. Truman in 1972, President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1973 and President Ronald Reagan in 2004). Episode # 11117, which was scheduled to air on Tuesday, will now air on Wednesday, July 8. Upcoming debut dates will be changed accordingly: Rachel Kimsey and Nick Stabile will now debut on Monday, July 20 (instead of July 17). Catherine Wadkins will now debut on Tuesday, August 4 (instead of August 3). Wally Kurth's return as Justin Kiriakis will now be on Tuesday, August 11 (instead of August 10). http://www.jason47.com

[PAsoapfan]

I"m so glad all the major networks find it a must to honor a child molester/rapist with 24/7 coverage.

What a disgrace.

[Soapsuds]

Now that both Y&R and ATWT were great today. I have to wait until Wednesday to find out what happens...grrrrr

[ian]

I've looked into him more since his death, to see what the fuss really was about.

1.) his insurance company was responsible for the out-of-court settlement, Jackson was against it. Look it up.

2.) The mother from the child mollestation case in 2005 was a real piece of work, and the actual case had a lot of holes.

3.) I've read it reported (though not widely) that Jordan Chandler admitted he lied to appease his father.

I'm just sticking up for him, because from what I've seen of him in interviews etc. I just see a poor boy who never got to have a childhood, who had a cruel ruthless father, and who regressed into a ten-year-old who was more comfortable around children than adults because of all the pain adults had inflicted upon him.

Not saying he was a saint but he got the sh!t end of a lot of sticks in the tabloids. His habits were strange and made a lot of people raise eyebrows, and I would be the last person to condone any sort of sexual impropriety with anyone - especially a minor (I am generally not in favour of capital punishment however I think Child Molesters should be shot and pissed on). There are too many holes in the story and if we go with innocent until proven guilty (or what about innocent when proven innocent?)it's not quite benefit of the doubt, it's don't call the man a child rapist/mollester if the allegations weren't strong enough to stand up beyond a reasonable doubt.

MJ gave a lot to the world, and the world continuously crapped on him. What he managed to achieve under those conditions were truly phenomenal. He's worthy of a send-off, and to be crowned a legend. We'll miss our soaps one day and life will go on. MJ will be laid to rest and his memory will live on.

I could only name a few of his songs up until his death, but I was really looking at what this guy was about, and all I find is that it's just all very sad. Self-loathing, self-destructive, and really just looking to be loved, in his own way. I'm glad he's returned to pristine condition in death and that he's getting some credit. Rest in peace MJ, whoever you were.

[Angela]

Whatever you think of the man, the media and the people around the world reacted to his death to an extent that put it on Princess Diana levels. Did Princess Diana deserve all the hoopla? Does Michael Jackson? I don't know. Everybody probably has a different thought on that. Not many famous people get remembered in death to this level, it happens or it doesn't. I think several things combined in this situation. He's been a substantial figure in entertainment for over 40 years. Our parents (those of us in our 20s) thought the Jackson 5's were cute and a lot of us grew up on MJ - it was a long and often amazing career. He did break some racial barriers as an entertainer. He was the originator of the type of music videos we see today. He's influenced a substantial amount of entertainers (in the music and dance industry) that came after. The death was out of nowhere. There's also something that pulls you in to a tragic story (the soap opera element), and MJ has always been a bit of tragic story on a personal level, before and after 1993. This was an attractive person who was on top of the world but who was too screwed up to not set up his own self-destruction.

I won't lie, I thought Michael Jackson was a creepy, self-destructive, possible child molester for the past 10-15 years. I think a lot of the public felt that way, black or white. I can't say if he did or didn't molest any child ultimately. It isn't any more kosher to take 20+ million to settle a child molestation case than it is to give it. I also think he grew into a good liar (he seems the type that convinced himself his lies were true) - about plastic surgery, about drug use, about who knows what else.

He's lucky in some ways. The public, and the media to some extent, is remembering (magnifying) the first 35 years predominantly. Speaking on this matter, Al Sharpton and Jamie Foxx annoy me - unbelievable that they are complaining about the negative media coverage. I only think one side has anything real to stand on, those who really thought he was a sick child molester (and even that is sort of tacky to be proclaiming indignantly) - because this is a man who is being more glorified than anything in his death in a way he wished he could have been in life again (despite the last 15, and despite whatever caused the death).

On a daytime serial the endangered species note; I think the death is bad for daytime because of the attraction to cable news with a story like this.

[Soapsuds]

Very well put Angela. I just saw news coverage where all the vans from all the major networks around the world are already parked in CA to cover tomorrow's service.