Michael Jackson

I can't believe that I'm taking the time to type this. After all I have never been the type to go goofy over a celebrity. I have never understood people's fascination with actors, athletes and musicians. Now let's not get crazy and call Micheal Jackson a musician. I never saw him play an instrument of any kind. If he did play then he certainly earned the title of musician.

Now the guy was some kind of entertainer I will give you that. I think he was a better singer when he was much younger. But he could surely dance, excite a crowd and had a stage presence. I liked the Jackson 5 when I was a kid listening to them on the radio. It was some good stuff. Once Micheal went out on his own my musical tasted had changed and I didn't care much for commercial top 40 type music anymore. So I never bought a solo album of his nor did the radio stations I listened to play his music.

Now let's recap. Jackson was an entertainer, dancer, singer, songwriter and a certified whacko. Yeah, I said it. Typed it really, but never the less I put it out there. The guy was nut. What in the hell happened to this guy. He had the world by the tail, made a ton.....maybe two tons of money, had fame, respect, the admiration of millions of fans and name recognition matched by no other living person. Then his little world started to come undone.

Was it the fact the he was probably surrounded by people that really didn't care about him, but only about his money and how much they could get? Was it that he couldn't go anywhere without being hounded mercilessly? Or was it that he actually suffered from some other form of mental illness that no one had the guts to say anything about? I would hazard a guess that it was a little of all three.

After all what is there to say about a guy that wanted the remains of the Elephant Man and named a child Blanket? Then there is just the bizarre public behavior of wearing a surgical mask and having to be covered by the umbrella on his way from the car to the courthouse when he was on trial for child molestation. That's another thing, what grown man wants to live in fantasy land and allow children to share his bed. How could people be surprised that nothing good came of that. Let's not forget the plastic surgery either. He looked nothing like the person he did twenty years ago or so. I could go on and on, but there are only so many hours in a day.

Speaking of the opportunists that surround the Jacksons, two days ago I saw the estimable Jesse Jackson on the news at the Jackson compound. Today I was watching the noon news and it was interrupted so the Reverend Al Sharpton could hold a press conference speaking for the Jackson family and revealing the funeral plans. I could only listen for about 30 seconds or so. The man is a horrible public speaker. Collectively though, what a joke these two guys are. If there is something about a black man and a photo op, one or both of these clowns will show up. I guess it gives them the feeling that they're still relevant somehow. They say they speak for the poor and the oppressed, but I think to them it's about exploiting the folks that can't see past the facade. Plus they make a pretty good living, but I don't see them giving up everything so someone else can enjoy some prosperity.

So why not let the Jacksons mourn the loss of Micheal and how about the rest of us getting back to the daily business of running our own lives.