Speaking of the Dead

Never speak ill of the dead. That old saying has never been more true than during the hoopla surrounding the death of Michael Jackson. People all around the country keep making comments about how they will miss Michael, about how much he and his music meant to them.

Baloney. For the last 10-15 years, most of the comments made about him were about Wacko Jacko (as the tabloids used to call him). Whether or not he was actually guilty of molesting any kids, at minimum we know that he behaved inappropriately. Even fans of his music (do not count me among them) loved to make fun of his weirdness.

Now that he's dead? That all changes. Now all the strange behavior is pushed aside so we can talk about the Michael who touches lives.

Now if Michael Jackson truly made a difference in your life, fine. For consistency, though, I hope you weren't one of the one making jokes about him. If he didn't really touch your life, then shut up. Don't say that he did just because he is dead.

Need I Say More?

The memorial service for Michael Jackson is being held this morning at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Tomorrow, the Staples Center will be presenting the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus.

Generation Gap

Within an hour of the news of Michael Jackson's death, my wife picked up my 16-year old daughter and her friends from the mall. They had heard the news, but it was clear that it had not fazed them in the least. Tina was surprised. Wasn't he the biggest pop superstar of recent memory?

I reminded her that Michael's biggest hits were long before Katie was born and that he had not been relevant in quite a while. While Katie knew the big hits, they were oldies to her. She never watched MTV when they played music videos or saw the famous Motown special. She had no frame of reference in which to place Michael Jackson as a musical artist that she would care about.

Katie is the same age as Tina was when Elvis Presley died. To Tina, he was an old guy that her older cousins listened to. He had not had a hit in the time that she listened to music. When I reminded her of this, she understood why Katie and her friends were unaffected.

One generation's newest and freshest star is the next generation's relic. The Preacher was right, "There is nothing new under the sun."