Like most of the world, I just watched the Michael Jackson memorial which featured so many moving moments. Some of my favorites included:
*Brooke Shields talking about how at such young ages,she and Michael had to be adults to the world but together they got to be kids.
*Rev. Al Sharpton saying about Michael “It’s not about the mess, it’s the message.”
* The adorable Paris Michael Katherine saying that that Michael was “the best father you could imagine”
* Jermaine singing Michael’s favorite song “Smile”


I don’t know about you, but the death of Michael Jackson has stirred up a variety of emotion in me. Nostalgia being probably the strongest feeling. Michael Jackson was part of the soundtrack to my childhood. Secondly I have been feeling great appreciation. I am hearing his music in a different way. I feel sad, I felt bad for Michael, he just seemed so sad these past few years. And I feel angry. I feel angry that some people are being completely disgusting in their commentary on MJ. Sorry, but it’s not cool to make jokes about someone who just died, they are not here to defend themselves. All those child molester jokes are not only not funny, but they are old, overdone, and unoriginal. As a comedian I have lots of comedian friends, which means I have lots of people in my life who like to make jokes at anyones expense, recently being Michael Jacksons. Those comedians would kill for even a sliver of Michael Jacksons fame and credibility as a an artist. Look, I’m not saying everyone has to mourn Michael. I’m not saying everyone has to love Michael. But for God’s sake, let the guy rest in peace.

I will agree though that the Michael Jackson coverage is perhaps going a overboard. I mean, today’s memorial coverage aside, I think that every TV channel can stop with the announcements of “Up next, more on the death of Michael Jackson”. What’s up next? He died, there is not much to report. But do we except any less from the media?

But is it the media’s fault for shoving too much down our throats? Or is societies fault for watching with our mouths wide open, constantly hungry for endless gossip?

And of course there is the issue that Los Angeles just spent so much money on this memorial event during a time when California’s economy is doing beyond bad. That, I must agree is pretty nuts.

As I type this, my friend is sitting next me saying that he thinks Michael Jackson is getting “too much praise” when he did “so much wrong”. (aka, he thinks MJ was guilty). My other friend just responded that Michael was simply “misunderstood.”

Oh I don’t know. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to end this blog entry. I just know I plan to keep on listening to “Pretty Young Thing” on repeat today.