Over the weekend, Congressman Pete King posted a YouTube video making a specious connection between the death of Michael Jackson and the men and women who serve in our armed forces. It’s one thing for King to praise the country’s armed services on the Fourth of July weekend; it’s another to say that Jackson was “a low-life… a pervert… a child molester… a pedophile.”
Well, the Fourth of July is Independence Day, intended to celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. If you want to extend that to honoring people serving our country, fine — that’s King’s right. But equating the media’s coverage of Jackson (which is his real beef) with ignoring people “serving in Afghanistan,” as King says, while dismissing Jackson as “nothing worthwhile… he did some dancin’…” — that doesn’t make sense. Sullying Jackson’s reputation: what a great way for a congressman to get all over the Internet and get his own face all over the weekend TV news.
What do you think?
Am I the only one that simply doesn’t CARE about MJ?
Michael Jackson(may he rest in peace) was like the the taste of the new and improved nabisco cheese nips, and a coke. Yummy, Yummy, and a SMILE. If your the only one that simply doesn’t care about Mr. Michael Jackson; then be that lonely number. If you’d just take look in the mirror and make that negative change a positive vibe– then you would understand and care enough to care about Michael Jackson and what he meant to those of us who understood and still do understand what the whole world has lost with the passing of Michael Jackson. Simply love. Perhaps that is what you are in need of. Check out his Earth Video and Song. Or do you not care about this planet either.
Obviously, there are people dying all over the world everyday, and each and every time it’s a tragedy. We should weep equally hard for each unknown man, woman, and child as we do for celebrities or politicians. But Mr. King is wrong for two reasons. One, the media is responsible to the public, and they are responsible for reporting what the public is interested in, and their tone or ‘spin’ should reflect the public sentiment. The sentiment regarding Jackson is that clearly 80% loving out-pour of emotion, and 20% ridicule for his rumored crimes (and believe me the 24 hour media have definatly been devoting time to Michael’s rumored crimes). Secondly, Mr. King is wrong for chastising the media for glorifying or idolizing a ‘Child Molester’, because there has been no proof of Michael’s rumored crimes and certainly no convictions. Unfortunately, for Mr. King we live in a country where we are all innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If Mr. King disagrees with the way our justice system works, he should lobby for a change to the US and NY State constitutions to make us like Malaysia, where they cane you first and ask questions later, if at all. And for the record, Michael Jackson was an exceptional gentile and loving man and I would have been honored to meet him as a child, and I would have happily brought my children to meet him if I had the opportunity and if my kids were so inclined. I wouldn’t, however, leave my kids alone with any person that I didn’t implicitly trust like a member of my family. Frankly, I feel it’s moot to ask if you would leave your kids alone with Michael Jackson, because it is simply irresponsible parenting to leave your children alone with any adult that you are not close to personally. I hope for Mr. King’s children’s sake he heeds my advise and chooses his babysitters with more discretion then he chooses his words.
I don’t think I could have expressed it more eloquently, Rudd 188. I feel that this man’s SOLE valid point is that the men and women who service this country are not given proper dues, except for the everyday person who gives up his first class seat for a soldier coming home, spontaneous clapping at their returns home. Us ‘average’ americans still hold their sacrifices near and dear.
Why on earth does he feel it necessary to take another beloved (yes, beloved) fixture in our country’s musical/entertainment history to make his point? To me, it just takes away from what he is trying to say. Mr. Jackson was not convicted of ANY crime, and he feels free to call him a pedophile. Isn’t that slander (to his estate and children). Whatever his opinion of MJ is (as if it was a secret), shame on him for stepping on the loss of another human being to raise up his baseless judgemental viewpoint? Why can’t we, as a country (politicians and paparazzi excluded), spend our time honoring both?
Mr. Jackson’s later music was all about removing racial discrimination, world peace. Ohhhhh, how dare he?? I have no respect for a man/politician who uses youtube as a pulpit to denegrate others for his own purposes.
I was a missionary in Argentina when the Challenger was doeyretsd during launch. A few weeks later, another missionary shared a letter from his younger brother full of sick jokes like NASA: Need Another Seven Astronauts. I felt just a little strirring of pride that my nation is robust enough to have room for twisted jokes as part of its response to tragedy.Critiquing the Michael Jackson jokes above, I would say that they are generally too generic, not having much more to do with Mr. Jackson than the accusations of pedophilia. Some include references to his cosmetic alterations, which is good, but it seems like a really good joke would be one that mines the particular details of his life in a way that it could refer to no other person. I think the one comparing Michael Jackson to Richard Pryor is good that way. There is only one person that burned by Pepsi could apply to. The one that uses the specific fact that Michael Jackson died soon after Farrah Fawcett is good that way too.
No Adam, “You Are Not Alone.” I am sick and tired of all the MJ coverage. The congressman is right, he did some singing and dancing, and he died. Millions of people die, do they get the extended media coverage that MJ is getting? NO. I think its time to move on.
The Congressman isn’t exactly *wrong* in his assessment of the MJ media coverage.
But at the same time, anyone who thinks this yokel isn’t twisting the media spotlight to serve his own ends is in deep denial.
Truthfully, he’s no worse than anyone else currently exploiting Jackson’s death.
I think before Mr King makes anymore comments like those about Jackson,he should look at his own Republican party,the party of family values. Names like Fey,Vitter and Mark Sanford come to mind.
To Adam and Cherie: I agree with both of you.
I think EW did exactly what he wanted and printed a story about him
OJ was proven innocent of murder. Does that make you think he is less guilty? I loved his music too, that doesn’t mean he was innocent.
Excuse me – I seem to remember in 1980 the media covered PRINCESS DIANA’S MARRIAGE FOR WEEKS… When she died they covered that for MONTHS! Talk about double standards… Why not give that kind of coverage to Mother Theresa then?? Peter King is a racist. He can’t stand that someone black can garner such honor… and what about good old alkie/womanizer slave trader Christoper Columbus who we honor every year??
Why didn’t Peter King put up a video complaining that there was over-coverage of Anna Nicole Smith when she died all and he did not call her gold-digger? Why didn’t Peter King complain when there was over-coverage of Paris Hilton by the media watching her every move? Pter complains about the coverage of a music icon, king of pop, a Black man, etc. but he did not complain about the coverage of Anna Nicole Smith and Paris Hilton. Peter King must like pretty WHITE women more.
Why didn’t Peter King put up a video complaining that there was over-coverage of Anna Nicole Smith when she died and he did not call her gold-digger? Why didn’t Peter King complain when there was over-coverage of Paris Hilton and her jail hoopla by the media watching her every move? Peter complains about the coverage of a music icon, king of pop, a Black man, etc. but he did not complain about the coverage of Anna Nicole Smith and Paris Hilton. Peter King must like pretty WHITE women more.
WE ARE ALL ENTITLED TO OUR OWN DECISIONS AND EMOTIONS…IF THE PEOPLE WANTS TO IDOLIZE,GLORIFY OR REMEMBER HIM THEN I THINK THAT’S NOBODY ELSE’S BUSINESS..SURE YOU WANTED THE PEOPLE TO FOCUS MORE ON OUR UNSUNG HEROES…BUT HEY,MICHAEL JACKSON MIGHT BE SOMEBODY ELSE’S HERO TOO….PERSONALLY, I BELIEVE HE DESERVES AN EXTRA CREDIT BECAUSE HE ENTERTAINED MANY OF US ALMOST ALL HIS LIFE…AS FOR THE CRIMES THAT HE WAS ACCUSED OF…THERE’S NO CONVICTION…SO WE DON’T KNOW FOR SURE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED SO WHY NOT LEAVE THE JUDGEMENT TO GOD? ANYWAY,HE’S THE ONLY ONE WHO’S WORTHY TO DO THAT…”LET THE ONE WHO HAS NO DIRT ON HIS FACE BE THE ONE TO THROW THE FIRST STONE….” I SUPPOSED YOU ARE CLEAN,SINLESS,&PURE…GOOD FOR YOU.BUT NOT EVERYONE IS AS BLESSED AS YOU. GIVE MJ A BREAK…EVEN ONLY ON HIS DEATH…THANKS.
Sira – That is pttery intresting stuff. FYI- I thought I would let you in on the “lab work” I had to turn into today- Yes my first stool gathering. I call my doctor and told them about Iliya’s little pest so as you called it- the diaper digging started- however since Max is potty trained so it was a little more intresting trying to get the poo before it hit the water. Yes the glamous life I live.I will let you know how it turns out. I am hoping that it (Giadia) is what he has and not something more serious.
OJ was found not guilty because the prosecution screwed up. The evidence was there, they just couldn’t present it in a way that the jury could find him guilty beyond all reasonable doubt. In Michael’s case, there wasn’t enough evidence. Period. Very big difference.
tij, not even on the same level. Typical whining about the race card. That gets old. If you haven’t noticed there is a black president. Give it up.
Not everyone is a fan of Michael Jackson. It’s overkill.
here’s the only question you have to ask yourself:
.
on wednesday, june 24, before michael jackson died, would you let your child be alone with him?
.
so why is it on thursday, june 25, he’s now some sort of saint? this has nothing to do with race and everything to do with celebrating a man who was a drug addict, a debtor, and had, while maybe not illegal, certainly inappropriate relationships with children.
.
oh, but who are you to judge? you may ask me. well, i’m not a drug addict, i have no debt, and i’ve never been accused of messing around with kids nor have i ever gone on international television and proclaimed that i have sleepovers with boys. also i never dangled a baby off a balcony.
I wouldn’t let my children remain alone with anyone, even Mother Theresa (GRHS)! That’s just bad parenting, ya fool. Who are you to judge, you ask? You are only a bystander sucking up everything the media throws you as gospel, IMHO. We are celebrating the loss of a HUMAN BEING, not some sort of god. Flaws and all. I guess you are so sure of your stellar life that you feel comfortable throwing stones from your lazyboy chair. Isn’t that the good lord’s job?