Michael Jackson dies of Heart Attack

[TightEnd]

correction, Glitter still maintains his innocence but has been convicted twice of offences

[EvilPie]

I must be living in a different world. A world where I don't try and defend mega rich celebrities who think they can do anything they want and pay people to do so. A world where I don't pretend I am upset when someone I don't know dies.

Guilty or not he was a right tool who used his celebrity status to go things that are at least questionable and at worst immoral and illegal.

you cannot seperate the questionable personal life from the outstanding entertainment? He's surely an iconic figure for the latter?

Just playing devils advocate - would we have a similar thread if Gary Glitter died on the basis that he was an outstanding entertainer in his day?

If he had 2 of the best selling albums of all time, countless no.1 hits in multiple countries around the world and had a carrer spanning around 40 years despite only being 50 years old then yes Cos, I believe we would.

[MANTIS01]

Also Jackson's significantly generous charity work throughout his life is buried under all of this. There should be recognition of that. Glitter's only intention was to exploit children. And he couldn't moonwalk.

[AndrewT]

changing tack slightly

quoted

The death of Michael Jackson will surely go down in history as the first "very" famous death of the Twitter generation. When these 20-somethings are 50-something (it isn't far away, kids, even if you think that it is) they will be able to look back and say "And where were you when your mobile twitter feed told you that Michael Jackson was dead?

A piece of news that was too late for many of the early editions of UK papers is now old hat.

Many of those youngsters (many tens of thousands, in fact) will say "ahh yes, I was at Glastonbury that year", with perhaps one or two adding that "It flooded, of course, despite two weeks of fantastic weather beforehand. Springsteen and Neil Young were still alive then, but I mainly remember it being the debut for Dame Louise Golbey. Of course, she was a youngster then, rather than a Dame, not the world megastar that she is today".

Tying it back into the thread earlier, the jokes and comments that some people find questionable were much quicker this time. Usually they do the rounds on emails (which a lot of people won't read till the next day) or texts (which take a while to propagate as they are sent on a one-to-one basis) whereas Twitter is an instant one-to-many communication tool.

Also, many people would have first heard about the news from Twitter - news spreading much quicker than even the rolling news channels could provide. Power of the people and all that.

Last night was probably the first and only time that the jukebox in the Good Mixer in Camden was playing wall-to-wall Michael Jackson tunes.

[GreekStein]

I must be living in a different world. A world where I don't try and defend mega rich celebrities who think they can do anything they want and pay people to do so. A world where I don't pretend I am upset when someone I don't know dies.

Guilty or not he was a right tool who used his celebrity status to go things that are at least questionable and at worst immoral and illegal.

you cannot seperate the questionable personal life from the outstanding entertainment? He's surely an iconic figure for the latter?

Just playing devils advocate - would we have a similar thread if Gary Glitter died on the basis that he was an outstanding entertainer in his day?

If he had 2 of the best selling albums of all time, countless no.1 hits in multiple countries around the world and had a carrer spanning around 40 years despite only being 50 years old then yes Cos, I believe we would.

I'm not saying I disagree Matt. In fact I could never do anything but agree wholeheartedly with you as you are my idol.

However, a lot of people (i include myself in this bracket) will find it hard that everyone is just saying 'RIP, RIP, legend etc' when his personal life was very questionable and this thread has become an outlet for these people too.

Things with Children are the lowest of the low though and I hope Gary Glitter rots in hell.

[MKKfish]

I think people are ascribing a set of morals to Chandler senior that I personally doubt he held. As a parent he put his son in the position he found himself.

There are sick people in this world.

[Jon MW]

I think people are ascribing a set of morals to Chandler senior that I personally doubt he held. ...

and what evidence are you basing this on?

[MKKfish]

I think people are ascribing a set of morals to Chandler senior that I personally doubt he held. ...

and what evidence are you basing this on?

Well second sentence would be a start.

[mondatoo]

I must be living in a different world. A world where I don't try and defend mega rich celebrities who think they can do anything they want and pay people to do so. A world where I don't pretend I am upset when someone I don't know dies.

Guilty or not he was a right tool who used his celebrity status to go things that are at least questionable and at worst immoral and illegal.

you cannot seperate the questionable personal life from the outstanding entertainment? He's surely an iconic figure for the latter?

Just playing devils advocate - would we have a similar thread if Gary Glitter died on the basis that he was an outstanding entertainer in his day?

If he had 2 of the best selling albums of all time, countless no.1 hits in multiple countries around the world and had a carrer spanning around 40 years despite only being 50 years old then yes Cos, I believe we would.

However, a lot of people (i include myself in this bracket) will find it hard that everyone is just saying 'RIP, RIP, legend etc' when his personal life was very questionable and this thread has become an outlet for these people too.

Things with Children are the lowest of the low though and I hope Gary Glitter rots in hell.

My thoughts exactlty.

In relation to the media being the only info i have,i believe it's fact that he did pay at least one person off and also that he had children staying at his house unsupervised in his room, any parent that would allow there child to stay at his house shocks me.The excuse that he was just naive isn't an acceptable one to me and am sure it wouldn't be if it was an "average joe" behaving in this way.

[phatomch]

I must be living in a different world. A world where I don't try and defend mega rich celebrities who think they can do anything they want and pay people to do so. A world where I don't pretend I am upset when someone I don't know dies.

Guilty or not he was a right tool who used his celebrity status to go things that are at least questionable and at worst immoral and illegal.

you cannot seperate the questionable personal life from the outstanding entertainment? He's surely an iconic figure for the latter?

Just playing devils advocate - would we have a similar thread if Gary Glitter died on the basis that he was an outstanding entertainer in his day?

I have said this twice and no replys

[TightEnd]

Some views have been given above

[mondatoo]

I must be living in a different world. A world where I don't try and defend mega rich celebrities who think they can do anything they want and pay people to do so. A world where I don't pretend I am upset when someone I don't know dies.

Guilty or not he was a right tool who used his celebrity status to go things that are at least questionable and at worst immoral and illegal.

you cannot seperate the questionable personal life from the outstanding entertainment? He's surely an iconic figure for the latter?

Just out of interest if he had been found guilty,should we still say he was a legend/icon and appreciate his talent and so on inspite of that?,just wondering

[TightEnd]

Probably. I would contend irrespective of his personal life, guilty or rumoured, that he was an iconic figure

Doesn't mean he is an iconic figure you have to like, respect or appreciate..but he's still that I think

[kinboshi]

Of course he's an iconic figure. 

Harold Shipman, Hitler, Mao, Saddam, Mother Teresa - they are all iconic figures as well.

[trafficjam]

I am beginning to think I must be very odd.  What is it with people who worship others to the extent that it causes so much controversy and media coverage.

OK Michael Jackson became famous because he had a gift and made a lot of money and because of his naivety he lost most of it. So what,  he is was a human being and lived and died. May he rest in peace.

What has annoyed me about the media coverage is last night I heard on Sky News about 10pm that he had been taken to hospital with cardiac arrest and from that moment on, there was NO OTHER NEWS, only Michael Jackson!
I turned over to BBC and guess what Michael bloody Jackson.  When I went to bed at 2am it was still only Michael bloody Jackson and when I got up this morning guess what!

I cannot understand this hero worshiping thing.  Yes, I like a lot of gifted people and admire their work but hero worship No!

May he rest in peace with the others who died recently like Farah Fawcett and those who were really ill and sufferring and let get back to normality.