In all due respect

I would like to state that I feel deeply for the families and friends of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon. All three of these near legendary entertainers passed away within the last couple of days (McMahon on the 23rd, Fawcett and Jackson yesterday, the 25th). I have no doubt the loved ones and those who loved these three are mourning deeply. So my condolences are given. With that said, I think that there are some things to keep in mind regarding at least one of these individuals, one Mr. Michael Jackson.

I, unlike what seems to be a strange amount of people in my generation (I'm 24), did not "grow up" on Michael Jackson. My first memories of the "King of Pop" have absolutely nothing to do with his music, rather it being his voice over appearance on The Simpsons. I guess you can throw up the video premiere of "Black or White" too but outside of those instances I have no memories of MJ other than as a weird, psychologically unstable and maladjusted pedophile. He was, for most of my life a strange, scary, weird individual who at one time was aligned with some of the greatest pop songwriters out there. I have no doubt that MJ was a very kind and decent person to those he loved and early on in his life he was most likely a pretty average individual. For whatever reasons though, whether it be some genetic predisposition or the early spot light or his own father being not much of a father, Jackson went nuts. It is entirely normal for people to view only the positives of a person after they die, it is one of the coping mechanisms we humans use to deal with the absence of someone in our physical lives. Having recently lost two close family members, I understand this very well. So, please, if you have a love for the man's music and that part of his legacy, by all means celebrate it! He made a lot of people happy and no doubt inspired countless musicians. However, I don't think we can forget the fact that he did some really reprehensible things and that if he were not the "King of Pop" and just some other once black, now white, waifish child molester we'd be celebrating his death. One more perv gone.

I don't think he should be held up to the revisionist history of being blameless and I also don't think he should be seen as a total creep with no redeeming values. He was a human being like all of us and his good and bad should be taken as such. He was crazy but a fantastic entertainer who gave millions a bright spot in their lives. I know how much the music I love affects me, so I won't dare take that away from those who cherish his music. Long story short, he ain't no saint, but he ain't no demon and his good should be remembered equally with his bad.