Michael Jackson - Making Money

[Matthew T]

Sky News are reporting that he's died!

[Pip Madeley]

I've just read it! OMG!

[WhiteCrowNZ]

New Zealand Herald are saying he's dead as well!

Ow!!!

[Pip Madeley]

BBC News are saying he's in hospital, Sky News say he's dead!

My dad says he had a dream not long ago that he'd die before the concerts...

[Alex]

No one seems to quite know what's going on right now, the BBC are reporting that he's in hospital, but aren't confirming anything else. The story that he died came from TMZ too - which isn't the most reliable of sites either.

Considering the coverage it's getting though, things don't look good.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/blo...ectid=10580848

Mind you NZ Herald aren't the most accurate of news places - except if it's about the All Blacks.

Given MJ's messianic complex, I'm expecting him to leave hospital in 3 days.

[Pip Madeley]

I'm really shocked, I mean, who ever thought of a world without Michael Jackson?

[Milky Tears]

It's still only "confirmed" by the TMZ site.

[Si Hunt]

I've changed the title of this thread - he's not, as far as I have read, dead at this time.

Si.

[Si Hunt]

Why ever did he attempt this bloody comeback tour? It seems obvious now that he wasn't up to it, and all the rehearsing has just been too much.

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

It's not confirmed he's in a coma either Si... that's why I put unconfirmed in capitals.

[Andrew Curnow]

Careful guys, or this'll become one of those interminable "...is not dead" threads they used to bicker about on the old RT site.

I've just seen the news on the BBC site as well, it certainly doesn't sound all that good. They're reporting it as "Pop star Michael Jackson has been rushed to hospital in Los Angeles after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest. The singer was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his Bel Air home at about 1230 (1900GMT)"

[Matthew T]

He's confirmed dead now according to Sky News.

[davethesailor]

Too much to comprehend....

[Pip Madeley]

LA Times are saying he's dead too... it's strange.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Usually in any celebrity death there is a gap between any incident and confirming his death. It's probably apt for someone who has spent so much of his life in the glare of the media, that his (alleged) death is chronicled in detail by it.

Michael Jackson of late often seems to embody "wierd" / "freaky" / "strange". These days I really don't get him at all. But he was an influential and charismatic entertainer at the height of his fame, and if he is dead, that's how I'll choose to remember him.

[Milky Tears]

LA Times have now changed "coma" to "dead":

http://www.latimes.com/

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...teve-ruda.html

[Pip Madeley]

His poor children

[Captain Tancredi]

The coverage has been very odd- the BBC and Sky seemed to be ahead of Fox News with the latest updates.

Thing is, even if Jackson himself is at rest, the next stage will be all the child abuse allegations resurfacing without fear of libel actions. And there are bound to be tacky commemorative plates- in fact you only have to look at the things they still churn out with Elvis on more than thirty years after his death- but when history looks back at Michael Jackson it may well decide that you can have all the talent in the world, all the fame in the world and all the money in the world and still not have love, contentment or peace.

[Si Hunt]

I don't think the world has been especially kind to Michael Jackson, on balance.

He was never going to grow old, was he? I only hope he pulls through.

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

There's a newsflash on the BBC at the moment - they're still reporting it as "it's being reported that..." rather than unequivocally saying he's dead, but it does seem probably true. I'm not a huge music fan at all, but even I know Michael Jackson - quite randomly, I found our Claudia humming Thriller just last night. In his day he was just such a huge, huge star, and it's just such a shame that he never somehow seemed to be at ease or content with his life since the 80s heydays. Mind you, that's only as far as you can judge from the media, who knows maybe he was very happy - I hope so, to be honest.

But, unquestionably, far too young to have died, how very very sad.

[Pip Madeley]

BBC News say he's dead - it's confirmed. RIP.

It's very sad. He was once great, but had become a very strange figure... would've been nice to have seen his comeback and restored some of the glory we associated with him. Tragic.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

I don't think the world has been especially kind to Michael Jackson, on balance.

I remember seeing something on him years ago, and he did have a sad upbringing - the boy who was never allowed a childhood.

[Si Hunt]

I hope all the people that mocked him, extorted him and tried to ruin him feel guilty. He never really did anything wrong did he? But he was used his whole life, from when he was a kid by greedy record producers locking him in a studio 24-7, to when he was an adult and every week someone tried to sue him. And all he ever did was make some great, great music.

I always believed in him, because he was my pop star. I grew up with "Bad" and moonwalking, "Dirty Diana", dancing, hee-hee's (and only found out later that it was apparently the point where his career hit the skids!!).

Whatever they say though, those of us that knew, know he was so, so fantastic. King of Pop. King of everything. When he was allowed to be, he was a total genius.

Rest in peace.

Si.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

If you had to remember him for just one song - what would it be?

I think I'd go with Thriller.