The Day the News Died

Ninety three percent of the cable news on the day after he died was about Michael Jackson.  His death completely dominated the airwaves, nothing else happened got air time that day.  Not the Iran protests which had capitivated the free world.  The protestors were scuttled away when our watchful eye turned to the almighty Mike.  The health bill debate took a health break, the Honduran coup fled the news, the DOJ’s postponement of the Oracle bid for Sun didn’t even break a headline, and poor Farrah Fawcett died quietly in the shadows in which she lived.  But Michael Jackson emerged from the shadows of his often strange and wonderful life to die huge. 

I guest comment on CNBC and often do a segment called Overplayed/Underplayed stories.  The day of Jackson’s death, that segment was cancelled and I was asked to be yet another talking head about Michael Jackson.  I don’t know Michael, never met him (unlike one of my fellow commentators who had met him once).  I said what everyone was saying–what talent, what a strange but talented individual. 

Today was his memorial service.  No news alert there.  No one is talking about anything else.  We are trying to keep our attention on the significant arms reduction deal that was announced today with Russia by Obama in Moscow.  We gaze a bit at the news that the health care debate is back on.  Yawn.  Will Berlusconi bring a former topless model to the G8 as his date?  Who cares.  Paris Hilton, who?  Paris France, where?  Paris Michael Jackson.  We love you. 

Why do we love this story so very very much.  Admit it you do!  Well, he was the last great big time mega star in a business that is now fragmented and full of little lights.  He was with us for 50 years, but we knew him for most of those.  He grew up in front of us, and then he stayed forever young.  He had scandal all about him.  He married Lisa Marie Presley for god’s sake.  A marriage that her mother, Priscella,  told me made her beyond sad.  (I guess that is my remote brush with MJ fame–I knew his mother-in-law at the time).  Mostly, we can all sing along with MJ.  He is under our skin and it is summer time, after all. 

The news died with Michael for a time, but come Labor Day, we will have rediscovered our more sober, somber, intellectual selves.   So let’s just revel in it for another day.  Watch that video of little Paris one more time and sing an MJ song in the shower tomorrow.