Michael Jackson Dead

The King of Pop, and possibly the most famous person in the world, has died. It is unfortunate when anyone passes, especially for their friends and family. However, the adulation heaped upon dead celebrities, and the media frenzy that accompanies it, makes the event subject to critique in ways the private mourning of the family isn't. Though I still fondly remember Thriller (mainly for its excellent use of Vincent Price), the rest of Michael Jackson's career (both as a musician and a circus freak) had long ago ceased to interest me in any way. It is sad that he died so young, and it will be intriguing and perhaps even amusing to observe the inevitable process of Elvisification. But despite Jackson's tragic life and untimely death, personally I was much more effected by the passing of Ragnarok the Cat. Jackson's contributions to pop music, and pop culture (especially celebrity tabloid fare), are undeniable and worthy of a nod -- but the same can be said of so many deceased artists, many of whose work was more meaningful to me personally than was Jackson's. I wish that rather than heaping all the praise and remembrance upon superstars like Jackson, some of that attention could be shared amongst more of those incredible talents who passed in relative obscurity.