MY PHOTOS
It was nice to watch the ceremony with hundreds (thousands?) of adoring fans in Harlem. The power of music is very real. A bittersweet scene, and it was clear Michael's music and performances brought them countless good times.
I agree with Berry Gordy that MJ was the greatest entertainer of all time. Let's just say if there's a back-from-the-dead reunion tour with Elvis, Sinatra, Jackson and all the Beatles and members of Led Zeppelin, Jackson is your headliner.
On Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson: Two adulterers paying homage to a pedophile. Nice. Johnson's tale of sharing a bucket of fried chicken was cool. I must say that the wealth of first-person accounts of MJ as a regular guy have surprised me a great deal. Let's face it, millionaires who play with chimps and sleep with boys (and don't think there's a problem with it) aren't generally people you're gonna split a bucket of fried chicken with.
Does Rev. Al realize that Michael Jackson taught black people that they could achieve anything ... as a white person? Seriously, it was a powerful speech, but I kept thinking, "Are we talking about the same guy here? Nothing strange about Michael? NOTHING?!?!" Who does Sharpton think is strange?
Overall, I thought the Staples ceremony was great, except for the huge elephant in the room. Hey, do they come back tomorrow and talk about Michael Jackson post-1993?
I learned a lot today about the pressures of fame, the same pressures that caused Johnny Carson and Paul Newman to dye their skin black, dress like a martians and go into debt. Wait, no, they were normal and didn't seek the spotlight. Sorry.
Think anyone was dumb enough to set a phone alert every time someone tweeted about Michael? Damn iPhone would have blown to smithereens before Berry Gordy was off the stage.
Thank god Justin Timberlake wasn't up there with Janet again.
I will always remember the weirdness over talent. If Paul McCartney turned himself black, paid $23 mil in hush money and openly welcomed children into his bed, I'd remember that over "Hey Jude" as well.
I saw Michael Jackson in concert from about the 15th row. Hands down the best concert I have ever been to. He was an amazing entertainer.
Posted by PeeWee at July 13, 2009 2:31 AMI know he turned into a freak show later in his life, but I would like to remember him for the great things he accomplished, not the bad.
Isn't that how everyone wants to be remembered?