Today I was home all day. The Jackson funeral was on. I couldn’t help myself. Similar to the OJ trials, it was a “thing.” I hate to miss out.
I watched it on Fox. Does that matter? Geraldo was quite riled up from the beginning and it was interesting cause it didn’t sound like he believed the reports of Michael Jackson’s various and sundry misdeeds. Believe it or not, I kind of like Geraldo. He’s got a short fuse and seems relatively honest, as least as far as reporters go.
It started and I was IM’ing with an old boyfriend I found on Facebook and haven’t seen in 25 years (DANGEROUS & BIZARRELY WEIRD EMOTIONAL TERRITORY). So as it began I started watching without realizing what I was doing.
Mariah Carey came out and blew me away. No matter how unusual she is, the girl can sing. The song was “I’ll Be There.” She’s just spectacular in every way.
When I saw Brooke Shields I thought she looked good in a very natural blotchy sobbing kind of way. In recent years I’ve kind of come to think of her as a tight-ass and this made me expect very little from her time at the lectern. Well, she kicked my ass. She spoke sincerely and clearly and from the heart.
It was then that I noticed tears streaming down my face and immediately thought, “Motherf*cker, now I have to admit this on the blog!” It’s really not a surprise that death and sadness and the people left behind in abject misery are heartbreaking to watch. We can all identify with that shit.
John Mayer came on and played what I think was a bass guitar. Absolutely beautiful. Magical. I don’t think he spoke at all. Magic Johnson told a story about eating KFC with Michael Jackson that was so, so funny.
Usher had a hard time making it through his song. Smokey Robinson made me laugh. He was great.
Stevie Wonder, well, he’s like a god. Same with Lionel Richie, who has one of my favorite voices on the planet.
The brothers all had sequined gloves on, which was kind of over the top. Al Sharpton looks like he’s had weight loss surgery. He’s lost at least 100 pounds and looks pretty bad.
Queen Latifah started to choke back tears and even that was touching.
But when the little girl spoke of her father at the end, my heart broke for her. The tears began all over again.
More than anything it was clear that everyone there really loved MJ and had nothing bad to say about him. The commentator at the end actually mentioned something about how maybe we should take it easy on people who seem a little different and not judge them so harshly. I couldn’t disagree.
* * * * *
So I’m glad I watched it. I don’t take back anything I said before, cause that would be renouncing my schizophrenia and it’s not going anywhere. Michael Jackson did not define my life or my generation, but he was too young to die. I’m not sure any age is acceptable, but especially not when young children are involved.
I still hate the news people who make millions off of saturating our lives with the story.
My husband’s statement when I told him about the tears was to be expected:
“When does your period start?”
He knows me too well.
July 7, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Ok, your husband so called it, lol.
I missed the whole thing. I was on twitter for five minutes and saw updates non stop and had to back away. Plus, fours hours of phone calls to fix insurance crap got in my way.
Of course, the news did coverage and I felt HORRIBLE for his daughter when I saw her sobbing. That is what haunts me, that he leaves behind three parentless children and a huge war for their custody, all probably based on control of his $$$. That is what is so sad about the whole thing.
Yes — I cannot forgive the media for using that clip of his daughter in commercials or for further bullshit advertisement. It’s just so wrong. I think she will feel good about the fact that she spoke out for him one day, but the publication of such is so questionable.
July 7, 2009 at 11:22 pm
I feel bad for any child who loses their parent, of course, even in a highly dysfunctional family which I suspect is multigenerational and ongoing.
But hell, when was the last time a funeral was televised? Who do they do that for, besides presidents and royalty?
I wondered why things were so quiet today. I suspect people were watching it on their computers instead of bothering me at work with their silly orders. I would have been watching 30 Rock or the Daily Show on hulu except I was busy applying skin lotion :-p Oh hell, I guess I will be seeing some of the circus on the Daily Show…
When you get over being verklempt please let us know how your outing to the wax museum went
That’s coming up on Monday. We’re going to see a concert with them Thursday evening. Maybe I’ll snap a picture. In the mean time, what’s going on with the lanolin thing?
July 8, 2009 at 9:11 am
I didn’t see a second of it…indifferent to most of it. We really place too much importnace on these celebrities.
I am sure there have been thousands of innocent young children that have lost their parents since MJ passed away…silently and painfully. This whole thing was an embarrassment and an example of the f*cked up perspective we have of this world…
Every person feels bad for a child losing a parent…
I couldn’t agree more — the treatment we give celebrities is just out of control, insane, sickening.
July 8, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Totally with you on the period thing. When I find myself crying over the commercials on television (let alone dead white women who used to be black men), you know the “time” is coming. LOL Great post, as usual.
It’s really crazy knowing your entire emotional state is not within your total control. Love that line about dead white women – ROFL.
July 9, 2009 at 10:30 am
I was beginning to worry…LOL. I admit, I like his music. And when I was growing up, I thought he was awesome. But the crazy spending, etc just rubs me the wrong way where ANY celebrity is concerned.
The crazy spending, for me, is the part where the top of my head blows off and I think, “You stupid, selfish motherfucker!”
July 9, 2009 at 1:02 pm
That is exactly what my husband would say to me.
Read an old Vanity Fair article on MJ from the time of the trial- very disturbing. Amazing how money blinds people to danger.
I would be interested in reading that article and will have to search it. I think it’s fascinating how so many people would like to give anyone who harms an animal the death penalty, but turn a forgiving cheek when a child is involved. I think it just comes down to inherent stupidity.
July 9, 2009 at 8:45 pm
It is all I keep seeing on tv. I skipped it, but keep seeing promos and bits on E! Ugh.
I’ve just been avoiding all those shows entirely. I hope you’re feeling better! I need to get over to your site and catch up.