# Dopers, please reassure me **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 8, 2009, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307 "2009-07-08T06:05:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/1 "2009-07-08T06:05:00Z")
Please tell me that Michael Jackson won’t stay in the media for the next 10 years the way lady/princess Diana stayed in the news for 10 years after she died \ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/2 "2009-07-08T06:06:26Z")
Well, uhhhh, how can I put this? I think someone else is going to have to break the news to you, I just don’t want to break your spirit like that. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/3 "2009-07-08T06:07:48Z")
Lady Diana’s been in the news for the past ten years? That’s news to me. ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/4 "2009-07-08T06:09:49Z")
/me is waiting for Elton John to rewrite Candle in the Wind for him. Instead of English Rose, he can call it American Weirdo. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/5 "2009-07-08T06:18:34Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Lady Diana’s been in the news for the past ten years? That’s news to me. Yeah, until just a few years ago, she kept popping up in the news. For example, [There was this investigation in 2005](http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1074585&page=1) ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/6 "2009-07-08T06:19:17Z")
> [@Gr8Kat](#): > > /me is waiting for Elton John to rewrite Candle in the Wind for him. Instead of English Rose, he can call it American Weirdo. You mean [_him_](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-523109/Goodbye-fancy-dress-costumes---Elton-says-hes-old-sequins-skintight-clothes.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/7 "2009-07-08T06:23:11Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > Yeah, until just a few years ago, she kept popping up in the news. > > For example, [There was this investigation in 2005](http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1074585&page=1) Well, I think the occasional article once in a while is hardly staying in the news for ten years. I can’t remember the last time anyone mentioned her. ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/8 "2009-07-08T06:25:47Z")
> [@Kozmik](#): > > You mean [_him_](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-523109/Goodbye-fancy-dress-costumes---Elton-says-hes-old-sequins-skintight-clothes.html)? I suppose Sir Elton wins in the wardrobe department, but for overall lifestyle freakishness, it’s hard to top good old chimp owning, elephant man bone buying, oxygen tent sleeping, child molesting, Neverland Ranch living, skin color changing Michael Jackson. I think I just wrote half the song! ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/9 "2009-07-08T06:32:25Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Well, I think the occasional article once in a while is hardly staying in the news for ten years. I can’t remember the last time anyone mentioned her. Thankfully now-a-days you don’t hear anything about her, but it more than just the occasional news article. In 2007 they had the [Concert for Diana](http://www.concertfordiana.com/home/index.aspx) Yeah, you don’t hear anything about her now, but it took about 10 years for everybody to get it out of their systems. I’m just hoping Michael doesn’t stick around that long. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/10 "2009-07-08T06:33:06Z")
> [@](#): > > me is waiting for Elton John to rewrite Candle in the Wind for him. Instead of English Rose, he can call it American Weirdo. Goodbye Michael’s nose Though you changed shape all the time You stayed on Michael Jackson’s face At least most of the time And it seems to me like I’ve played this song A time or two before Never knowing who will die next And who I’ll sing it for I thought I’d be singing for Farrah Or maybe Andy Dick Got a version for Walter Cronkite Cause I heard he’s pretty sick ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/11 "2009-07-08T06:35:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Goodbye Michael’s nose > Though you changed shape all the time > You stayed on Michael Jackson’s face > At least most of the time > > And it seems to me like I’ve played this song > A time or two before > Never knowing who will die next > And who I’ll sing it for > > I thought I’d be singing for Farrah > Or maybe Andy Dick > Got a version for Walter Cronkite > Cause I heard he’s pretty sick 😃 That is awesome! ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/12 "2009-07-08T06:36:24Z")
Little Nemo wins the Intarwebs. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/13 "2009-07-08T09:41:43Z")
There may be a lull for a few weeks or months, but when the “Backstage at Neverland” confessionals hit first the newsstands and then the bookstores, it’ll be twice, three, five times this. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/14 "2009-07-08T10:17:47Z")
I thought Elton’s song for Michael Jackson was _Don’t Let Your Son Go Down on Me_ ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/15 "2009-07-08T12:43:08Z")
Well, Elvis has been dead for 32 years and he hasn’t gone away yet. Expect to be seeing MJ impersonators for the rest of your life – and don’t be surprised to find Nic Cage starring in _Honeymoon in Neverland_, coming soon to a theater near you. ---
**Author:** ![ashman165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@ashman165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashman165)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/16 "2009-07-08T13:01:35Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Goodbye Michael’s nose > Though you changed shape all the time > You stayed on Michael Jackson’s face > At least most of the time > > And it seems to me like I’ve played this song > A time or two before > Never knowing who will die next > And who I’ll sing it for > > I thought I’d be singing for Farrah > Or maybe Andy Dick > Got a version for Walter Cronkite > Cause I heard he’s pretty sick And the meter even works. Excellent work. /genuflect ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/17 "2009-07-08T13:13:48Z")
Good one, **Little Nemo**. I think MJ will have a much more persistent media half-life than Diana’s, for three reasons: the scene is set for an ongoing battle over custody and estate (and how to pay down the supposed $400 million debt); the criminal investigations (now involving five doctors!) of MJ’s doctors and possibly other parties; and the rumored hundreds of songs (many of them from his peak \*\*Off the Wall \*\*- **Thriller** era) in various stages of completion that MJ has left behind. If you think Jeff Buckley has had an impressive posthumous recording career, well, you ain’t seen nothing yet! ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/18 "2009-07-08T13:38:21Z")
Even if he does, you could do what I do- get your news from online sources or newspapers rather than TV news. It’s easier to ignore stuff that doesn’t interest you on news sites or in newspapers than it is to ignore that stuff on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/19 "2009-07-08T14:48:07Z")
Excellent work, **Little Nemo**. ---
**Author:** ![smee\_goan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@smee\_goan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smee_goan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307/20 "2009-07-08T16:09:27Z")
Don’t forget the $700 million in ticket refunds, everyone knew he was never going to perform those 50 London shows. People said that days after they were announced. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-please-reassure-me/502307.md?page=2)