# Michael Jackson Dead **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 25, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988 "2009-06-25T21:15:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/141 "2009-06-26T00:03:35Z")
> [@xanthous](#): > > It’s gonna be Michael Jackson Night on my stereo tonight. I mean, I haven’t followed him since he started going crazy so long ago, but when I was young—man, I had that Thriller zombie dance MEMORIZED. You prompted me to go looking for [this wonderful clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO0810JIF4Q) from **13 Going on 30**. I have a real soft spot for that movie, and that clip is one reason why. ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/142 "2009-06-26T00:03:44Z")
During his peak nothing could fill up a dance floor faster than a Michael Jackson song. “Wanna Be Startin Somethin” or “PYT” make me want to dance right now! Sad that he’s dead, but like many have mentioned it really seems like he died many years ago. Thanks for the memories, Michael. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/143 "2009-06-26T00:04:43Z")
It’s probably for the best. At least that was my initial thought when I heard about it. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/144 "2009-06-26T00:10:04Z")
press conference at the med. ctr. in about 5 minutes. mj will be moved to coroner’s office tonight sometime, and coroner will give a press conference tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Wiggie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/0ea827/32.png) [@Wiggie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wiggie)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/145 "2009-06-26T00:11:29Z")
As much as his personal life and personal choices repulsed me, he had amazing talent. I don’t like pop music but even I have some of his tunes in my playlist. Too bad he never conquered his demons. ---
**Author:** ![Weston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8797f3/32.png) [@Weston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weston)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/146 "2009-06-26T00:14:01Z")
Controversies aside, the guy left one hell of a legacy. I loved his music, and he’ll be sorely missed. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/147 "2009-06-26T00:15:32Z")
He was as weird as snake’s suspenders, but a lot of his music and videos were _art_, dammit. RIP Michael. 50 years old? 50?? Shit, he was 4 years younger than me! ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/148 "2009-06-26T00:15:43Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > I just pulled up iTunes, and to my seriously great surprise, I have _no_ MJ music. The best tribute I could do was to play Weird Al’s “Eat It.” > > Sorry, Michael. I tried. I’ve never been much of a Michael Jackson fan, being too young to remember before he was, well, creepy (or maybe uncredited on The Simpsons). I actually do have some Michael Jackson on various hard drives, as I bought the essential Michael Jackson on iTunes just a couple weeks ago. It’s a pretty good deal, too. Something like 47 songs for $17. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/149 "2009-06-26T00:16:16Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Heart attack? Food poisoning. From eating 10-year-old wieners. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/150 "2009-06-26T00:17:47Z")
> [@Weston](#): > > Controversies aside, the guy left one hell of a legacy. I loved his music, and he’ll be sorely missed. Yes, but his days of contributing to the greater good of humanity are long over. I think he lived largely in torment these last days both knowing that his legacy of greatness was behind him and that he had fallen into shame because of his alleged pedophilia. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/151 "2009-06-26T00:19:37Z")
Dammit, he is NOT dead! He only LOOKS like a desicated corpse. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/152 "2009-06-26T00:19:48Z")
> [@Uvula\_Donor](#): > > Food poisoning. From eating 10-year-old wieners. Close the thread. That’s the end. Close the Internet, for that matter. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/153 "2009-06-26T00:20:44Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > [lol](http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/3603/michaeljackson9735018.jpg) Why are there are two pairs of sunglasses in the third panel? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/154 "2009-06-26T00:34:20Z")
I wasn’t stunned at all (probably nobody was) by Fawcett’s death, but this one took me by surprise. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/155 "2009-06-26T00:36:40Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > I wasn’t stunned at all (probably nobody was) by Fawcett’s death, but this one took me by surprise. Yep, I didn’t wake up this morning thinking I was going to hear that Michael Jackson died. He had a great influence on me and my musical tastes today. I’m sad. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/156 "2009-06-26T00:37:23Z")
I think he’s faking his death to avoid the concerts. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/157 "2009-06-26T00:40:50Z")
I’m trying to think of a comparable celebrity death here. For instance, do you think the death of, say, Madonna, would have a similar media impact? More? Less? ---
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/158 "2009-06-26T00:40:55Z")
It’s terrible that such a rich musical legacy had to be tarnished by the issues he encountered in his later years. It’s hard for me to reconcile the two. I feel like a part of my childhood just died. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/159 "2009-06-26T00:44:05Z")
Governor Mark Sanford: “_Had_ to have the press conference on Wednesday, huh? _Couldn’t_ wait one more day, could I?” ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988/160 "2009-06-26T00:45:37Z")
a moment of funny in the reporting: fans are placing flowers, candles, and tributes at the WRONG star on the hollywood walk of fame. there are 2 michael jackson stars on the walk, the one for the king of pop is under a red carpet that is out for the premier of bruno. too funny. other weird news, the house that he was living in when he collapsed, he was renting for over one hundred thousand dollars a month. that kind of rent is just mind boggling. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-dead/500988.md?page=9)