He died today at the age of 50 from a heart attack. :(
Thoughts/opinions?

I didn't have the highest opinion of him, but it is sad to go at not such an old age. I feel bad for his children.

Farrah Fawcett succumbed to her cancer. Died today too.

...

As the topic of this thread is related to a celebrity, i'm gonna go ahead and toss it over to media. Thanks.

That's weird, I was just watching Logan's run and thinking how Farrah Fawcett's looks never really changed much.

Michael Jackson didn't really surprise me, with all the crap he did to himself, it's not much of a shock.

While MJ certainly wasn't my favorite celebrity, you cannot deny that the man was a talented performer, messed up as he was later in life. It's weird to think that he's dead. My mom is taking it really hard though. You'd think it was her best friend that had died.

Also, I didn't really watch Charlie's Angels (that was before my time) but I know Farrah was a really big American icon. Hell, they BOTH where.

HE DIED?! OH TOM CRUISE, HE DID DIE!! *has an attack and convulses on the floor until foam appears on mouth*

Now on a more serious note, I loved his music. And dying at 50 years old just... seems weird x_x He was a great artist, excellent performer and singer, really, why do the good ones die first? Especially the King of Pop xP

Gosh this is just so weird! I almost didn't believe it when I saw it on the news. I remember when they said that other time he was "close to death" and had a rare disease and so I thought this was something like that. Then when it kept playing over and over again I realized that they were serious.

It's a bit sad really. Yes, he was a tad bit weird but honestly we all have to admit his music was pretty much amazing.

I don't really listen to MJ's music that much or care about him in that matter. Though it is kind of sad to hear this kind of news.

Best Buy was playing some music by him, probably in memorial to the singer.

MJ's face creeps me out.

He was a very talented man although he was messed up. It's sad that he died at such a young age.

My mouth was wide open at the news when I was typing away at the computer and suddenly the words 'Michael Jackson died' floated over from the TV. I was all, "What the heck?!" and dashed over to watch it on the news. While I don't think I've ever listened to his music (except for a parody MV that some fan did to change the original singing and music to that of a Buddist's chanting of the Great Dharani), it was still hard to imagine him dead, at the age of fifty.

I think it's going to be hard to think of life without Michael Jackson. I guess for me, he was just one of those icons who didn't seem like he would ever go away.

I would be amazed if there was anyone out there who hadn't heard of the King of Pop. He's the kind of icon that all the other people who are considered icons want to be.

i have never really care much for Mj but, he was a popular singer/preformer and i am saddened about ours loss... O.o

I think that despite all of his problems, Michael Jackson's death is a tragedy to the world of music. He's been such an iconic artist for so many years that its truly a shame to lose what could have been created by him if he could have gotten the mindset back. And also, he was so close to really working on coming back. Such a shame.

But his music is amazing, and he'll always be a musical revolutionary, having inspired tons of new artists to do what they do, either through dancing or singing or whatever.

This is really sad. His influence in both the music and dance industry is a great loss. I'm surprised there hasn't been more said about him here. Or maybe I'm missing the threads.

I wasn't a huge fan of his, but like many I loved his music. Truly talented and so very iconic. I would have loved to see what he would have done after those London concerts, sadly that won't happen. But I'll blast Jackson 5 songs and MJ songs, watch his music videos and just watch in awe at how amazing they are to this day. He inspired so many musicians and dancers to do what they do and it is just amazing to know he's inspired so many.

Despite what's happened to his public image in the past years, he is/was an amazing entertainer/performer. He had an amazing life, but it was all mainly in the public eye and I, personally, think that's sad. He was in the spotlight when he was so young and never really was able to have a normal life.

When I found out that he died, I thought it was a joke. I first read it on TMZ and quickly turned on the TV and watched the news, at that time they weren't reporting he passed so I did think it was a joke.

I found it so weird too, because I probably thought Michael Jackson would live forever xD. To think he's not even a guy from my generation and yet even my young cousins know him o.o. Blame the dancing undulating adults who still play his music (grates and swears to kick the CD player if it plays "Heal the World" one more time).

Then again, it's something you feel a lot about cultural icons, I think. They define a certain aspect of the industry they move in that in some ways, they're already, like, immortalised even before they die.

I didnt like him much, sure he had good songs with the Jackson 5's but he didnt treat himself to good and he wasnt to good behaviour wise either. Anyways as much as i didnt like him, i wouldnt wish death upon him, may he Rest In Peace.

Personally, I never was fond of MJ, and even if I had been I wouldn't allow myself to be sad. However, I am...absolutely shocked. I mean, I never saw this coming.

With Ed McMahon yesterday and Farrah Fawcett just hours before...I'm left just stunned. They do say that deaths happen in threes...but still, I am in disbelief that the entertainment world has taken such blows in such a short period of time.

Ironically, this all has happened on the ten-year anniversary of the day they found my favorite drummer dead in his home. I'm growing to believe the month of June is cursed.

So, even though I can't say I was ever a fan of MJ...I will admit that this has struck even me quite hard in its own unique way. As a musician and on a personal level.

Pretty sad. :(

Kinda like Steve Irwin. We all get through the times though.

This popped up on the news yesterday, and it was fairly surprising. I didn't even know he was ill. D:

I never cared much for him, but.. I didn't want him to die. I agree with the others in here, it's a pretty sad loss to the music world. He did have some good songs in his time.

Originally Posted by Genji to Heike

Then again, it's something you feel a lot about cultural icons, I think. They define a certain aspect of the industry they move in that in some ways, they're already, like, immortalised even before they die.

I think another thing about cultural icons is that you sorta lose the idea that they're people. Themselves and their names become so interwoven into the fabric of everyday life, you tend to separate the larger than life aspects of these people from their actual humanity. I hope that makes sense. ... But when that person dies, it's like wow, it hits you in the face that, yeah, this person was an actual human. And humans are mortal.

I suppose it was the same way when Elvis died.

... I'm waiting for the conspiracy theorists to come outta the woodwork and say that MJ faked his death because he was like four hundred million bucks in debt. :B

Originally Posted by Captain Howdy

... I'm waiting for the conspiracy theorists to come outta the woodwork and say that MJ faked his death because he was like four hundred million bucks dollars in debt. :B

There are some people commenting to posts on like TMZ or sites like that with those comments, though nobody yet saying that to the media or anything. I'd be surprised to see if on the media, not at all surprised to read it on sites.

Funny because I had the same thought - that maybe next week, we'd hear on the news that MJ was sighted at so and so hotel (LOLz at that).

Yeah, I like the way you worded that, Captain, how you eventually lose the idea that they're people. Kinda like brand names, aren't they? Like clothes or shoes. Ooh >_<.

I wasn't much of a MJ fan, it wasn't my generation I think. MJ was starting to go nuts by the time I seriously started listening to music. Still he has always been so present. Even without actually producing much music the last few years, and being so reclusive, someone will make a MJ reference or joke to me at least once a week.

Now that he is dead it'll be weird because so many MJ jokes will become taboo. I use to liken him to a zombie, for example, but now that he is dead I'll have to be sure not to say something like that to a real fan.

I'm sure Robot Chicken or Family Guy will have a skit about this soon enough.

Antinuous, it's the same here with me. Even though his music wasn't in my personal taste, and he wasn't really "my" generation, he was almost like a religious figure in the world of music - whether you liked him or not, he was definitely THERE and influential.

It's so weird, because I used to joke around a lot about him, as a lot of people did. Even now I'll confess to making jokes about him in the presence of close friends because...well, I'm morbid like that, and so are the friends I do it with, but...it's so weird not to be able to make a joke about him in public anymore. Almost surreal.

I have to say, though...it's quite angering me how much media attention this whole ordeal is getting. Not only is it shoving all other news, including news that's actually directly affecting the world as a whole, off of our screens and out of our papers, but yesterday on KCAL over here, they likened him to the father of my genre as he revolutionized music videos.
...honestly, I recognize and appreciate that influence and all, but I'd liken him more to the genre's great grandfather's uncle or something.

Let the family and friends have SOME peace, and give us back our other news please? Really...I feel so sorry for his family and friends, being hounded by the media because someone close to them DIED.

I felt bad. His life ened just before he was set to make a much needed comeback.

He did a lot of good things; like breaking the color barrier(on MTV), providing funding to so many charities, and creating just overall amazing songs. But scandal took over, and he became like this big joke.

Honestly he was, and is still a person. And I hope he's in a better place now.

I feel so bad for his family though, especially his parents. Because -for lack of a better word- it has got to suck to outlive one of your kids.
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