RIP Michael Jackson

secretcode · Post by **secretcode** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:44 pm

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31552029/ns ... ent-music/

"Michael Jackson has died at age 50 after being rushed to UCLA Medical Center, NBC News has confirmed.

Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told the L.A. Times that Jackson was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his home and CPR was performed.

TMZ.com reported that he may have suffered cardiac arrest.

Jackson had been due to start a series of comeback concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer, whose hits included “Thriller” and “Billie Jean,” had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months.

The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.

His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.

He lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation.

There were concerns about Jackson’s health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors."

Civ · Post by **Civ** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:46 pm

Holy shit. Celebrities have been dropping like flies. First it was Ed MacMahon, then Farrah Fawcett, and now Michael Jackson.

Zeeks · Post by **Zeeks** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:58 pm

For lack of anything different to say, I echo Civ's comment. I was saddened to hear about Farrah Fawcett when I woke up today. This is just.....don't even know how to interpret it.

the_escaflowne_2k · Post by **the_escaflowne_2k** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:02 pm

I believe at the moment it still has not been confirmed that he has died, but it does sound as though he is in a very critical condition at least.
If he has I won't say it's a great shame as he's not really added to his lustre over the last 10-15 years (if he'd kept the quality then it would be an incredible disappointment), but it's still sad news.
Hopefully this will at least prompt people to remember and appreciate him for his music rather than his personal life over the years

Post by **Sades** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:08 pm

I want my own thread when I die.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:33 pm

That'll learn him.

secretcode · Post by **secretcode** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:53 pm

the_escaflowne_2k wrote:I believe at the moment it still has not been confirmed that he has died, but it does sound as though he is in a very critical condition at least.

Been confirmed on MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, ABC News, etc.

Sades wrote:I want my own thread when I die.

How would we know when that happens?

CounterPunch · Post by **CounterPunch** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 12:16 am

Hmm its difficult...

On one side I have attempted to detach myself from death so I'm looking at this in a clinical perspective.

On the other... the guy was one of the most consistent musical people in my life from very early childhood right up to now... I was going to see the bloody guy at o2 arena next month, bloody sad.

Prowl1984 · Post by **Prowl1984** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 12:20 am

(sings)doesn't matter if you're black or white...you're still dead.

sorry, no sympathy. The most tragic thing about this is that they'll blow it up to Princess Di like proportions, at least she spent her time helping kids....

angloconvoy · Post by **angloconvoy** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 1:27 am

Prowl1984 wrote:at least she spent her time helping kids....

That's debatable. Agree on the no sympathy though. Though we'll never know if all of the repeated scandals were true it was obvious he was a deeply disturbed and unhappy man. While his music was often great and its fair that he's remembered and appreciated for it, I don't think it should give him a free pass to be elevated to sainthood.

Still, at least his troubles are over now.

burnitall · Post by **burnitall** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:03 am

It's a bad day to be a celebrity.

Zisteau · Post by **Zisteau** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:42 am

Good riddance, imo.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:18 am

Prowl1984 wrote:(sings)doesn't matter if you're black or white...you're still dead.

LAWL LAWL LAWL LAWL LAWL LAWL LAWL LAWL LAWL LAWL LAWL LAWL LAWL LAWL LAWL

Seriously, say what you like about Jackson, but don't make the rest of us suffer shit jokes like that.

You've got to feel a tiny bit sorry for Farrah Fawcett, haven't you? Any other day she might have been moderately big news (she is the least ugly Angel of all time, after all), but the poor cow picks the same day as Michael Jackson...

Sixswitch · Post by **Sixswitch** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:48 am

I'd never heard of Farrah Fawcett until she died. Does that make me a bad person?

-Ss

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:25 am

Well, I was expecting him to wind up not doing any of his Millennium Dome gigs but I was expecting him to find such a drastic way of getting out of it. I hope the promoters get a refund from those people who certified him fully fit.

It was strange being at work as the story broke, no one quiet believed any of the people who'd recieved texts telling and assumed it was some sort of rubbish wind up/joke.

One bit of fun with the early TV news coverage is them trying to get round the fact his most iconic video that would normally be first choice for clips has him dancing round a grave yard as a corpse.

I'd never heard of Farrah Fawcett until she died. Does that make me a bad person?

How could you have never heard of the woman who was married to the guy from the fake movie bit in Scrouged?

EDIT: Celebrity who-looks-like-me in not dead after all shocker:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/1/20090626/ten ... 0bd6d.html

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:04 am

Farrah Fawcett is the American answer to Wendy Richard, as far as I can see - a lot of people apparently found her sexy in the seventies even if you can't see it now, then she spent decades appearing in soap trash, and now she's dead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Farra ... p_1976.jpg

That is, apparently, the woman at her best. Note the way she looks like Traci Lords' mother's stunt double. Thankfully, we invented Kate Bush soon afterwards.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:17 am

She was name checked in the theme tune to The Fall Guy, you can't get more famous than that.

Am I a bad person for thinking Jackson's kids will probably be better of without him?

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:20 am

Civ wrote:Holy shit. Celebrities have been dropping like flies.

Nah. Always happens in threes. The moment I heard about Farrah, my response was "that's one then..."

Cliffjumper wrote:Seriously, say what you like about Jackson, but don't make the rest of us suffer shit jokes like that.

I've got some fairly bad ones about him deciding to beat it and become history now rather than die at one of his gigs and get blood on the dancefloor. I'll hold back on them until some time's passed though. Good taste and all.

You've got to feel a tiny bit sorry for Farrah Fawcett, haven't you?

Yup. Upon hearing about Jacko my gut response was "awh, poor Farrah." Even in death she's the Other One.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:27 am

Halfshell wrote:Good taste and all.

I meant more that the Black or White one just wasn't funny. It's just a random Michael Jackson song with the word "dead" slotted in ["Annie are you okay, are you okay, are you okay Annie? I'm not, I'm dead!"; "Billie Jean is not my girl/Because I'm dead"].

I'm all for tasteless jokes, just as long as they're not, y'know, shit.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:33 am

Irony fail from the Cliffy. A collector's item.