I was doing a little more reading on the reaction to Jackson's death for my own purposes and in doing so, I really felt the need to post a bit of what I found, in case you ever come back to reread this thread, just to give you a second chance to understand how elitist your interpretation of this all really is. And how mistaken your view that it an American thing really is. You know, it makes me very much distrust your motives as to more serious topics.

The more I think on it, the more I think you really do have a lot in common with Paul Wolfowitz and other neo-cons than you think. You think that you know what the common folk need and want, that you know what's best for them, and you look down upon the things that inspire them at the same time as if they are children, and you think it's all in America's power to change that.

Africa: Shock, Sorrow As Nigerians, Africans Mourn Michael Jackson 27 June 2009, News, This Day

Lagos — A mixture of disbelief and sadness has continued to greet the news of pop star Michael Jackson's death across Africa.

For most of yesterday in Nigeria, Jackson's death topped the agenda of discussions virtually everywhere.

A Lagos radio presenter allegedly broke down live on air and could not continue her program. Her co-presenter had to take over.

In offices, homes, markets, everywhere, all anyone could talk about in most major Nigerian cities was the iconic singer....

http://allafrica.com/stories/200906270001.html

Nigeria: And My Idol Died

Dele Momodu, 27 June 2009 Column, This Day

Lagos — God, please forgive me, for claiming publicly that I worshipped an idol. Truth is I did. I worshipped Michael Jackson. I hated anyone who ever passed snide remarks about this greatest showman on earth....

He packed more than the activities of a thousand years into the 50 years he lived on earth. The world is allowed a glimpse of such demigods once in a blue moon. Michael was a deviant in all ways. He defied the laws of gravity and motion. He was a spirit child, and he acted the part perfectly. He was bound to go the way he came, with a bang. It was impossible for him to go with a mere whimper.

In his time, most things he touched turned into gold. He became as popular as the Coca-Cola bottle. He was known everywhere and was more popular than most world presidents. In our school, every music group mimicked Michael Jackson. At the then University of Ife, one young man became famous on campus for his dexterous performance of Michael Jackson in "Beat it". He is the same Femi Elufowoju who's currently doing Nigeria proud as an actor in the elite theater of London's West End. Michael was every child's ultimate idol. Even for those of us who grew up in rural settings, and had no television sets at home, we knew this boy who danced better than James Brown. His name resonated like Iraqi bombs, exploding beyond boundaries....

http://allafrica.com/stories/200906270003.html

And Picasso was a serial abuser of women, more than a mere sexist pig, a terrible abuser, and is also arguably the greatest painter who ever lived who also had incredible awe for the sex that is female. One really does has nothing to do with the other. (Not that I believe Jackson's pegging as a simple pedophile is accurate, from what I have read, seems to me he had a much more complicated dysfunction than that. He may have hurt some kids' psyches, but the one that made it to court was a pretty clear example of golddigging and didn't have much of a case.)

Well then you disagree with Fred Astaire himself.

Reviewing all his work, the main dance critic for the New York Times (yes, as in, he does all the ballet reviews) on Saturday concluded not that that was a "grotesque comparison," but that it was a bit on the hyperbolic side. He also recounts that Fred Astaire himself thought highly of Jackson's talent and potential, and ponders what Jackson's strengths as a dancer really were.

Actually, it is you who doesn't have a good grasp here, you have gotten carried away believing all the junk celebrity journalism that went with the whole package. It wasn't all true, David, some was made up by Jackson and his promoters, some was made up by detractors. If, based on a little taste, you don't want to look at an artist's entire work, you have decided it's not for you, that's fine. But then don't take manufactured opinions and believe them.

I actually hadn't kept up with everything he did, at certain times in his career I wasn't paying much attention to the music scene, and as I said, I wasn't a fan. I took the opportunity over the weekend to watch a complete replay of his videos in chronological order. I felt that the three videos he did for his "Bad" album when he was 28, "Smooth Criminal," directed by Martin Scorcese, "Bad" in which he sought out the choreographer Jeffrey Daniel to work with him, and "The Way You Make Me Feel," in which he shows off technique that also impressed the Times' Macaulay, were all extremely impressive works of dance.

All 3 show a master dancer on display. He is at the height of his powers as a dancer and he has perfected his body, including his face, through plastic surgery, to a perfect state to do what he wants to do. I also think they will stand the test of time as iconographs of a certain point in time in popular music, when the vidoe visuals became just as important, they perfectly encapsulate late 80's pop culture. Another especially interesting thing about all 3 of them both is that they are pushing the popular"macho" theme of the underclass of the time, but this is being done by an androgyne! That is a actually a pretty good feat of acting as well. He wants to be a child, but he has studied every macho move in the world to a T.

While it's true that as perfomance artists, Jagger and Bowie went over some of the same ground much earlier, I think that Jackson rates with them if not above in the "Bad" videos by being a far far better dancer, and by putting in genunine underclass notes and understanding rather than the phony ones of Jagger.

I think the "Thriller" video is highly overrated in comparison, that it is appreciated because it was groundbreaking, but I think it is on the hokey side. I think everything after "Bad" is s pretty steep slide downhill (included the body sculpting, that should have stopped at "Bad") and will not be remembered very well.

BTW, if you aren't ready to accept that the best dancers deform and abuse their own bodies in practicing their art in an almost sick way, I don't think you are someone who really understands the medium.

I guess I'm fan enough that I think he's done some great work. Just not fan enough to buy any of his merchandise including his cds. I do like to watch his videos now and then on youtube. Just as some of Armstrong's work is still listened to today and will be 100 years from now so will some of Jackson's.

(((also want to correct my typo above, obviously I meant, "While I don't understand that extreme reaction by a significant minority of any superstar's fan base I *wouldn't* call people idiots because of it.)))