Comments on: Our incredibly fickle media turns all of its spotlights on Michael Jackson

By: david

david — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:27:15 +0000

Ya know, back in the olden days, when an egyptian pharoh died, his councillors and close advisors, as well as favored family members (saving the heir) were entombed with him. Maybe the ancients were on to something. I can name at least one family member that would be a good candidate for entombment, and its well known that the good reverends sharpton and j.jackson consider themselves very close mouthpieces for the family. Just a thought.

By: Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:48:34 +0000

The LA times reports good news from Iran:

A day after commanders of the Revolutionary Guard warned there was no middle ground in the dispute over the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the political party of one of Iran’s most powerful clerics Monday defiantly issued a statement dismissing the vote.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-security7-2009jul07,0,2303204.story

By: david

david — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:20:51 +0000

Im not a huge fan of MJ, granted he had his moments of genius, but he also had serious issues in life. The media overkill is simply….OVERKILL. If the president was assassinated, would anyone take serious notice? If an actual UFO landed the spin doctors would try to make a connection between that and MJ. The media hit new lows when they gave Joe Jackson airtime to promote himself and his new record label. And its no help that Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are staking claim on the story as well. Al used the pulpit to denounce and chastise the media for negative press about MJ, all the while garnering media coverage himself. Yes the media is guilty of mass overkill on the story, but people like Sharpton and Jesse are doing a pretty good spin on it for their own gain. Seems to me that over the last decade or so, there were plenty of black comics who made MJ the butt of their jokes, and for the most part, not in a good vein. Now after the lame BET show last week, the black community has reclaimed their favorite black brother, who before was considered something of a turncoat to his race. For better or worse, he is dead, bury him and lets get back to whats important in the world.

By: Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:25:31 +0000

Here’s a “serious” media analysis story about Michael Jackson, which plays lot of footage of Jackson’s performances in the background.

Howard Kurtz notes that after 7 straight days of coverage, we know only one fact, that Jackson died. Everything else is speculation, even though we are continually subjected to “breaking news.”

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/cnns-kurtz-and-thompson-criticize-amount-media

By: Stacy Kennedy

Stacy Kennedy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:25:18 +0000

I don’t think we can blame an exaggerated fascination with celebrities on the corporate media; there’s evidence that it’s hard-wired. Remember that experiment wherein monkeys gave up some of their favorite juice in order to see online pics of alpha monkeys?

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/magazine/11ideas_section3-1.html

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:07:27 +0000

Keith Olbermann was covering the news of Jackson’s death right after it broke. Perhaps I was imagining things, but I got the sense that he would have liked to have discussed the other news of the day, with this being one piece of it, rather than Jackson’s death being the sole story.

By: Mindy Carney

Mindy Carney — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:16:06 +0000

Agreed, Erich - definitely media overkill. Too bad it wasn’t the lobbyists and Iranian thugs who were found on their beds, unresponsive.

By: Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:47:07 +0000

Mindy: I do think Michael Jackson’s death deserves a corner of the front page, but it shouldn’t shove everything else off. Lobbyists are apparently killing health care reform and reform of the financial service sector. Iranian thugs are breaking the will of the brave resistors. These are real issues that will really affect people’s lives.

It’s not like Michael Jackson just revolutionized pop music this week by releasing a new song. He did nothing at all. He merely died. The “news” is that we are collectively reminiscing.

By: Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:38:17 +0000

Conservative Blog headline: “Sorry Neda, We Have a Pedophile to Worship.”

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/12363

By: Ann

Ann — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:30:40 +0000

May he rest in peace