On the topic of the Michael Jackson memorial

I watched the memorial for Michael Jackson today on one of the many networks that broadcasted it live. The touching words and heartfelt performances created a thorough, well-deserved tribute to the fallen superstar. However, it seemed like this coverage came out of a feeling of guilt from those who kicked him while he was down. Before his death, we had written him off as nothing more than a performer in a sideshow and wanted nothing to do with him, which is ungrateful on our part considering how much he offered us during his performing career.

Gossip websites and magazines are to celebrities what hunters are to wildlife. We revere our celebrities so much, and want to know their every move so badly, that we strip them of all their remaining humanity. Some might say they bring it on themselves because they chose a profession that placed them in the public eye. Why does constant scrutiny go hand-in-hand with starring in movies, selling records, or performing at a high level in athletic pursuits? Our bloodlust for information on the lives of famous people is so severe it’s beginning to squander once prosperous livelihoods.

He was eccentric, unusual, and different, but he also was compassionate, hardworking, and arguably more talented than any entertainer we have ever known. He did have plastic surgeries, but it was his choice, not ours. He was accused of child molestation on two occasions, but he wasn’t convicted either time. If someone is exonerated of a crime for which they are accused, they are free to live their lives without having to endure the accusations that come with that crime. Yet, we couldn’t let it go with Michael Jackson. We had to bring it up every time his name was mentioned, glossing over his other accomplishments, which were too numerous to count. It’s time to lay this burden he shouldered for so many years to rest, and focus on every good thing he did and stood for.

On this day, we owe Michael an apology for all that we have done. It’s long overdue.