Thank you Tanveer Ahmed for the wonderful perspective on Michael Jackson. You provided the context and the balance to the complexity of the reactions to Jackson's death.

I will not read the article. I was hoping this was one place i could get away from the circus of this persons death. No such luck!

It is a genuinely sad reflection on society's own inability to see past its own crumbling, much-surgeried nose, that we make such a fuss about people like this.

In a few days, there will be nothing left, except endless lawsuits, bizarre death theories (possibly involving alien life forms), hints of financial conspiracies and a rather sordid exposition on the depths to which "prescription" drugs can take you.

Oh, and the music. But that has been around for a while, and will be no more special tomorrow than it was today. Or a good few yesterdays, come to that.

I, for one, refuse to accept that the life of Michael Jackson has had any impact on mine. Or that he was...

"...a figure through which, as abnormal as he was, our own flaws and dreams were filtered."

I'm sorry, but I cannot think of a single flaw or dream of mine that can be remotely considered "filtered" by this extremely unhappy person.

>>He came across as an asexual figure... forcing us to question our own assumptions about race, gender and sexuality.<<

Hardly. Had he been even remotely "normal", in the sense of having a point of contact with the world that did not involve his own bizarre fantasies, a case might be made for his validity as a role model.

But the only thing that he "forced" on me, that I recall, was the sight of his constant crotch-grabbing dance moves, which for some weird reason became de rigeur for any aspiring pop practitioner.

His music, in the grand scheme of things, was certainly a little better than ok.

But life-changing? Nope.

I guess we will have to put up with a week or so of this kind of pop-analysis.

But I'm afraid I'm already over it.

Hmmm, it's rather sad that 'some' people can be that consumed with angst and bitterness towards another human being - - - a human being that they never met, didn't know and only read about in tabloid newspapers and gossip columns.

For all those that praise Michael Jackson
I have one question
Would you let a mature man sleep naked with your children?
He admitted to this.

The deepest meditations we might indulge over Jackson are by way of seeing him as a mirror. Jackson unwittingly caricatured all the aspirations and contradictions of western culture, from his Tayloresque coiffure and his pixie nose, down through his svelte gyrating form. The whole burlesque was the product of yearning distinctiveness, of transcending the everyday in a rarefied aestheticism of body and mind. The body seeming to confound what keeps the rest of us earthbound, and the music parodying the corporeality of sex, violence and death. Indeed, the music is merely popular without the images of the consummate performer. Jackson was the realised dream of millions, but he spoiled the show by innocently impersonating the dark side of western narcissism. That is the obsession with the me--the empty signifier that consumer culture turns into a fetish. But this cosmetic representation of western yearning is edifying not merely for being ridiculous, which ought to give us pause enough, but for its utter want of conscience. Jackson's sensitivity, love and compassion were just another adornment, no doubt worn in all seriousness, but not felt in any material way. Just so western culture, which Jackson so brilliantly embodied, has little genuine conscience for the misery and death that are the by-products of its self-indulgent lifestyles. Like Jackson, a great many of us profess our concern and wear our emotions on our sleeves, but we are rarely capable of truly humbling our cosmetic selves, that is of turning away from that empty space we spend our lives adorning at such cost and impoverishment.

Beefyboy, you are a victim of the tabloids and gossip columns. You obviously think everything printed is "truth".

Michael Jackson never said he slept "naked" with children.

Beefyboy, learn to think for yourself. It's so easy to merely sit behind a typewriter and accuse anyone of this or that; that doesn't take brains or guts.

Michael Jackson even in death - is the same
tragic figure he was in life - even more so
perhaps - because of the media hype, the law-suits,
the fights over his will, the future of his adopted
children, his bizarre family - they're going to milk
this for all that it's worth - as they've done right
from the start of his career.

There's no denying the fact that he leaves behind
a remarkable music legacy - however it is sadly
overshadowed by what his talent could not hide -
his outlandish pre-occupation with cosmetic surgery,
dependence on prescription drugs, anorexia, and his
fascination with young children.

It's claimed he had the "Peter Pan," complex - that may
be true - but for a male in his 50s to see nothing wrong
with sleeping in the same bed naked with children - says
a lot about his mental state of mind - whichever way you
excuse it.

The meaning of Michael Jackson? He was a victim - whether
by circumstance or choice.

May he finally rest in peace. Although I doubt if his
family will allow it - at least for a while yet!

'Michael Jackson never said he slept "naked" with children.' No Bill Clinton said he did not have sex with Monica either.

I think Michael is often misunderstood.

I don’t know whether he slept with children, or took drugs – nor does anyone else here.

I suspect the unscrupulous saw him as an easy target.
And what leaked out was only a small portion of the scams he endured.

Consider the words to Billy Jean:

“She told me her name was Billie Jean, as she caused a scene
Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round

People always told me be careful of what you do
And don’t go around breaking young girls hearts
And mother always told me be careful of who you love
And be careful of what you do cause the lie becomes the truth

Billie jean is not my lover
She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son

For forty days and forty nights
The law was on her side
But who can stand when she’s in demand
Her schemes and plans
cause we danced on the floor in the round
So take my strong advice, just remember to always think twice
(do think twice)

Michael did a lot make the lives of other better.
He did a lot for race relations– consider the words to Black or White

“For gangs, clubs
And nations
Causing grief in
Human relations
Its a turf war
On a global scale
Id rather hear both sides
Of the tale
See, its not about races
Just places
Faces
Where your blood
Comes from
Is where your space is
I’ve seen the bright
Get duller
I’m not going to spend
My life being a color

Don’t tell me you agree with me
When I saw you kicking dirt in my eye

But, if
You’re thinkin about my baby
It don’t matter if you’re black or white”

If Obama had said that, we’d all be crying Hallelujah!

Rest in quiet peace, Michael.
You will be greatly missed.

So, runner thinks because Bill Clinton says he did not have sex with Monica then that proves that MJ slept "naked" with children.

Well, all I can say to runner is, I hope you never make it to a jury and I hope you are never put in a position of judgment over children or adults - - - - if that's your level of reasoning ability. Your statement is so moronic, it almost defies belief.

Foxy, MJ did NOT sleep naked with children. That was one of the many accusations that came up in the trial, and it was soundly discredited along with all, I repeat ALL, the other malicious accusations. That's why he was not convicted - - - NOT because there was not enough evidence but BECAUSE THE EVIDENCE THAT EXISTED WAS DISCREDITED.

BUT, because the GOSSIP COLUMNS, TABLOIDS and GOSSIP TV SHOWS (masquerading as current affairs shows) presented such a skewered version of events, and because people BELIEVE what they see on TV and what they read - - - - - MJ will forever more be FALSELY condemned as a pedophile.

How would you people like to be FALSELY condemned as a pedophile?

It is not surprising to find such different appraisals of the greatest pop musical genius of this generation. To be so talented is of itself, abnormal. Being evaluated by normal, as well as by abnormal individuals is a challenge that lends itself to extremes in opinions. Some assume that all that is found in tabloids is true and those who believe this immediately must condemn Michael. Some feel that if an adult sleeps in a bed with an unrelated person, it is a sexual activity. Others, like me, feel that it’s possible that a person can sleep in the bed with another without any sexual feelings whatsoever. We all know that Michael never really “grew up”. To him, sleeping with a kid was like a kid sleeping in a bed with a buddy on a sleepover.

I agree wholeheartedly with Master, Honus, and the writer of the first comment who wrote “Thank you Tanveer Ahmed for the wonderful perspective on Michael Jackson. You provided the context and the balance to the complexity of the reactions to Jackson's death. Posted by analyst”.

I used to like Michael Jackson’s music and performances when I was a kid. In fact he was one of my biggest influences for taking up singing and music, which are now passions of mine.

I was eventually put-off by his bizarre behaviour and found other music to enjoy, but now that he’s passed away, I’ve listened to a bit of his music and watched some of his performances again and have come to realise - even more so now that I’m older - just how amazingly gifted the guy was.

Michael Jackson was a freak, not just because of his behaviour and looks, but more importantly, because of his astonishingly unnatural ability to entertain like no one else.

There was a moment where I was disappointed that I didn’t appreciate him more while he was alive, but it didn’t take long for me to remember the behaviour that made appreciation for him difficult. He seemed to finally lose the plot completely in the early 90’s.

Perhaps now, in death, Michael Jackson’s influence in the music industry can be more positive than it was in life. Much like it seemed to be with Kurt Cobain.

Oh and Master, don’t worry about the rubbish that comes from runner. He’s the resident pig whose meaningless contributions and existence serve as nothing but a warning to others that there are those out there just like him, that actually exist.

"Substance" and "Michael Jackson" - not words I would normally crowbar into juxtaposition.

Michael Jackson was all show and no substance, and ultimately popular music was the worse for it. Michael Jackson showed the bloated record corporations, reeling from the assault of punk and two decades away from facing their file-sharing nemesis, just how easy it was to put a dancing marionette in front of a troupe of synchronised dancers, throw in some flashy production, and make bucketloads of money from some of the most truly bland music ever written.

Strip away the expensive videos and the production talents of Quincy Jones, and Michael Jackson's songs - many of which he didn't even write - are revealed as trite at best.

If you think popular music today is vile, if you want someone to blame for the likes of the Pussycat Dolls, N'Sync, Justin Timberlake, Backstreet Boys or, God help us, "Idol": look no further than Michael Jackson.

As Jack Marx has written, "it is hard to think of a modern entertainer who has contributed less to the artform that has made him famous ... a veritable dog sh1t on the shoe contemporary art, which ... turned white but never stopped stinking"

Clownfish, you have chosen an appropriate penname.