So, what was your reaction?

[Lady Legira]

I heard from one of the nurses this morning (I've only just got out having been in for surgey) at 6am this morning. She was talking about someone dieing and I had just woke up and asked who and got the reply and my first thought was well there will be nothing on telly.

[Severen13]

Michael Jackson, for better or worse, was a part of my childhood. I grew up hearing songs from "Thriller" and "Bad" on the radio and watching his videos on MTV. And now he's just......gone. It's sad.

[Broomjockey]

Well my reaction was more shock than anything else. I was following the stuff coming out after Farrah died and wondering who the third person would be

Okay, I've seen this a LOT. Farrah and MJ. Who's the other? I can't find any mention of who the other actually is.

[Lil Bunny]

Ed McMahon

[JoitheArtist]

Now, y'all are going to think I'm a total cold hearted bitch, but my first thought was "Crap, there goes all the coverage on Iran. I'm not going to be able to watch CNN for a week." My days have been free lately, and I've been fascinated by what's going on over there and watching with great interest. But today I know it's going to be alllll about him and Farrah.

I'm with you on that--hope the world can regain focus quickly. I'm all for allowing time to be sad about the loss of an icon, but what's going on in Iran is huge.

[Broomjockey]

Ed McMahon

Ah, they way everyone was talking, it seemed like it a was a 3-in-1-day thing, so I'd discounted that. I understand now.

[Lil Bunny]

Ahhhh gottchas! I think it was the fact that it was only what, 2 days before? That's why it's lumped in.

Edited to add, I didn't realize the South Pole scientist who did her own biopsy passed away on Tuesday as well.

[spark]

Frankly my main thought about it is "I'm supposed to care why?" I never met him. He's not a friend. He's just some guy who made music, some of which I like. His music isn't going to poof and vanish just because he's dead, so I'm not missing out on anything. Maybe that's cold of me, but people die every day, and I care more about deaths in the protests in Iran than about some musician having a heart attack, however famous he might have been. But now all anybody can talk about anywhere I go is how MJ is dead now. I was sick of hearing about it within hours of the annoucement. I wish the news media would quit gossiping about him and go back to covering real news already.

[ferebee]

I think the Michael Jackson I enjoyed back in the seventies and eighties died long ago. (What eighties kid didn't have or know someone who had a thriller leather jacket?)
I wasn't at all surprised or saddened given the complete and utter train-wreck he'd become these last twenty-odd years.

He had major physical and emotional problems, no question, but I kinda think he could have done with more people around him who could've told him "no", or "that's not a good idea" or "you need some heavy duty time with mental health professionals".

[Becks]

everyone's Facebook status was "ZOMG Michael Jackson is dead!"

Not everyone's, my friend.

[Midnight12]

I wish the news media would quit gossiping about him and go back to covering real news already.

Agreed, or at least give equal attention to all things. I suppose its all over the media because of the history of him and his career thus the media frenzy over it.

[customersruinmylife]

I was in a very busy bar on a night out with friends. My brother text me saying he had died, and I didn't really believe him. But then I looked across the room, and you could literally see the news travel along the room!

Within the space of about two minutes, people were running around telling everyone in sight, and then the next thing I knew, the DJ was playing Thriller! It was truely bizarre.

[Bright_Star]

To put it bluntly, I thought it was some sick joke at first. I saw several sites on the internet saying that he collapsed & was rushed to to the hospital. BUT when they declared that he had died I was SHOCKED! I about fell off my chair.
I turned the tv to several stations like MSNBC, CNN & NBC. The last time I did that was during 9/11/01!!!!
I grew up listening to his music & to think that he's gone is just hard to accept.
I went to Wal-Mart before work to buy "Dangerous" & found that anything Michael Jackson related was all sold out!

[Eric the Grey]

I first heard about it just after I got up for work (at 3 pm). They were talking about him being rushed to the hospital.

A half hour later, I was yelling at CNN to get on with the rest of the news.

Tragic, yes. He was an inspiration to music, even though I didn't care much for the man personally. I'm not overly sad about it, neither am I happy that he's gone.



Eric the Grey

[Shards]

I think I'm the only person I know who's first response to hearing it wasn't either 'That's too bad' or 'and I care, why?'

I first heard it because some local comedians who have a show on our local rock channel, which I listen to 5 days a week as I go in for school, were saying "People keep saying it's such a damn shame, but think what he did to himself, and, more importantly, to the kids he did things with. When OJ dies he isn't going to be remembered as a sports hero, he's going to be that guy who killed that girl and got away with it." My first thought was: "They're right. MJ is gone... Good."

I stand by that stance now, and I shall for a good long while. Maybe I'm cold, maybe I'm heartless, but he wasn't someone I knew, and even though he was never convicted, I do believe he messed up the lives of some innocent little kids. There aren't many people I will immediately, think "He's gone? Good." About, but MJ is one of them. OJ will be another.