But what is the stuff that MJ had to endure (I do mean that nonsnarkily)? I mean, other than the scalp catching on fire.

His dad beating him straight up and sideways for all of his childhood and most of his adolescence, for one. And secondly, being a child star has its own challenges.

But I could never see Al Sharpton (he is no "Reverend") for the rest of my life and it would be too soon. Pretty much the same for Jesse Jackson and Don King.

People I can't get enough of? Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson. I adore those women beyond all reason. And Jennifer Hudson knows from tragedy.

But what is the stuff that MJ had to endure (I do mean that nonsnarkily)?

Abusive father? Growing up in the spotlight? Being the family's meal ticket?

Relatedly, four of the five popular music channels I get (V, V2, Max, MTV and VH1) are doing Michael Jackson.

I'm more than a little troubled by my feeling that Sharpton seemed to be including his, uh, interface with the police experience in that, too.(This is just my overall feeling, mind you) But just being black doesn't make him Hassled By the Man cause he can't have little kids in his bed.

But I could never see Al Sharpton (he is no "Reverend") for the rest of my life and it would be too soon. Pretty much the same for Jesse Jackson and Don King.

Haven't seen any of the MJ stuff, and I've no doubt it's awful. But for a while my Tivo was picking up Sharpton's morning talk show, and hand to dog, it's interesting, and rational, and generally has on a panel of people with actually differing viewpoints who get pretty deep into actual issues.

Kind of mind-fuck, really.

I think most people who turn into characatures started out with some actual substance, which remains under the Image. I mean, look at Jerry Springer.

I cannot see Al Sharpton without remembering that during the Tawana Brawley incident one of the local news stations in NY did an interview with his hairdresser, and the hairdresser showed the television audience the hair rollers that she used to style his hair. It was bizarre.

My sister in LA is sick of the MJ coverage, and is complaining that she won't be able to find anything out about the CA budget until the question of whether or not he will be buried at Neverland is solved. She's a professor in the community college system, and they've cut 50% of classes for the Fall semester as a way to start dealing with the problem, so she's much more interested in the budget than MJ.

It turns out, though, that my BiL (a chemistry professor at the same community college) had Debbie Rowe's lawyer as a student once.

Abusive father? Growing up in the spotlight? Being the family's meal ticket?

But are the those the things to which Al Sharpton was referring in front of his family? Like wasn't his abusive father there? That's why I was so confused.

I'm no fan of Sharpton, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't believe Michael molested anybody. I know many people do, but those that don't aren't going to explain it each and every time they compliment the man. I think you can trust that if someone says "Michael got a raw deal" they think Michael got a raw deal.

As far as "nothing wrong with their Daddy" there were pretty constant critiques of him as a freak well before and after anyone alleged anything illegal. He was a fag, he spoke like a woman, he was trying to be white, he tried to buy the elephant man's bones, his children aren't his children, he and his sister are the same person, and on and on and on. "Wacko Jacko" iirc, predates a kid being doped up on sodium penathol and "questioned" by his Father who then openly bragged about how he was going to get millions out of Jackson.

there were pretty constant critiques of him as a freak well before and after anyone alleged anything illegal.

Building Neverland, the chimp, appearing in public in surgical masks -- pretty much anything that the average non-superstar *doesn't* do got him labelled as a freak.

And I think it was excellent of Sharpton to address Michael's kids that way.