So, it’s one of the biggest stories of the year--the death of pop legend Michael Jackson. Controversy surrounded the details of his memorial services even before it began. The services, which were held on July 7 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, was attended by people from across the world, yet it was the California taxpayers who ponied up the $2.5 million to pay for the costs. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Out of the 1.6 million fans who registered for tickets to the King of Pop’s memorial service, only about 17,500 fans were actually given tickets, making the event even more exclusive that P.Diddy’s annual White Party. The world has truly never experienced a funeral quite like this before. In fact, we have probably never seen people so excited for a funeral/memorial. Many lucky fans who were given tickets to the event were photographed as they were positively brimming with joy over their “win”. Love him or hate him, Michael Jackson was swiftly turned into an object of reverence. All this fuss is particularly ironic, seeing as how MJ fiercely guarded his privacy.
The star-studded guest list included such notables as Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Kobe Bryant, John Mayer, and Brooke Shields. They all paid their respects by providing anecdotes or singing his songs, while bloggers and television representatives provided home audiences a play-by-play of the events. Many journalists covered the event as if they were reporting from the red carpet at the Academy Awards, including a detailed who’s-who from outside the Staples Center.
However, there were some humanizing aspects of the ceremony. The most poignant aspect of the service came from Jackson’s daughter, 11-year old Paris-Michael. "I just wanted to say ... ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him — so much," she said, before dissolving into the arms of her aunt Janet Jackson.
Not everyone was happy with the way the memorial services had been conducted. Quincy Jones, the man who is largely credited with the success of Jackson’s solo career, had vocally expressed his disapproval. When asked whether he would be attending the memorial, he adamantly said
No, not at all, not at all…but being there with 10 million people is not my idea of a tribute to somebody you were so close to -- who's got a part of your soul.
The service, which was televised on all the major networks and streamed on the internet, will probably be remembered as one of the most viewed funeral services in history. Whether he liked it or not, a part of Michael Jackson always belonged, and will belong, to the public.
