If you watch the other members of the Jackson clan during little Paris' genuine, I believe, expression of love for her father, you will notice that they are focused on one thing . . . . getting the mike properly positioned in front of her mouth so that the whole world can hear her words and her sobs. It sickened me, and still does. I regret to say that I don't believe she stands a chance in that family.

The child wanted to speak. She had trouble with the microphone. Half a dozen pairs of hands reached to help her. OH THAT POOR KID!

Actually, to me that moment shows just how rattled the family was -- eight professional performers and they were so stressed out they had trouble working a mic stand.

Heh. Yeah, the snark passes me by most of the time....

The same question crossed my mind at some point. but the answer is that... it is what it is, it's none of our business, leave the children alone. They are beautiful, by all accounts well-raised, normal-seeming children who have lost their only parent. Let them be.

So on YOUR upcoming deathbed, is it our place to criticize how YOUR daughter grieves for you? Crossed a line there, MJ or no MJ.

Maybe this was just stunt to generate Salon traffic, sigh.

Your commentary was actually cruel. Why is it not possible that she wanted to say a few words about her father at a time like this. It's not exploitation if the urge was hers.

"Was it a moment of genuine affection -- or exploitation?"

It's too bad that all of the media hoopla has centered around what is dubbed as MJ's "bizarre" behavior. The man is dead! He blazed a musical trail that many others have copied, and left a wonderful legacy of music, and we won't even count the millions that he donated to various charities. Was he eccentric - a definite yes. He was also found not guilty in a court of law on charges of child molestation, but that doesn't really matter - because far too many in our society convicted him anyway! Because he didn't live up to the "norms" of what American society wanted - he didn't give many interviews, and we couldn't get into his personal business - that's what really counted against him. Ok, so he bought a magic kingdom an tried to live in it like a grown up kid, and surrounded himself with other peoples children both the sick ones, and the well ones - well that sets off the pervert meter. On the other hand what does it say about how "sick" our society is when it's easier to believe the lies, and yet, the slicksters that are hustling this nation and her people are given a free pass!

Did he have his own demons - yes, but then again the whole family is a bit different and not prone to air their dirty laundry. Does that make them "bad people", if that's the case there are quite a few member on Capital Hill past and present that should also qualify. But in our 24/7 "celebrity business is our business" culture, that both he and the family are not open to telling all of their business - that is what makes them "strange" and therefore condemns them. That his children whom he loved and who lost the only loving parent they know, will now be fodder in a legal/media frenzy is the really sad part in all of this. That his daughter managed to try and convey that her Daddy is now out of her life, I doubt was something that was "managed" by the family, and shame on you for attempting to exploit her very real grief.