Mr. Jackson bought a jewel encrusted sarcophagus. Mr. Bashir asked Mr. Jackson if he wanted to be buried in it. Mr. Jackson replied that he wasn't going to die.

Of course, most Americans are equally deluded, since they consider themselves equally immortal. It's just that in Mr. Jackson's fantasy he had no need of a coffin. For most Christians, they believe that their coffin is the portal to immortality.

Maybe in Michael's heaven there will be 72 little boys to greet him.

I'm just sayin'.

While I grew up in Chicago, during the introduction of Michael Jackson to the world, I have never been an ardent fan of Michael Jackson. He could sing and he could dance but my younger brothers liked him much more than I ever did. To bear witness to so many people distraught and grieving over a person they never even personally knew baffles any intelligent imagination. Most People waste their lives living vicariously through the lives of famous people, simply because they have lots of money. It is such a waste of a life. Frankly, I do not like going to funerals or memorial services when it’s a member of my family or to support a friend while grieving a loss. If I don’t like doing so when the service is down the street I certainly have no desire to fly out of town or watch a memorial service on TV. What does it say about our country when we elevate a person whose only contribution to society was selling a lot of records or dancing better than most of us will ever be able to dance? It’s not as if he discovered a cure for cancer or died in the service of his country or made any sacrifice, for that matter. Worse, as much as I hate to admit it, he killed himself via refusing to face life on life’s terms. He choose to spend his days getting high and denying who he was while simultaneously portraying the worst role model our kids could ever envision. Michael did not add to my existence, as an American and he certainly did not provide a positive example to our naïve and so easily impressed young people. In fact, he hurt them by portraying that it is okay to coward out of life and use your massive resources to avoid your life and ostracize family and loved ones by any means necessary.

The Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson's music provided the musical landscape to my childhood. I learned to sing, dance, roller skate to their music. I appreciate MJ's artistic abilities and his musical masterpieces.

For those who seem to only have negative things to say, why don't you simply remain silent. Apparently, you're in the minority. One day you'll be remembered as you lay in your coffin too. I wonder what people will say about you.

people have so little self-esteem they must mock and belittle even the dead to puff themselves up. Any chance to turn a phrase and make themselves seem witty or superior to themselves.

RIP MJ.

You got press access, right? Were you far back from the stage -- in nosebleed seats? The Staples Center has a capacity of 20,000, and to fill it you'd need to find everybody who can skip their day job on a Tuesday morning and drive or fly the distance to attend a somber event in the west coast's concrete jungle.

The reason I mention this is that it seems like the article implies people attending weren't that upset by Michael Jackson's death. The article's later conclusion, that people today tend to experience things without needing to join a communal gathering, seems more apt. (The comparison to Princess Di's funeral has a lot of non-parallels, it being untimely and related to somebody who was royalty.)

I have to congratulate Fortini on a far slicker writing job than her piece in Broadsheet. (Probably better editing from the top as well.) Sounds like you made the most out of a dull event without many opportunities for angles. For this kind of on-the-spot writing, pick up one of P.J. O'Rourke's books sometime (his late '80s or early '90s stuff might be good). Or go back to Hunter Thompson's campaign-trail stuff, or even Mark Twain with innocents abroad.

How is it possible to miss the global aspects of the

funeral show considering that global television was kneeling for hours beating princess Diana´s funeral as for iconic farewell for the masses. Television all over the world transmitted the show such as the BBC World television doing so for hours on end as if the world stood still.

As did public service television all over Europe not mentioning Europeans news channels such as the three 24 hours French news channels (LCI, Tele-I, BFM)transmitting exactly the same pictures during 4 hours differing in commentators only for the "planetary farewell".

It was indeed a huge day for television, again reminding us that it is the world´s biggest culture, the one common global denominator.

Although there was a great deal of media coverage, at least the media coverage was concerning a person of talent. I am thankful that it was not someone of Anna Nicole Smith's "talent".

Stevie Wonder did not play at Anna Nicole Smith's funeral.

News-flash!

Memorials are almost always strange and somber. They happen when someone dies.

"Maybe, I thought, the low energy derived from the fact that Michael's death, despite what we keep hearing on TV, wasn't an unexpected tragedy."

Sorry it didn't provide the high energy thrills you were looking for.

It made me wonder just how old some of these 'reporters' are, nowadays. Maybe this was Amanda Fortini's first funeral or memorial service?

I found the remark strange and lacking in empathy.

I allowed the memorial service to play in the background while I worked, only occasionally turning to focus on a speaker or performer.

I found it, unexpectedly, moving, touching, and dignified. The crowd reflected the range of reactions (sometimes off-key or excessive) expected at a funeral.

The only element that struck me as offensive and circus-like was the news media. Will they ever learn that 'reporters' are not the story, choke back their half-witted 'analyses', and let the medium convey the story?

TV celebrities have killed broadcast journalism as effectively as print medium pundits have killed newspapers.