Another reason for the lack of tearful mourning from fans, aside from what Amanda pointed out about the removal of his talents 20 years ago, is that there's not much of an emotional connection to be had with him. Even in the substance-free 1980s pop scene Jackson always felt especially soulless and hollow.

You could respect him for his talent, but very few people could honestly say they connected with him emotional beyond feeling bad for his warped life. And the exposure to who Michael Jackson was that he did give you all revolved around his "Peter Pan" image. And who really wanted to live as a manchild their entire life besides Jackson? Jackson was too huge to get close to people, he'd perform in front of enormous crowds and then go hide in his massive mansion-slash-amusement park.

His lyrics were all vague, icy, sweeping generalizations for the most part. There was never a singer-songwriter connection. Even when he got personal on HIStory it was stuff nobody could relate to unless they were hounded by tabloids and had a martyr-complex.

And I don't think Jackson intentionally did this, unlike his soulless writer rivals like Phil Collins and Madonna. I think his life was just too far removed from normalcy to know how to connect with another human being.

And fondled someone in tribute.

Maybe Paris did want to speak; if that's so, then good for her. She’s very brave, although I'd still be inclined to think that putting a child under even more intense media scrutiny at such an awful time in her life mightn't be the wisest decision. But to be perfectly frank, I don't trust the majority of the Jackson family as far as I could throw them. There’s no "tradition of protection" in that family – there's a tradition of exploiting vulnerable members for cash and notoriety. And I say this as a Michael Jackson fan.

This article has no place on Salon. The writer did not describe the Memorial (it was a memorial not a funeral... DUUUH!). Amanda just described a few weird people. And by your narrow focus on only the most obscure and unimportant things at the event, one has to wonder about Amanda.

I'm not even a MJ nut but I do believe his life meant something to those in our era and that he made significant changes for the good.

For Amanda to make light of the Poem, which I thought was actually touching and beautiful, and brush over all the other legends that paid their respects with flawless and beautiful music and ideas presented in dance, voice, and video, and focus just on a few weird attendees, is pathetic.

Amanda pines about changes in our society? Her little useless notes, on what was a beautiful and touching memorial for MJ, tell you more about her than those she chooses to judge.

eeek.

I thought "obeisant" was when somebody tells you to eat a pile of Twinkies, and you comply.

Durian Joe: "Mark Mothersbaugh's funeral will be even weirder. I might even be there, old and wrinkly and wearing a yellow jumpsuit and big sunglasses in honor of the guy who shaped much of my musical sensibility."

It's a god given law / That you're gonna lose your Mothersbaugh

.....shrivel up!

Technically, it was a funeral, since the body was present. At a memorial service, the body is not present.

I thought it was beautiful. RIP Michael.

if, while doing it, you twirl your hand around in a Bugs Bunny-style bow, scrape & wave, then yes.

I don't know why you chose to focus on the term 'weird' - perhaps you were too close to some of the guests to see the beauty of the funeral that I saw on my home tv screen. It was tasteful, a loving tribute, and a type of blessing that this very VERY talented performer in younger years - and is in the Guinness book of world records as the LARGEST contributor to charity EVER..........

It is too bad at times that journalists think they have to provide any dark side of an event in the manner that you did. While I am sad that Michael's later life had some conflicting moments, his final public appearance deserves to have solace for his family and fans who treasured his talents.

I'm disappointed that Salon supports a writer who turns it into a circus. The funeral I viewed was anything but.

Perhaps you were at the wrong one??

It's a god given law / That you're gonna lose your Mothersbaugh

.....shrivel up!

Words to live and grow old by.

The wording of that is misleading somehow. He couldn't have possibly given more money than Bill Gates has. And Ted Turner gave $1 Billion to charity in one single donation. I doubt Jackson had $1 Billion in his bank account ever.

Joey, darlin, from subsequent letters I see there's more going on here than one guy making apparently racist comments.

I'm not sure this white girl can explain it properly, but I remember my friend Tracy trying to enlighten me about the whole OJ phenomenon years ago. The majority of Caucasians were convinced this man was guilty as sin, while most of the African American community rallied around him and vocally maintained his innocence. He was a gigantic icon and a boundary-breaker and the question of his guilt wasn't even discussed with "outsiders." I see this echoed in discussions of MJ and his weirdness and the allegations of child molestation -- even though by the end he seemed to have disowned his own racial identity. He still "belonged" to the community.

I'm not sure this makes the differing (sometimes violent) reactions about MJ any clearer, but I thought I'd give it a go. I'm sure Cornel West could have done a much better job with this, but he's not here.

Just wondering whose racist comments you were referring to.

Ah, you must mean Mr. Smooth, whom I accused of making a racist comment because he wrote, "I can tell right away this is a white person speaking." I get why he said it, but he ought to be more circumspect in how he conveys his thoughts. Imagine if a white person wrote, "I can tell right away this is a black person speaking." Not too cool, eh?

Now as it happens, I socialize on a regular basis with more black people than white people, and have done so for roughly 22 years (shrivel up, indeed!) here in D.C. These guys all thought O.J. was guilty. They all thought Marion Barry was a disgrace, though I shared their dismay at his tragic downfall. They all like Michael Jackson's music (as do I), but when we met last -- which was the day of his death -- we all agreed that something smelled very fishy over in Neverland, though all of us, being fair-minded (when not cheating each other at cards) could not say with absolute certainty that he went all wicked Uncle Ernie on those kids.

So like I say, I get where Jay Smooth is coming from, but he needs to express his thoughts in a less sweeping way, methinks.