How banal a week's worth of reports that L.A. was BRACING for this event, as if no other arena or stadium in the area has ever been filled. Funds were solicited from private sources to BRACE against . . . what? Did they hope for riots?

Worst-case-scenario journalists need to leave the name gigs and go back to the tabloids where they belong. Though . . . the name gigs, including Salon, love the cheap headline and teaser.

Shame on you, being just like every other "source."

This was a funeral. She was right there, and yet she distanced herself. It was odd to have so many non-family non-close friends there---but at the same time it was generous of those closest to him to allow so many people this chance to grieve. He was such a beautiful young man and never saw it. He was so very fragile for such a long time. And yes, he was the odd one. It happens. Have some respect for the man.

(and Maya Angelou is not and never has been "schlocky"!!!)

(the BBC report was that it was a dignified and respectful service)

Did you ever think you might be the strange one. I watched with wonder and thought all was beautiful. What did you expect to see? This article I find very odd.

MJ was known throughout the world as much as the Pope, but few people really knew him. Even fewer understood him. While being a popular public figure, he was a recluse and most of our knowledge of him is based on speculation by the media. We know that we have lost something, but we're not sure what we have lost. More speculation will be presented over the next year as the media tries to exploit this tragedy and maximize it's ad revenue, but no matter how much fantasy is created, we will never know him. We will only know that we lost him well before his time.

an extremely talented yet very troubled man who developed a warped sense of propriety and social interaction... not so surprising from the crazy childhood he had.

The MJ memorial summary: A huge production full of puffery & exaggerated hyperbole, mixed with a few genuine and reasonable eulogies, and piles of media, entertainment, and mass public hysteria and hypocrisy.

This poorly written, cynical article doesn't even substantiate the disrespectful headline. It failed to show what aspect of the actual memorial was weird. Salon also veered away from its normal high standards by posting this title in its email alerts. What a disappointment to find that Salon has been bitten by the sensational, tabloid tendency to cast anything about Michael Jackson as bizarre - to gain visibility - no matter how beautiful or dignified it may be.

If anyone doubts that the mainly white media determines through its herd mentality how we view ourselves and others, this should put it to rest. "Weirdest?" Isn't this the same tag they put on Michael "wacko jacko" Jackson? Therefore, we continue the same fashion even if it makes our view looks foolish and silly despite contradicting facts by all and sundry that it was a solemn beautiful memorial watched by millions around the world.

Notwithstanding the fact that Paris Jackson's emotional farewell to her dad (biological or not)could only be disputed by those with iced water coursing through their veins, you Amanda have to leave the Colliseum to go outside to look for one or two strange-looking or "weird" people (one gay we are told) to extrapolate to the whole memorial? Unbelievable.But then again, when you become echo chamber for the media you do not have a mind of your own just as people have to stretch to continue to put the tag of child molester on him even after he was acquitted by a court of law.But they are not alone there as Republican congressman Peter King made it abundantly clear that Michael is a child molester to reflect the white media's take on this and resent all the coverage he was getting.

Republican King was only echoing what the Gallup poll has found; 57% of all whites are no fan of Michael Jackson, the same percentage that thought he was guilty even before the jury acquitted him.While more than 70% of blacks supported him. The redeeming feature in this for Michael was that majority of younger white people (60%) between the ages of 18-35 support him.I guess they see things differently from the older, angrier white people who happen to populate the media; liberal/progressive or conservative. Conservative talk radio host Michael Savage, claimed that the same dumbies "blacks" who put Obama to the white house are lionizing a child molester.For this a lot of letters agree with Savage and King. We are just following what our races tell us despite our indefatigable effort to project otherwise.

I am beginning to question this blogs influence, if any, on people today.

I have read one story that had any credibility on salon.com. Most of the stuff I read is based on speculation, and unnamed sources, by supposedly prize-winning journalists.

Then there are those like the author of this story, who thinks her perceptions are interesting enough to publish. Creates a moody graphic look at the day and draws out the drama as much as possible. Always making sure the darker element runs through it.

By a magazine that can't even get the headline straight.

Why is it that only journalists call the MJ memorial service a gaudy spectacle? I've heard lots of words to describe the service - freak show, weird, "big schlocky event", you name it. When I read these "reviews", I have to wonder if we were even watching the same broadcast. I found the service elegant, simple and even subdued, definitely passionate, and a wonderful tribute.

I think Ms. Fortini must be very young. I can't imagine a seasoned writer or person of the world writing such a shallow, superficial piece with absolutely no perspective to be found. There are a million different reasons why people act the way they do. And given an experience that can only be described as surreal, I'm not surprised people seemed disengaged, overly quiet or going on about their own business.

I'm not a fanatic fan of Michael Jackson, but I loved his music. I listened to his music through my childhood and into adult life. He wasn't just an entertainer, but a great dancer, singer, songwriter, choreographer. And a terrific humanitarian. And I get really tired of the jaded and cynical take from so-called writers like Ms. Fortini who seem to know all about people and why they act like they do. I think you have to have life experience before you can truly communicate through writing.