Death of a King

The death of the King of Pop has sent the world into a whirlwind of mourning, celebration, sadness and reflection.

But aside from all of this, there are many out there who are exploiting Michael Jackson's death, just as they did his life when he was alive. Only now that he is no longer alive, they can do it more freely.

The man has barely been dead for four days and there are already talks of DVDs being released of his final concert rehearsal, the auctioning of his personal belongings and the publishing rights of unreleased songs he had made for his children.

One can argue that this is the price to pay of a celebrity. That once you are a celebrity, especially one of Michael Jackson's stature, privacy and the right to live and die in peace is no longer an option. And one can argue, there's not really a rule or a timeline for when it is acceptable to move on from tragedy, to move past the shock and the grief and resume every day life.

But I beg to differ. I've always disagreed with this kind of exploitation. It just doesn't sit well with me that a movie was released before the tears had dried of those who still hadn't come to terms with the events of 9/11, or that a major motion picture was released of a slain rapper whose murderer is still unknown, and now, that there is talk of how to make the most profit from a dead man's musical genius who hasn't even been properly laid to rest yet. In my opinion, it's disgusting and tragic, and an unfortunate reflection of our society.

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Regardless, Michael Jackson holds a special place in my heart. His music was the soundtrack to my childhood, albums played nonstop in long car rides with my family. Dangerous was the first cassette tape I owned on my Playschool Walkman. I know there are millions out there who share my sentiments, who share their own memories of Michael and his music and who are shaking their heads at his tragic downfall. But from my little place in the world, I just want to put it out into the universe and say Rest in Peace, MJ. You will never be forgotten.

1958-2009

"Do you remember, back in the spring, every morning the birds would sing...do you remember, those special times, they just go on and on in the back of my mind..." - Do You Remember the Time