Michael Jackson's Open Casket Viewing: He Looked "Peaceful"

people.com:

The night before the world paid tribute to Michael Jackson, close family members viewed the entertainer's body in an open casket at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills.

"He looked like himself. He looked like he just was laying there sleeping," says David Fossett, 50, a cousin of Jackson's who grew up with him and still lives in Jackson's hometown of Gary, Ind. "He looked peaceful."

Read the whole story: people.com

Comments

[tiffanyroze]

im waiting for the police to leak the photos of his peen-is...I'm surprised the police have not leaked it already so they can further embarras MJ..

[fraught]

"He looked like himself." Even michael wouldn't recognize himself if he saw himself without makeup surgery, bleaching, hair treatments. that was the whole point about him. He never looked like himself. When he looked in the mirror there was no one looking back.

And since this family does nothing without thinking about what the press would be worth, there ARE pictures of the kids looking at him in his coffin. And they WILL be sold and we'll be able to see them.
And the autopsy pictures too.

This is black comedy people. stop feeling sad.

[psychmaj323]

I'm sure he would recognize himself. Quit being an a.s.s.

[MissingAmerica]

I think it's sad that they had the kids view him, especially since his head is minus his brain. He was a troubled old soul who gave all he had to everyone else and left nothing for himself. His spirit is at peace now.

[Fixxin2]

The kids wanted to see their dad and psychologists say it is NOT inappropriate for children over the age of 6 to view remains if they wish. They need closure even more than adults. RIP MJ.

[Softnsweet]

No one knows what MJ was feeling but himself.

[KafeSociety]

How long before someone leaks the autopsy photos? Any bets? Which magazine will be first to publish photos of him, bald, splotchy, make-up smeared and his face all caved in?

[Toutlaguerre]

A Jehovah's witness ceremony? How come? Was he a JW? I thought they said he had converted to islam hence a muslim.

[sasson]

Yeah, I thought so to. If so, that was kind of inappropriate of the family. I know that Jermaine converted. At the very least, they could have had a dual ceremony.

[clsmithj]

they = Media = tabloid = misinform

[sasson]

To be fair, his life was nothing but rumors. His friends all seem to have conflicting stories about him, so you really can't blame the media too much here.

Looking around, it seems like it was Jermaine who stirred up this rumor.

[Irksome]

Uh, no. Moving to Bahrain doesn't automatically make you a Muslim.

[SUNRAI]

I thought he was into Kabbalah since he was rocking the red string on his wrist.

[Gabblog]

I would like to be the promoter to take the MJ in the open casket on a final world tour. The gross would be spectacular...the concessions, MJ Ware, gloves, CDs, tees, etc would gross unbelievable $$$. I wanted to take Howard Hughes, the other genuine oddity on tour too, but did not follow up on the availability...just imagine those long fingernails...great attraction.

[truthartbeauty]

that is very disrespectful and grotesque, but true.

[GentleOwlSpirit]

You still wanna make money off of Michael?!? You just like all the tabloids. Anything, ANYTHING for money.

[fraught]

It was satire. Couldn't you see that?

[HekmabaJuzimax]

Aside from how he looked in his casket, I believe MJ found the peace in death that he could not in life.
All he wanted to do was sleep -- Sleep now forevermore.

Creepy much?

[ztck5356]

This is why my mother refused an open casket. She did not want people looking at her a commenting on "how she looked dead." I think she was right. Why does it matter how one looks after they are gone? I've heard people say "They looked tired, they looked better than ever, they looked good, they looked awful, they blah, blah, blah."

My dad always said, "It's not my looks that was the problem!"

What did they expect him to look like, mad, sad, frightened? Of course he looks peaceful, you pay a lot of money to the morticians to make you look peaceful for the family!

This is all too weird.

[KnowzyRowzy]

Just because you say it's weird doesn't make it the truth....you people never cease to amaze me.

[ztck5356]

Who is "you" people?

[RightWingMarine]

I was thinking the same thing. Did we expect him to look distracted? mildly annoyed?

[truthartbeauty]

sometimes need to actually see the departed as a part of the closure. there is nothing wrong with looking at a loved one one last time and surely it is comforting that he seemed peaceful. there is nothing wierd about any of this.

[TainoBoy]

R.I.P MJ. You will be missed.

[ramal]

Enough! Enough! Enough!

[robjh1]

Kick him out of the family for revealing private family information.

"and we are not saved..."

[marignymitch]

Jacksons: He's dead. Not peaceful.

[weatherwaxx]

Just proves that no matter how much money you had, the portmortem cliches never change.

[Weirdwriter]

Thought the Jackson family were members of the Jehovah's Witnesses -- seems at odds with the gold casket and non-JW hymns. Wonder what MJ would have wanted for himself.

[jade7243]

Goodness gracious...
Clearly you didn't read the article which states the family had a private viewing Monday evening and BEFORE THE PUBLIC MEMORIAL held a private funeral service in accordance with Jehovah's Witness tradition Tuesday morning led by a member of the extended family. It was at the close of that service, where the family sang some final hymns a capella, that the casket was closed.

[SUNRAI]

Not all of the Jacksons are members of JW. Katherine Jackson is a JW and it was probably done as per her wishes. Nothing more.

[maiforpeace]

Dead people do look peaceful and like they are sleeping. All that is necessary is that they are properly prepared for viewing, and it's quite cathartic to view someone dead.

[DrJohnnySkeptic]

It isn't cathartic to publish a story about it for all the world to see - it's private and the family should not have to be subjected to seeing this private family moment in the press. It's disrespectful and malicious.

[weatherwaxx]

They could have refused to speak to reporters, the way most of David Carradine's family did.