Michael Jackson, Not Guilty; You and Me, Guilty

A "used to be" famous person once told me: "When you go from somebody to anybody, it's the same as being nobody." If that's true, then imagine what it's like when you go from "somebody" to being laughed at as a freak.

I wonder what the toll on someone's peace of mind, subsequent stress level and need to take meds to deal with it would be when a world that used to idolize you ridicules you as a screwball.

In Hamlet Shakespeare wrote that: "The lady doth protest too much." It's understandable that the untimely death of the "King of Pop" would generate such an emotional reaction since Michael Jackson's life, accomplishments and setbacks have occurred alongside our own. I just wonder how much of the outpouring that we see and that we may feel coming from within ourselves is fueled by a touch of guilt that maybe our laughing and parodying of him over the past decade may have contributed to what finally made his heart give out.

Whatever the case, it appears that his memory will be less about the person whom we felt embarrassed for and more about the superstar who "thrilled" us for so long.

So long Michael. May you rest in peace and I hope that when you run into Elvis and Frank Sinatra you're jammin away.

Also: Will Michael Jackson be loved for who he once was or not?

What/Who Killed Michael Jackson?