Is it just me, or are any of you out there offended by the tone of the countless clever-clever op-eds, think pieces, and thumbsuckers of the past couple of days that have sought to “interpret” and pseudo-intellectualize the Michael Jackson story? Jackson’s arrest isn’t a Media Phenomenon, nor is it a sign of the times. It’s a news story about an alleged pedophile, one who has spent millions of dollars to keep himself out of jail. And I don’t give a good goddamn about the social significance of his mug shot, either. If he did what he’s said to have done, I want to see him in a jail cell, and once he’s there, my interest in him will be over and done with.
As for the interest of the mass media, my guess is that at some point fairly soon they’ll wake up and realize that the youthful target market after which they lust so desperately couldn’t care less about Michael Jackson. His arrest may be news, but his music is yesterday’s news, if not the day before. Big Media is so Eighties.