A funeral fit for a king

The “King of Pop” is dead.

You might have heard about this on your local news channel or perhaps the information was twittered to you. Either way, the death of Michael Jackson has stirred to life the fanboy in all of us. No longer are there sneers and jokes made in reference to Jackson’s confusing racial preferences or his questionable taste. Instead, people from all over the world have seemed to embrace each other in shared condolence over the death of a music titan.

It’s fascinating how celebrities’ flaws and dubious activities become all but obsolete when they kick the bucket. Even when that passing is clouded in a sea of confusion and amid recently dissolved controversy, fans continue to praise superstars for their achievements and hard work.

Specifically for Jackson, he was found with only partially digested pills in his stomach, and his body was scattered with puncture wounds from shooting up painkillers. His body, described as a skeleton, was lean and had virtually no fat on it. Though this might suggest his life was troubled by drug problems, the blame has instead been shifted to Jackson’s doctor, leaving the name of the King of Pop to continue being praised.

There is no better evidence of this than the mega-funeral Tuesday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. A star-studded and glorified event broadcast on multiple networks, this memorial service gave Jackson’s career better press than he had seen in the last 10 years, including the trials.

However, the event was less like a funeral and more like a festival: an opportunity for friends of Jackson to pay their respects, yes, but also one last concert for the King of Pop. During the festivities his presence hung over the crowd of 18,000-plus as video from his past concerts was played. It was not quite the comeback tour his concerts in London had been described as, but it was a farewell that once again put the singer in a good light.

It really is no surprise that an over-the-top life, such as the one that Jackson led, would result in a wake just as glamorous. There was nothing ever humble or modest about how the King of Pop lived. It was a life fraught with fame, fortune and always-shocking scandals. What is most impressive about his passing, however, is the sensation it has caused.

Contrary to the fact, there was no need to present him in a golden casket at his memorial service because his very death caused more awe than any pretty display. These past few years failed to glorify him in the same fame he had been accustomed to, but the calamity that his passing caused truly guarantees him the title, forever and always, as of one of our great entertainers.