Michael Jackson

[Riceball]

Seems a bit of a random P/R topic, but something about the whole trial & conviction thing has stoked my usually steadfast moral compass.

News reports over here have shown Michael Jackson fans celebrating outside of the courtroom upon hearing the verdict. What do you think of that? Is there anything less-than-moral or, I dunno, wrong about it?

I haven't been watching the trial or anything so I don't know the details. I find it horrible that its being broadcast to the world like a circus TBH.

[livehard]

Wow that seems crazy.   What in the world is there to celebrate?  there's no winners in the story of MJ...

[rumborak]

If you feel it necessary to stand outside the courthouse to follow a trial for an artist whose career was long gone, I'm not surprised you'll cheer at the verdict.

If there was a trial about Elvis going on, I am sure people would wait outside the court house too and cheer.

rumborak

[Riceball]

Well, yes. But thats not my point.

[rumborak]

What is your point? That news agencies fulfill the demand for such a circus when thousands of bored housewives are following this, is pretty much to be expected, no?

rumborak

[Riceball]

I get that its a bit of a fait a compli, my question is whether this is a little off...? I suppose I just don't get why people still go for the whole an eye for an eye thing; maybe I'm too much of a new age guy lo.

[Fuzzboy]

thousands of bored housewives are following this

Yep, that's my stepmom alright. "turn the tv on, I NEED to know the verdict!!"

Same with the Casey Anthony thing

[Super Dude]

I get that its a bit of a fait a compli, my question is whether this is a little off...? I suppose I just don't get why people still go for the whole an eye for an eye thing; maybe I'm too much of a new age guy lo.

Maybe I don't know enough about the situation, but what do you mean? Has a sentence already been dealt to that doctor or something? Keep in mind I have not been following this at all.

[Scheavo]

I get that its a bit of a fait a compli, my question is whether this is a little off...? I suppose I just don't get why people still go for the whole an eye for an eye thing; maybe I'm too much of a new age guy lo.

Maybe I don't know enough about the situation, but what do you mean? Has a sentence already been dealt to that doctor or something? Keep in mind I have not been following this at all.

Up to 4 years in prison, I think.

It reminds me of this:

[El Barto]

Seems a bit of a random P/R topic, but something about the whole trial & conviction thing has stoked my usually steadfast moral compass.

News reports over here have shown Michael Jackson fans celebrating outside of the courtroom upon hearing the verdict. What do you think of that? Is there anything less-than-moral or, I dunno, wrong about it?

I haven't been watching the trial or anything so I don't know the details. I find it horrible that its being broadcast to the world like a circus TBH.

I think you've got two phenomenon at work.  For one thing,  Americans love a trial.  It's the ultimate in reality television.  Unlike Dancing With The Retards and Emmit Smith,  where the only consequences are being ridiculed by arrogant assholes,  this is the real deal.  It's got a real officialness to it (or at least it used to).  Plus you get some sordid details thrown in, to boot.  It's like a soap opera but with real people who might go to real prison.

That applies to Americans and our tabloid culture.  The other thing is the fans.  When something unpleasant happens,  everybody wants somebody to blame.  I'm not sure what the emotional element is.  Perhaps people would rather feel angry than sad.  Regardless,  if somebody you care about is killed after spinning off the road into a tree,  you're sad and there's not really any closure.  If it turns out that another driver was at fault, or the city didn't mark the intersection properly,  of that the spare tire from a UPS truck broke loose in front of him,  then there's suddenly a cause to fight for.  I think that's what's happening here.

Somebody posted a story a while back about a woman who got shitfaced and crashed her car incinerating her entire family.  The husband who wasn't with her has spent ages trying to prove she wasn't hammered.  I suppose it just makes him feel better to have something other than senseless, stupid act to latch onto.  MJ fans are behaving the same way.  It's easier to think that some asshole doctor killed him with gross negligence than to accept that he was just a weird-ass freak who paid people to knock him out for 8 hour stretches.