I wasn’t going to write this post.

I swore I wouldn’t write this post. I made a conscious effort to stop myself from writing this post. I’m still not sure it is a good idea to write a post about the death of Michael Jackson. I didn’t want to write it for several reasons: a) it’s kind of tacky, b) everyone is “writing” something about MJ, c) I had nothing interesting to say. Then it came to me, like a dove landing on windowsill.

I actually twittered about it…as I was having this revelation.

I was ichatting with @kevinjohngomez about the death of MJ and we were both saying how it had virtually no impact on us, emotionally or otherwise. I was talking about listening to someone on the radio saying when they heard the news it was like that time Alderaan was destroyed.

“I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.”
- Obi Wan Kenobi

I felt none of that. I am sorry to say, but the first thing I thought when I heard MJ died was, he just relocated to his secret moon base. Honestly. But then it hit me…I understood the reason I don’t care about what happened to Michael Jackson:

I have only ever known Michael Jackson as a crazy person.

I was born in 1986, and my only true memory of Michael Jackson was my parents not letting me watch the news. Even with people talking about what a great album Thriller was/is, it seemed like two different people to me. I love Thriller, but my only frame of reference for MJ outside of “child molester” was the Thriller video, where he is dressed like a zombie…

This did not help his image much in my young mind.

So when MJ died, how could his death not be a joke? I cared about his death about as much as I did when I heard Billy Mays died. Same with Ed McMahon. Same with Farrah Fawcett. For an older generation, one that grew up watching him, it can understand it would be quite different.

One of the truest things I’ve heard in the media’s sloppy wet kiss for MJ was that a whole new generation will get to “know” him, and they won’t be burdened by the “possible pedophilia.” Very true.

For me, I don’t have any reasons to care what happened because he never “meant” anything to me. I can’t force it now. Sorry, MJ. Maybe my kids will grow love you? Or maybe they’ll get nuked.