Enough is Enough!

When is enough, enough. I promised myself I was not going to write anything else about Michael Jackson, but apparently, I lied. Truthfully, who cares about Afghanistan or Iraq when there are serious issues like, who will get custody of Mikey’s kiddies. I also promised myself I was not going to watch the funeral, but as a commenter, rather than a commentator I was simply too curious. The funeral was amazingly tasteful. That was a surprise. But I thought the most interesting commentary would have been about the people who were missing, like Diana Ross and Elizabeth Taylor. Liz is getting up there in years and pounds and travel can’t be easy for her anymore—even on a private jet and all ‘limoed’ up. But Diana? He named her in his Will as the person he wanted to have responsibility for the kids if Mom couldn’t do it. Why Diana Ross and not Janet or LaToya? I thought Friday night dinner at Aunt Sophie’s was colorful, but those family dynamics must really have been something.

OK, so I watched most of the show, and it was clearly a show. The heartfelt goodbyes, from people like Smokey, mingled with the “it’s really about ME and what I do” from Sheila Jackson Lee, left me a bit confused but what else is new. As long as we were going to see a show, I wanted it to be with entertainers, not the likes of Lee and Sharpton who had no business being in among those notable talents. And I must say, when Sheila finished with “Michael Jackson I salute you,” I did want to gag. This death has lost all perspective. Sure, he helped to choreograph an important human rights movement and he did bring attention to the AIDS epidemic in Africa—not unimportant.

But he was also seriously weird. Maybe he didn’t molest any kids – but he was a seriously weird drug abuser who, dare I say, was a bit self destructive. (As a consequence the coroner still has a part of his brain, so the question is, was he already buried and if so, will they dig him up so he can be buried with all his parts.) He had enough money to buy rather than birth, three children, (to whom he was apparently, very loving and good), and why wouldn’t he be? He wanted them enough to pay big bucks and marry a woman who he didn’t know and obviously didn’t like, to give birth to them and then hand them over. But “I salute you” was at the very least, inappropriate.

Back to the beginning. The only part of this drama that remains unfinished is what will happy to those beautiful children. If I may take a line from my favorite 'cry from beginning to end,' movie, “Beaches” -- when the friend dies and Bette is left with the kid she says, “Everyone wants you.” And then goes on to tell the daughter that she can choose where she wants to live. The two older Jackson children are certainly at an age and place where they should be involved in any decision about where they live. Debbie Rowe, who at best is a little unpleasant, never wanted them in her life. Everyone knows that for Rowe, it’s all about the money. But isn’t that what all this hoopla is about? Whether it’s recordings, or videos, memorial tapes of the memorial service, or a release of the concert that never was – it’s all about the money. Until he died, he was barely a mention on any news or entertainment show, unless it involved sex and children.

Anyway, this is my Michael Jackson swan song. Over the last few weeks we have lost some very fine actors, like Farrah Fawcett and Jack Klugman. Some wonderful personalities like Ed McMahon. And McNamara, a distinguished and well connected war criminal, who, like Cheney and Rove and assorted other Bush Administration officials couldn’t wait to get us into a war and if that meant lying and a range of fabrications: their end justified the means. Oh yes, and we have lost some courageous young men and women around the world. In Viet Nam the loss of lives was astounding and in Iraq, the number of severe injuries is unimaginable. But these old white men got to play with the lives of other people’s children so it never impacted on their lives. I guess the bottom line for all of this is that there are terrible things that impact on the lives of young people and children. Things over which they have no control but which will impact on their lives forever and ever. And really, enough is enough! We’re just sayin’… Iris