The death of Michael Jackson, splayed across online news outlets and television news sources everywhere, was shocking to say the very least.
As a child I remember crushing on a young (and still black) Michael. As a pre-preteen I saw the Thriller video for the first time and was in awe at the star power that seemed contained in one person. And was I neared my teenage years, my love of his music slowly wearing thin, his talent was undeniable.
Even amid child molestation allegations it was still impossible to forget what he was able to accomplish, and how the world, and pop music, was changed because of him.
When I first heard the news I felt nothing but shock -- and a sense of almost disbelief -- that it was happening. But as the story was confirmed and the coverage continued.
As I watched the story unfold, watched the crowds gather, watched as news anchor after news anchor relayed the same story, I found myself feeling quite sad. It wasn't so much that I felt sad over the loss of a pop icon, but more so over the sad, unfortunate legacy that he would be leaving behind.
Because despite all that he was able to accomplish with his music it was unfortunately marred by bizarre eccentricities and molestation charges. His attempts at comeback after comeback either didn't pan out, or weren't met with too much fanfare. Living on the Neverland Ranch made him seem larger than life - and that, too, was slipping away. Even with the positive response at his European tour comeback, one had to still wonder how he would pull it off.
And as the crowd gathered outside the hospital in which he was pronounced dead, as a flower is getting ready to placed on his star on the Walk of Fame, as tributes are already pouring in, and as radios play his music nonstop it seems that Michael Jackson has finally achieved what he wanted with a comeback tour:
He's regained the adoration, love and fanfare of the world.