This Just In:
Michael Jackson is STILL dead!

At least it'll be in HD.

Bob, you must understand that this coverage is not for fans of Michael Jackson, regular viewers of Maddow, or even the morbidly curious. This event has been in preparation for the last going-on twenty years. This entire blatant media circus is an attempt to diminish the cultural contribution of a true American icon. Now, some may say that MJ with his many foibles brought this all on himself, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who made such a lasting impression on the entertainment culture as a whole being reduced to a meager footnote in entertainment, and a 24/4 freakshow for the media swine to speculate and sensationalize. This all came about after Jackson's Black or White video premiered on FOX, if you can recall this event. That is when the media began receiving its marching orders to diminish his contribution, beginning with how he scared small children by turning into a black panther and smashing up a car. After that, the pedophilia allegations began, and the junk about how he was allegedly abused as a kid by Joe Jackson, which was used as a cause of his sexual deviancy. I'm witnessing coach potato clinical analysis of Jackson taking place by people referring to themselves as "psychiatrists" on the TV. Now, I'm not going to go into my profession, but I've always encountered my fair share of glory seekers, and these bozos on the television aught to know better than to speculate in this manner, especially when there's so much misinformation out there. Michael Jackson needed help in a serious way, but some of these people he surrounded himself with were always siphoning off the good will he'd shown them. It's disgusting to see what is taking place.

There are so many aspects to this debacle that I can touch on, but I'd be here all night. Suffice it to say, MSNBC believes that simply pimping the Jackson death with the supermarket tabloid-style "journalism" it saturates its daytime programming with can keep viewers watching during this holiday week. Are they correct in this assessment? You tell me, 'cuz I'm not watching any of MSNBC's garbage.

That's putting a positive spin on it, Carlos!
Heh.

Thanks Lex, for your post. I am a MASSIVE MJ fan and I haven't watched TV news since last Thursday. You're right. This is definitely not for folks who appreciated MJ's contributions. I'm blown away by MSNBC this week. I expected Nancy Grace to milk his death until Christmas cuz thats what she does but Schuster? And if Larry King does another show with that fat, nasty sweaty Brando fuck....ARRRGH!
I want them ALL to go back to news and leave MJ to the music channels, magazines, music industry, websites and blogs.

This will be wall to wall coverage until the funeral for ratings. I think Rachel, Keith, and Mathews said FORGET IT, we're not doing a whole week of Michael Jackson coverage. While it is a shame that he passed, I don't think MSNBC needs to do this wall to wall every five minute coverage. It is just absolutely ridiulous.

Folks need to call and write MSNBC and say WTF?

Well, Rachel's been on vacation this week. I doubt she woulda been pre-empted if she weren't. And who really wants to watch Maddow with a guest host?

last night they did two full hours (9 to 11) on Jackson.

Mike's only gonna die once, right? I mean, they seem to have picked this alone and run with it, forsaking all others. Committed to it. The nation's underwear is around it's ankles right now.

I'm assuming that the nasty old woman Bob is talking about is Maureen Orth. Sadly he's right. Tim Russert's wife came on last week and trashed Jackson but good. Apparently she covered his trial for Vanity Fair so I assume she was privy to info that perhaps the public was not. Having said that, I still found her comments to be extremely offensive. You think she could have waited until Michael was buried before she skewered him. I've changed by opinion of her and now realize that she is one cold hearted bitch! Sorry Luke but, your mother has lost all sense of common decency!

Let's not just crucify MSNBC. CNN has been nonstop Jackson all week. As a matter of fact, while channel surfing I came across this actual CNN chyron: "Covering Jackson's Death: Is the media coverage too much?"

What the fuck? Now they're making "news" on their own overcoverage of Jackson's death? Fuck me! Blame can go around all the outlets, not just MSNBC.

Also, I agree with Hammie - Rachel's wouldn't have been preempted if Maddow weren't on vacation. Watching Allison "Blinky" Stewart or Shuster on Countdown is not the same show.

Well it appears Rachel, Keith and Matthews are ALL on vacation at the same time.

Why would MSNBC give them all the same time off?

Only Ed is on the job.

Weird.

So we can go on vacation and not miss anything.
Maybe the Michael telethon was an easy way out