Say to another person, “You’re going to die” and see what happens.  They might get mad.  They might run.  Or they might try to take you out first. 

 

Sure, it would sound like a threat.  But it’s simply a statement of fact—one that hits a little too close to home for most people to take well.

 

Have you ever considered this:  Why are people shocked when a person dies?  This is the ONE THING that we know will happen to every one of us:  Death. 

 

I’ve been accused, on occasion, of being cynical.  Truth is, I’m an optimist—and a realist.  But here’s the deal:  If you’re realistic about an upsetting subject?  You’ll be called cynical.  People get mad if you deceive them, and sometimes they get even madder when you speak the truth.  Just depends on the subject.    

 

The news of Michael Jackson’s death last week didn’t surprise me.  Now, it’s not that I expected it—maybe it was just that the strange and unexpected had become his most predictable attributes over the last two decades.

 

But what I really found most fascinating was the media coverage.  It started with detailing the shock and disbelief of the celebrities who knew and revered him.  No one (including reporters) mentioned his bizarre behavior, the criminal charges involving children, or the decline of his music career. 

 

If his name had come up in the media the day before his death, I believe few would have defended him and he would have still worn the crown of a sideshow freak.  But upon his death he was resurrected, and immediately re-bestowed the crown of “The King of Pop”.  

 

Two weeks before Jackson’s death, I posted this comment on my Twitter account:

 

Wouldn’t recommend it to a client as strategy, but you can’t deny this: Death is a career builder for out-of-vogue celebrities–think Elvis.10:56 PM Jun 11th from web

 

At the time of his death, Elvis Presley was worth about $5 million dollars.  His estate now is worth an estimated $600 million.

 

Last Thursday morning, Michael Jackson was $400 million in debt.  By the afternoon, sales of his records and MP3 downloads on amazon.com were 700 times the day before, and even higher the next day, Friday.  My remark on Twitter is proven true:  We want most what we can’t have. Whether it’s a loved one who passes away, or a musician we’ve come to disregard, suddenly we cherish madly the person who’s no longer around.

 

Dad Joe Jackson has long been credited—and criticized—for the meteoric stardom of his son. He was accused of subjecting Michael to abuse and a relentless work schedule early on, and the deprivation of a “normal” childhood.  And his father’s eye for opportunity may be re-emerging:  There are reports that Michael Jackson may be buried at his Neverland Ranch, allowing for a “West Coast Graceland” that would be open to the public.  This enterprise would prove that like the King of Rock and Roll, the King of Pop is worth more dead than alive.  

 

One lesson of all this?  It proves again how voyeuristic we are.  We’re curious about other people.  The neighbors.  Old schoolmates.  And especially celebrities.  And death is the most fascinating of all subjects.

 

The news of Ed McMahon’s death was washed aside in hours by the death of Farrah Fawcett, and hers was eclipsed just as quickly by Jackson’s.  It’s said that high-profile deaths come in threes, and his completed the circle this time.    

 

It’s also been said that, “The public has a need to know.”  About government, yes.  About private citizens—even celebrities—no they don’t.  This is just a mantra that allows everyone to feel justified in wanting to know.  Learning of the death isn’t enough.  We want to know how, what led up to it, and why.  All the lurid details, and all for the sake of being nosy.  

 

So let’s play along.  The jury’s “still out” on what exactly led to the death of Michael Jackson, and who might be responsible.  Geraldo gives us four possibilities:

 

#1-Natural death

#2-Suicide

#3-Accidental Overdose

#4-Murder

 

What’s my best pick?  The unpopular one, #2-Suicide.  

 

Jackson was scheduled to begin a 50 date concert schedule in the UK in a few weeks.  An article by Ian Halperin alleges that he was frail, unable to dance or sing, and said four days before his death that he wanted to die.  Insider accounts indicate that those close to Jackson didn’t believe he could actually perform the scheduled dates.  If this is true, Jackson himself must have believed it, too.

 

But do I think his death will be ruled a suicide?  No.  There’s been no mention of a suicide note, so we’re only left with circumstantial evidence that he might have wanted to end his life.  If he intentionally took a lethal dose of medicine, who can say conclusively that it was intentional? And that’s the only thing that separates a suicide from an accident:  Intent.  

 

So here’s my prediction:  The final ruling will be Geraldo Option #3:  Accidental Overdose.

 

Maybe the most significant “proof” of suicide is that Jackson had long feared—or believed—that he would meet a fate similar to Elvis Presley’s.  After Jackson’s death, his one-time wife Lisa Marie Presley said that he had believed he would end up as her father did.

 

I recently gave you an article about the Power of Knowing.  This force is so powerful that even with a negative outcome, our actions will manifest it… if we really believe.

 

Let me know your thoughts, I’ll respond to your comments—thanks…   

 

Tags: power of knowing

This entry was posted on Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 2:29 am and is filed under Thought Control. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.