Why we love to hate Jackson, or being remembered as we were

[NERVUN]

As to the article, I'm not exactly too sure what he is getting at. People's memories are subjective and you are always remembered based upon your relationship with THAT particular person and their history with you. If I dropped dead tomorrow, my mother will remember me as her son, my sister will remember me as her brother, my wife will remember me as her husband, and my students will probably be cheering because then their test will be cancled. All four men will be different and won't come to close to the actual me. If you grew up with Michael Jackson's music, you will probably remember him at his prime, because that's where he made the impact on you. If you didn't, if Michael Jackson was just the figure of amusement, Wacko Jacko, that will also probably be your memory so I don't see why the author, and Fass, is complaining that family members or other won't remember them for who they really are because NO ONE is so remembered.

[NERVUN]

I have some oceanfront property in Nevada to sell you.

Oddly enough, there's a lot of seaside property in Nevada you can buy. Of course, said sea disapeared a vew million years ago, but you can still buy property that USED to be next to it.

[Grave_n_idle]

I was a porn star, and if you believe that, I have some oceanfront property in Nevada to sell you.

I find that strangely convincing, actually...

Perhaps more intelligent, then. I'll admit I lacked foresight on a great many things. It's not that I couldn't "see" what was coming down the pipe, but more than I didn't really care at the time. Oh boy, how I care now, but it's kinda late, you know?

That's the big difference, I suspect. I looked down the line and said "you know, I'd care about that a lot, later".

That said - I've done things even in spite of that from time to time... so, yeah - fortunate, I guess.

Now I get to deal with the consequences of my actions. Such is life, and I hope to pull out eventually, but it will take some time.

Until then, I prefer people to think of me in better times.

"Better times" is relative. It's perhaps ironic that a person dealing with the consequences of their past, and shape a future... is something - in itself - arguably worth remembering.

[Galloism]

I was a porn star, and if you believe that, I have some oceanfront property in Nevada to sell you.

I find that strangely convincing, actually...

I never knew you felt that way about me. Not sure whether to be frightened or flattered.

Perhaps more intelligent, then. I'll admit I lacked foresight on a great many things. It's not that I couldn't "see" what was coming down the pipe, but more than I didn't really care at the time. Oh boy, how I care now, but it's kinda late, you know?

That's the big difference, I suspect. I looked down the line and said "you know, I'd care about that a lot, later".

That said - I've done things even in spite of that from time to time... so, yeah - fortunate, I guess.

Could be some mixture of fortune and intelligence. You know, "chance favors the prepared mind" and all that.

Now I get to deal with the consequences of my actions. Such is life, and I hope to pull out eventually, but it will take some time.

Until then, I prefer people to think of me in better times.

"Better times" is relative. It's perhaps ironic that a person dealing with the consequences of their past, and shape a future... is something - in itself - arguably worth remembering.

Perhaps, but not until it's done, you see. At least, that's how I see it. When a person dies in the middle of a pile of shit, even if they just started working themselves out of it, then all everyone remembers is them falling into the pile of shit. I'd just prefer people go back to before I fell in the pile of shit. Afterward, maybe it will all work out and I can look at now as a defining moment of my life. I doubt it, but it's plausible.

[Jello Biafra]

I suppose if I get some kind of mental condition that makes me behave irrationally, I would hate to be remembered as that irrational person and would instead rather be remembered as rational.
If I start to behave in ways that are perceived as irrational, but aren't, I suppose I'd hate for that behavior to be totally absent from memories of me.

[BNPs Britain]

Im sick of hearing about him, We all know that Obama had Jackson assassinated so that he could be the new "King of Pop".

This of course was after Jackson turned Obama down to become the administrations new Pop Czar.

[Cabra West]

I read a very interesting piece written about the reaction to Michael Jackson's death not centred on the death itself, but how we choose to remember those who have passed on. It is written by the contemporary Swedish author Jonas Gardell:
...

His own parallel to the de-fagification of the men who died in the wake of the AIDS epidemic strikes very close to my home. I shudder to think what my own mother would try to portray me as should I get run over by the bus tomorrow: the "good son" who went into higher learning, became a doctor and is to be an object of social envy. Not as the wretched fag she prefers to make pretend doesn't exist to her friends and family.

What would you hate to be remembered as? What would you fear others would want to make you be remembered as?

I have to admit I only skimmed over the article, mostly because I'm getting a bit sick to hear about Michael Jackson. He may or may not have been a great person, but I personally neither liked his music nor his dancing all that much. And I get sick off how now you can't really say that in polite society when he's being discussed (because apparently, fuck all else has happened in the world in the last week) without getting silly looks.

As for how I would not want to be remembered, it's not so much a how for me, but more a who by.
I don't really mind how the people I like and love might remember me. But the few people I hate (my father being the most prominent in that category) I feel should not have to honour of remembering me at all. Not that I can stop that, but it does bug me that my father might decide to turn to the memory of his talented, intelligent daughter, oblivious to the fact that he made my childhood hell because I wasn't skinny enough, that he hated the fact that I would voice my own opinion, and that we haven't spoken for at least a decade now.

[Ifreann]

I don't particularly care how people remember me. I'll be dead. Maybe it'll matter more to me when I get closer to death, but for now I'm 21, healthy and I'm careful about crossing the road. Chances are I have another 60ish years.

[Lunatic Goofballs]

Watch joe jackson at the Bet awards, what a bitch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCc3NHRrTOc

Why is he wearing ski goggles?

[NERV arms conglomerate]

i would hate be remembered as a a jazz singer, whitch i am but thats not the point ,i want to be remembered as a kind loving guy, because reputation is nothing compared to heart

[Smunkeeville]

According to what my mother has told distant relatives.. I married the wrong man, feel trapped by the children, completely lost myself in the process and wasted my life away baking cookies.

Of course none of that is true. My obituary would probably be a lot like the one my dad got, that says he got student of the week in elementary school, and was survived by his dear poor mother.

I worry a lot about how I'll be remembered, mostly because my husband probably won't be around to do anything and my children might still be young enough to be pliable about my memory. Hopefully their guardian can set some things straight.

(my real hope is we all outlive my mother....but the bitch won't die and we're all sick.)

[Twenty Years]

I hate that people talk crap about him when he is alive but love him when he is dead! Get real people Michael was and is freak!!!!

[Dyakovo]

What would I hate to be remembered as? A male.
What do I fear people will remember me as? A male.

You're not?!?!?!

Just harassing you a bit...
I know you're not a guy.

[Call to power]

I can't really answer your question because I don't really have any of that conflict in my life but I'd certainly hate the inevitable pain it would cause (who ever will make the tea now?!) so maybe the grim occasions funerals usually are would be what I'd hate to happen

If you grew up with Michael Jackson's music, you will probably remember him at his prime, because that's where he made the impact on you. If you didn't, if Michael Jackson was just the figure of amusement, Wacko Jacko=

I can agree with this I remember Micheal Jackson from Earth song and thats just how I picture him

[Yootopia]

What would you hate to be remembered as? What would you fear others would want to make you be remembered as?

It's the not being remembered at all that I fear.

[Zombie PotatoHeads]

Maybe it's just the translation but did anyone else find the sentence:
"...when he was still a highly achieving, singing Negro"
more than a tad clumsy and perhaps rather telling about the writer's own hang-ups and personal bias?

Here's an idea that the writer appears to have missed: People remember the Michael Jackson that made them happy, which was of course the singing, dancing MJ and not the freakish, child-molesting (alleged), MJ.