this is it
Flotsam & Jetsam
This Is What $US11,716 Funeral Invitations Look Like
9:43PM Ravi Somaiya | Michael Jackson’s death continues to form effortless metaphors of his life. At his private family funeral the remaining Jacksons were charged $US35,000 for “burial garments”, $US21,455 for food and $US3682 for a framed picture, among other ludicrous inflations. More »
Big Screen
Scandal And Death Spell Success For Letterman And Michael Jackson
4:33AM Richard Rushfield | Somewhere out there in Hollywood, there are a few dozen people who made bets that “scandal was never the way to win over audiences” kicking themselves, hard. More »
People
Joe Jackson Assists Michael Jackson’s Posthumous Valuation
3:30AM Foster Kamer | And you think your parents are bad? This Is It came out over the weekend, and to celebrate, Joe Jackson isn’t remembering his son’s life. He’s telling Extra that Michael Jackson’s worth more dead than he is alive. More »
Big Screen
How Does A Michael Jackson Hype Happen?
1:42PM Richard Rushfield | For months, the entertainment press has, with its relentless hype, all but guaranteed us that This Is It, the Michael Jackson rehearsal documentary would become if not the highest grossing film of all time, certainly one of the top three. More »
Big Screen
Hints Of Light At The End Of The Michael Jackson Mourning Tunnel
9:06AM Richard Rushfield | We’ve spent four long months mourning the death of the self-anointed King, a life of PR exploitation which segued beautifully into an afterlife of PR exploitation. But at last it seems the parade might be winding down. More »
Big Screen
It’s No Victory Tour, But…
6:07AM Brian Moylan | Michael Jackson’s concert film This Is It grosses $2.2 million on opening night.
People
Michael Jackson Still A Gigantic Celebrity — Except In New York
3:11AM Brian Moylan | Last night was the premiere of This Is It, and there were galas in 16 cities around the world. Most of them were huge, ornate affairs. Except in New York, where barely anyone noticed. More »
People
The Touch, The Smell, Of Michael Jackson: Fragrance Of Our Lives
8:15AM Adrian Chen | Not sure what’s weirder: that Michael Jackson had “custom fragrances” made for him which he then smeared all over everyone he hugged, or that this fact warrants 48 fawning seconds in the MTV “This is it” premier special/extended advertisement. More »
Big Screen
Death Comes For Shrek: The Musical
4:27AM Richard Rushfield | Some goodbyes go on for a very long time. But the day does come when the train pulls out of the station. Live singing Shrek, memory-erased Eliza Dushku and Michael Jackson, it’s time to take your seats. More »
Music
