Jezebel 
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New York, 4:43 PM
Tue Nov 24
71 posts in the last 24 hours
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07/02/09
07/02/09
My dear man, you are the POTUS. You do not need to wait to be ASKED to make a statement on anything. People are eager to hear your opinion; you can say whatever you like, at any time you like, and know that people will listen. And frankly, it did bug me that you didn't make a statement after MJ's death: it implied either that YOU thought the possibility of his being a pedophile outweighed his achievements, or that you thought too many of your constituents thought this to make it worth the risk of offending them, even if you didn't agree.
Either way, it was kind of a lousy sendoff to a guy who is your predecessor and peer in a rarefied historical company: that of black American men who captured the global imagination in a deep and enduring way and shifted everyone's perception of what is possible. Looked at in that light, MJ quite possibly helped pave the way for you to be where you now. And for the record, it didn't even take membership in the black community for me to feel you'd rather slighted one of the more important cultural figures of your lifetime and mine by saying nothing on the record about his passing. Imagine that!
You know, Mr. President, if you're having second thoughts, his funeral next week might be a good time to put in a nice word or two for the guy. I'm just sayin'.
07/02/09
07/02/09
I don't think he owed anyone a statement, but I don't buy the "too busy" argument.
Also, it annoys me when people of color are referred to as a community, as "the black community" was in that article. We don't have meetings or even clearly defined memberships, so it's just a weird thing to say.
07/02/09
I don't think Obama "owes" MJ or the Jackson family anything - I don't think he even knows them. Nor is he required by some racial bond or debt to acknowledge MJ. All the same, this death has been significant to a lot of people not only culturally but emotionally, and it would be nice for the president to say as much in a public way.
07/02/09
@MockMyWorld: I'm sorry but I simply don't equate the assasination of George Tiller with the death of Micael Jackson. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree because I couldn't feel stronger that that was an act of terrorism and therefore deserved a presidential response.
07/03/09
I fully agree that Tiller's killing was a terrorist act, am very glad Obama made the statement he did following Tiller's death, and do not mean to trivialize Tiller by mentioning him in the same breath as Jackson, because I consider them both important. And I hope I don't come across as so completely mindless as to need to have it explained to me that responding to celebrity deaths is not one of Obama's primary functions as president. Of course it isn't. But even small symbolic acts like making or not making statements have meaning, and given how good Obama is at balancing himself between opposing viewpoints and acknowledging complexities, the fact that he didn't do so in this case constituted a snub, if you ask me. I guess the real question, and maybe the subtext of this whole exchange in fact, is whether the snub was deserved. As an ex-MJ fan, but one who still roots for his overall legacy to come out positive, I don't even know the answer to that one myself.
07/02/09
07/02/09
07/02/09
@SisterFrost: ha!
07/02/09
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07/03/09
07/02/09
I guess it's just funny to see the stuff that passes as news when celebrities are involved. (Not snarking on Jezebel here, but celebrity news in general.)
07/02/09
07/03/09
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07/02/09
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07/02/09
"Soooo, you're a perfectionist? Flashes of Quincy..."
07/02/09
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07/02/09
I am biracial married to my husband who happens to be white. But the list of people of I have dated or slept with can be mistaken for the roll call at the UN Assembly. I have never exclusively dated ONE type of person.
As for MJ, you have to admit it begs the question why he didn't use his sperm.
07/02/09
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07/02/09
Totally worth the wait!
07/02/09
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07/02/09
07/02/09
Nicole has three children and you have two step-children. so if Nicole were pregnant that would make it four children.
Thanks,
TheLittlestChicken Advocacy Center for Children from Previous Marriages
07/02/09
07/03/09
07/03/09
07/02/09
Well, you're 44 yrs old Michael Bay. What's your excuse? I am referring both to your public statements and your body of work, which basically amounts to one very large, loud "ridiculous thing".
07/02/09
07/02/09
07/02/09
07/02/09
I feel badly for those children.
07/02/09
04/06/09
Nobody wanted a Wet Seal.
04/06/09
04/06/09
Miley, please, for the love of god, shut up. I can't take it ANYMORE.