How do you mourn a child molester?
Should we whitewash an artist’s black heart so we can party at his funeral?
Michael Jackson’s funeral brings up an age-old question: How do you reconcile an artist’s repugnant private life with his stellar public achievement?
His mark on music is undeniable, but so is his impact on child welfare. Seems like a lot of us would rather deny the man than his music. That’s why you see so much whitewashing in the news–downplaying or omitting his Warp 5 Freak Factor.
The canonization of the King of Pop requires a stop at Rewrite. The fact that he was brought up on charges of child molestation twice is simply an inconvenience we wave away by reminding ourselves he was never convicted.
You know, like O.J.
