http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/michael-jackson/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +0000 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-weeks-lesson-dancing-will-not-solve-your-problems/ Welcome to a new semi-regular segment on The Punch, where we try to extract something meaningful from the week that was. In yet another week dominated by the carbon tax and financial turmoil, the other big story was the guilty verdict on Michael Jackson’s personal doctor, Conrad Murray, who slowly poisoned Jacko with a toxic mix of anaesthetic and sedatives. Jacko wanted a cure for insomnia so he could rest up for his imminent comeback tour. The thing is, why did he need drugs at all? According to the man himself, dancing could solve all problems. Let’s examine the video evidence… feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Behind the picture http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-weeks-lesson-dancing-will-not-solve-your-problems/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-weeks-lesson-dancing-will-not-solve-your-problems/#item7121 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +0000 So the crowd cheers, euphoric, as the ‘guilty’ judgement of Dr Conrad Murray is read out. Michael Jackson’s fans will now be able to remember him untainted – they will forget that he was a drug abuser, a consummate weirdo, they will forget the grim and disturbing pictures of his deathbed. He will be again the child star turned genius. In death, he will be perfect. Meanwhile, the cardiologist who pumped him full of powerful drugs, who – the jury heard – committed numerous acts of negligence not big enough to have him found guilty of gross negligence, will have an uncertain fate in gaol. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/guilty-verdict-in-jackson-case-not-black-and-white/ So the crowd cheers, euphoric, as the ‘guilty’ judgement of Dr Conrad Murray is read out. Michael Jackson’s fans will now be able to remember him untainted – they will forget that he was a drug abuser, a consummate weirdo, they will forget the grim and disturbing pictures of his deathbed. He will be again the child star turned genius. In death, he will be perfect. Meanwhile, the cardiologist who pumped him full of powerful drugs, who – the jury heard – committed numerous acts of negligence not big enough to have him found guilty of gross negligence, will have an uncertain fate in gaol. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/guilty-verdict-in-jackson-case-not-black-and-white/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/guilty-verdict-in-jackson-case-not-black-and-white/#item7097 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +0000 So the crowd cheers, euphoric, as the ‘guilty’ judgement of Dr Conrad Murray is read out. Michael Jackson’s fans will now be able to remember him untainted – they will forget that he was a drug abuser, a consummate weirdo, they will forget the grim and disturbing pictures of his deathbed. He will be again the child star turned genius. In death, he will be perfect. Meanwhile, the cardiologist who pumped him full of powerful drugs, who – the jury heard – committed numerous acts of negligence not big enough to have him found guilty of gross negligence, will have an uncertain fate in gaol. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/landmark-interviews-that-changed-the-game/ Tell-all interviews usually reek of sex. Mostly adulterous, always complicated, sometimes violent and just like an old-school western – with the “goodie” and “baddie” laid out plain for all to see. Tragedy, celebrity, victory, great wealth or misfortunes get a look in too. Ditto multiple childbirth, homosexual offspring and gender transformation surgery. They’re trashy, melodramatic, addictive and moving. They can be tragic. But the best tell-alls give us something else as well. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/landmark-interviews-that-changed-the-game/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/landmark-interviews-that-changed-the-game/#item6375 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +0000 So the crowd cheers, euphoric, as the ‘guilty’ judgement of Dr Conrad Murray is read out. Michael Jackson’s fans will now be able to remember him untainted – they will forget that he was a drug abuser, a consummate weirdo, they will forget the grim and disturbing pictures of his deathbed. He will be again the child star turned genius. In death, he will be perfect. Meanwhile, the cardiologist who pumped him full of powerful drugs, who – the jury heard – committed numerous acts of negligence not big enough to have him found guilty of gross negligence, will have an uncertain fate in gaol. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-is-an-excellent-piece-of-michael-jackson-propaganda/ I felt nothing when Michael Jackson died. It’s not like I didn’t try to summon a tear but in the end the only emotion I could rustle up was ambivalence. This was surprising because usually when a celebrity dies, I do feel sad. Often extremely so. When Natasha Richardson died, for example, I was deeply affected, even though I couldn’t name a single film she was in. When John Lennon died, I was terribly sad, even though I was only vaguely aware of The Beatles and I was only nine. But when one of the world’s biggest pop stars died back in June, someone whose music had been the soundtrack to decades of my life, I was oddly unmoved. As much as I tried, I simply couldn’t connect to any great sense of loss or tap into that massive international out-pouring of grief. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-is-an-excellent-piece-of-michael-jackson-propaganda/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-is-an-excellent-piece-of-michael-jackson-propaganda/#item1779 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +0000 So the crowd cheers, euphoric, as the ‘guilty’ judgement of Dr Conrad Murray is read out. Michael Jackson’s fans will now be able to remember him untainted – they will forget that he was a drug abuser, a consummate weirdo, they will forget the grim and disturbing pictures of his deathbed. He will be again the child star turned genius. In death, he will be perfect. Meanwhile, the cardiologist who pumped him full of powerful drugs, who – the jury heard – committed numerous acts of negligence not big enough to have him found guilty of gross negligence, will have an uncertain fate in gaol. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/even-in-death-michael-still-a-cash-cow-to-jackson-snr/ Rumour has it that if Katherine Jackson is granted permanent custody of Michael Jackson’s children, the brood could be raised by her eldest—and private—daughter Rebbie. What a relief, when one considers the frightening prospect of Joseph Jackson playing a more permanent role in their upbringing. Here is a man who has long been accused of ruling the famous clan with an iron fist and who, according to Michael, sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as the Jackson Five rehearsed. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/even-in-death-michael-still-a-cash-cow-to-jackson-snr/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/even-in-death-michael-still-a-cash-cow-to-jackson-snr/#item722 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +0000 So the crowd cheers, euphoric, as the ‘guilty’ judgement of Dr Conrad Murray is read out. Michael Jackson’s fans will now be able to remember him untainted – they will forget that he was a drug abuser, a consummate weirdo, they will forget the grim and disturbing pictures of his deathbed. He will be again the child star turned genius. In death, he will be perfect. Meanwhile, the cardiologist who pumped him full of powerful drugs, who – the jury heard – committed numerous acts of negligence not big enough to have him found guilty of gross negligence, will have an uncertain fate in gaol. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-web-is-alive-with-wacko-theories-on-jacko/ The King of Pop may be dead, but the controversy surrounding his untimely exit is far from buried. The dust has barely settled since his globally-televised public memorial service last week, yet every day more pieces seem to be missing in the Jacko jigsaw about his life, his death, his final resting place and those he left behind. The case has transcended from the mysterious to the macabre, with reports that his ghost has been seen walking the halls of his Neverland ranch to questions over who has possession of his brain.  feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-web-is-alive-with-wacko-theories-on-jacko/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-web-is-alive-with-wacko-theories-on-jacko/#item602 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +0000 So the crowd cheers, euphoric, as the ‘guilty’ judgement of Dr Conrad Murray is read out. Michael Jackson’s fans will now be able to remember him untainted – they will forget that he was a drug abuser, a consummate weirdo, they will forget the grim and disturbing pictures of his deathbed. He will be again the child star turned genius. In death, he will be perfect. Meanwhile, the cardiologist who pumped him full of powerful drugs, who – the jury heard – committed numerous acts of negligence not big enough to have him found guilty of gross negligence, will have an uncertain fate in gaol. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-quiet-dignified-end-to-michael-jacksons-mad-life/ NO Billie Jean. No Beat It. No-one was starting something, not even a moonwalk. Of all the unlikely things, it was often quiet. Whatever your life had been, you’d probably want it mourned this way: solemn, plenty sad, and plenty of slow songs. But this was Michael Jackson, and no one expected it be as normal as that. So it was time to put aside your thoughts about the life being recognised and be surprised. And perhaps nothing could have surprised a viewer more than a farewell that flipped the coin from crazy heads to solemn tales - the telling of gentle and kind stories that somehow did not leave you feeling conned, despite all we think we know about the man. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-quiet-dignified-end-to-michael-jacksons-mad-life/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-quiet-dignified-end-to-michael-jacksons-mad-life/#item578 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +0000 So the crowd cheers, euphoric, as the ‘guilty’ judgement of Dr Conrad Murray is read out. Michael Jackson’s fans will now be able to remember him untainted – they will forget that he was a drug abuser, a consummate weirdo, they will forget the grim and disturbing pictures of his deathbed. He will be again the child star turned genius. In death, he will be perfect. Meanwhile, the cardiologist who pumped him full of powerful drugs, who – the jury heard – committed numerous acts of negligence not big enough to have him found guilty of gross negligence, will have an uncertain fate in gaol. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/drop-the-dead-celebrity-ive-got-a-good-news-story/ I’ll be out door-knocking in Bennelong this weekend, talking to real people and listening to their stories. Nothing beats it for direct feedback on a range of fronts. Every time I do it I come away with a couple of reaffirming anecdotes – usually about people’s resilience, ingenuity, wisdom, and humanity. Real human interest stories aren’t hard to come by. You just have to listen.  The last thing I’ll be doing this weekend will be switching on the television. I’m trying to avoid becoming an unwilling passenger on Michael Jackson’s final journey home to Neverland. Despite my best efforts I suspect that, like death and taxes, celebrity death coverage will still prove to be inescapable. As we’ve seen across last week’s media landscape, dead celebrities are the undisputed rulers of the news cycle. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/drop-the-dead-celebrity-ive-got-a-good-news-story/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/drop-the-dead-celebrity-ive-got-a-good-news-story/#item527 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +0000 So the crowd cheers, euphoric, as the ‘guilty’ judgement of Dr Conrad Murray is read out. Michael Jackson’s fans will now be able to remember him untainted – they will forget that he was a drug abuser, a consummate weirdo, they will forget the grim and disturbing pictures of his deathbed. He will be again the child star turned genius. In death, he will be perfect. Meanwhile, the cardiologist who pumped him full of powerful drugs, who – the jury heard – committed numerous acts of negligence not big enough to have him found guilty of gross negligence, will have an uncertain fate in gaol. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/for-better-or-for-worse-10-things-that-changed-today/ With the beginning of the new financial year there are invariably small changes to our lives. Many of these revolve around money. Things like tax cuts, rate changes and increases in family allowance benefits. The middle of the year also gives us time for more personal reflection: it’s July and I still haven’t taken the bottles from my April birthday party to the recycling bin – just a random example. But here is a list of ways that things have changed today and The Punch’s evaluation of whether we’re better off for it. 1. Crappy tax cuts introduced Kevin Rudd committed to these tax cuts before the last election and now has to go through with them. The promise was made in the heady days of economic boom time when we enjoyed daily joy rides in limousines with Paris Hilton and wore extinct animals on our heads. Now we’re dressing in possums and the best celebrity we can muster is Kochie giving some sage financial advice: “Here’s one folks, ever thought of knitting your dinner?” feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/for-better-or-for-worse-10-things-that-changed-today/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/for-better-or-for-worse-10-things-that-changed-today/#item510 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +0000 So the crowd cheers, euphoric, as the ‘guilty’ judgement of Dr Conrad Murray is read out. Michael Jackson’s fans will now be able to remember him untainted – they will forget that he was a drug abuser, a consummate weirdo, they will forget the grim and disturbing pictures of his deathbed. He will be again the child star turned genius. In death, he will be perfect. Meanwhile, the cardiologist who pumped him full of powerful drugs, who – the jury heard – committed numerous acts of negligence not big enough to have him found guilty of gross negligence, will have an uncertain fate in gaol. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/bruno-cuts-jackson-scene-whos-the-biggest-loser/ Gifted comic Sacha Baron Cohen has shown misplaced restraint by snipping an inoffensive Michael Jackson joke from his upcoming moneymaker Bruno. [Bruno in the early days. Clip contains strong language] So what do we deduce from this? A public figure’s ripe for a skewering as long as they’re alive, but become off-limits on death? When can we start forwarding those corny text message jokes about Jacko’s plastic surgery and questionable private life? How soon is too soon? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/bruno-cuts-jackson-scene-whos-the-biggest-loser/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/bruno-cuts-jackson-scene-whos-the-biggest-loser/#item502 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +0000 So the crowd cheers, euphoric, as the ‘guilty’ judgement of Dr Conrad Murray is read out. Michael Jackson’s fans will now be able to remember him untainted – they will forget that he was a drug abuser, a consummate weirdo, they will forget the grim and disturbing pictures of his deathbed. He will be again the child star turned genius. In death, he will be perfect. Meanwhile, the cardiologist who pumped him full of powerful drugs, who – the jury heard – committed numerous acts of negligence not big enough to have him found guilty of gross negligence, will have an uncertain fate in gaol.