Toby Atkin-Wright

Sometimes I feel that that I’m out of sync with the world. Newsnight has just dedicated a whole programme to talking about Michael Jackson. Was he really that important? Do people care that much, or is this hype by the media on a slow news day? Do we really need to hear the emergency phone call that summoned his ambulance played on the BBC’s flagship serious news programme?

The peak of Jackson’s career was twenty-five years ago, and he has been best know in recent years for his legal, medical and financial problems. Pure tabloid fodder. Maybe people are drawn in by the story of a rich and successful performer turning into a tragedy of his own making.

I spent this morning listening to some of his albums. Didn’t do much for me.

Sometimes I feel that that I’m out of sync with the world. Newsnight has just dedicated a whole programme to talking about Michael Jackson. Was he really that important? Do people care that much, or is this hype by the media on a slow news day? Do we really need to hear the emergency phone call that summoned his ambulance played on the BBC’s flagship serious news programme?

The peak of Jackson’s career was twenty-five years ago, and he has been best know in recent years for his legal, medical and financial problems. Pure tabloid fodder. Maybe people are drawn in by the story of a rich and successful performer turning into a tragedy of his own making.

I spent this morning listening to some of his albums. Didn’t do much for me.