RIP The Nineteen Eighties - Oh, and Everyone Else, Too

Hours after the internet trickled out news about the death of Farrah Fawcett, it exploded with the news that Michael Jackson was dead.

Personally, I mourned the death of the King of Pop long before yesterday's news. Those of us who grew up with greased up kids sporting a red jacket and white glove, choreographing dances to Janet's Black Cat and being terrified of the music video for Thriller, Michael Jackson has been long gone. The iconic dance, style and voice will be an inspiration for many Justin Timberlakes to come, but the delusional, space-alien-Michael? Hopefully it will act as a huge, flashing PSA against manipulating and hounding child stars.

While I am sad to lose the King, in reality we lost him a long time ago. We can be respectful of his career and influence, without letting the media overwhelm us (a Google News search for Michael Jackson results in over 10,000 articles about his death). Let's not become distracted in a time of the aftermath of the Iranian election, gubernatorial hypocrites and liars, captured US journalists in North Korea (have we already forgotten about them?), Somalian piracy and the rise of suicide bombings there, and rising violence in the Iraq war that our troops are still fighting.

So, if you're going to take a moment of silence for Michael Jackson today, take five, maybe even ten, and incorporate some of the world's more pressing matters.