My childhood died a little today

Everyone has of course heard the sad and sudden occurrence of the death of Michael Jackson. This was just literally hours after 70's pinup legend Farrah Fawcett died of cancer.

I wasn't particularly enamoured of either of them. Fawcett did very little for me on the romantic side though she gave some pretty effective biting performances later in her career and I was a big fan of Charlie's Angels even if I was a little too young (and naive) to really see the 'jiggleness' of it all. Actually, I thought the show was a lot of fun and gave a portrayal of smart, empowered women who took very little crap. They thought their way out of trouble and only pulled out the guns when they were necessary.

Later in her career, she hit it big with some terrific television roles that finally gave her a lot of acclaim she deserved. The pin-up finally became a serious actress though she stumbled somewhat on a botched appearance on Letterman that kept the masses guessing as to her mental or physical health.

Jackson was a staple of the eighties and thriller was simply a juggernaut of popular culture. That classic album's enormous impact is due to two important factors: Jackson's talent for catchy melody and the burgeoning growth of the music video format and MTV.

Unfortunately, Jackson's eccentricity started working against him. It was hard to believe this was the same loveable and seemingly stable young performer who appeared in The Wiz alongside Diana Ross.

They both will be missed.