Feeling a little overwhelmed by the amount of media attention the networks have given to Michael Jackson? You're not alone, according to a recent Pew Research Center poll, and that fact puzzles MSNBC contributor Touré.
Touré and David Wilson of TheGrid.com appeared on the July 2 broadcast of Nancy Snyderman's MSNBC's show "Dr. Nancy" to examine the premise that Michael Jackson's death was getting too much attention. Snyderman cited statics from the Pew Research Center for People & Press July 1 poll about the Jackson coverage.
"And of course, the Jackson coverage raises a question," Snyderman said. "Has the media been spending too much time covering the Michael Jackson story? Certainly, it's something you can't get away from right now. A new poll by the Pew Research Center shows that 64 percent of people surveyed think that the coverage of the Jackson story is excessive. Three percent think, too little, 29 percent just about right."
The poll broke down the statistics by race and other prominent news stories, but Snyderman focused on the racial aspects of the poll.
"But let's take a look at the coverage and how it's seen through different eyes," Snyderman continued. "African-Americans versus white Americans - 70 percent of whites thought there has been too much coverage compared with just 38 percent of African-Americans. And another way of breaking down these numbers, more than half of African-Americans said the coverage has been just right compared with only one in four whites, 25 percent."
The breakdown was unfathomable to Touré - who failed to understand why "white Americans" or anyone might be experience fatigue from the coverage of Jackson's death.
"Michael Jackson was the biggest star, not black star - the biggest star, period - of his period," Touré said. "He's still in a moment of his fame. So, we're already talking about him, he's about to do a big concert. So he's still in the moment of his fame. And so, sudden death - the chair is pulled out from under us. So we're in shock. So we need to talk about it. I don't understand why all these white Americans are saying, ‘It's too much.' This is a major American story. It's not that the media shoving it down our throat, people want to hear about it."
Wilson noted how abrupt Jackson's departure was and said that may have played a role in the onslaught of news coverage.
"And he's been around for 45 years in American homes - for 45 years. So he's an American icon," Wilson said. "You know and he's a treasure. So I think that the fact that, like you said, we lost him so suddenly pretty much shocked everybody.
However, Snyderman cited a June 26 Vanity Fair article by Maureen Orth that chronicled the Jackson's trouble, troubles that were lost in the round-the-clock news coverage, according to Orth.
"Maureen Orth, who contributes to Vanity Fair and NBC, was pretty damning in what she said, you know, early on," Snyderman said. "This man was a pedophile, this man had drug abuse, we are, forgive the pun - whitewashing all of this."
Wilson countered that Jackson had never been found guilty of pedophilia, despite settling out of court in 1993 in a civil case for $22 million when those accusations were made. Touré told Snyderman those issues should be neglected for months, if not years, in the media blitz.
"Repeatedly exonerated, that is correct," Touré said. "I think Maureen Orth in particular has been completely inappropriate at this time. He just died. Let us grieve as a nation. Let his body get into the ground. Let his spirit rest. Let's take a moment, even a couple of months, if not a couple of years, before we come back to say, ‘OK, there are other parts of this story.'"
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
foxnews covered jackson's death for three hours,
July 2, 2009 - 15:26 ET by puredmashieon the same day the cap and trade bill was being debated in the house. the result? a loss to cnn in ratings for the first time in years.
swing hard in case you hit it.
Good vevening pure
July 2, 2009 - 15:33 ET by cocodrieA dog and pony show attracts more viewers than an economics lesson so they went with it.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you
''White'' Americans?
July 2, 2009 - 15:30 ET by DoktorFrankenWhen Elvis died I thought the coverage was too much. When Princees Di died I thought the coverage was too much. When JFK Jr. died I thought the coverage was wa-a-a-a-a-y too much.
Funny - they were all white.
When Jacko died I was peeved at the news outlets (FNC especially) because they forgot what was going on in Congress. A little thing like the
worst
tax
increase
ever.
You must be racist (after
July 2, 2009 - 16:44 ET by nolotrippenYou must be racist (after all, you are white).
Sarcasm out.
EP---RIP
July 2, 2009 - 15:31 ET by RousseWhat would have happened if Elvis Presley had lived long enough for the advent of 24/7 cable news?
Hey, dimwit, I thought
July 2, 2009 - 15:32 ET by mattmHey, dimwit, I thought coverage of Princess Di was excessive, too.
In fact, practically all celebrity coverage in this shallow-minded culture of ours is excessive.
Nailed it
July 2, 2009 - 15:39 ET by SeftonIn fact, practically all celebrity coverage in this shallow-minded culture of ours is excessive.
Exactly.
Matt
July 2, 2009 - 15:50 ET by DoktorFrankenYou are calling Snyderman a dimwit - right?
race poll????
July 2, 2009 - 15:41 ET by 411I wonder who did that poll? who brought out the race card? Maybe it was Jamie Foxx
RB/411acrossamerica.com
Trying to make this a race
July 2, 2009 - 15:45 ET by bigtimerTrying to make this a race issue too...do the left never stop.
I've had enough of the coverage period...I don't care what color the person is.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Good grief:
July 2, 2009 - 15:55 ET by Dingbat"Let us grieve as a nation." Good grief.
Wait until Uncle Teddy drives over the bridge for the last time...you ain't seen nothing yet.
Db... You got that
July 2, 2009 - 16:05 ET by bigtimerDb...
You got that right.....you can be sure they already have glowing mini-documents segment types ready to go to the television screens ad nauseum.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Touré and his tired angle to MJ
July 2, 2009 - 16:28 ET by Vivaldi5I'd refer to "Touré's syndrome" here, but possibly that would somehow be construed by him as "white Americans" making fun of him because he's black....
If he were not so busy looking at this story through a racial prism, maybe Mr. Touré might find a deeper irony here. He tortures the language to tell us Michael Jackson was "still in a moment of his fame"--which very neatly skirts the unfortunate truth that the man's career, in the US at least, for the last 20 years has essentially been dead. No one has been interested in anything new he's released. Anyone remember "HIStory," for example? Jackson made several attempts to get back to the top of the music heap over the past two decades; however, most people growing up in the past 20 years got to know him as a freak and an accused pedophile rather than the artist of hits like "Beat It" and "Thriller."
To me, the real story is the irony of a live artist with a dead career suffering an unexpected and sudden death and thus becoming a dead artist with a smoking hot career. People are grabbing up his music especially via downloads like never before. (I told one of my friends that if only Jackson had pulled a stunt like many people said Elvis did and faked his death, only to show up grayer and fatter in an unconfirmable sighting at a Wichita truck stop, it would have been a brilliant commercial move.)
Had Touré been as worthy a contributor as MSNBC is trying to make him, he might have stumbled upon this dimension of the story rather than the tired old "white Americans" vs. African-Americans take, which requires little imagination and only a knowledge of how to apply the same old racial talking points to whatever is in the news.
You would think once the
July 3, 2009 - 14:31 ET by IndigoChillYou would think once the dems got their black man in the white house that they'd settle down about the race thing already, huh? I think this is what they refer to as grasping at straws. Unless there's some special MJ-black connection I don't know about, he was equally an icon for both black and white fans.
I started listening to some of his hits a month or two before he died and I appreciate his massive influence in pop music, but when it's the story you see on every tv channel and on the radio and in the paper, I don't care if it's armageddon. That's excessive coverage.
WOW... it's hard to believe
July 2, 2009 - 16:29 ET by American.Patriotsome of the shit you get exposed to by the state run media.
Trying to turn a drug addicted negro who was ashamed of his color and tried to turned himself into a white man, into a near-god is just beyond comprehension.
MJ sure changed American culture... he made if acceptable for negros to grab their crotches in public.
Look, same thing happened with Anna Nichole Smith, the media tried to turn a non-talented drug addicted prostitute into "America's Rose"
It's just beyond normal comprehension.
How do you spot a conservative? He's the one carrying the paycheck.
is newsbusters okay with this?
July 2, 2009 - 20:24 ET by candance.....
CanX2
July 2, 2009 - 21:10 ET by MrShyYeah, that one word he's using is not, um, uhhhh, what we use in 2009.
With that said, what he's saying about pop culture and who we choose as heroes is hard to argue with.
Can I add accused pedophile
July 2, 2009 - 20:28 ET by Radical1979Can I add accused pedophile who admitted to sleeping in bed with children who weren't his own?
Boggles the mind how god-like they're trying to make him.
Rad...ditto
July 2, 2009 - 20:47 ET by bigtimerRad...ditto that.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
CAUTION, NBers, POSSIBLE PLANT AMONG US!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 2, 2009 - 20:35 ET by R D Helm-Dave
"Obama's health care 'reform' plan is to blow up the building in order to fix a leak in the roof." - Herman Cain
Of course he's a plant!
July 2, 2009 - 20:41 ET by Free StinkerOf course he's a plant!
Kos and Huffpo must be getting ready to do another "random check" of conservative websites for racist/bigoted remarks.
Plant?
July 2, 2009 - 20:48 ET by general companyLike a shrub?
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
gc, ROFL!
July 2, 2009 - 20:53 ET by R D HelmVery funny. :-)
-Dave
"Obama's health care 'reform' plan is to blow up the building in order to fix a leak in the roof." - Herman Cain
Free,
July 2, 2009 - 20:52 ET by R D HelmI did a comment track. I am 50/50 on this one, but there aren't enough comments to know for sure.
LOL-With the feds about to take control of the net, the last thing we need is Al and Jesse alternating in front of Matthew's house with a bullhorn.
-Dave
"Obama's health care 'reform' plan is to blow up the building in order to fix a leak in the roof." - Herman Cain
dave
July 2, 2009 - 21:14 ET by MrShyYes, I sort of thought that right away. Ho hum. They DO try, don't they?
Jackson's star had faded
July 2, 2009 - 16:40 ET by nkviking75There's no denying Jackson was a major star in his day, but sales figures suggest his day had passed, at least in the U.S. His last few albums didn't do all that well, bogged down by the stench of scandal. It's the scandal as well as the success that's driving all of the coverage. The MSM can't wait for the dirt that's going to surface.
The 24 hour channels seem to have a collective case of OCD. Unless a story is of 9/11 significance, their job is to report all of the news every day. That would be a lot more useful than endless repetition of a few facts and tons of speculation.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
The dirt is already being dished
July 2, 2009 - 19:05 ET by Dan DiegoOverheard co-workers today discussing a bodyguard and secret girlfriend.
Wilson: "he's a treasure.", soon to be buried treasure.
Thanks, MJ!
July 2, 2009 - 16:48 ET by Dena InaYour DEATH moved everything off the airwaves- Sanford's funtime in Argentina, Obama's agenda to control everything, Farrah Fawcett's Death, Pitchman Billy May's Death, Health Reform, Iran's crackdown- so, the world is now a better place since it's not being reported. Gosh, life is grand!
Thanks, MJ!
Dena
"I survived Roe v. Wade"
When did the coverage become excessive?
July 2, 2009 - 19:11 ET by Rhymes With RightHow about when Jackson failed to rise from the dead on the third day.
Call me when Zombie Michael Jackson does a remake of Thriller -- otherwise get him off my television and computer.
Blogging at rhymeswithright.mu.nu
I wish they would bury him
July 2, 2009 - 19:21 ET by Radical1979I wish they would bury him already so maybe some of this b.s. about him would stop.
You're optimistic, aren't
July 2, 2009 - 20:33 ET by GrannyGrump42You're optimistic, aren't you? Sort of like how I was when Princess Di left her brain in a tunnel. "Well, sad for her and her friends and family, but at least it won't be All Di All The Time any more." How wrong I turned out to be!
Toure: "He just died. Let
July 2, 2009 - 21:44 ET by Dan DiegoToure: "He just died. Let us grieve as a nation. Let his body get into the ground. Let his spirit rest. Let's take a moment, even a couple of months, if not a couple of years, before we come back to say, ‘OK, there are other parts of this story."
In a couple of years it may be illegal to voice anything negative about MJ and we could get a new fed holiday or replace Presidents' Day.
Most are fed up.
July 2, 2009 - 19:29 ET by Ciampino"This is a major American story. It's not that the media shoving it down our throat, people want to hear about it."
I don't know about that. The arithmetic says that more people DON'T want to hear any more versus fewer people wanting more coverage.
Wanna go to the memorial?
July 2, 2009 - 19:30 ET by Dan DiegoIt'll cost you $25.00, the Jackson's must be heeding Rahm's crisis advice.
Link on Drudge PLAN TO CHARGE FANS FOR FUNERAL!
Sounds like Joe Jackson.
July 2, 2009 - 19:37 ET by Radical1979Sounds like Joe Jackson. But I don't think California taxpayers should pay for all the security, road blocks, etc that this circus is shaping up to be.
And no one pays an accuser $22 million if their innocent.
Sounds like Joe Jackson
July 2, 2009 - 19:40 ET by bigtimerSounds like Joe Jackson indeed.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
We could set up Toll Booths
July 2, 2009 - 21:46 ET by Dan DiegoWe could set up Toll Booths along the route...
We think it's overdone for
July 2, 2009 - 20:29 ET by GrannyGrump42We think it's overdone for the same reason we thought the Princess Di coverage was overdone. BECAUSE ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ALREADY! He's already dead; you don't need to beat him to death.
Here's an interesting thought to ponder: If Jackson and Di had died on the same day, which one would have gotten more coverage?
huh?
July 2, 2009 - 21:05 ET by lotrI thought "whites" were his biggest fans?
"Let's wrap him up, alright?" -- Keith Olbermann
MJ was a gay pedophile who
July 2, 2009 - 23:54 ET by jdhawkMJ was a gay pedophile who apparently didn't like being black so bizarrely and ineptly attempted to turn himself into a white man. He was so despised after the pedophile trial a few years ago that he shunned public life to the extent he actually lived abroad for years.
Regarding his upcoming concerts, who knew, let alone cared? His self-admitted criminal behavior, over the top "look" and his bizarre mannerisms had long since overshadowed his talent as a singer. A talent that had long since seen its hayday.
By the way, the happenstance that pedophiles turn their victims into pedophiles is all too real. When incarcerated pedophiles are let out of jail, they are required to register regarding their where abouts. This isn't by accident. Prosecuters and the police know and most pedophiles readily admit that they can't help themselves. As important, but often not mentioned is that these pedophile monsters create still more monsters robbing children of their innocence and leave life long pain and suffering. MJ was such a monster - hardly someone that a nation should grieve over. Good riddance.
Mind numbing
July 3, 2009 - 07:53 ET by Lajawtelevision is not allowed in my household. We might watch a video, but never over the air TV. It is a large factor in the dumbing down of our country and I need to reserve what few brain cells I have left.
jessieH
July 3, 2009 - 11:46 ET by jessieHjessieH As a fellow conservative said the other day, "M. Jackson is still dead". Enough said!
Well, this black person
July 3, 2009 - 12:30 ET by CamelopardalisWell, this black person thinks that the Michael Jackson coverage is excessive. I liked Michael Jackson. But when news about his death is repeated over and over again, and when important issues, like North Korea saying that they will attack us if provoked, go uncovered, what sane person wouldn't think that the coverage is too much?
I hate it when these news stations bring on a token black person to speak for the rest of us. More often than not, they are foolish and think that everything is a 'racial issue.'
→ Granted
July 3, 2009 - 12:36 ET by Cool ArrowGranted, John Wayne Gacy took it a little farther than Michael Jackson did, but I didn't cry when Gacy died either.
Local white man was sent to jail recently for molesting little boys. I doubt I'll much care when that guy kicks over either.
There are just some things I won't overlook, regardless of the person's talent.