And thus comes a (temporary, at least) end to nearly 30 years of Michael Jackson jokes. TMZ is reporting that Michael Jackson has died after suffering cardiac arrest earlier today. As weird and sordid as his life story became, Thriller will remain a significant piece of pop music perfection to me, and there's never been a hint of irony in my assertion that Michael Jackson's Moonwalker is one of my favorite games for the Sega Genesis, or any console. His impact on music and pop culture in general cannot be understated.
UPDATE: TMZ, and by extention, myself may have jumped the gun on this one. I know this ain't exactly hardcore video-game news, but stay tuned for confirmation...
UPDATE #2: OK, there's confirmation from the LA Times and CNN . That's gonna do it, folks.
UPDATE #3: I'm not going to suggest that anyone ignore the fact that the past 15 years or so of MJ's life have been defined by controversy, inexplicable behavior, and some pretty damning testimonials about his potentially unsavory tastes, but arguing about it on the internet doesn't seem terribly productive. Instead, I hope we can all find common ground in the fact that there's no shortage of evidence that I'm an idiot.