Dyinig Stars Leave Their Mark

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Stars will shine in wake of Michael Jackson's death

Michael Jackson performed his hit song "Billie Jean" during the Motown's 25th Anniversary Special, leaving the audience and and millions of viewers awestruck.

Fit for a king

Celebrities are America's royalty.

There is no king or queen in the White House. Our kings and queens, princesses and even Prince are entertainers--singers, actors, dancers, directors, producers.

Pennsylvania Avenue may be on the radars of our foreign friends and foes, but Hollywood Boulevard is welcomed in nearly every American's home.

As a result, this Oracle predicts (and it doesn't take psychic abilities or a degree) that Michael Jackson's memorial service will be the place to be for living member of U.S. royalty, not to mention those imported from the UK such as George Michael and Sir Elton John.

I wonder if Madonna will show.

Beyonce, Mariah and Whitney Houston will be pulling each other manes to say a few words...maybe even sign a song (dream on...)...the honor will most likely fall on Motowners such asStevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, and/or Diana Ross. Dame Elizabeth (Taylor) will be on the front row.

An invitation to be among the chosen ones to "go inside" for the service will be the hottest ticket in town. Images of Lady Diane's funeral come to mind.

Yet, it remains to be seen if his family will go for this.

Race for ratings

Expect to see a plethora of one- and two-hour documentaries in all or most of the networks and music channels on the life of the enigmatic artist, with titles such as Man In The Mirror, MJ's Human Nature, The Good and the Bad, Unmasked...maybe even Off The Wall--as well as two-hour musical tributes featuring not only Motown acts but singers such as Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Billy Joel and many artists of the current generation who were raised on Michael's music--Usher, Sean Combs, Justin Timberlake...the list is endless.

I imagine MTV, VH1 and possibly FOX are on hyper drive preparing such tributes. Who knows, maybe one of the original three--ABC, CBS, NBC--might beat them to it. I don't know, but there will be at least one huge show.

I expect to see legendary record producers like Quincy Jones and Berry Gordy in the first row. Members of the African-American community will be well represented, too...with Oprah--maybe--somewhere in there...

I, for one, will be watching and hoping to see again the performance that propelled Michael Jackson from super stardom, to icon and King of Pop--"Billie Jean" at Motown's 25th Anniversary Special in 1983...when he wore the hat, the socks and the glove, and moonwalked in shimmering clothes fit for royalty.

Copyright © 2009, Primetime Oracle
All Rights Reserved

The beginning of the end for Jon & Kate Plus 8

Jon and Kate Gosselin celebrate their 100th episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8 on TLC.

All I'm going to say about the Gosselins is that it's over. The show it's over.

That's what happens when you try to have your cake and eat it too.

Their hit TV show, Jon and Kate Plus 8, has brought them fame and fortune, but it has also changed their lives.The once-normal, everyday couple from next door coping with the extraordinary circumstances stemming from raising a set of twins and sextuplets is now as far from "everyday" as it gets, more than 100 episodes farther.

But that alone wouldn't have been enough to derail the gravy train. They got themselves a scandal.

That's what's happening in the U.S.--you're nobody or next-to-nobody unless you're on television, and once there, you're not a true star until something nasty about you can be reported and milked for all it's worth by the media and the insatiable-for-trash public.

All you need is one thing--one word, one act, one photo--that the self-righteous majority finds reprehensible to end up on the cover of every pop culture magazine, in every entertainment news show, and the subject of daily water-cooler discussions, and you've made it. If genitals are involved, even better.

So finally, after all these years, you've made it to the pinnacle of your TV career. But now everyone...well, not everyone...but a bunch of people who once "loved" you and those who knew nothing about you until the shit hit the fan now hate you.

They'll watch a few episodes of your show, maybe even the whole season, to get a glimpse of the train wreck that is now your life. And rather than feeling envious of you and your vacations, they will cherish their new found power as moral judges. And, soon enough, they will drop you.

I don't mean to be negative. It's just the way it usually goes.

The good ratings-turned-to-awesome-ratings-post-scandal will go down the drain, the show will be canceled, and other than a yearly picture to see how much the kids have grown, no one will buy a magazine or tune into any show to see you.

And that's all I'm gonna say.

Sources: My Twisted Mind, TLC photo
Copyright © 2009