As a student of Michael Jackson – because if you can recite the lyrics to most of his songs, that’s what you are – I choose to remember the Greatness, not the drama.

I choose to remember that he made music videos an Art form.
I choose to remember that he was so cool, he only needed one glove.
I choose to remember that when he walked, the sidewalk lit up.
I choose to remember that in popular-music history there are two periods: before Michael and after Michael and that he has single-handedly influenced all aspects of the latter.

As a publicist, I have a love-hate relationship with the media. Unfortunately, in the case of Michael Jackson, the balance definitely tilts towards hate. When you peg someone as “Wacko”, you kill him. Slowly, but you do kill him by striping him of his dignity while humiliating him in front of his family, his children, his friends and his fans.

Has Michael Jackson made mistakes? Yes, definitely. Haven’t you? His behaviour with young boys was an error in judgement and wrong but as court papers and countless accounts have confirmed, not pedophilia. For every news article vilifying him for his behaviour with young boys, there should have been three vilifying the unfit parents who sent their children to sleep over at his house.

For every news article lapidating Michael for his extravagant spending, there should have been three stoning his bloodsucking entourage.

And yes, Michael was different and extravagant. Thank God. If I want boring and predictable, I’ll turn to my accountant.

So today, and for the rest of my life, when I’ll think of Michael Jackson, I’ll choose to remember the Greatness and not the drama.

MJ & Alfonso Ribeiro do Pepsi. So cool.