Gennaro Castaldo Watch: Jackson's death - A golden opportunity to shift catalogue

The death of Michael Jackson is a thing that has happened somehow connected with music. And you know who knows about things somehow connected with music? Gennaro Castaldo, that's who.

He tries not to sound too chipper that at least something is shifting CDs by the bucketload:

Gennaro Castaldo, head of media relations for the HMV music store chain, said at the entrance of HMV's Oxford Street shop that he believes the gruelling concert tour could be linked to Jackson's death.

He told Canwest News Service that Jackson, who has in years past visited the Oxford Street store with his entourage during off-hours to browse, probably felt overwhelming pressure to pull off a successful comeback.

Castaldo said Jackson CDs and DVD's were flying off shelves in all 270 of the company's United Kingdom outlets, and disappearing from online inventories, throughout the morning. He said younger Londoners who anticipated seeing Jackson are "particularly sad they won't get that chance to see Michael perform."

Ah, yes. How are those young people bearing up? Luckily, Canwest can answer that, too:

Outside a group of teenage girls, who had been interviewed earlier about Jackson's death, squealed with delight when informed their comments had already been broadcast on the morning news. "We're on the tely!" One gleefully shouted to her friends.

But you know what really puzzles the reporter:

But there wasn't even remotely the kind of reaction felt here after the death of Princess Diana.

That could be because the Dianarama-mawkfest was, in itself, inexplicable, and Michael Jackson was a man who was well-known without being well-liked, do you think?