Al Sharpton banging on about Jackson

It must be hard for Al Sharpton, watching the death of Michael Jackson. After all, Jacko's period of being any good is as firmly in the past as Sharpton's period of being taken seriously. So perhaps Sharpton sees his current round of honking stupidly into microphones as his farewell tour, too:

"I'm here because of the disgraceful and the despicable way [the media] is trying to destroy the legacy [of Jackson]," Sharpton said.

"You have had other entertainers that have had issues in their life; you [the media] did not degrade and denigrate them."

Sharpton called upon the media to show respect during the family's time of mourning. "Michael was no freak," he said. "He was a genius."

"We want love. That's what Michael Jackson sang about," Sharpton said. "Let's talk about love. Let the media deal with the mess, while we deal with the message."

Is it just me, or did he say the media should leave Jackson alone, and then tell them to "deal with the mess"?

Still, Sharpton has a point, doesn't he? After all, it's not like the global media has been fawning over Jackson solidly for a week and a half now; and you certainly didn't see anyone mentioning the mafia business when Sinatra died, or repeatedly speculating over Presley's secret love for saturated fat within seconds of Elvis sliding the 'Engaged' sign for the very last time, is it?