The Michael Jackson funeral got me thinking...

[Mizzougrad96]

How many people, celebrities, world leaders, whatever, would get this kind of treatment after they die?

Queen Elizabeth - Maybe, but her death won't come as much of a shock.
Muhammad Ali - Same
Madonna - Not sure she's had the same impact globally as Michael Jackson.
Angelina Jolie?
Brad Pitt?
Bill Clinton?
The Pope?
The Dalai Lama?

The biggest funerals I can remember in my lifetime were Princess Diana, Michael Jackson, Ronald Reagan and (I'm not being funny...) Tim Russert.

 

[imjustagirl]

Didn't we do this last week?

 

[Captain_Kirk]

McCartney will be a big one.

Jagger and Richards as well.

Although we all know Richards will never die.

 

[Oggiedoggie]

Please forgive the notion, but: Oprah.

 

[Shifty Squid]

So we're talking about anyone, regardless of whether they're likely to die or not? Seems that way. If so, I'd think Pitt and Jolie would be a hell of a long way down that list, though I could underestimate their impact. I'd bring up (in no specific order) ...

Barack Obama (especially if by assassination)
Michelle Obama
Oprah
Bill Gates
Hillary Clinton
Ted Turner
And yes, I'd agree on Ali, the Dalai Lama and Bill Clinton. Maybe also the Queen, Pope and Madonna.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I think if we had to rank them, Oprah and Obama would be 1 and 2.

 

[ArnoldBabar]

I'm not sure anyone would get that level of treatment in the U.S., short of something like a presidential assassination. Ali or Oprah would be huge, but Jackson has so many side stories -- the child molestation thing, the mystery (until the toxicology reports come) over how he died at 50, what happens to his mysterious kids that might or might not be his.

Hard to imagine another such combination of fame and sideshow.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I didn't think Jackson would get half the attention he did.

I didn't think Tim Russert would get 1/1000th the attention he did.

 

[spnited]

The Jacko lovefest cost the City of LA $1.4 million. This is disgusting.

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/la-mayor-city-will-pay-costs-from-jackson-event/25168?nc

 

[joe king]

McCartney will be a big one.

Jagger and Richards as well.

Although we all know Richards will never die.

Actually, he died decades ago. They just forgot to tell him.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

The Jacko lovefest cost the City of LA $1.4 million. This is disgusting.

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/la-mayor-city-will-pay-costs-from-jackson-event/25168?nc

Yeah, that one I just don't understand. Why couldn't they have just given the family a few thousand seats and then sold the rest to the public. I'm guessing that would have taken away from the cost to the city.

Right now, my top three would be

1. Obama
2. Bill Clinton
3. Oprah

 

[hondo]

The Jacko lovefest cost the City of LA $1.4 million. This is disgusting.

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/la-mayor-city-will-pay-costs-from-jackson-event/25168?nc

I think Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, all those Hollywood twinks and especially the Jackson family should pony up ... if they're so concerned about this "We are the World" crap, they should Goddam well pony up.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I think LA is just biting the bullet because they know they'll be accused of racism if they say no or try to get someone else to pay the bill.

Just absurd.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

I disagree with the notion that Paul McCartney or any of the Stones will have anything close to what MJ did. They were parts of popular bands. MJ was his own thing.

Queen Elizabeth would be a big one because people love that royal stuff.

When Pele or Maradona croak, it's going to be huge. Ali will be on that level too.

Madonna might garner some attention, but I think she'll live a long life and will long out of the spotlight by the time she dies.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I disagree with the notion that Paul McCartney or any of the Stones will have anything close to what MJ did. They were parts of popular bands. MJ was his own thing.

Queen Elizabeth would be a big one because people love that royal stuff.

When Pele or Maradona croak, it's going to be huge. Ali will be on that level too.

Madonna might garner some attention, but I think she'll live a long life and will long out of the spotlight by the time she dies.

Maradona will get no attention here. Pele, very little. Obviously it will be huge in South America.

McCartney, Jagger and Richards won't be as big as Jackson because they're a lot older. It's a bigger deal when someone dies at 50 unexpectedly than if someone dies in their 70s.

I agree on Madonna, she's going to live a long life.

 

[Captain_Kirk]

I disagree with the notion that Paul McCartney or any of the Stones will have anything close to what MJ did. They were parts of popular bands. MJ was his own thing.

Queen Elizabeth would be a big one because people love that royal stuff.

When Pele or Maradona croak, it's going to be huge. Ali will be on that level too.

Madonna might garner some attention, but I think she'll live a long life and will long out of the spotlight by the time she dies.

Maradona will get no attention here. Pele, very little. Obviously it will be huge in South America.

McCartney, Jagger and Richards won't be as big as Jackson because they're a lot older. It's a bigger deal when someone dies at 50 unexpectedly than if someone dies in their 70s.

I agree on Madonna, she's going to live a long life.

Jackson started out in a band like the others; and McCartney's been doing his own thing longer than Michael was.

I definitely can see McCartney's having the same or greater impact as Jackson's. Especially if Ringo goes first. If McCartney is the last Beatle to pass, that will be the closing of an era.

 

[The Big Ragu]

The Jacko lovefest cost the City of LA $1.4 million. This is disgusting.

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/la-mayor-city-will-pay-costs-from-jackson-event/25168?nc

I read something estimating that his death has brought in an influx of $4 to $5 million of economic activity for Los Angeles. So one way to look at it is that there was most certainly a net economic benefit to the people of the city from they guy's death.

 

[BYH]

The Jacko lovefest cost the City of LA $1.4 million. This is disgusting.

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/la-mayor-city-will-pay-costs-from-jackson-event/25168?nc

I read something estimating that his death has brought in an influx of $4 to $5 million of economic activity for Los Angeles. So one way to look at it is that there was most certainly a net economic benefit to the people of the city from they guy's death.

L.A. killed Michael Jackson.

 

[The Big Ragu]

The Jacko lovefest cost the City of LA $1.4 million. This is disgusting.

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/la-mayor-city-will-pay-costs-from-jackson-event/25168?nc

I read something estimating that his death has brought in an influx of $4 to $5 million of economic activity for Los Angeles. So one way to look at it is that there was most certainly a net economic benefit to the people of the city from they guy's death.

L.A. killed Michael Jackson.

And they got the OJ verdict wrong. What an effed up city.

 

[HorseWhipped]

Chuck Norris.
Because Death is afraid of him.