When TMZ broke the news yesterday that Michael Jackson had been rushed to the hospital for cardiac arrest, rumors about the King of Pop’s fate flooded Twitter. Sure enough, the dreaded (and beloved) fail whale soon began to appear, when the 66,500 tweets about Michael crashed the micro-blogging site’s servers.
Millions of people also turned to Google, searching for “Michael Jackson” to find out the latest on the singer’s health. The BBC reported that Google initially thought it was under attack, because the Web slowed down so drastically when the news broke:
Millions of people who Googled the star’s name were greeted with an error page rather than a list of results.
It warned users “your query looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application”.
Other mainstream media sites including AOL, CBS, and CNN all needed additional time to load as well. As for us here at DISCOVER…well, we’re sworn to secrecy.
Image: flickr/ Jason Edmonds
June 26th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
I still can’t believe the King of Pop is dead. Is it in bad taste to keep my cell phone ring, which is “Bad”? Ha. Maybe it would be seen as an homage…
June 26th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Personally, I find it difficult to think of him as anything other than a pedophile.
June 26th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Skinman, you must be a young fellow. I’m the same age as Jackson and I definitely have conflicted views. The guy was a child prodigy and an incredible performer who, apparently, was so abused in his youth that he never developed socially. I’ve heard him described as “sexually retarded” and I think that’s appropriate. There are those who claim the pedophilia charges were scams to get him to pay off. Maybe. Certainly, he had “inappropriate” contact with children although as to how far that progressed we’ll probably never know. I think it’s sad and pathetic that someone with so much talent led such a self-destructive train-wreck of a life.
June 26th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
well,the world has really lost a great man,jackson was a sent from God.and i pray that were ever he is God should protect and give him a better place in heaven.amen
June 26th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I’m 41 years old with 3 kids under 7. Perhaps because I never cared for his music (or him in general) I’m less likely to wax nostalgic for him now that he is dead. Yes, he did have problems. Yes, his father treated him horribly. But the abuse he suffered as a child is no excuse for his actions as an adult.
June 26th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Who doesn’t like kids?
June 26th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
As for these allegations – were ANY of you there? Hell No. So shut the hell up.
………………………………………………
The Death of Innocence
Today the earth sheds a tear for the life and legacy of a legend.
At age 32, I like many other MJ fans grew up in the 80’s and have vivid memories of attempting the moonwalk and grabbing our preteen crotches to impress the girls. We sang the opening bars of “Bad” and “Beat it”. I recall thinking that the Thriller video was a real movie that scared the crap out of me. I recall the “Pepsi” incident and the jokes we made about MJ’s hair catching on fire. I remember the childish rhyme “I pledge allegiance to the flag…Michael Jackson is a ***” but regardless of how people may feel about his legal woes, MJ, a tortured genius, was an interwoven thread in the fabric of my childhood and millions more.
Having lived for nearly a third of a century I have witnessed or can recall the Shuttle explosion, the attempted assassination of President Reagan, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first Bush’s “Read my lips…no new taxes.”, the birth and development of the internet, witnessed the never before seen Titanic on the bottom of the ocean floor. I’ve watched beepers (pagers), jerry curls and activator spray, ashtrays in the doctors office waiting rooms, beat-boxing and break dancing come and go. I have watched computers with 5.25 and 3 1/2 inch floppy disks shrink from gigantic Commodore 64’s to the now ever so popular Blackberry with fingernail-sized media cards. I remember food stamp books, bus tokens and super-transfers, Richard Dawson hosting Family Feud, the Bozo Show on WGN, and 8 tracks and LP’s laying around the house.
Man has sent machines to Mars and through technology the world, if not the universe, has become a smaller place. But it has not been that long since I have felt racism in the negative portrayals of Blacks in television, have been watched and followed while shopping the elite stores on Michigan Ave where Blacks are only now beginning to find cautious welcomes. While I have now lived to vote for and elect a Black President I can remember being teased for liking “White Music” and now see the color lines in music becoming increasingly blurred with each passing year. Michael was The Man and his music bridged all gaps because he spoke in the international currency of Love – through music.
However, experience teaches us that in love there must be loss because without the possibility of loss how can we appreciate that which we love? I have also seen such loss; Tupac, Biggie, Left-Eye, Aaliyah, Frank Sinatra, Chicago’s First Black Mayor Harold Washington, Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx), Richard Pryor, Gene Siskel, Rick James, John Candy, Eazy-E, Anna Nicole, James Brown, Old Dirty Bastard, Bigg Punn, Eartha Kitt, Barry White, Luther Vandross, Bernie Mac and now Michael Jackson.
If you believe that there is a Heaven – there must be one hell of a concert going on.
While most of these deaths have been of the young – the deaths themselves are not so unusual. Many stars have died before what we would believe to be “their time”. The band Alabama and Aaliyah are among the lost. I am also beginning to become painfully aware of the deaths of people who were very important in my life; teachers, older neighbors, friends, relatives. Every generation has its icons and idols but every generation must also lose some. It’s not so much that death snatches the young – it’s time that is robbing us of our youth. As we age and face the inevitable we are afforded an unique opportunity to reflect on our lives and readjust to its newer experiences. Maybe loss encourages us to love those closest to us just a little more – as each passing day is one that will never be replaced. That, to me, is innocence lost but let’s take the time to find love in this life and let the universe worry about whatver comes next.
May the King of Pop rest in Love and Peace. He was the greatest. Michael we all love you and you will never be forgotten. John H. Whitehead, Chicago, Illinois.
June 26th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
PRESS RELEASE FROM:
MICHAEL JACKSON FAN NETWORK
OFFICAL CAUSE OF DEATH FOR JACKSON *LATEST NEWS*
“The King of Pop is Silenced” Michael Jackson dies at the age of 50. Jackson was rushed to UCLA Medical Center earlier Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest. TMZ reports Jackson was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his rented house and CPR was administered in the ambulance. He was brought to the hospital sometime around 12:30 PM PST. TMZ reports that Jackson’s autopsy has been expedited and will be performed by the L.A. County Coroner on Friday. Jackson was pronounced dead at UCLA Medical Center at 2:26 pm. TMZ also reports that Jackson was rehearsing for his upcoming tour at the Staples Center in L.A. last night. Sources have confirmed that backstage after this rehearsal that Jackson had downloaded the new single, “Jump The Shark”, by Sindicate Media artists, Deathmachine, from their MySpace webpage, http://www.myspace.com/deathmachineonline, into his iPod. As yet, unconfirmed sources have reported Jackson played the new “Jump The Shark” single on his iPod on Thursday at approximately 12:13 PM PST. At this time it is unclear if Deathmachine will accept responsibility for the death of the iconic “King of Pop”.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:28 am
Nice job letting the media pull one over on ya. Think for yourself, not what you are told to think. Since he DIDN’T get busted, what are you referring to ? Speculation ? Guessing ? REAL SMART.
June 27th, 2009 at 11:13 am
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June 27th, 2009 at 11:33 am
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June 28th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Just because he wasn’t found guilty doesn’t mean he wasn’t guilty. I would never have let him near my children and I would bet that most of you bemoaning his death wouldn’t either. The shame of this is that his so-called talent as well as his fame wrote him a get out of jail free card. Had he been an average person he’d have spent time in jail and be labeled as a sex offender. But not MJ, no sir, he’s got talent so let’s just look the other way while he fiddles about with children. I find this kind of hero worship distressing and very sad.
The best thing that can be said about him in death is that the children of the world are just a little bit safer now. I for one don’t miss Michael Jackson.
June 28th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
yeah totally safer. one of my biggest fears was michael jackson’s ghostly visage swopping in through the night to abduct my children. he was a giant kid with problems, he didn’t touch children.
June 28th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
OK, this is crazy! You people are arguing over something totally stupid! No one knows for sure if MJ really ever did anything to those children. All we know is what we see on TV, Radio, Newpaper, Magazines, etc, and not everything you see, read, or hear is always true! MJ was a celebrity and what does the media like to do most of the time. BASH CELEBRITIES… I don’t know if it was true or not; and I’m not taking sides. All I am saying is that no matter who you are or what you are; it is always sad to hear about someone dying. So, basically if you are a MJ fan; then that is your right; same goes for if you are not. But point being…none of you are going to get anywhere arguing over wither or not he was a sex offender or not. (as for skinman’s last comment; I do believe that no matter what celebrity you are when they do something wrong they usually don’t do anything to them; or do punish them but not like they would a civilian: Martha Stewart- for example) So basically just get over it. The man is dead, yes its sad but he isn’t coming back. This should give you time to sit back and think about how short life can truly be and make you think about the things you are doing in your own life….are you doing something good? or something bad? When you die is your life going to be BASHED like MJs is on this page?
Well, anyways I just wanted to share my feelings.
June 28th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
I wish I could say that I’m surprised to see so many people defending a child molester. But once again, a perception of talent will get a free pass. Just ask Rush Limbaugh and OJ Simpson. Illegally obtain prescription medication, get a slap on the wrist. Murder two people, get acquitted. Play slap and tickle with the kiddies, that’s okay now sing and dance while we let you go free. Death does not absolve any one of their crimes. Neither does a not guilty verdict. He deserves to be bashed whenever his name is spoken. Good riddance.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Noone has any real proof of michael jackson being a pedophile, so just lay off the child molestation comments. Until someone can find some, let’s not talk badly about someone who many love and admire. It’s ridiculous how so many people can hear and see things from the media and just jump to conclusions. People should know better than that. RIP Michael Jackson
July 1st, 2009 at 9:31 pm
The fact that the internet slowed is further proof that … whether we like it or not …
WE ARE ALL CONNECTED.
It Matters!
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:53 pm
This might be the way we would all benefit thinking about him.
We could sure benefit from this message penetrating NOW.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne7fPpxAnuM
July 8th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I like mj until he turn himself into wj. who is wj ? WAKO JAKO! LETS DANGLE BABY OUT WINDOWS. BEAT IT BEAT IT to DROP IT DROP IT! DANGLE BABY OUT THE WINDOW! JESUS juice!
July 15th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
[...] Edmonds Michael Jackson’s Death Causes Internet to Slow Discover [...]
August 18th, 2009 at 11:03 am
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October 2nd, 2009 at 2:29 am
Hey, leave the bugger alone! He’s dead, so if your happy bout that then great. I swear if any one arseholed me publically and whip bagged me when im gone, id come back, stick their head up their butt and haunt em for life!
October 29th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
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