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Who is the most famous person in the world? A simple question with thousands of possible answers.
Some might say the Pope while others might say President Obama. It’s total speculation; an argument can be made for just about any well-known person.
Could "The King of Pop" have been considered the most famous person in the world? With global album sales somewhere between 700-750 million, a career that spanned nearly 50 years, two widely covered pedophilia charges and various charitable contributions… Michael Jackson, quite possibly, was the most famous person in the world.
His popularity caused big problems for some of the Internet’s more popular sites as rumors began to swirl about his rumored death.
Famed celebrity news site TMZ was the first to break the news of Michael Jackson’s death. People from all over the world rushed to the site to see the news for their own eyes. Due to the mass amounts of traffic TMZ began experiencing erratic downtimes, which left people searching other sites for confirmation.
AOL, owner of TMZ, released the following statement about the downtime…
"Today was a seminal moment in Internet history. We’ve never seen anything like it in terms of scope or depth. Historically, celebrity news prompts a worldwide outpouring with several key consumer behaviors – searching, sharing and reacting to the news followed by online tributes has become the modern way to mourn. Princess Diana was the first notable Internet example. Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett are the latest.
With other sites such as CNN reporting that Jackson was still alive but in a coma, that only added fuel to the fire, as people wanted to know the truth. Sadly in the end, TMZ was correct.
Michael Jackson has also been immortalized on the popular FamousDeadDB.com website.
The Michael Jackson ripple effect wasn’t just felt by TMZ, shortly after Internet users made their way to Perez Hilton’s train-wreck of a blog only to be greeted by the following despicable post by the blogging diva…
You can see that Perez was pretty much calling Michael Jackson a liar. It should be noted that shortly after it was confirmed by multiple sources, Perez updated the post to hide his travesty of a post.
Twitterers weren’t pleased with the post, and #unfollowperez became a trending topic on the famed microbloggnig site.
Some of the major news corporations showed marked slowdowns; Keynote Systems had the following to say about the traffic phenomenon…
"Beginning during the late afternoon Pacific Time major news sites, including those of ABC, AOL, LA Times and CBS all started to show marked slowdowns in performance. Beginning at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time until 8:00 p.m. Eastern, the following sites showed became nearly unavailable (down to nearly 10% availability): ABC, CBS, LA Times, AOL, CNN Money.
Beginning at 5:30pm (EDT), the average speed for downloading news sites doubled from less than four seconds to almost nine seconds. During the same period, the average availability of sites on the index dropped from almost 100% to 86%. The index returned to normal by 9:15pm (EDT)."
With the news of Jackson’s death, people turned to the web like never before. Large traffic spikes were documented, the likes of which have never been seen before.
Below you can see a chart from Nielson, which shows the Jackson death discussion far exceeded those of the inauguration of President Obama and the swine flu.
In the UK it was documented that Twitter had its busiest day, EVER. The traffic spike might not be as large as expected, but this is probably due to the time difference between the US and the UK. You can see the Hitwise graph below…
Yesterday I told you about how Michael Jackson was dominating the Twitter top 10 trending topics, where he held nine at that time. Almost a full 24 hours later and he still holds four of the ten.
The death of Michael Jackson also had other sharing their condolences via Twitter…
The death of Michael Jackson was met with many different opinions; some are looking back at his music career why others only see his alleged wrong doings. However you choose to remember him you can’t deny the fact that his death had a huge impact all over the world… especially the Internet.
The most famous person is (sadly enough) a dead person.
You have seen it a lot of times before – and you will see it again. When a person dies, he or she gets very famous.
Of course Michael Jackson is a special case, but if he had lived until he got old, things has been different.
he might have molested some more little boys.
Dance on his grave you anonymous hero! It is people like you that cause the early death of creative geniuses in this world.
MJ was working a new Job
Someone told Michael Jackson Walmart had little boys pants half off, so MJ applied for a job in that department.
It’s people like you Michael Jachson was singing about. A decease in our generation that lost love & understanding as well as forgiveness. Seek your owne self & if you have no faults, cast the first stone. This is a time of sadeness for a family, a man & a nation for a man, a living person with feelings & love. At least show that respect & fix your owne demons.
HMMM…not guilty means nothing…and have you any idea of all the charities and donations and good he did…were you there when he did the above stated that he was not guilty of…if so why did you not testify…are you a judge? If so do you know the whole story…my bet is no…because no one ever knows the whole story and to judge based on partial knowledge is wrong. What a disgusting comment…i am sure his 3 children and family would love to see this. If you were the accused what would you do if found not guilty and yet someone like yourself said this. Have some humanity…many are not as tunnel visioned as you.
Michael jackson said he didnt molest them, he just beat it, beat it, beat it
A degenerate like M. Jackson dies and the Internet lights up.
Meanwhile North Korea is threatening nuclear warfare, Iran is massacreing their own people but hey-a guy who hasn’t made a song that anybody cared about for 20 years and is a drug addicted child molester is dead so we better get involved.
Yes you are right…however….with a cultural icon gone so suddenly it hits many very hard…and i must correct you on this…he was found innocent in the court of law on all counts…in this USA you are innocent until proven guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt…not the other way around. You are certainly entitled to your opinion but the facts differ. And there are many millions who cared for him and his abilities long after your 20 year mark…i do heartily agree that there are much more pressing matters as you stated…my own concerns are right along with yours. North Korea worries me…will my unborn children see what i have? Will my unborn children be born? The slaughtering of innocents disturbs me greatly…you have very realistic concerns and i applaud that!! I just happen to belive in allowing time for mourning any loss….and despite it’s issues we all know… our court system. I still feel strongly as it greatly helped found this country of freedom.
Michael Jackson is the performer of all time and his whole self is perfection in itself. he is everything.i,ll miss everything R.I.P BABY.at peace now and forever.xxxxxx
how u could say those things is unberliveable Michael jackson was found not guilty.on all 10 counts, in a court of law this man did not do it. It was Michael Jackson who was singing about change in the 90s, The man in the mirror. he showed that he loved all nations because he did not forget where he came from. so dont put people down because of envey.be ashamed.
That last post is funny.. Yeah Michael Jackson loved other nations so much he decied to become white. It was a hard choice but someone had to do it. The little flat nosed thick lipped boy in the mirror became a white man. No were not ashamed we are proud. Only in America can you waste millions of dollars to become white, why waste it on giving it to the poor, or donating valuable money to a real cause, no its better to keep all the money for yourself and let it warp your mind and make you mentally sick.
I am still amazed by this whole thing. SEOmoz did a whole outline of how it spread around the web. It was truley amazing.
If I was michael I would fake my death.For one my face is always changing.And I am worth 10 times dead even haters like me know.Why not
The idea of michael jackson will never cease .There will always be some one that is a cut above the rest.And people will always seek to compare.So he just joined bob marley,elvis presley and his peers in that place were everyone that do either its is work or play and that is perfection
I’m also a lover… not a fighter. Let’s love one another
People want to know about all sorts of things. Certainly the death of Michael Jackson is BIG NEW and the Internet is where the world turns to for information.
I pray that God will Bless the Jackson family with peace and strength during this and all times.
Uncle Jacko the best singer and dancer… we always remember you!!
Perez Hilton shouldn’t have written that post about Michael Jackson. I think he angered a lot of fans and ruined his reputation quite a bit. I hope he learnt his lesson and will research and confirm facts in the future, before posting it in his blog.
Perez is a twat.
My site went dead after the death of Michael Jackson. All my visitors are gone and they only starting to come back slowly.. I guess it will take another week.. Micheal Jackson was the greatest artist!!!
So sad that you have gone from our lives. I am honored to have witnessed you in concert in ’92 Wembly UK, the best concert I have ever seen! You are a magician of music, the master of dance and the most successful artist of all time! Thank you MJ for giving us so much….
PS. A black man would never hurt any children like people claim.
Is that truly what he has or did he yearn for purity?
MJ was working taking a new job before he died
Someone told MJ that Walmart had little boys pants half off so MJ applied for a job there.
To me, Michael was music because he thought me how to listen and appreciate it.
Hi,
about the blogpulse diagram you say: “Below you can see a chart from Nielson, which shows the Jackson death discussion far exceeded those of the inauguration of President Obama and the swine flu.”
This may be the true interpretation, but that’s not what the diagram shows. According to the labels, the Obama curve stretches far above the Jackson one.
/Petit
Great singer that has done a few mistakes in life.
Hope you Rest in peace Michael
Have some respect for human life! Who knows if he molested kids is true white america can easily convict a black man for anything. We see this play out everyday in americas court rooms as the case of Jena6. As far as the coverage on the major news networks again white america controls this entity.
black man???? he hasnt been black in 15 years…. co incidently he hasnt made a good song in 15 years….. thoughts…?
MJ applied for food stamps but was turned away, he wasnt dark enough. Either way its not a color issue he loves little boys. You never know what happend at never never land
Have some respect for human life! Who knows if he molested kids is true white america can easily convict a black man for anything. We see this play out everyday in americas court rooms as the case of Jena6. As far as the coverage on the major news networks again white america controls this entity.
Black America did not make Michael Jackson famous. He was famous equally between whites, Asians and all nationalities.
Most of any people’s problems come from their attitude toward people. God told us to treat others as greater than ourselves. We are to do that regardless of their stupidity. The black entertainers and black people in music, sports and government have proven themselves to be loved by white and black equally when they walk in dignity. Do not be used by black racists or white supremisists to destroy your joy. The black race is the purist because it do not mix as the other white clans did.
Do not think that anyone can follow foul-mouthed entertainers and wear their pants around their thighs and think they will be respected for their brilliance. A waistband on pants is to be belted around the waist. That is your anatamy and fashion lesson for today. God bless you will a spirit of love for others.
When you misspelled anatomy, it totally killed your point.
Attacking spelling is the last refuge of an idiot.
The point was made, and made well.
Hello Marie,
Thanks for your comments enlightening us on human evoloution
I hope you’re not singling me out for the way I wear my trousers when appearing here in the States ?
My backstage Assistants always ensure my waistband and trousers are kept suitably high to entertain the studio and TV audiences.
I’m currently back in the UK and welcome you to call me anytime to discuss any of these issues, including to unrelenting talent of Michael.
Please ask for my PA, Mike Besant who will connect you to me straight away.
Simon Cowell
Thanks for your comments and yes the best number to reach Mike is the London Office – 020 8689 3339.
If calling from US +44 20 8689 33 39
You can talk to Mike directly but only briefly..
Thats funny Marie because I thought MJ was white.
But only in american can a guilty black man get off of murder. MJ is guilty of playing with little boys wee wee’s. Thank god hes dead
Have some respect for human life! Who knows if he molested kids is true white america can easily convict a black man for anything. We see this play out everyday in americas court rooms as the case of Jena6. As far as the coverage on the major news networks again white america controls this entity.
I have to totally agree with the writers point of view about memory loss, when it comes to this guys habits of loving little boys…How can a pedafile be exhalted to the god-like status he has been given on line and tv? Yes, while I agree that he was a gifted man, he seemed to loose that when he became attracted to little boys, turned white, cut his nose off, lost his looks, and turned into a jackass of media attention. Sorry, I don’t like child molestors, why do you????
Grow a brain. Think an original thought. Get a life.
I totally agree. It was the topic of our WTF.
http://coupledumb.com/2009/06/27/wtf-of-the-week-michael-jackson/
I guess the internet stats just show that everyone likes a freakshow.
Michael Jackson was not a child molestor. Get your facts right. If you bothered to follow the case of 2005 you would have seen the the mother and her 2 sons were out there to get Michael Jackson’s money. The so called witnesses that testified against him owed MJ money – they will all proved to be liars. MJ was weird but not a child molestor. You have become a product of the tabloid press and documentaries who enjoyed making money off him. What annoys me most is when readers come out with sweeping tabloid statements that have proved to be incorrect. Read the WHOLE case of 2005 and then make your comments.
A huge, huge, amen to that.
so you never heard about how he paid a kid 20 million dollars of hush up money to keep him out of court???? suspicious much???
Because he was not a pedophile, you blithering idiot!!!!!!!! He may have had a plethora of weirdness oddness about him, but as long as I live, I will never be convinced that he was guilty of such an awful crime. He was strange, not stupid. May God keep his hands on his three darling little children.
Someone else spouting rubbish about “white America, conspiracy theory, we’re always innocent of any crimes and blamed for everything” rubbish.
Pure hot air.
Bore off…..
P.S Remember OJ and the LA riots ?!
So sad to hear the news of Michael Jackson’s departure. We shall miss the legendary Pop King and songwriter. He had changed the music world. Now he will be forever in our memories.
We like to send our blessing to his soul and may he RIP. We will miss you.
The greatest entertainer died and the internet went into meltdown. Obviously he was the most famous person in the world!
People probably turned to the web because it can shovel so much more information into their minds than live TV. You could find out about the situation (e.g. is he dead or not) and more about the man; albums, singles, ‘history’, and yes, gossip.
I’m not surprised Wacko Jacko’s demise caused havoc online – what a way to go out – still dazzling us!
What? Michael Jackson’s dead?!
He’s with me now. I’m teaching him how to moon fly.
We will all miss Michael Jackson very much! What a great Pop Icon for all of us!
He’s not really dead, right? Please tell me this is just another one of his HUGE promotional stunts! ….MJ can’t be dead!
Yes, now that people seem to be catching on, he got tired of all the fame and is over at Ben Laden’s. See, nobody is looking for Ben so that would the perfect place for him to hide out.
While MJ’s reputation was tarnished by the child molestation charges (and what kind of family would let their kids stay with MJ after the first accusations,) there’s no denying that he changed the face of race relations in the US.
He broke barriers in helping Motown cross over to white audiences when he was with the Jackson 5.
He broke barriers in music video when he challenged MTV on their racist stance of not playing black artists.
He broke barriers when people stopped thinking of him as a “black performer,” and started thinking of him as Michael Jackson.
Was he weird? Without a doubt. 40 out of 50 years in the public eye with all the money he could possible want to indulge himself, will not make a sane, rational person, by any standards.
Press hungry? Of course.
Child molester? Questionable, as he was never convicted.
Good Father? After the baby dangling incident, by all accounts he was a very good father. One of the few times in his life where some limits were set.
Good Friend? Ask Liza, Liz, Diana Ross, Mark Lester et, al. They seem to think the world of him.
King of Pop? Yes, but shares throne with Elvis.
Do we all have an opinion on MJ? Yes we do! Good, bad or indifferent, most people have thought out how they feel about Jackson and why. Can you say that about most other stars?
With all the negatives riding against him, the Michael Jackson legacy will most likely be written by his fans and by the statistics of his music sales.
Unlike Elvis, where alot of information came to light after his death, we all know the Michael Jackson story. The early years as a child star. The addiction to plastic surgery (started by his hatred of looking like his father.) The addiction to pain killers (spurred by the burn incident and aggravated by his criminal trials.) And now his search for redemption (in the form of a new tour and remaking himself, yet again in the public eye) thwarted by his death.
All that’s left is for the child custody battles to play out. That should be the final chapter in his life.
Not surprising that people that weren’t alive through all the MJ saga are looking on the web to get more insight into his life. There’s a lot out there and not too much of it was hidden.
The king has died. Long live the king… It does not concern Jackson. I waited for its returning.
Why do all the music kings die so young.
I am sad to see him go yet I think he has at last found peace.
He seemed to be a very troubled man. People of all ages, color and creed loved him and his music yet it is weird how he never seemed to have sex appeal.
Undoubtedly though he displayed remarkable talent. RIP Micky J.
I was expecting his album before Black and White came out on the ground. I was around 11th i think. Before it, I had big crushed on BAD. And I amazed by the magic he performed in his video clips.
Then, black and white came to the market. I couldnt stop drooling. This man is beyond description. This man is Superb.
Many many years after. I still always play his music on my dvd. Showing it to my lil son. “That is Michael Jackson” I said. And asked him to dance imitating Michael.
Now this Surrealistic Person, gone forever. I was shocked when 1st heard this rumor on internet. I go checked CNN from cable TV, turn out, it true. All day long i followed the news, switching channels from CNN to BBC UK. Up till this second, I just can’t imagine how this world had lost one of the most influential individual ever, MJ. This idea still absurd for me to consume. And yet, he’s really gone. But the lyric and music keep on playing.
I can see that Michael never really gone. Through all the years, eventhough I have never meet this guy in person, he always live in me. Through his masterpiece, through his art, through his music.
And that goes to million others around the world that grew up with Michael Jackson’ song.
R.I.P Michael, we all love u.
Jakarta, Indonesia.