The Crawl: The Fourth Of July, Michael Jackson News Style!
+ It was bound to happen: footage has leaked of Michael Jackson's final rehearsal for the never-to-be This Is It tour. Concert promoter AEG captured the entire final rehearsal in a pro, multi-camera shoot. They are likely to release the full rehearsal as a DVD. In the meantime, a minute and a half of footage was leaked to CNN. In it, we see MJ and his dancers slip and slide in a staccato stomp to "They Don't Care About Us," the HIStory single which delivered Jackson a heap of controversy upon its mid-90s release thanks to its bizarre "Jew me" lyric. The New York Times, and other groups, called the lyrics anti-semetic. Jackson responded by saying he meant the lyrics to call attention to all groups who have felt under siege. Still, an odd choice to include in the show. Perhaps Jackson wanted to show he stood behind his more embattled work. Or maybe they just needed a HIStory track. The choreography in the clip is defiant, military and oddly reminiscent of the animated hammers Pink Floyd's The Wall. Jackson, though not as sprightly as he once was, is clearly not no frail weakling. Revealing, ultimately sad, footage. [CNN]
+ So what will the O2 Arena and AEG do with all of those empty dates? Good questions. Rumors abound; how about sister Janet? Some tribute to Jackson? Whitney Houston? Or even a reunited ABBA? Don't count on that last one. [AP]
+ That Michael Jackson public memorial? It's happening on Tuesday at 10am at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Approximately 17,500 tickets will be distributed to the public via an online lottery. If you "win," you'll be able to pick up your tickets on Monday via Ticketmaster. Once the memorial is over, that'll be the last we hear about Michael Jackson. Until the funeral. And the autopsy results. And the legal battles over the will. And... [BBC]
