By Terri MacLeod


The King of Pop will live on forever. The gravity-defying moonwalk, the sequined glove, the cropped pants, and black loafers - Michael defined my generation. I can document my life by his music. When the news broke of his sudden death, I (like the rest of the world) was stunned, shocked and saddened - now a week later, I still can't believe Michael Jackson is gone!

When I returned home from work on June 25, I told my 14-year-old daughter about his death. ...To which she replied, "Why are you upset about him? Isn't he the creepy guy who slept with young boys?"  

My daughter's reaction shocked me! She had no appreciation or understanding of Michael's musical legacy. Obviously, this generation isn't growing-up on Michael. Most tweens today are familiar with his dance moves and mega-hits like "Billie Jean" or "Thriller," but for the most part Michael's 'Wacko Jacko' reputation eclipsed his immense talent, or, seemingly so to my daughter.  

While, I am not here to debate Michael's addiction to painkillers, his questionable relationship with children, or his gasp-worthy plastic surgery, I do believe there are many life lessons we as parents can pass on to our children about Michael's complicated and seemingly very lonely life.

For starters, let's try and get our kids to stop and listen to the music. Michael is, in my opinion, the greatest entertainer our generation has ever seen! He set off a global phenomenon that is rarely seen and quite possibly will never be seen again. His music, his dancing, and his outright sheer genius as a performer, is something to celebrate and be inspired by. For a moment, try and forget all the craziness in his later years and let his music get passed on to the next generation, and hopefully, set into motion a new crop of young artists. As Michael once said, "I always wanted to do music that influences and inspires each generation."    

 
She may not have made it past the first round but the little girl known as 'Crying Girl,' Ashley Ferl, is happy about her "American Idol" audition experience.

 

"I'm still glad I did it!" she exclaimed.

 

[left, Ashley Ferl and mom Stacy at the American Idol auditions]

 

I spoke to Ashley this morning - the Riverside, California teen who gained national fame two and half years ago for her tearful reaction to seeing season six contestant Sanjaya Malakar perform live during Top 11 week on "American Idol." 

 

In April she turned 16, which made her eligible to audition for the show. Despite having no true singing experience she went for it!

 

"I just kind of practiced in my room and that's about it," she told me this morning.

We may never know who is telling the whole truth in the he said/he said battle between "The Bachelorette's" Wes Hayden and Jake Pavelka. This morning Jake defended his decision to rat Wes out to Jillian on Monday night's episode for having a girlfriend.

 

In a conference call with reporters Jake admitted to being a, "god fearing man" and hit us with this declaration,

 

"Beyond a shadow of a doubt, you know, shall God strike me down with lightning... if I am mistaken and he did not tell me that."

 

I have to admit Jake did make quite the case for himself when he repeatedly made it clear that Wes, a country singer from Austin, TX, told him he went on the show to further his career, and that he had a girlfriend named Laurel waiting for him back home. Laurel is the same girl who also dated "The Bachelor's" Brad Womack. 

 

"I know 100 percent that he [Wes] and Laurel are together. They were together during the show. Brad introduced them." Jake revealed.

I keep reading articles where the kids on Bravo's new reality show "NYC Prep" say they don't want to be compared to the spoiled teenagers on CW's "Gossip Girl." Well, don't worry guys... there is no comparison because as it turns out... your lives are not even half as interesting as Chuck, Blair, Serena, Jenny or Dan.

 

"NYC Prep" aired its second episode last night where cupcakes were the hot topic du jour. Not really -- but between Sebastian, Taylor and Kelli's obviously forced love triangle and PC's, "whoa is me... I'm single" rants, not much else was going on in the show.

 

The series seems completely flat when you compare it to Bravo's fantastic drama fueled "Real Housewives" franchise. I don't know... maybe it's because I'm not a teenager anymore that these kids' lives just seem lame and boring. I like little Sebastian and his crazy hair, mean girl Jessie and even PC (who they are trying to make out to be the bad boy of the show). Although, to me he's more Jack from "Will and Grace" than Dylan from "Beverly Hills 90210"... if you catch my drift. They just need to lose the other three girls. Perhaps bring in a few Jersey teens in to shake things up and rattle some tables.

 

With all this Michael Jackson news I'm feeling very lonely around the Access Hollywood offices. Everyone is busy and in newshound mode while little old me is still in Dish of Salt mode. Frankly, I like it that way. You know I can't live without my TV!

 

Last night was like sensory overload. After yet another doctor appointment (someone please figure out what's wrong with me soon!) I was not allowed to go to the gym. So, I arrived home at 6 PM with nothing to do. Fortunately, my TV was calling my name with tons of goodies. "Weeds" was on at 7 PM on Showtime  I ponder - do we want Nancy with the evil mayor slash drug lord or should she and Andy, brother-in-law of dead husband, hook up? I can't decide.

 

"Nurse Jackie" followed at 7:30 PM. How can Jackie be cheating on that adorable, hunky and might I add younger (Go Edie Falco!) husband with the balding pharmacist guy!? I don't get it.

 

Then it was two hours of "The Bachelorette" on ABC, which was by far the MOST craptastic episode ever. Fans of the show will get that joke. Jillian goes on her hometown dates. I decided I need to marry into Kiptyn's family who clearly have some moolah. She zips through three other hometown dates in record time. At this point it's 8:50 PM and I'm wondering how they will fill the next hour and ten minutes. Then pilot Jake returns to stalk Jillian in Austin.

 

Last week was obviously a trying week with the loss of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and yesterday Billy Mays (with whom I had a personal connection.) So, I wasn't able to get this story up until now. Tanner made me laugh though. So I wanted to make sure I gave him a little Dish of Salt love. Things get a bit racy towards the end so click away if you are not old enough to attend R rated movies.
 
Well if you recall, I made a blunder when I wrongly reported, a month or so before "The Bachelorette" started airing, that Tanner was a single dad. Fortunately, Tanner forgave me for this mistake after I re-canted. We had a lovely conversation about shoe size, pedicures and whether he's now a stud back in Dallas where he lives. 

Yesterday was by the far the craziest day I have ever experienced working for Access Hollywood. We have had shocking, unexpected deaths come along in the 13 years we have covered the world of celebrities from big to small - JFK Jr., Sonny Bono, Aaliyah, Phil Hartman, Anna Nicole Smith, Heath Ledger. Never have we seen the death of two pop cultures icons in one day, just five hours apart. I wasn't in the trenches the way our producers and full-time Web staff were. They were working furiously to get the information out and my buzzing blackberry said it all about what was happening in our offices and continues to be happening. It's going to be a long week ahead and my hats off to everyone here for their dedication.

 

This morning I was up early doing back to radio interviews with stations across the country to talk about the latest news and the impact Michael had in people's lives. The one question that kept coming up was, "What are your best memories of growing up to Michael Jackson or covering him over the years?"

 

Two stories came to mind.

What did God say when Michael arrived?  DID he arrive? Was he consoled and embraced and ultimately released from all of his childhood pain or was he admonished for what many suspect but thankfully don't have confirmed? 

 

There is an inescapable question mark as to the ethics and balance of Michael Jackson that goes with him to his grave. It is most assuredly not what Michael had in mind when he set out to be pop music's "P.T. Barnum", the man in the middle of the circus.

 

Although, let's be real, anyone who reportedly invites a gossip tabloid to shoot him in a hyperbaric chamber courts the bizarre.

 

I was the last person to get Michael Jackson to go on camera. Technically, it was his last interview as I asked some questions and he answered them, but its not one I'd choose to hang my hat on.  Michael was alternately petrified and obsessed with my camera. He loved the small HD handheld 24P size camera and demanded to know where he could get one. But, before the cameras got rolling, while sitting in the small kitchen of his temporary Irish countryside cottage, Michael asked, "Is 5 minutes ok?"

There has been a lot of joking around the last couple of weeks at work about how much TV I watch. For some people this could be the road to a pink slip... but fortunately, for me, it's my job to watch television. I have to know who is who on what show, which show is hot, which showed jumped the shark, what's the next "Gossip Girl," who died last night on "Desperate Housewives" or which reality star is having a meltdown at any given moment on any given cable channel.

 

I'm sure at one point in my life someone probably asked me what I wanted to do for a living and I mostly likely said, "Wouldn't it be great if someone would pay me to watch TV all day?"  Who could have guessed that one day they would?!

 

I've always been a TV addict -- ever since I can remember. My mom would plop me in front of "Sesame Street" as a toddler where I would sit mesmerized by Cookie Monster and Big Bird. Later, as a pre-teen I would fight with my brothers about watching "The Brady Bunch." They wanted to watch "M*A*S*H" so I would steal the dials off the living room TV so they couldn't change the channel. I could not miss a minute of the wholesome family fun that Greg, Peter, Jan, Cindy, Bobby and, of course... Marcia, Marcia, Marcia cooked up. 

Dave's apology last night was heartfelt and as soon as I read the transcript from the East Coast taping, I "Tweeted" that it felt sincere and more than adequate. But... as I watch it again I perceive something more in Dave: anxiety and urgency. This cannot go horribly wrong for Dave at THIS time.

It's been reported that one major advertiser, Embassy Suites Hotels, has distanced itself from "Late Show." That's a problem, but short-term. What is even potentially worse for Dave is damage to the way people perceive him at a time when he is trying to overtake "The Tonight Show" in the ratings.

Jay Leno beat him every night because of his mainstream monologue and overall jovial likeability. Dave is known to be more like Johnny Carson - funny but a little snarky and not so approachable, i.e. life of the party off camera, he is not.

Gov. Sarah Palin called Dave's joke about her daughter last week "sexually perverted." If people perceive Dave as perverted, he's dead. And it's been proven all too clearly, Palin has a base that is strong, conservative, outspoken and unafraid of standing up. If they rally and ultimately redefine Dave, it's lights out...or at least 2nd place yet again.


Your thoughts?

Billy@BillyBushshow.com