fanatic

I think it's fine and dandy that Michael Jackson was acquitted on all charges. In fact, I think Michael himself is just fine and actually a dandy. He's a strange dude, for sure.

The trial jurors felt that the prosecution had not proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt. I think it's great that they followed the law and weren't influenced by preconceived notions. I didn't follow the trial or details whatsoever, but I did form a completely spurious opinion that MJ is a freak, but that he probably didn't molest anyone.

What I find infinitely more disturbing is the throng of fans who devoted themselves to the trial. Apparently more than 1,200 people waited outside the courtroom and "screamed with joy" and "sobbed" as the verdict was read.

Here are some disturbing snippets from the article:

• One fan came from Arizona two weeks ago to wait for the verdicts
• Another fan (who came from London) commented that she was "shaking" when the verdict was read
• A woman from Las Vegas sat in court for two months to support the star
• A man who describes himself as a lifelong fan "cried like a baby when the verdict was read."
• Al-Jazeera cut from their normal programming (ha, oxymoron) to broadcast the verdict

MJ is a big deal, I get that. But this kind of reaction is unwarranted. And the fans who took months out of their lives and cried at his verdict? I think we need to get some tough love from Dr. Phil to those people ASAP. Get a life.