Everybody shows up for free tickets, but I’m not sure if the organizers of Michael Jackson’s Tuesday memorial service expected this. After announcing that tickets to the Staples Center-held memorial would be free, and be given away by a lottery system, organizers were flooded with more than 1.6 million ticket submissions. Only 8,750 tickets will be given away, and winners have been notified via email:
Not even Michael Jackson’s family anticipated the extraordinary number of requests for tickets to his memorial service, scheduled Tuesday at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
When the registration process closed Saturday night, 1.6 million had submitted their names for the free tickets. Overnight, those applications were “scrubbed” for duplicate entries, and starting at 11 AM PST Sunday, emails [went] out to the lucky lottery winners.
A total of 8,750 registrants will be notified they’ve been selected to get two tickets each to either the live memorial service at Staples or the live simulcast in the smaller Nokia Theatre LA LIVE next door.
And don’t even think of trying to sell those tickets. A process has been set up that should make that impossible.
[From Radar]
Ah, no scalping. I wonder what “process” has been put in place. No matter – I’m sure the overwhelming majority of people who show up will be genuine fans of Michael’s, and they will be eager to remember him properly.
Someone whose grief is taking a decidedly more pleasant turn is Joe Jackson. After the now infamous incident at the BET Awards where Joe promoted his record label while being interviewed by CNN, there’s new evidence to suggest many in the Jackson family are simply tired of Joe. Courtney Hazlett at MSNBC has an unnamed source who claims “If Joe hadn’t said what he did about the new label, it’s likely there would have been less attention on him at the press conference the next day where he ended up bringing up the label again,” said a source close to the family. “It shined a spotlight on Joe’s power to upset the family balance.” There are also rumors that Rev. Al Sharpton’s involvement hasn’t been beneficial – shocking. Meanwhile, Radar has a report about Joe’s continuing bizarre behavior:
Michael Jackson’s father Joe just finished his Sunday morning breakfast at an IHOP in Encino, CA and while everyone deals with grief differently he appeared to be anything but in mourning.
Sitting with a male friend, Michael’s long-estranged dad was “laughing, smiling and joking” the whole time, an eyewitness at the next table told RadarOnline.com. At one point he mentioned dealing with Michael’s life insurance.
There was no sign of grieving on Joe’s part, and no mention of the fate of Michael’s children, the source said. The eyewitness thought Joe’s behavior was strange in that he was so upbeat just days after his son’s death.
Joe, who turns 80 later this month, had a tortured relationship with Michael, his superstar son who died June 25. For the record, Joe had coffee, eggs and sausage to start his day.
[From Radar]
I would agree that grief takes many forms – but I’ll still say that at every point in the past week and a half Joe Jackson has appeared to be at best, senile, and at worst, a cold-blooded bastard who seems to be using his son’s death as way to get attention and promote his own agenda. And besides that, who goes to IHOP and doesn’t order pancakes?
Photos are of fans and the media outside the Jackson family home in Encino on 7/3/09. Credit: WENN.com
One word: Nicopoomp.
I was trying to enter into the draw but I failed because I was not in the US(I think)
Even HITLER would order pancakes at IHOP.
They give you pancakes with whatever you order there that’s of the breakfast variety, dear.
Joe Jackson is a sociopath. He is incapable of loving anyone. You don’t grieve for what you don’t miss.
I don’t believe Michael was ever anything but a meal ticket to that whole family since the mid-70s, except maybe for Janet. Except for her, they’re all looking to make coin from him even in death with record labels, kid/trust custody and tribute tours. Nauseating.
I’ll wonder without knowing what the real number of valid requests were for tickets.
Poor Joe, he not only makes a fool of himself, but is unaware he’s doing it.
I agree he is not capable of seeing or feeling for anthing but $$ signs.
I want to know where the hell an 80 year old man gets his Pimp outfits?
When he is seen he is dressed like a man stuck the movie “Shaft”
The process I read about that will prevent scalping is that the winners get a code or something like that that will get them their ticket. When they get their ticket, at the very same time a bracelet will be placed on their arm. Only people with a bracelet and ticket can come in, and if any bracelets have been cut or damaged in some way, they will not be allowed in.
Joes kids were nothing but a whipping board for him and a meal ticket. He ruined MJ’s chance for a normal life.MJ had all the surgery to be sure he did not look at his dad. He hated his father and now the world can see why. I am sure he is getting senile but he was like this before. He loves no one but Joe.
It is not surprising that the entire family is trying to feed at the trough of MJ. They are an unfortunate bunch.
Like i said before: Vampires. And Joe Jackson is the team leader of that family
Ally u said it all!
If someone was dumb enough to actually pay some random stranger for a voucher they may not even have for those MJ memorial tickets without doing a little online research first, they deserve to be screwed out of all that money. (And it was only available in the US. And not valid in NY and in one other state, can’t remember if it was TX or NV.)
The person who registered for the winning voucher must bring the printed voucher to LA’s Dodger Stadium in person, with a valid ID, to get the ticket. The name and birth date used to register for the lottery to begin with must match their valid ID, preferably their state drivers license.
Upon showing the ID and the voucher with all matching registration information (which must be done by 6pm PDT tonight), a locking bracelet will be applied to the winning ticket holder’s wrist. That bracket is not to be removed or altered in any way or the winner will be denied access to the event on Tuesday. Also at that time, the winner will be handed a guest ticket and bracelet. Technically the spare items may be sold off, but if you list it on ebay, it is a violation…and the listings are being reported and removed so quickly your head would spin.
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