BU Now » Michael Jackson

Jacko’s death and the media

Dick Taffe — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:41:46 +0000

The Michael Jackson memorial tomorrow at the Staples Center in LA may be the biggest media event surrounding the King of Pop’s passing but it likely won’t be the last. Jackson’s death has sparked a cascade of viewership frenzy on a wide array of media, from newspapers to TV to online to video games. College of Communication Professor John Carroll, a veteran media watcher, can discuss how much the landscape has chanaged since Elvis’ death in 1977.

Contact John Carroll, 617-353-3493, carroll7@bu.edu

Jacko’s kids’ custody

Dick Taffe — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:41:37 +0000

With the fate of Michael Jackson’s estate still up in the air, custody of the late King of Pop’s three children has temporarily been granted to his mother. School of Law Professor Linda McClain, an authority on family law, can discuss the complications of custody in some cases.

Contact Linda McClain, 617-358-4635, lmcclain@bu.edu

Jacko’s place in music history

Dick Taffe — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:53:52 +0000

As funeral preparations are made for Michael Jackson, music historians will focus on the King of Pop’s place in the pantheon of musicology. BU Associate Provost Victor Coelho, a professor in the College of Fine Arts and an expert on rock history, can discuss Jackson’s contributions to the arts.

Contact Victor Coelho, 617-358-0628, blues@bu.edu

Jacko & Fawcett: Role Models?

Dick Taffe — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:32:32 +0000

The deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett revive discussion of youth role models. College of Communication Professor Patrice Oppliger has written books on adolescent role models — “Wrestling and Hypermasculinity” and “Girls Gone Skank: The Sexualization of Girls in American Culture” — and can discuss this subject.

Contact Patrice Oppliger, 617-353-3482, oppliger@bu.edu