Thomas Claburn from i feel better after i type to you

In 2006, America Online (AOL) accidentally released the search queries from some 20 million of its customers. The users were anonymous, identif ed by numerical tags, and no IP addresses were disclosed, though many were easily identif ed with a quick triangulation of data. Thomas Claburn quickly recognized the literary potential of this cache, publishing the data from one user with only minor formatting changes to aid readability. As Claburn explains:

Within the third of the ten f les of user search queries AOL mistakenly released (user-ct-test-collection-03), there’s a poem of sorts. Between May 7 and May 31 of this year, AOL user 23187425 submitted a series of more than 8,200 queries with no evident intention of f nding anything—only a handful of the entries are paired with a search results URL. Rather, the author’s series of queries forms a stream-of-consciousness soliloquy.

Whether it’s fact or f ction, confession or invention, the search monologue is strangely compelling. It’s a uniquely temporal literary form in that the server time stamps make the passage of time integral to the storytelling. It could be the beginning of a new genre of writing, or simply an aberration. But it does beg further explanation. What circumstances prompted the author to converse thus with AOL’s search engine?

Tuesday 1:25 am

2006-05-09 01:25:15 break in 2006-05-09 01:26:00 joseph i have a question 2006-05-09 01:27:27 all the years why did you work out of delphi 2006-05-09 01:28:36 could have gone to detriot 2006-05-09 01:29:40 why you make delphi kettering your base

138 2006-05-09 01:30:09 your base 2006-05-09 01:31:13 joe why 2006-05-09 01:31:56 you choose kettering 2006-05-09 01:33:01 had opportunity 2006-05-09 01:33:26 to leave 2006-05-09 01:34:19 start there but could have left 2006-05-09 01:34:54 know you started there but could have left 2006-05-09 01:35:28 why did you stay 2006-05-09 01:36:14 but why 2006-05-09 01:37:46 cause of me 2006-05-09 01:38:48 last saw you bicycle 2006-05-09 01:39:31 why didn’t you tell me who you wer 2006-05-09 01:41:07 was not to tell me 2006-05-09 01:41:47 orders 2006-05-09 01:42:38 jt order 2006-05-09 01:43:59 was thinking 2006-05-09 01:44:38 on line to ask 2006-05-09 01:45:17 no one would tell me 2006-05-09 01:46:11 mean no 2006-05-09 01:47:45 told of everyone else 2006-05-09 01:48:20 keller like you 2006-05-09 01:48:44 all thrash 2006-05-09 01:49:24 told of them 2006-05-09 01:50:27 wasn’t my type 2006-05-09 01:50:49 was not my type 2006-05-09 01:51:32 my type is rare 2006-05-09 01:52:06 hard to fi nd 2006-05-09 01:53:10 pay no attention to every man 2006-05-09 01:54:24 fi nd one who treat me good an stay 2006-05-09 01:55:22 look toward you 2006-05-09 01:56:07 time will depart us 2006-05-09 01:56:43 of not seeing 2006-05-09 01:57:39 will depart us 2006-05-09 01:58:57 on to ask 2006-05-09 01:59:49 music will not help me work 2006-05-09 02:00:24 take hands 2006-05-09 02:00:56 together 2006-05-09 02:01:47 my suit come tommorrow 2006-05-09 02:02:25 purse that match was gone

T omas Claburn 139 2006-05-09 02:03:40 say no 2006-05-09 02:04:11 altogether 2006-05-09 02:05:43 last two years white 2006-05-09 02:07:24 fl ower gold 2yrs ago 2006-05-09 02:08:06 gold fl ower 2 yrs ago 2006-05-09 02:08:33 white before that 2006-05-09 02:09:01 a pattern 2006-05-09 02:10:02 look that way 2006-05-09 02:10:49 gold suit picture turn backward 2006-05-09 02:11:40 the goldsuit picture turn backward 2006-05-09 02:12:53 all my picture 2006-05-09 02:13:51 frame broke high school picture 2006-05-09 02:14:43 out of all mine 2006-05-09 02:15:41 go to bed 2006-05-09 02:16:16 if i work hard i don’t think off 2006-05-09 02:17:29 left my computer down 2006-05-09 02:17:59 work hard 2006-05-09 02:19:11 get some sleep 2006-05-09 02:19:44 work tommorr 2006-05-09 02:20:44 bless night 2006-05-09 02:21:20 to tired to look at my clothes 2006-05-09 02:21:51 i was to tired to look at my clothes 2006-05-09 02:22:42 i have no one as song say 2006-05-09 02:23:12 have noone 2006-05-09 02:23:56 one warning 2006-05-09 02:25:07 if you ever fi nd someone never go though that process 2006-05-09 02:26:39 i tell the truth 2006-05-09 02:27:11 its to long 2006-05-09 02:27:46 will lose love 2006-05-09 02:29:25 that for a women with maids gardener and all 2006-05-09 02:29:50 laughing 2006-05-09 02:30:24 bought my own 2006-05-09 02:31:11 not a poor woman 2006-05-09 02:31:52 i have to work 2006-05-09 02:32:19 i have to work 2006-05-09 02:32:56 no dates no fun 2006-05-09 02:34:10 ready for bed 2006-05-09 02:34:37 not across

140 AGAINST EXPRESSION 2006-05-09 02:35:09 not a cross 2006-05-09 02:35:38 what if we date 2006-05-09 02:36:13 see no 2006-05-09 02:36:57 see you

Tuesday 1:28pm

2006-05-09 13:28:28 ashley licks 2006-05-09 13:28:28 ashley licks 2006-05-09 13:28:28 ashley licks 2006-05-09 13:28:28 ashley licks 2006-05-09 13:34:19 roxy

T omas Claburn 141 Ara Shirinyan from Your Country Is Great

Armenian-American writer Ara Shirinyan’s book Your Country Is Great (New York: Futurepoem, 2008) is a meditation on identity, nationalism, and globalism, as he expresses in words that are not his own. For this piece, he named every country in the world, organized them from A to Z, Googled the phrase “[country name] is great,” and then hand-selected and sorted the results by nation. He then lineated the comments, with each stanza representing another opinion. The result is a multi- national Baedeker of user-driven content and opinion. Unsourced and unsigned, the piece is by turns ugly and gorgeous, helpful and harmful, truthful and misleading, rele- vant and completely irrelevant, all while bringing a cool and rational methodology to an inherently hysterical forum. Collapsing the space between the real world and the World Wide Web, this work asks, What is local? What is national? What is multi- cultural? Instead of accepting current notions of language as a medium of dif eren- tiation, Shirinyan persuasively demonstrates its leveling quality, demolishing meaning into a puddle of platitudes in a time when everything is great, yet nothing is great.

Afghanistan Is Great

Afghanistan is great, but much smaller than previously assumed. the need for education in Afghanistan is great and must be met quickly, need for food in Afghanistan is great,

523 well-acquainted with unique problems facing Afghanistan.

T e need for tough, dependable, locally repairable wheelchairs in Afghanistan is great.

A mountain. An airplane. Aviation in Afghanistan is great fun.

Pipeline via Afghanistan is great.

T ere is no question that Allah’s knowledge and love of Afghanistan is great even as he regrets the limits of his understanding.

Albania Is Great

Albania is great. I missed that place a lot. I got off ered cigarettes and alcohol by like everyone I knew and some people I didn’t know.

Albania is great! Not quite as third-world as parts of Africa, but not exactly Michigan either if ykwim.

I liked everything about my stay and i just wanted to let you know that Albania is GREAT!!!

524 AGAINST EXPRESSION Albania is great as a communsist country or democratic, either way, albania is just the best.

U aint from belgrade, youd feel our pain and not say how albania is great. educate ur self:

Hiking, camping, mountain-climbing, hunting—North Albania is great for all of this.

T e Italian infl uence in Albania is great, many speak Italian, watch Italian TV. T e historical ties between Italy and Albania are very strong.

I know you love your country but please stop telling us that Albania is great. Like I said, give us the worldly achievements of Albania.

Albania is great!!!! We fi nished 5th place because we were all injured. And we lost against Georgia twice before because we felt bad on those two day’s!

Algeria Is Great hey how are you , algeria is great and sorry that i cant talk to you . but my uncle has a cafe with a bunch of computers . but i cant stay on to long

T e basis of that construction primarily rests—better said, they rested—on recovering Algeria is great natural resources, T ese essentially were energy

Ara Shirinyan 525 Potentials for organic agriculture in Algeria is great. Kabylia mountain region of about 100000 areas can be converted to organic agriculture.

Andorra Is Great

One of Europe’s smallest countries, Andorra is great for skiing. Montserrat Crazy mountain with startling naturally formed shapes to give you the creeps.

T e weather in Andorra is great if you don’t like it too cold

Andorra is great country to go shoping since it is tax free you get lots of things more cheaper than surraunding countries. Alcohol, Parfumes,

Andorra is great place to do some winter sports, they have lovely high mountains you to ski or snowboard. In the summer time you can go hiking

Andorra is great for cheap electrical goods and there are perfume shops everywhere you look. Andorra is also great for its spectacular views

I’ve been told the skiing in Andorra is great, but I will write a ”winter” opinion on Andorra, at a later date ie when I’ve actually tried it out!

526 AGAINST EXPRESSION Andorra is great , snowboarding every day ( untill I broke my shoulder . . . duh ! ) I wouldn ‘ t mind going back there .

Angola Is Great

T e challenge faced by the media and the institutions that have committed themselves to supporting democracy in Angola is great.

I hear western Angola is great this time of year.

With all 12 nations enjoying free-market economies and either full democracies or in the process of becoming democratic, the potential for Angola is great. sale of the 203-acre Oakhill Campground & Retreat Center in Angola is great news for its former owner, AG Financial of Springfi eld, Mo i like your style . . . dig the tunes . . . Angola is great

Anguilla Is Great anguilla is great for snorkeling anguilla is a coral island in the north eastern caribbean anguilla is a british territory in the caribbean

Anguilla is Great for Snorkeling Anguilla is great for investment info Carnival in Anguilla is Great.

All in all, Anguilla is great. Great people,

Ara Shirinyan 527 great food, great beaches.

Argentina Is Great

Argentina is great. T e food was truly one of the best fi nds. T e food is great—fresh and not spicy. Not what most people from the US would expect.

I think Argentina is great for all kinds of stuff . As it’s such a big country, they have lots of thing to do and see. Argentina is great, and I want to make it grow, grow and grow

Argentina is great—before I knew there was a shelter there, I thought those ruins looked like the ultimate cat playground

Argentina is great because the population is 90–95 Meditteranean! Few jews because the great Rightist pro-white military junta got rid of 50k leftist jews T is is why I think the launching of legitimate services in Argentina is great news.”

Airbag, pop band, Argentina. “We are young and love music. to have basically the biggest scores of the tournament and to beat Argentina, is great, such a relief to be in the quarter-fi nals.

Argentina is great and might have had an edge, but they still lost, Which is what counts. To call them talentless is insane and disrespectful

Following the devaluation of the peso, shopping in Argentina is great for tourists who can get a lot for the money.

528 AGAINST EXPRESSION Argentina is great but the way they do business here is criminal. T ere is a reason they are ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

Birdwatching in Argentina is great Argentina is great for that and cheap at it

I like meat, so Argentina is GREAT. Lots of BEEF. T is garlicky sauce from Argentina is great spooned over beef or chicken. what an original argument: argentina is shit. argentina is great. get over yourselves and accept the truth; argentina is both of those things,

Armenia Is Great

Armenia is great, and Yerevan is a city where people live their lifes to the maximum I love you Yerevan, I love your streets, your sidewalks,

Armenia is great everyone should go back at least once the new information on Armenia is great— lots of good information— I’ll have to remember not to give anyone 2 fl owers!

I also do not speak our language Armenia is great though.

Ara Shirinyan 529 I have been there and made good friends, even though I could not speak a word to them.

Tour to Armenia is a great success! To Understand Our Past, Is To Understand Ourselves.

Armenia is great! Hi, just so you know, I signed up for this board specifi cally to respond to your post. renovated sidewalks, roads, and unprecedented High Rise buildings going up the future of Armenia is great.

With such warm summers and very cold winters you will learn a great deal about the history of Yerevan

Armenia is great I love it, but I dont think it is for me. armenia is great country famous for its christianity!

530 AGAINST EXPRESSION Noah Eli Gordon from Inbox

In the original publication of Inbox, Noah Eli Gordon explains:

I thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if I were to take the body-text of every email that was addressed specif cally to me (nothing for- warded or from any listserv) currently in my inbox (over 200) and let all of the voices collide into one continuous text. The work is arranged in reverse chronol- ogy, mirroring the set up of my email program. I removed everyone’s name and any phrase with which they closed their email; additionally, I removed any specif c address mentioned. . . . I didn’t write any of it. (Kenmore, N.Y.: BlazeVox, 2006)

One might compare Gordon’s less mediated use of e-mail with Lyn Hejinian’s more heavily edited use of correspondence in The Fatalist (Richmond, Va.: Omnidawn, 2003), a work that extends her use of quotations from conversations in A Border Comedy (New York: Granary Books, 2001).

Go ahead and send me whatever—is Eric’s stuff all over the page? Let me know if you have any kind of time frame in mind. I’m fairly busy but think I could generally get it done within a couple weeks or so. got your book! thank you so much for sending it—I’m glad you saved the postage (saves me guilt) and sent it slow-boat, as I didn’t have much time until now any- way—so I got to enjoy reading your book in the warm outside, cherry bloss. petals swirling around me . . . haha its fun to live a cliche some- times—anyway I enjoyed reading your beautiful book—have been think- ing more and more about prose poetry, so it’s good timing. I love grammar. (though I don’t like to talk about it)—but I love grammar, and the music of grammar. And “A face made for radio” is one of Eugene (bf ) ’s favorite insults. and the physical book itself is lovely too—what pleasure. cld you send me a 3 or 4 sentence bio note, or longer if you have one ready to go.

278 Heya. I’ve done some work on the chap and it’s looking pretty good. I’m waiting for the paper to show up (similar to Mark’s “Elegy for Rachel Cor- rie” only bigger). I’m planning on 100 copies, linen paper for the text. I’m trying, tho, to raise a few bucks for a pretty expensive ornate paper for an inlay, which is about $7.50 for ten sheets. I’m thinking that we can either make a few special editions with the ornate paper (like 20-30) or skip it. I’d rather not skip, tho. How much could you contribute? I’m going to be pretty busy this week with printing for Mark’s YART sale (hopefully I’ll make a few dollars to help buy the aff orementioned ornate paper), but give me a ring sometime and we can discuss details. Let me confer with David and Michael and I’ll let you know. At this point, earlier is better so I’m inclined to say 10/11 th. I am moving back to Los Angeles, leaving Ithaca. So July will be the last reading for me. I’m excited, as I think we will get to go out with a bang. Do you also have the novels and essays from Black Square? I did three or four chapbooks which I will send along, and what- ever other stuff I think might tickle your fancy. Great to hear from you. I like your book very much, and then later I got Eric Baus’ book and liked that a lot too, and thought—hhmmmm, some center of energy seems to be moving in western Massachusetts. Hey, I don’t know if you’re interested in Anthony Braxton, but he’s performing new compositions at Wesleyan this week—tomorrow night with a large group, Wednesday with a small group. (Wednesday confl icts with Jerome Rothenberg. Not sure what to do, but currently I’m leaning toward Braxton.) T e one catch with Braxton is that he’s performing with students—I mean, they’re Braxton’s composi- tions, but the musicians are going to be mostly students. I think it will be very cool though. I might try to make it to Amherst on Monday for the Beckman/Wol ff /Wagner/ Corless-Smith reading. T is is a foolish and maybe impossible idea because it’s a school night, but I’m trying to fi gure out if it’s possible before making a decision. In order for it to be possible, I would need a place to stay on Monday night (which I’m wondering if you could provide?), and a ride back to Middletown on the following day (which John Vincent might provide), and ideally a substitute teacher to lecture on Jane Austen’s Emma on Tuesday afternoon (anyone?). It occurs to me that you might already be putting up one of the readers. Or you might be busy, or you might not feel like putting me up yet again. If you can’t do it, that’s fi ne, maybe better than fi ne—I should stay home, do my work, and not think of mad plans like this. Anyway, let me know. Albert Mobilio gave me your email. It seems that you have started a press and I would like to get the books you have done. I could buy them or we could trade Black Square

Noah Eli Gordon 279 books for the ones you did. Meanwhile, thanks for sending your book a while back. I think it’s terrifi c. And thanks also for alerting GC Waldrep to the Joron chapbook on Surrealism. Well enough. T ough I fi nd your chap- books lovely, and would be very happy to be part of the Braincase cata- logue, some day. I have not read the Joron essay, though of course I’ve been reading his poems for some time now. I had a typically short & cryptic note from Yau three or four weeks ago asking me to remind him of my mailing address because he “wanted to send me some things.” I have not received a packet from him yet, but perhaps the Joron will be in it. I would be de- lighted to exchange mss—only ARCHICEMBALO is not entirely done yet, and there are incomplete swaths, as well as swaths that reek. (Now there’s a title for a new book of poems: SWATHS THAT REEK.) —I could send you a suite of 20–25 pp., perhaps? I would love to read your lat- est, if you want to send, whenever you want to send. —Remind me of YOUR mailing address so that I can send you some of the ARCHICEM- BALO poems. T ey are, for the most part, prose poems, and aesthetically they live about two houses down from Eric Baus’s. Advise well. I am not teaching this semester, which has been good. Although my freelance job has taken up most of the time I had expected to spend on writing. More teaching in the fall. Hey, great to hear from you. I’m enthusiastic about doing the chap. I’m thinking something along the lines of Brenda Iijima’s recent chap on color. Are you familiar? It’s 8.5 X 11 folded, good paper, transparent inlay. I’m playing with a few ideas for a cover image. I have a medieval O with a tonsured guy sitting inside the letter working on a man- uscript, which I thought might look interesting. I’m hoping to set the text in Centaur or perhaps Palatino. I’d like to work with the O image because it’s a letter, number and, generally speaking, a circle that suggests context (among other things). Anyway, I’ll come up with a couple of designs and maybe we could get together sometime and take a look at them. When you have the chance, email me the poem as a .rtf fi le if you can. Apologies for the brevity of this note. I’m at work and now have to run. Hope all is well. Hey, I wanted to thank you for coming out to read and for the books. T e reading was excellent (really, I mean it—Geoff rey read well, too) and I’m looking forward to making my way through Jaywalking T e Is and T e Frequencies. I have, though, read “What Ever Belongs In T e Circle.” I think the poem’s powerful and wanted to know if you have any interest in publishing it with Anchorite as a chapbook. If so, lemme know when you can. Be well. You’re really unlax in responding, actually, compared to lots of folks! T at’s totally cool about keeping it at 100, I was just wondering

280 AGAINST EXPRESSION (again). Any of those 3 solutions sound good to me. I really like the reader idea, but of course that’d be down the road a piece. If you’d rather just leave as is, that’s fi ne w/ me, and if PDFs or 2nd editions on card stock are the way you want to go, that’s cool too. I hope I’m not sounding pushy or unsatisfi ed . . . it’s that everything turned out so well, really, and that I’m so thrilled, and would love to be able to have hundreds and hundreds of beautiful books . . . but you’re right, there is a strong argument to made for scarcity, and I like that. Also, I’d be happy to do any support work with you down the road, typesetting stuff , PDFing, whatever, so call on me if you need a hand when you make those decisions. Also . . . gave a chap to Africa Wayne and she’s thinking of having me read next month in her series w/ Rosmarie Waldrop, which would be outstanding. I’ll keep ye posted. Gave a few folks books the other night at the Poetry Project auction: Ed Berri- gan, Mike Scharf, Brian Kim Stefans, Marcella Durand & T urston Moore. T urston was surprised to discover that “people are doing things” in Northampton and was interested in fi nding out more about Braincase. I talked you guys up, of course. And SY is playing April 30 at Smith College. I was toying with the idea of bopping up for the show. Would you be inner- ested? I imagine tix’d go fairly fast tho T urston said the venue’s pretty big. And maybe get T urston other B-case books, not to mention yer own stuff —think he’d really dig Da Frequenciez & J-walkin Da Iz. You oughta give him some stuff too for Ecstatic Peace yo. And excellent to hear from you on this glorious spring day. T anks for the congrats: the P&W article was really a very strange thing; I almost said no when they asked—there are a few mistakes in the article, but none that aff ect the book really.

Noah Eli Gordon 281 Du-1._ r. Ac'J/,-f;VI uv-«J

LjL, 0e-. ;-v !:> ()/' . -co(3 .

To Julie ... where ever you are. I STILL remember the first time I saw you in psychology class, 1Oth grade, spring of "76". You made nights move for me 77-78. I will carry those memories in my heart forever, and only stop, with the last beat of my heart ....

I remember .. .I remember...

Great tune,! think bobs better than bruce,more real to the heart

Why is Bob Seger so awesome?

lhis song was the song that i think of as a storm rolls in .

"i.fd ':.J .... It really does not get any better than this ... evokes memories close i visited bay city alot but Flint is were i was born n of days gone by raised .... michigan musicians are all hometown boys for

i j me just like GFR, MCS,Alice Cooper, and Nugent. i love ! music from my "Mitten" I I truly feel sympathy for any soul who can't relate to at least one part of this song. I awoke last night to the sound of thunder .. and I thought . Il of this song:) Some music is timeless

That entire passage always gets me ... how it gets quiet and Funny, at my age now, I think my ''Autumn" is closing in. sort of intraspective ... (maybe I made that word up)! ... "with This song reminds me to keep a young heart and mind. Autumn closin' in". Great stuff. Thanks Mr. Seger.

haha i know, i love it life begins at 40.

I' We were just young and restless and bored ...... livin' this is on my i pod whilst im riding my 350 bullet. .life by the sword. Pure genious. For me, it was a '72 Road doesnt get any better Runner, instead of a '60 Chevy, but ...... the rest applies. I'm 48 now and that was 32 years ago. Seems like just yesterday and I still think of her often. Married, happily, for 27 years now, but, you never forget your "first". Love this song ... I remember this song and dancing around singing it stereo as loud as it would go .... molded most of my teen years! mmmm sweet night moves! i' i li

j

j Love this song ..... reminds me of all the keg parties 1978-1983 great music!

points all her own sittin way up high ... « what does that All-time favorite song!!! mean?

love BOB gotta love a hometown musician Bay City ...... or If you REALLY don't know, I'll help you out. There's a somewhere near there, right? portion of the female anatomy, about 8-10 inches below the jaw. It consists of rwo "mounds". Each one having its own "point" in the middle. Get it now? Bob, give me a call, we'll put our knees in the wind and V> drink a beer--- just like it was 1985-- Nothing makes me pine for my younger years like a Bob Seger tune!!!! I thought that's what it meant but thanks for being a dickhead.

Great song great video!

You asked an honest question. I gave an honest and serious answer. Why am I a "dickhead"? I wasn't TRYING to be obnoxious, but, if you took it that way, you're going to Good old classic song! believe what you believe, I guess. Seriously, I wanted to state it in a way that wouldn't be offensive to other viewers OR the post police. God!! what a fuckin song-- what a fuckin voice!! as I sit hear at 51 and listen and remember the "Night Moves" and understand what Bob is saying-- @51 "Autumn has closed Heart and soul in'' on me Think of you Brita ,Vancouver, great memories .. .love He still is!!!! :D always.

SO want to see him in concert. Most all of the big classic NICE. rock bands have been on tour ... where are you BOB???? COME TO TAMPA!! Out of so many rock groups, because of personal reasons, I SO neeeeeed to see you!!

I tried to find one tiny part of this song that wasn't pure genius. I failed. huh??? im so confused

We weren't in love, oh no, far from it We weren't searching for some pie-in-the-sky summit We were just young and I used her, and she used me, but neither one cared .... restless and bored ... Trying to lose those awkward teenage blues, Working on our night moves. "Says it all"

My favorite, by far; sultry looks and long hair.

I can't get this song out of my head like this happened to me. Well not exactly like this, but the Autumn of 1990 I can really relate this song as I have a daughter is was pretty sweet with my Crystal Bush in Bloomington, to that Indiana...... I remember, I remember, I remember. ... . a product of the "Night Moves" and you can bet that she knows it. She is still working on the "Night Moves" what a Gal!!

she was black haired beauty with big dark eyes ....

j Michael Jackson

A/V....(Jice""' -e s ""'" .J D--;::s- ... y{..z0 . #'(: 8>wc4.11 Zui'S.

I.

Wow, it's weird cause, uh, I'm hearing this music and I'm seeing online this video of the three Charlie's Angels running out of a door, you know. Uh oh. Jeff McKinney's running into the room. Well, much talk today about Farrah Fawcett certainly, but now there is news that Michael Jackson has been rushed to a hospital, urn, I think it's in Los Angeles, I'm not sure. The CBS newsroom just came on saying that there is a special report coming up for Michael Jackson's physical condition, which apparently is, uh, dire at this moment. It's so interesting. Before we came on the air today-I hope this is not the case-but Jimmy and I were talking about how things happen in threes. We just lost Ed McMahon, today we lose Farrah Fawcett, now we're hearing Jeff McKinney walking in telling us ... I'm saying he's ill. I'm saying he's ill. I don't know how dire he is but the indication is that he is quite ill. They're gonna run a special report. They don't do that lightly, the folks back in New York. So we're gonna do this in about ten seconds here. We're gonna get the latest on Michael Jackson. Boy, there's a lot, a lot of curiosity here.

156 157 SEVEJ\ AMERICA"i DEATHS A.\JD DISASTERS ;vl!CHAEL ]ACKSO\J

Alright so let's take it away. It's four fifteen. I was just thinking of that. We were talking earlier about This is a CBS News special report. I'm Dan Raviv. We how, you know, it seems like yesterday we were watching Farrah are receiving word from Los Angeles that the pop superstar Fawcett in her youth and beauty-and sixty-two years old to me Michael Jackson has been rushed to a hospital. The Los Angeles is still young-you don't think of Farrah Fawcett being sixty-two Times website says it got some confirmation from the L.A. Fire years old. You don't think of Michael Jackson as being fifty. It's ... Department that Michael Jackson was not breathing when it's just strange. paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital. Let's go to the There's some real parallels between these two people- CBS newsroom in Los Angeles. Correspondent Steve Futterman, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson-in that they both had what are you learning? overwhelming, huge effects of popularly in their heyday. Dan, we're just hearing these reports, still nothing confirmed. Urn hum. Urn hum. Reportedly Michael.Jackson has been taken to the UCLA Medical I mean, Michael Jackson did have the same sort of... different Center, which is not far from his home, but nothing official yet effect, but he had the same sort of all-encompassing effect on ... on from the UCLA Medical Center. According to the L.A. Times, the world as Farrah Fawcett did, you know? Captain Steve Ruda, who's with the L.A. Fire Department says When he ... when he was at his height... that paramedics responded to a call at Jackson's home around ... 1983, 1984 ... twelve twenty-six local time-that's just under two hours ago. . .. his peak, it was like nothing you'd ever seen. I mean, it was ... According to the Times, he was not breathing when they arrived. But you could say the same for Farrah Fawcett, though. The paramedics, according to the newspaper, performed CPR and Yeah, you could. I.. .I think it's ... yeah, you're right. You could. took him to the UCLA Medical Center. The website TMZ says that You absolutely could say the same thing for her. And then she went Jackson was in cardiac arrest and that paramedics administered and married, uh, Steve Majors? Steve Majors? Remember she CPR in the ambulance. According to TMZ, Michael Jackson's became Farrah Fawcett. mother is on the way or may be there already at the UCLA hospital Six Million Dollar... Lee Majors. to visit him. But again, we want to emphasize that there has been Yeah. Lee Majors. Why did I think it was Steve Majors? Next no official confirmation. Two reports, one from the L.A. Times, one thing you know I'll say Paul Majors, but no it was Lee Majors. from the website TMZ, both of them saying that Michael Jackson Farrah Fawcett herself as well, I mean, there is, you know, in ... has been taken to a hospital. in her heyday... Jackson, by the way, is age fifty. This comes on the same day For a brief period of time ... that the actress and star Farrah Fawcett died of cancer in Los Excuse me? Angeles at age sixty-two. CBS News special report. I'm Dan Raviv. For a brief period of time she had at least, domestically ... she Okay. So as far as we know, Michael Jackson is still alive but was about as famous as you can get v.cithin the confines of the there are two reports saying that he was in cardiac arrest when, uh, United States of America. EMTs got to him and they were administering CPR as they rushed Absolutely. Charlie's Angels was the biggest hit on television. Michael Jackson to the hospital. Shocking to hear that Michael That poster, the famous poster of her. .. Jackson is fifty years old. The poster, yeah.

!58 !59 SEVEN AMERICAJ\ DEATHS AND DIS,\STERS .'vl!CHAEL JACKSOJ\'

... was the biggest seller. I mean, she did ... she did a spread for Well, a seance would make more sense for him. He's got plenty Playboy in the gas and that was the biggest selling issue of the of eccentricities, but the music ... decade. I mean, she was a big star as well. Well, he doesn't have anywhere close to the talent Elvis had. Do you know what kinds of health problems Michael We're not talking about talent. We're talking about influence. Jackson had? I'm just saying that Elvis's influence overshadows his by I didn't know he had any. 100 times. He has had occasional fainting attacks and things like that. I. .. I don't know about that. We've always heard that. I mean, he's certainly never looked I do. robust, Michael Jackson, to say the least. Well, OK, I'm saying between 1980 and 1990, I mean, doesn't No. he have like five of the all time top ten records sold? But I think this is the first indication we ... we've ever had that Jeff. Jeff. There are still people who want to sound like Elvis! Michael Jackson has any sort of serious health issues and this There's nobody who wants to sound like Michael Jackson. Not the appears to be a very serious health issue. impersonators. I'm talking about real bands, I mean, you know, not Two updates that have come to TMZ here in the last few Elvis impersonators. minutes. A Jackson family member tells TMZ that Michael Elvis will be impersonated for another hundred years. is in, quote, really bad shape and that the brothers are now It's got nothing to do with impersonation. You've got real rock headed to UCLA. bands out there who still love Elvis and are trying to do music Well, that sounds very unofficial, of course. like Elvis. Without Elvis, is there rock 'n' roll? You know? What is Yes. And then there's another update from TMZ saying that Michael Jackson responsible for? What did he come up with that's they've just got off the phone with Joe Jackson-that's the father, so special? Michael's dad-who says he is, quote, not doing well. He created a video channel, essentially. If not for Michael OK. Jackson videos, MTV wouldn't be on and what it is today. So? So we can blame him for that. So, Farrah Fawcett has died, the great superstar of the On the other hand, the Jackson Five ... seventies. And now, the great superstar of the eighties-equaling Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome up on stage, the her superstardom-there are reports, that he has been in cardiac Jackson Four! arrest this afternoon and has been rushed to the hospital in It doesn't have the same ring. Los Angeles. So, stay tuned, I guess. We'll continue to get news No, it doesn't. throughout the day on that. Well, this is gonna be a bizarre day if this story continues to There are probably at least a thousand people outside the develop. I mean, if he stabilizes, we can all sort of breathe a sigh of hospital right now where he is in Los Angeles. Evidently, they're relief and say... gathering and they're in a perfect rectangle, I guess holding a ...... speaking of which, did you hear that the World Climatological some sort of seance? Society has issued a, uh, wind alert this afternoon? Not a seance. A, uh, vigil. No.

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Yeah, all of the children across the world let out a collective Center. Now, as we've heard, both the Los Angeles Times and TMZ sigh of relief. are reporting that Michael Jackson, the pop star, the legendary pop I've got morel I've got morel star, known by millions of fans around the world, has died. That's enough. Steve Futterman reporting live from CBS News in Los Angeles. What a week! Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett ... Michael Jackson was fifty years old. Here's a look back at his career ... and Michael Jackson. from CBS's Dave Browde . Uh, guys. He's still with us. He's, uh ... They called him the King of Pop. At least his fans did. But that ... as far as we know. nickname was his publicist's invention, a kind of tabloid label for the prodigiously talented but, bizarrely behaving, superstar. They called him Wacko Jacko. Michael Jackson, the son of an Indiana II. steelworker who'd started an astonishing show business career at the age of five as the lead singer of the Jackson Five, the group This is a CBS news special report. I'm Dan Raviv. About an featuring Michael and four of his brothers. The Jackson Five hour after first word that pop music star Michael Jackson suffered turned out fourteen albums of hits. Michael broke out with four a heart attack in Los Angeles, it's now reported and, reliably solo discs. But he truly became a superstar and thrilled the world reported, that he has died. The Los Angeles Times website says in 1982. Michael Jackson's Thriller broke all records, selling some Michael Jackson, age fifty, has died. He was in a coma when taken fifty million copies worldwide. Jackson broke more new ground from an expensive rental home in Los Angeles. The website in the then-fledgling music video field with his fourteen-minute TMZ.com has also been reporting that Jackson died. We go live to Thriller video, in which Jackson began displaying the remarkable Los Angeles. CBS news correspondent Steve Futterman. dance skills that would again launch his career over the moon. But Well, Dan, if all this is correct, it's just a shock here in Southern Jackson's increasingly reclusive and bizarre behavior-along with California and around the world. The L.A. Times, as you said, his reported multiple plastic surgeries-made tabloid headlines saying that, uh, Michael Jackson was pronounced dead-this surpassing his sales, as did an incident in which his hair caught is according to the L.A. Times-by doctors this afternoon after fire during the 1984 filming of a soda commercial. Then there was arriving at the hospital in a deep coma. The L.A. Times is quoting Jackson's purchase of the ranch he called Neverland, which he city and law enforcement sources. The L.A. Times, uh, a very stocked with animals, amusement park rides, and a constant flow reliable newspaper. Obviously the website TMZ, which also has of children. Suddenly, S'Airling accusations exploded. In 1993, been very reliable in the past, had earlier reported that Jackson Jackson released a video denial that he'd molested a thirteen-year- had died. Now we had reports confirmed by Los Angeles Fire old boy who visited Neverland. Department Captain Steve Ruda that Jackson was not breathing These statements about me are totally false. when paramedics arrived at his home. All this began around Jackson reportedly settled by paying the boy's family millions. three hours ago, that's when the 911 call was made, exactly three Please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Michael Jackson. hours ago. Paramedics came to the home-that's when Jackson Jackson's marriage to Lisa Marie Presley almost immediately reportedly was not breathing-and was taken to the UCLA Medical thereafter, was seen by many as a desperate ploy to rehabilitate

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his image-it broke up after only nineteen months. Jackson's next Well, it's, you know, I mean, Michael's life .. .it's been a album was a disappointment, despite a duet with superstar sister struggle, I think, in recent years, you know, I mean, he's been Janet. After another album-his first complete flop-Jackson attempting these comebacks, they never really gain any traction married again to a nurse, Debbie Rowe. The couple had two and I mean, obviously, you know, if he's getting set to do the children in as many years, followed quickly by divorce, fights with shows in London, you know, a run of fifty shows, you know, his record company, litigation over allegedly canceled appearances, clearly that's not going to happen. You know, we don't really yet and apparently, even more plastic surgery. Jackson explained have enough information on, you know, what exactly, you know, his changing skin color as the result of a disease of vitiligo. Then, created the situation but, you know ... you know, there's been a Jackson's most incredible public incident: dangling his eleven- kind of tragic aspect to what, you know, Michael Jackson's life month-old son, Prince, over a balcony, followed quickly by has been, you know, without any question. Jackson's arrest on charges of molesting a twelve-year-old cancer Anthony DeCurtis has written about music for so long for patient. Jackson's denial this time on 6o Minutes. Rolling Stone magazine. Totally false. If I would hurt a child, I would slit my wrists. I Let's turn to the media critic and historian Robert Thompson would never hurt a child. of Syracuse University. Michael Jackson may have had, well, a Jackson's behavior while facing the criminal charges, redefined tattered image at times, but when it comes to the music and the eccentricity. Jumping on his limo to delighted fans one day, dancing he gave pleasure to tens of millions of people. Robert? showing up late in pajamas another. Ultimately, he was acquitted, Not only pleasure, but I would put him right up there with but despite many loyal fans, his image was in tatters. Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and P.T. Barnum. I That's CBS's Dave Browde. If you've just tuned in, Michael mean, this guy was far and away one of the greatest American Jackson, at age fifty, has died. He suffered a heart attack-an entertainers that has ever lived in this country since the Pilgrims apparent heart attack-in Los Angeles. Michael Jackson died, yes, landed on Plymouth Rock. I mean, he was not called the King on the same day that Farrah Fawcett died of cancer in Los Angeles of Pop for nothing. He was a superstar. I'll never forget when I at age sixty-two. We turn to Anthony DeCurtis who has written watched the moonwalk on that Motown twenty-fifth anniversary about music for so many years for Rolling Stone magazine. Uh, show in 1982 and it literally made my jaw drop. Nobody had Anthony, uh, indeed it's the music we should focus on because moved like that before. And what he did for MTV and the art of that...that's what will last. music videos, what he did for all kinds of performance styles in Well, absolutely. I mean it's, you know, with all the scandals the eighties. He was really a superstar. and all the problems and all the weirdness that Michael Well, Robert, what about the image part of it? You know, if represented, you know, it's easy to lose sight of the music and there's a pr ... problem with his personal behavior, does it take away the music is extraordinary. I mean, this is somebody who is as from the way we'll remember Jackson the musician? important a figure as popular music has produced. Well, I think for, uh, at least fifty years, yes. As long as And, just the way he went at age ... at age fifty, I guess we realize anybody's around that remembers the trials and dangling the kid there was something wrong with his health, with his behavior, or off of the balcony and all of this kind of stuff, we'll never be able to with the advice he got from others. separate those. However, one hundred years from now-and I'm

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convinced we'll still be listening to the Thriller album one hundred years from now-when nobody is making all of those connections, I think his musical legacy will probably last a lot longer then the legacy of his multiple peculiarities. But we shouldn't ignore them. I think this was really one of the great American stories of what celebrity can do to a human being. I think this guy became so famous, I think he became such a huge celebrity, that he was isolated from the real world as most people know it. He was living on Planet Michael and he called it Neverland, of all things. And I think that if anyone else behaved like that, someone would tell you to knock it off and you'd have to get your act together, whereas Michael Jackson was almost free to live in a world where he made up and lived by his own rules. It's a really almost Greek-tragedy- like story.

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