mj-cover-picOk! Magazine has reportedly purchased the ‘last’ photograph of superstar Michael Jackson for a staggering amount of $500,000, which they have used as the cover picture of their weekly issue that pays tribute to MJ, a week after the King of Pop’s death. The close up picture focuses on face of the ‘Thriller’ singer lying lifeless on a stretcher, most probably dead already, with a respirator over his mouth. Beside the photograph runs the line, “in loving memory”.
The photograph has angered quite a number of Jackson fans, who feel that the picture is insulting to the memory of the great musician. While most weekly magazines are making a bee line to pay their homage to the late MJ by putting up variety of pictures, OK! Magazine’s effort surely stands out; theirs is a completely ‘different’ one.
OK! Magazine defends the choice and the magazine’s spokesperson Brian Strong says, “The cover represents an event in the history of an extremely entertaining and controversial figure and is sure to provoke some emotion and questions from readers and fans about the circumstances. The news often does.”
OK!’s editorial director Sarah Ivens defends the cover saying, “It’s a photo that captures the surprise and the moment of this breaking news story. I hope the cover will provoke readers. It celebrated the man, but it also does expose that he was an eccentric character who lived a very controversial life.”
MJ fans all over the world are hurt by the gesture of all these magazines who are trying to capitalize on the superstar’s death. Most feel that the man should be best remembered by the music he has left behind rather than delve in to his death in inhumane manner.