A Michael Jackson sighting at Wal-Mart?

The more-popular-dead-than-alive syndrome intrigues me. I read that Amazon.com experienced a huge run on Michael Jackson items shortly after his death, and the Elvis estate is worth more now than it was when he was alive. And while I recognize that in some quarters I too would be more admired if dead, I scarcely suspect that a post-death published collection of my columns will become a best seller and make my heirs as wealthy as lottery winners. They wish, perhaps, but I personally want to benefit from any wealth I generate. What would be worse than dying from a heart attack at learning you hold the winning MegaMillions ticket?

Coworker Ben Munro, whose two areas of interest are Georgia football and music and is our staff go-to guy for trivia or information related to either, is a charter member of the Michael is not Dead Club. He expected MJ to jump out of his gold casket and moonwalk across the parking lot to conclude the publicity coup of the decade.

We were all disappointed that did not happen, I’m sure, and wondering how much oxygen could be stored in a casket for a later appearance.

I wonder if his death wasn’t exactly what MJ’s career needed to get back on track. There’s no denying his talent and ability to sell himself, but the well-deserved “Wacko Jacko” label had more people shaking their heads in wonder and disgust than his music had people dancing. Now that he’s dead (or is he?), attention returns to his music. That’s where the money is.

But the war over his estate may provide theater appropriate to the star’s late reputation. Does he have any DNA invested in those children? Does the purported mother have any DNA in the kids? What detail of those people’s lives will remain private as the dig-up-Michael Jackson movement gains momentum? How long before Neverland becomes a creepy west coast version of Graceland?

If there’s anything the public likes more than deifying pop culture icons, it’s performing psychological autopsies on really weird pop culture icons. While Elvis’ drug use led to post-death attention, Michael Jackson was in a long stretch of weirdness that will keep Nancy Grace and the entertainment media occupied for years and pay off handsomely long after his death.