Al Sharpton knew the only way to save Michael Jackson's image in death was to get out there and start promoting him as a "black icon" the second he died (even though there is a lot of evidence to suggest that at best, Jackson was deeply conflicted about his racial identity). Sharpton was on MSNBC about 15 minutes after the death announcement was made doing just that. Afraid of being called "racist," the media has since totally backed away from the pedophile stuff and all the other weirdnesses surrounding Jackson. Ironically, if Jackson had been white (as at times he seemed to want to be), he'd be buried in shame as a kiddy diddler who had some hit records. Anyone think Gary Glitter will get a sendoff like this? Yet his hit songs were chanted in football stadiums in the US for decades. What was on display at the televised Jackson funeral, with great "moral" characters like accused rapist Kobe Bryant there celebrating the life of accused pedophile Michael Jackson, was a whole lot of people deep in denial, and using race as a shield to deflect the tough questions about Michael Jackson's life.