Millions of people went on-line to request tickets to Michael Jackson's memorial. Only about ten percent of those will be allowed entry to the Staples Center. What will the other nine hundred and ninety thousand zealots do? Surely they will show restraint and common sense by staying home and watching events unfold on television.
Or not. Flights from London to Los Angeles were sold out on Monday, and British Jackson-ophiles are booking up flights to San Francisco and Denver in hopes of grabbing a connection to the City of Angels in time for the Big Event. Who knows how many planes, trains and automobiles full of Michael-maniacs loaded up in the past seventy-two hours from the continental United States in hopes of arriving in close proximity to the arena with or without a ticket?
Thirty-two years ago, Elvis died. Thirty-thousand fans poured through the gates of Graceland on the day before the funeral to pay their respects to the King of Rock and Roll. President Jimmy Carter ordered three hundred U.S. National Guard troops to maintain peace at the event. That was in Memphis in 1977. Things in Los Angeles might be just a little different in 2009.
What happens next? They had to move Elvis' remains to Graceland to keep people from trying to make off with them. One can only imagine the shrine that will be prepared for Michael Jackson. No word yet on whether Bubbles the chimp and Emmanuel Lewis will have to be entombed with him.
Stay tuned.
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