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No, he was not.
Michael Jackson was a lightweight. More today than he was 10 years ago, when he was still toping the charts. During the last 10 years a new generation was born and the ones who may have heard him are now landing at the 3rd floor.
At this moment in politics... Fidel Castro, Vladimir Putin, Silvio Berlusconi, Barack Obama, Alvaro Uribe, Ehud Barak, Nicolas Sarkozy, Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or George W. Bush are swimming in circles for fame around Michael Jackson.
In sports... Tiger Woods, Lewis Hamilton (just to name a few black people), Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kobe Bryant, Michael Schumacher, Rafael Nada, Michael Phelps or Kaka are taking the headlines wayyyy ahead of Michael’s.
In entertainment... Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Giselle Bunchen, Robert DeNiro, The Spice Girls, Ricky Martin, Anthony Hopkins, Simon Cowell, Britney Spears... heck! even oldies like Madonna or Bono are much, much famous today than Michael.
Michael Jackson was ONE of the most famous persons during the peak of his career; let’s say between 1984 thru 1990. Nowadays he was turning in to old news... until his death 2 days ago.
http://mysteryhonduras.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/fidel-castro.jpg
Fidel Castro, arguably the most famous political leader in the world.
http://www.ronaldoweb.com/images/conc.jpg
Cristiano Ronaldo, the best football (soccer) player in the world.
http://regent.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/03/26/bradgelina.jpg
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, the most famous actors and the most celebrated couple in the world.
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Lets look at North Korea for instance. They may not have exposure to Michael, but they hear on a daily basis about Obama I believe (probably not as rosy a version as in the US... well in the majority of discussions anyway)
Plus Michael's star had been fading for a few years. So when he died (as opposed to right now, since he IS the news) there might be a few younger folks who didn't know of him.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanar/3663796095/
Though he had his own share of troubles and other issues with the media outside the Entertainment industry (almost all the celebrities have, that's the price they pay for being a celebrity), I think people will forgive/forget other accusations and remember him as one of the best entertainers of all time.
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albanian
So, my conclusion is Britney Spears is the most famous person in the world.
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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/search.cms
Michael Jackson - "about 544" hits. Probably the vast majority are about his death. Just "Jackson" with no first name, about 1,110 hits.
Obama - about 89,100 hits.
Bush - about 17,500 hits.
Michael Jordan - about 101.
Britney Spears - 872.
Madonna - 1,730
It's almost funny that the Young Turks think Michael Jordan would be in the top five most famous people in the world. It tells you a lot about how much they understand about the world.
My little example was not exactly a scientific study. But if you want to do a real study, you're going to have to go out into the villages of the world where no-one speaks English, and there's maybe one TV set in the village, and ask them if they know who Michael Jackson is.
I think you might find that study wasn't a great use of your time and money. :)
I'm pretty sure that Barack Obama is the most famous person in the world by a mile. But there'll be plenty of people on the planet that are only vaguely aware of even him.
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M$3
June 27, 2009 03:46 AM
When Michael Jackson died, was he the most famous living person in the world?
Interesting discussion on The Young Turks do you agree? Was there anybody else who comes close?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCct5t2KFS4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCct5t2KFS4
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| June 27, 2009 07:30 PM |
Michael Jackson was a lightweight. More today than he was 10 years ago, when he was still toping the charts. During the last 10 years a new generation was born and the ones who may have heard him are now landing at the 3rd floor.
At this moment in politics... Fidel Castro, Vladimir Putin, Silvio Berlusconi, Barack Obama, Alvaro Uribe, Ehud Barak, Nicolas Sarkozy, Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or George W. Bush are swimming in circles for fame around Michael Jackson.
In sports... Tiger Woods, Lewis Hamilton (just to name a few black people), Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kobe Bryant, Michael Schumacher, Rafael Nada, Michael Phelps or Kaka are taking the headlines wayyyy ahead of Michael’s.
In entertainment... Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Giselle Bunchen, Robert DeNiro, The Spice Girls, Ricky Martin, Anthony Hopkins, Simon Cowell, Britney Spears... heck! even oldies like Madonna or Bono are much, much famous today than Michael.
Michael Jackson was ONE of the most famous persons during the peak of his career; let’s say between 1984 thru 1990. Nowadays he was turning in to old news... until his death 2 days ago.
Fidel Castro, arguably the most famous political leader in the world.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the best football (soccer) player in the world.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, the most famous actors and the most celebrated couple in the world.
| Asker's Rating: |
• Good points. I think MJ is still the most famous Performer. Although his fame faded in North America recently he is still huge in the Muslim world, Europe and Africa. I don't think most performers, like The Spice Girls, reach global fame beyond The West like Michael has.
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June 27, 2009 04:08 AM
Barack Obama .. or Bush would get my vote. Lets look at North Korea for instance. They may not have exposure to Michael, but they hear on a daily basis about Obama I believe (probably not as rosy a version as in the US... well in the majority of discussions anyway)
Plus Michael's star had been fading for a few years. So when he died (as opposed to right now, since he IS the news) there might be a few younger folks who didn't know of him.
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June 27, 2009 04:25 AM
I would say MJ was one of the most famous Entertainers of all time and he will be remembered that way forever. Though he had his own share of troubles and other issues with the media outside the Entertainment industry (almost all the celebrities have, that's the price they pay for being a celebrity), I think people will forgive/forget other accusations and remember him as one of the best entertainers of all time.
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albanian
June 27, 2009 09:39 AM
Your view is tilted toward recent events. This fellow had a short career as an active entertainer and somewhat longer as a scandal magnet. He doesn't compare with many popular entertainers of the past. Also, he'll be forgotten completely much more quickly.
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June 27, 2009 05:40 AM
I would have to say Britney Spears is the most famous, simply because she is the most searched for person on the web. I would also add President Barack Obama to the list, but the numbers tell the story. I've been managing Britney Spears page on Mahalo since June 3rd, and I've already gotten 2,345 views on this page, whereas Barack Obama with 707 views hasn't gotten as many views as Britney Spears on Mahalo, neither has Madonna with 315 views. So, my conclusion is Britney Spears is the most famous person in the world.
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June 27, 2009 06:09 AM
Mahalo page views aren't exactly a scientific measurement. :)
My Roger Federer page has over 1,000 views. Is he more famous than Barack Obama and Madonna? I doubt it. Most likely his page just happens to have acquired a lot more inbound links than Mahalo's Obama page.
Also on that measure we'd have to conclude that more people have heard of Andy Murray than have heard of laptops. :)
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My Roger Federer page has over 1,000 views. Is he more famous than Barack Obama and Madonna? I doubt it. Most likely his page just happens to have acquired a lot more inbound links than Mahalo's Obama page.
Also on that measure we'd have to conclude that more people have heard of Andy Murray than have heard of laptops. :)
June 27, 2009 09:36 AM
I think google is a heck of a lot better measure than Mahalo for fame. Mahalo doesn't have the numbers or the international reach.
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June 27, 2009 07:18 AM
Here's a little experiment. Search the website of an English language newspaper in India. (Remember, most Indians don't speak English in the first place, so this is only what well-educated, Western-minded Indians read about.) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/search.cms
Michael Jackson - "about 544" hits. Probably the vast majority are about his death. Just "Jackson" with no first name, about 1,110 hits.
Obama - about 89,100 hits.
Bush - about 17,500 hits.
Michael Jordan - about 101.
Britney Spears - 872.
Madonna - 1,730
It's almost funny that the Young Turks think Michael Jordan would be in the top five most famous people in the world. It tells you a lot about how much they understand about the world.
My little example was not exactly a scientific study. But if you want to do a real study, you're going to have to go out into the villages of the world where no-one speaks English, and there's maybe one TV set in the village, and ask them if they know who Michael Jackson is.
I think you might find that study wasn't a great use of your time and money. :)
I'm pretty sure that Barack Obama is the most famous person in the world by a mile. But there'll be plenty of people on the planet that are only vaguely aware of even him.
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Helpful: aaeeiioouu13, albanian, bunnyphuphu, gno, brian san
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June 27, 2009 09:43 AM
At least someone like JK Rowling gets translated into most languages. There are probably more people who have heard of her in either India or China alone than have heard of those other guys worldwide.
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June 27, 2009 11:05 AM
to @philipy and others who use " search" to gauge the famous factor
IMHO, if you use who was searched the most, the number would mostly depend on the recent events. Just after 9/11 Osama was the most searched. Would you consider him as the most famous? maybe most infamous.
in the 80s and early 90s, when this guy was most active, most of the world's population didnt have internet access, or even television. But I bet they knew or at least heard his name.
Being "Most famous" good reasons depends on various factors, That's why I said he would be "one of the most of famous entertainers of all time". When he died, he brought down a lot of websites to their knees due internet traffic, think mahalo was also slow due to his video links.
Btw, that link that doesnt work.
check this out:
http://www.google.com/insights/search/#q=michael%20jackson&cmpt=q
A couple of years back, Paris Hilton was the most searched for "different reasons" or even "Octomom".
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IMHO, if you use who was searched the most, the number would mostly depend on the recent events. Just after 9/11 Osama was the most searched. Would you consider him as the most famous? maybe most infamous.
in the 80s and early 90s, when this guy was most active, most of the world's population didnt have internet access, or even television. But I bet they knew or at least heard his name.
Being "Most famous" good reasons depends on various factors, That's why I said he would be "one of the most of famous entertainers of all time". When he died, he brought down a lot of websites to their knees due internet traffic, think mahalo was also slow due to his video links.
Btw, that link that doesnt work.
check this out:
http://www.google.com/insights/search/#q=michael%20jackson&cmpt=q
A couple of years back, Paris Hilton was the most searched for "different reasons" or even "Octomom".
June 27, 2009 12:59 PM
Here's my two cents.
When I would visit the small villages in the West Bank where there would be no electricity (computers) or running water... the people in these places all had a radio and would always be listening to music.
My guess would be that yes, they would know who the president of the US is, but they would also know and like the pop music coming out of the box more.
Michael Jackson infiltrated the nooks and crannies with so many hit songs, I'm sure that they're being played as if they just were just released.
Plus, third world places hold on to and replay songs that were great, long after they fall off the billboard.
My guess is that they're still playing and listening to Jackson's hits, just like when I visited the West Bank villages in the late 80's, they were listening to Hotel California like it was just released yesterday!
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When I would visit the small villages in the West Bank where there would be no electricity (computers) or running water... the people in these places all had a radio and would always be listening to music.
My guess would be that yes, they would know who the president of the US is, but they would also know and like the pop music coming out of the box more.
Michael Jackson infiltrated the nooks and crannies with so many hit songs, I'm sure that they're being played as if they just were just released.
Plus, third world places hold on to and replay songs that were great, long after they fall off the billboard.
My guess is that they're still playing and listening to Jackson's hits, just like when I visited the West Bank villages in the late 80's, they were listening to Hotel California like it was just released yesterday!
June 27, 2009 05:32 PM
@stanar... If you are going to critique people's use of data, you had better understand it first. I didn't measure how many searches there are, I measured the number of references in a newspaper archive.
There are sample biases in such an approach, but if you're smart you use the best indications you can get from what data is available, and make a judgement about all those issues.
Also I mentioned in my answer that it's far from scientific evidence, but I am willing to say it's way more likely to be right that anyone's hunch.
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There are sample biases in such an approach, but if you're smart you use the best indications you can get from what data is available, and make a judgement about all those issues.
Also I mentioned in my answer that it's far from scientific evidence, but I am willing to say it's way more likely to be right that anyone's hunch.
June 27, 2009 05:53 PM
@bunnyphuphu... That's pretty unexpected. Did you mostly visit with people that speak English?
I was born in Kenya, I have lots of family in India, and I've travelled a lot. In my experience people like that don't speak English, don't listen to music in English and have never heard Hotel California or Michael Jackson.
Does this look like someone who cares about the The Eagles? :)
http://media.economist.com/images/20080920/3808WB2.jpg
I'm afraid songs about "pretty pretty boys" and the "Mercedes bends" don't have a lot of meaning for her.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1121
Radio is a very important communication medium for sure. People are not always literate, they can't afford more expensive items like TVs or computers, and even if they could the power supply is unreliable or non-existent. However they listen to radio in their own languages, which may not even be the official language of their country.
There are plenty of middle class kids in those countries too, and they are a different story. But overall, I'm pretty sure the story about Barack Obama's election got to far more people than ever heard of Michael Jackson.
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I was born in Kenya, I have lots of family in India, and I've travelled a lot. In my experience people like that don't speak English, don't listen to music in English and have never heard Hotel California or Michael Jackson.
Does this look like someone who cares about the The Eagles? :)
I'm afraid songs about "pretty pretty boys" and the "Mercedes bends" don't have a lot of meaning for her.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1121
Radio is a very important communication medium for sure. People are not always literate, they can't afford more expensive items like TVs or computers, and even if they could the power supply is unreliable or non-existent. However they listen to radio in their own languages, which may not even be the official language of their country.
There are plenty of middle class kids in those countries too, and they are a different story. But overall, I'm pretty sure the story about Barack Obama's election got to far more people than ever heard of Michael Jackson.
June 28, 2009 08:44 PM
Yes, his death overtook all news in the entire world. The search engines were torn up by searches about Michael Jackson. Twitter had 9 out 10 of the top searches something about Michael Jackson. Everything was about Michael Jackson on the day of his death, so there is no way anyone else could have been more famous than him that day.
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June 29, 2009 08:49 PM
Michael Jackson was not the most famous living person just before he died.It was most likely Barack O'Bama as he had an amazing story of how a black man of muslim origin managed to get elected as the president of America.Michael Jackson had not had a hit for a number of years and was seen to a lot of people as a perverted man who had terrible plastic surgery.For these reasons people tried to put him to the back of their mind
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June 30, 2009 06:48 AM
I don't think he was the most famous person in the world.... there are people who hadn't thought about him in ages... like myself... who were suddenly talking about him.... I am not saying he wasn't a great entertainer... cuz he was.... but it is amazing how dying can make someone very popular again. If he hadn't died all of his CD's and Video's wouldn't have gone flying of the shelves.
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