My Afternoon With Michael Jackson

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Jun 25, 2010 in Erin's Diatribes/The Todd's Tastes

Editor’s note: I wrote this last year when Michael Jackson passed away…on the first anniversary of his death, I thought it was worth reposting…

Wow, that title sounds important, doesn’t it? It wasn’t quite like that. I was working at MIX 105 in Virginia when our rep from the Epic label let us tag along on a Michael Jackson press conference near Washington DC. This was right after “Black or White” came out, 1991, I think. Michael was combining a visit to a pediatric hospital with a tour announcement.

Now, when radio does press conferences with tv, it’s much like that scene in “Titanic” where the first class passengers are settling into the lifeboat with their little dogs and their furs, and the steerage passengers get locked onto their deck to avoid “disruption.” Except, the tv camera crews are the guys with the furs, and I’m the radio person banging on the locked gate yelling, “Hey! It’s getting kinda damp down here!” I finally turned off my tape recorder and just watched. Michael was walking through a pediatric AIDS ward–there were, unfortunately, plenty of beds filled in that section of Washington DC.

Michael is–was–a notorious germaphobe. He wore gloves then not just to hide the spreading vitiligo, but because he was obsessed with avoiding people’s filthy hands grabbing at him. Yet he would draw off his gloves at each bedside, carefully hold the frail hand, maybe put an arm around the patient’s shoulder. A hospital administrator leaned in and told me that he was doing it deliberately for the cameras.

You see, back in the late 80′s, early 90′s, no one really knew much about AIDS. There was still plenty of misinformation that you could catch the virus simply by touching an infected person. Many AIDS patients died then without ever feeling a human touch again that wasn’t wrapped in a rubber glove. Michael was forcing himself to overcome his natural reticence and dislike of contact to make a point.

Winston Churchill once cynically remarked that “I fully expect to be canonized, AND demonized upon my death.” Here upon Michael’s passing, I fully expect the same for him. But I choose to remember first his awkward–but kindly–attempts to show love and care to those who needed it most.

Don’t Hate Me For My Celebrity Lifestyle, Part 603

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Sep 30, 2009 in Erin's Diatribes/The Todd's Tastes

So, I voiced a spot for a series of television commercials about teeth. I was cast, as you see, as Angry Bicuspid. I was okay with that until I heard one of the commercials and recognized one of my fellow radio girlfriends as Sexy Incisor.

(See right) Sexy Incisor? Why wasn’t I cast as Sexy Incisor? Why was I picked for Angry Bicuspid? Are they trying to tell me something? I am actually at the point where my self-esteem is damaged by tooth placement.

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You'll find piles of goodies, giveaways, expert advice and free-bee family activities here. Look for the "Sneaky Inside Tips" in red to get the most out of the post! I update free-bees and coupons every day. Check back. You can also find us on the radio at B 98.7 in Salt Lake City, streaming live on B987.com, ToddandErin on Twitter and ToddandErin Page II on Facebook. Same great taste, less filling.

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My Afternoon With Michael Jackson

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