At 7:55 a.m., an usher at the glass doors outside Staples Center in Los Angeles had a message for the thousands already gathering for the day’s public memorial for Michael Jackson. “We are aware of your sorrow!” he announced in deep, affectionate tones. “We are aware of your pain! And we are aware of your joy!”
The man in the purple polo shirt then instructed ticket-holders how to line up, and that fans would have to leave their flowers and other “gifts” on a table outside the arena, all while insisting that “it is our pleasure, it is our privilege to welcome you …” It was a moment of genuine warmth at an otherwise outsized international media event, and was maybe a better indication of what was to come than the chaotic days of planning that finally led to Tuesday’s gathering.
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