Michael Jackson: The last of the superstars?

It was a surreal day indeed. I was still loopy from the nitrous oxide and was leaving the dentist. Groggily I checked my twitter and was greeted with news, or rather rumors, that Jackson had passed away. It would be close to an hour before the news would move from the rumor of a gossip sites to fact confirmed by the major news outlets. It was truly on of those universal "where were you when this happened" moments that was shared by us all.

With the death of Michael Jackson comes the potential end of the mega star; the type of celebrity that crossed all barriers and held universal acclaim. We live in an age of niches and it is most likely impossible for someone to have huge mass appeal. It's just too hard to control all of the various media channels that things like the internet and cable TV have spawned. For example, MJ has been mourned by everyone from Hugo Chavez to the entire nation of Korea. Does any other living human being have the power to generate that kind of global response?

His passing begs the question as to whether or not there are any true superstars remaining and, if so, who they are. The list of likely candidates is short indeed. I can only think of a worthy few who are able to dominate every headline and be recognized by everyone from my mom to the kid in rural Kenya.

• Tiger Woods- He's just a golfer right? Well because of him the rest of the non-golf world is now acquainted with and is paying attention to this sport. Not only that but his celebrity spans beyond golf into the wider popular culture through video games and his army of endorsement deals.
  
• Michael Jordan- The first and preeminent global sports superstar. Besides MJ he might be the only living African American who is universally recognized throughout the globe. His persona paved the way for someone like Woods and his reach also covered movies, the Air Jordan brand, and music.
  
• Obama- President Obama is quickly becoming a global phenomenon. His position as leader of the free world has granted him incredible access to the world and his polished persona hopeful demeanor has endeared him to a lot of them. While it is unlikely that a politican is able to obtain superstar status he's got a certain media driven sex appeal that can put him in the argument.
  
• Madonna- Michael's only true counterweight during the last great mass media decade, the 1980's. She was the other artist who capitalized on MTV and other media to cement her place in our collective conscience. Like MJ her career has had its share of accolades, controversy, and eccentricities.
  
• Bono- He has a certain ubiquitous presence that is felt far beyond the stage. His work as an activist, writer, and businessman has put him in some elite and powerful company that is typically beyond the reach of your bread and butter celebrity. But in this rarefied air he might be a little out of his league.
  
• Paul McCartney- He's a Beatle, what more needs to be said. Since then he has been able to keep a presence in the public eye. His death would probably be the only one capable of generating a kind of response that would rival Jackson's.

I can't think of many more people that have that kind of global presence. There are plenty of television and movie stars but I don't know that any of the living stars could carry this kind of global audience. The ones with the true mass appeal have all passed on. It's just too hard these days to harness every nook and cranny of the public's attention.