There’s just no end to the ick factor in the Michael Jackson tragedy. Everything that’s being reported sounds sordid and sad. Or it’s been made up. The Sun posted a story today about the late pop singer’s ghastly physical state — appalling — and then TMZ reported that the story is fake. And 95% of the world is repeating the same mantra — “Ignore the facts, deny the damage, ignore what Michael Jackson became — just listen to the music and focus only on his peak-of-popularity years in the ’80s and early ’90s.”

I found it moderately unpleasant to watch Al Sharpton — Al Sharpton? — and Joe Jackson hold a news conference this morning about delayed funeral arrangements for Michael, matters of executorship and custody of the kids, etc. Because there was no shaking off the feeling that these guys are basically hustlers looking to self-promote, revive the MJ brand, get their cut, bask in media attention, spread around the b.s. and blah-blah.

And on top of all this Universal has decided to cut the 100% non-offensive LaToya Jackson scene out of Bruno altogether.