Celeb obsessed

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Story Published: Jun 26, 2009 at 5:17 PM MST

Story Updated: Jun 26, 2009 at 5:17 PM MST

By Hasti Taghi

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IDAHO FALLS - "What is the first thing you heard on the news this morning?"
"Michael Jackson. Dead."

"What do you know about the latest on the economy?"
"Not much!"

"What have you heard on the latest on MJ?"
"All the news is on it. I heard it last night and all day today."

"I think we're hearing too much on celebs and not enough on real news."

"I think there can be an excess sometimes but then again he's Michael Jackson."

Mixed reaction as more news floods the airwaves of the stars' sudden death. While fans mourn the loss of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, some wonder if it's too much.

"It's fine to talk about them one day but day after day and hour after hour, I don't think it needs to be on."

The celebrity obsession could be at an all time high with the emergence of the Internet media. For example, when I type 'Michael Jackson' on Google, I get 72 million hits in a matter of seconds. Giving you an all access pass to the singer's life and death.

"Is it an unhealthy obsession?" asks reporter Hasti Taghi
"If anything is in it's perspective it's healthy. If we can't get enough of it and must know the next chapter, it can become unhealthy," says Dr. Gracie Hargraves.

Dr. Hargraves of Creekside Counseling sees this kind of fixation regularly.

"Can the media be to blame?" asks Taghi.
"I think the media is what brings it but we need personal responsibility for how we use it," says Dr. Hargraves.

The continual coverage has put Michael Jackson's records at the top of the charts on ITunes and Amazon but here in Idaho Falls, the news hasn't had the same affect on sales.

"We haven't seen a big increase in it yet, and it's gonna be a little bit of time for people to do that," says Jason Strawn, Best Buy manager.

And many think the end to this non-stop news won't be anytime soon.

"More people know about Michael Jackson and Britney Spears than where Iraq is on a map."

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