COLUMN: Straight From the Hog's Eye - Sanford, Jackson make strange news week

Mark Sanford and Michael Jackson have been major newsmakers this past week, although for different reasons. Both have in common that they’ve been the butt of several jokes over the years, but now one has been relegated to scum-of-the-earth status while the other is being eulogized.

First of all, let’s talk about Sanford. It would be nice if, once in a while, South Carolina made national news for something that didn’t make our state look like a complete laughingstock. Whether you think Sanford had lost his effectiveness long before now is a matter of personal viewpoint, but many legislators, even of his own party, are rivals who would say he had.

Sanford has stepped on plenty of toes back home, but the perception I had was that his notoriety somehow might have gained him some traction on the national stage. He had been chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association and widely speculated to have presidential ambitions. There was even vice presidential nominee talk leading up to the 2008 election.

Now, all of that is squandered.

Of course, in talking about the things that have made our state look bad, I would be negligent in not pointing out that some good came out of Dillon student Ty’Sheoma Bethea’s recognition at the presidential State of the Union address earlier this year. Unfortunately, that had to come as the result of the pitiful condition of many of the schools in South Carolina. It certainly didn’t reflect badly on her; it reveals, despite the gains we’ve made, how the state lags so unacceptably in certain areas.

Just as we were reeling from the shock of Mark Sanford’s revelation (and I know some people claim they weren’t shocked at all, but I don’t buy it), we learned that Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson had died.

After spending an afternoon calling our local lawmakers about their take on the Sanford scandal, I did a double-take when I got an e-mail saying that TMZ, a celebrity gossip site, was reporting that Jackson had died. Soon enough, it was confirmed by the mainstream news outlets. He was only 50. Despite his health problems over the years, this still came as a shock.

In fact, just earlier in the day, a track from his legendary “Thriller” album had gotten stuck in my head. I remember seeing that one on vinyl when I was just a child. That album, in fact, is as old as I am. I remember seeing the inside artwork and probably thinking something like, “A tiger? Awesome!”

Later in the ’80s, of course, is when the pop star became notorious for his eccentric persona and allegations of child molestation. While millions around the world still adored him, he became an object of ridicule and a self-parody. What’s most unfortunate is that many people would hear the name “Michael Jackson” and think “freak” instead of “Billie Jean,” “Bad” or “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough.”

Sadly, the news of Jackson’s death has eclipsed that of Fawcett and, earlier in the week, Ed McMahon. This is certainly because Jackson’s death was much more unexpected — Fawcett had been fighting a public battle against cancer — and because Jackson had an almost unrivaled degree of fame.

We know our icons have to go at some point, but at times they might almost seem immortal. Then, we have to remember they’re human after all. And we should remember them and their accomplishments appropriately — not elevating them too much, but giving them credit for all the entertainment they have brought into our lives.