Jackson's Nasdaq Appearance Marks Trend
Aug. 30 -- In one of the more bizarre moments in stock market history, the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, opened up the Nasdaq stock market to kick off his upcoming 30th anniversary concerts at Madison Square Garden.
Wearing a dark suit with a gray armband around his right arm, the moonwalking megastar looked slightly uncomfortable as he walked around the Nasdaq market site, waving and blowing kisses to the onlookers and chatting with Nasdaq's Chief Executive Officer Wick Simmons and Executive Vice President David Weild.
Shortly after he pushed the opening button, the singer, who celebrated his 43rd birthday on Wednesday, was presented with a huge birthday cake and a vintage poster of Shirley Temple. "I'm deeply moved at this very special moment for me," said Jackson. "Thank you David and Wick and Nasdaq. Thank you so much. I love you and all the fans. Thank you."
Though Michael Jackson might not be the first person you think of when it comes to investing in tech stocks, Nasdaq's feting of the star marks the latest chapter in the ever-growing bond between entertainment and finance.
Thriller of an Opening
With investing now firmly a part of mainstream American culture, media watchers say adding a celebrity component to financial news coverage is becoming an increasingly popular way to keep viewers' attention.
"It's a symptom of the fact that the market and financial news are now part of the grand industrial entertainment complex," says Robert Thompson, professor of media and popular culture at Syracuse University.
Various luminaries from New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to actress Jamie Lee Curtis have opened up the Nasdaq market, but Michael Jackson, despite his waning popularity in recent years, is by far the biggest name to grace the Nasdaq market site. Nasdaq is going one step further for the gloved one by throwing him a dinner following the first night of his Madison Square Garden concerts on September 7th that will include the likes of Whitney Houston, Liza Minelli and Elizabeth Taylor.
