If the Glove Fits

Ever so infrequently, the city of New York comes together in a spectacular display of unity. I first saw it two years ago when I was interning for the summer, the very summer the final Harry Potter was released. Every second person on the bus, the subway, the street, and in the park was reading the book, relishing the novel page by page, transfixed enough to ignore the usual foolishness happening around him or her. Then in November, Obama's victory brought about cheers on the streets, more tears, and more joy than J.K. Rowling's triumphant ending.

This past Thursday, Michael Jackson died. {You didn't hear?} And from then on out, cars have been blasting "Billie Jean," street paraphernalia has been commissioned in his memory, and people are discussing it on every mode of transportation. This is definitely not a jolly occasion for unity, but it's always nice to see the vast diversity and sheer size of New York brought down to size, whether humbled by the quest for Harry to defeat He Who Shall Not Be Named, Obama to defeat a different sort of He Who Shall Not Be Named , and a tardy regret for MJ to beat his own demons.

The NYTimes has a fantastic article about this very phenomenon; while Harry has been replaced by Edward, Obama will one day give his victory to someone else, who will wear Michael Jackson's glitter glove?

After Michael Jackson, Fame May Never Be the Same {NYTimes}