Because enough of a spectacle wasn’t made when Michael Jackson died and we all pretended like we’d never stopped loving him since the mid-90s, Billboard reports today that Michael Jackson manslaughter trial will be—sigh—televised.   This should go well.  Expect subtle coverage from the cable news networks, who I’m sure will handle this situation with same deft, quiet dignity as they have in the past.

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Anytime a collection of rare photos of Michael Jackson hits the auction block, it’s not a question of whether anyone will be interested, rather how much someone is willing plop down when the hammer falls.

In this instance, it’s photos snapped in Paris from 1999 up for grabs; the 90 lots featured portraits, prints and contact sheets, which reeled in 196,000 euros ($265,000 dollars) at the Pierre Berge and Associes auction house in Paris late Monday.

The portrait of the late singer bare-chested and draped in a golden cape nabbed the top price at 26,000 euros ($34,880).

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Try as they might, those in the music business working to make sure Michael Jackson–or, at the very least, the revenue he generates–lives forever haven’t had great success in that arena. Last month we reported that two “new” songs from the King of Pop were at best sub-par tunes and at worst cynical cash-ins that were actually performed by someone who simply sounded like Michael.

Even pop fans have their conspiracy theories.

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Joining the fray over Sony’s decision to release an album of posthumous Michael Jackson material, Michael Jackson’s brother, Randy (aka, Not-Tito), took to his Twitter to accuse Sony of using Jackson imposters to create the new material, according to NME:

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The Michael Jackson duet with Akon was released Monday morning as the first official single from the upcoming album Michael, a collection of previously unpublished songs from the late pop star.

“Hold My Hand” premiered on Jackson’s official website.

A note handwritten by Jackson was found after his death indicating his request that “Hold My Hand” be the first single on his next project, Epic Records said.

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Looks like not even death could stop Michael Jackson from releasing music. In the eyes of some, however, that might not exactly be a good thing. To promote a new collection of previously unreleased tracks named Michael, listeners have been treated to a new single entitled “Breaking News.” Unfortunately, there aren’t too many who think it’s all that good; “Billie Jean,” this ain’t…

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As we reported earlier this year, “Michael Jackson has been dead just long enough to get his very own Cirque du Soleil tribute show in Las Vegas, which sounds like it will shape up to be a very classy and subdued tribute, as all things in Vegas tend to be.”  And now, the Cirque du Soleil has announced the debut performance of the show—it will launch in Montreal in October of 2011, with a tour to follow that will hit 26 U.S. and Canadian cities in the following eight months, according to Yahoo Music:

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As per the year-long wave of desperate Michael Jackson grave-robbing that included the inevitable releasing of vaulted material, a Michael Jackson museum, putting his grave on public display, Chris Brown turning M.J.’s art into forgive-me-for-vicious-domestic-assault schtick, and turning “Thriller” into a full length film, Billboard now reports that the Jackson’s famous Moonwalk will be the basis for an entire dance video game:

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So… this is happening.  Because no corner of the late Michael Jackson’s life, history or pop mythology will be spared from the vise-like hands of commerce that work to wring the last desperate drops of money out of his untimely death (which, apparently, was the best possible career move for MJ, in terms of dollars), Spinner reports today that the classic Jackson track “Thriller” is to be adapted into a full-length film.  Because, you know, that whole classic “Thriller” music video just wasn’t good enough.

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