So here's my WMA report. I'd really love to just tell my untainted story... but by now, after hearing fan feedback and reading media reports, I fear it's impossible not to respond to some of it... tho still from a very personal point of view of course (cuz that's what this blog is about: mememe!!!)
Let's start with a chronological event log:
I got to London around 11. After consulting with the slore I first went to check out his hotel, which had about 2 dozen fans and was boring. So I went to Earls Court to pick up my competition tickets, where there was a massive queue for the box office. It was also veeery slow and I was joined by some more freaks after a while - the slore and Poon, Mel & Ellie and Lorna. Lorna was gonna try to pick up another pair of my tickets (I had entered, and won, 3 times *cough*). In the end I managed to collect 4 tickets myself (they were gonna investigate my 3rd pair but I felt bad enough so said that was ok, I only needed 4. 
) Yay! 4 tickets! 
£160! Freee!!
Then Ellie and I went inside where Poon, Emma and L.J. were already queueing... in some underground hallway, along with hundreds of other fans. We spent some 5 hours there, the organisation was appalling, they kept shoving people about in an effort to space us out and we ended up waaayy back. I did get some revision done tho. We also met a very cute Zoop!!
As we were queueing I overheard that the whole thing would be starting 90mins late - great (this proved to be true). They let us in eventually (and we got foood!!! oh sweet sweet food)... and there was more waiting and more studying for me. Much squashedness of course, and some annoying bitches squeezing past us. Also more news & rumours, notably "he won't perform" and "the afterparty has been cancelled".
Well and then the awards show started and... it was all rather chaotic, there were looong pauses, many mistakes, and the crowd were only interested in MJ of course and notably impatient. Got some more revision done tho! *lol* Most people around us were nice and I had some pleasant chats. But all in all it took ages and everything hurt. And because it started so late I was sure it wouldn't finish until way past midnight and I'd miss any chance of catching a reasonable train back home.
Finally, after another excrutiatingly long break, they announced that little R&B guy doing a tribute to Thriller (Rick Brown? ah no, Chris) and we figured this was it now. Sure enough MJ was on after him, accepting his diamond award. Everyone duly went mad, and he said a few sentences - the usual spiel I assume (acoustics were bad).
So was that it since he wasn't performing? I could leave? Maybe not. L.J. convinced me to wait, and he did come on again after Rihanna, singing 2-3 lines of We Are The World and walking up and down the catwalk. It didn't actually matter what or how much he sang since everyone was screaming like mad and trying to get as close to him as possible so it was all just the usual big mess.
Then he was off and it was over and everyone left. Took us ages to all find each other, but I saw Deeeee and Kat and Jenny and Lorna and Mel and Ellie and Poon and L.J... and then MJ's car came out and I rushed after it (oh shut up. I needed my adrenaline rush) and lost everyone again. Then found most of them again and we all caught the tube... some of us (the wise ones) went home, the rest to Michael's hotel.
The end. Was in bed by 2.30am. So now for the opinionation...
Was it worth going? For myself I'll say yes, despite the dreadful waiting etc. I didn't really lose anything except the cost of public transport. I probably wouldn't have been too chuffed if I'd travelled from afar, or paid lots of money for a ticket, but this way I feel like I got all I wanted. Also perhaps because I wasn't up to date with the rumours I didn't even know people really thought he was gonna perform, so I wasn't disappointed. I got my share of MJness and I enjoyed the madness - a lot. It's a bit like "suspension of disbelief" in fiction - you accept that "this thing" does it for you, you go along with it, and it works!
Actually last night was the first occasion where I really felt that MJ is replaceable. In theory I have entertained this notion for a while: at the end of the day it could be anyone you freak out over, as long as you accept that this person is "it" (= suspension of disbelief). MJ is still "the one" for me of course, but maybe due to circumstances more than anything. This is my scene, so I'll stick with it. That's not to say I don't love him, but I could maybe get just as excited about Pink or Tokio Hotel (who I missed last night cuz they couldn't perform - wah!) or Placebo 
(whose gigs I do get stupidly excited about - I've just never bothered about stalking Brian and I dunno if it would interest me). Or anyone else for that matter.
Ok. As for commenting on media coverage etc... it's pretty obvious to everyone involved and not-involved that this whole awards show was an exclusive MJ event. 90% of the people attending (if not more) were MJ fans (I'm guessing they had real trouble selling tickets so they invited him?). It was fun and marvellous. But also a bit weird.
I was discussing this with Gaby (non-fan) before the event and was wondering why the WMA organisers would invite MJ (and put up with all the hassle they got from fans). She suggested that people were probably still interested in the "freak aspect" etc (which might attract viewers) and I kinda agreed... because I truly did not expect him to attract this sort of audience anymore.
Seriously. Here was a full awards show - with artists like Nelly Furtado, Rihanna and Beyoncé - being acted out in front of a crowd almost exclusively made up of Michael Jackson fans. It was quite... remarkable.
As for the fan rumours and expectations... I was glad there was no party as it meant I could go home and get some sleep before the exam today. I didn't know people expected a performance (as far as I was concerned it was a possibility but nothing more)... so all in all my ignorance made me a happy person.
I can understand people who travelled from afar being disappointed. But I do get annoyed with semi-local people complaining because they left work 2hrs early. Never expect anything from MJ - have you not learnt that lesson yet? 
Rumours, miscommunication, exaggeration, even lies are the rule. If you can't deal with that, just quit and find someone else to obsess over.
Grrr. There we go. End of report. Tired. Bed.
Nice report, thanks. And I agree that life is a lot easier if you're not absorbed by the rumors mill. I didn't follow every rumor even though I visited the boards every day, but I'd made my mind up from the beginning, and I never expected him to perform at all. And he even did though, just not the way people thought he would, dunno. Whatever. Event is over, life goes on, and it's just been as nice to see MJ as always, and he looked great. I want the jacket! LOL
Posted by: stagiaire on Fri November 17, 2006 at 15:06lol yeah I can't believe he threw that jacket into the crowd!!!! I bet it was worth quite a lot. (and I don't wanna know what it was like around where it landed)
Posted by: Clarissa on Fri November 17, 2006 at 16:44I bet he was high
Posted by: Kal on Fri November 17, 2006 at 22:18
Sob.
Posted by: BML on Sun November 19, 2006 at 15:25Nice report Clarissa, I almost met Michael and got to talk to him and I was close to him three times, went outside his hotel and then I went to the WMA's and got to his car and got a kiss and a "i love you more" words from Michael pretty sweet. Can't wait to meet him though :)