you missed the point of the thread, Garrick, y ou were supposed to LAUGH at the deathmatch clip

but you did tell us one thing...you're a closeted Michael Fan.

it's cool, i like his classic material myself.
and Michael HIMSELF knew early on that if there was one person who was going to be his "foil" in the entertainment world, it was Madonna. he saw that in 1983-84 and they've been rivals ever since.
Madonna is "gaining"? honey ...look at what's happened from1993 till now...Madonna has PASSED him. So has his SISTER for that matter. Album sales at this point are immaterial, since Madonna is the highest selling female artist in the world (check wikipedia and soundscan) and while Michael may hold the distinction of having the single highest selling ALBUM of all time, many of his other feats have been matched or surpassed by Madonna...he's no longer the only artist to hold DIAMOND status for record sales. Madonna, Cher, Celine Dion and Shania Twain (to name the most prominent) also hold that distinction.
and the BIGGEST point, i think, is that MADONNA has always known how to use controversy to HER ADVANTAGE. EVEN when it seemed she might go under during the SEX/Erotica "scandal" ...she came out on top with giving HBO it's HIGHEST RATED live concert broadcast in the history of the channel, the album itself- while sliced up by critics still went multiplatinum and Madonna basically punched her critics in their collective eye. She's gained respect, she's become a legend and she can do whatever she wants at this point.
Michael, on the other hand, has been tarnished in his image...he ruined what physical appeal he may have had, his talent is overshadowed by his BEYOND "eccentric" ways and questionable tastes/choices...its really sad. This man was ...IS unlike any other artist that has come before or since...and even
I acknowledge that he set the standard that Madonna knew she had to meet. BUT NOW in THE PRESENT...its obvious that he needs to do something...(what that is, i dont know) to TRY to "comeback".