How Much Michael Jackson Is Too Much Michael Jackson?

The concert film This Is It will get a 15-city global premiere, and even for M.J., that might be a bit much

I am so sick of Michael Jackson, already, let him rest in peace. Why are they giving his movie 15 premieres? Are people really going to see this?
—Darryl, via the Answer B!tch inbox

How dare you, sir? Only "legend," "king," "icon"—or a repeat of "legend"—can be used in discussing Michael Jackson and his incredibly special, totally humble family. A man has died.

According to my research, you share a mindset with thousands, probably millions, of other feckless, Godless people worldwide. But not enough feckless, Godless people worldwide.

Even now, nearly three months after Jackson's family trotted out his gold-cased corpse on live TV, some people still want to see the upcoming documentary This Is It.

How do I know? Well...

Because plenty of people are still way interested in Michael Jackson's stuff.

Next month, one of M.J.'s concert gloves goes up for auction. You know. The one that lights up. The estimate on the thing is about $60,000 to $80,000, but Joe Maddalena, president of Profiles in History, which is running the auction, estimates it will go for at least the low six figures.

And that's a good gauge of general public demand for Jackson, because items like that glove are often used as showcases in museums or other places of entertainment to draw in the masses. (When it comes to collectibles, the projected six-figure sum places M.J. in the same category as Jim Morrison or Janis Joplin, Maddalena says; memorabilia from living entertainers like Britney may bring in $20,000, tops.)

The number of glove bidders is also expected to be a good 25 times higher than the bidder pool before Jackson died.

Brandon Gray, of the movie business analysis firm Box Office Mojo, also suspects that the hype isn't over.

"I don't think people are Michael Jackson-ed out," he tells me. "It's going to be years before that happens."

For the record, he doesn't think This Is It will do hugely at the box office—it'll be tough to beat Miley Cyrus' concert flick and its $65.3 million gross—and 15 worldwide premieres does feel a little stupendous, even for a worldwide phenom like the late Jackson.

Plus, plenty of you, my little B!tchlettes, got on Twitter this morning to insist that you are sick and tired of all things M.J. But nonetheless, Gray does think the film will have an audience among the concert-film-slash-Jackson-maniac niche market.

"This movie is kind of a wild card," Gray says.

A fitting description for one of the most unique entertainers of our time.