Is Joe Jackson really grieving?

Why some critics think Michael Jackson's father isn't handling his son's death appropriately

Michael Jackson's father is as "cold as ice," said Lauren Monica in Daily Kos. On the BET awards red carpet Sunday night, Joe Jackson was interviewed about his son's death (watch the interview), but he seemed only interested in Michael's legacy as a "superstar"—not once did he refer to MJ as his "beloved son," or even as his son, for that matter. And just two days after Michael's death, the Jackson patriarch seemed "to have a great time at the BET awards instead of grieving." Unbelievable.

Joe Jackson's antics at the BET awards were "just awful," said Gawker. Not only did he display "indifference over the recent death of his son," he even had the gall to plug "some Blu-Ray disc he's peddling." His behavior was absolutely "cringe-worthy," and made you want to grab him, "slap him across his face a few times and shake him vigorously while screaming, 'What the hell is wrong with you old man!'"

Look, Joe Jackson is clearly grieving, said Kyle Anderson in MTV.com, and he wasn't exactly "in high spirits" at the BET awards. He expressed concerns "over the final moments of his son's life, especially the circumstances and people surrounding the incident." And he took responsibility as the family's patriarch immediately following his son's death, and has "stressed that his and his family's primary priority was the care of Michael's three children."

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Joe Jackson may have been closer to Michael than people realize, said FOXNews.com. Although it was widely believed that "the singer was distant from his family," Joe Jackson had reportedly "seen his son shortly before his death," and Michael "spoke with his mother Katherine quite regularly," which is more than can be said for MJ's eight siblings—none of them had talked to their brother recently.

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