Doesn’t death have a strange effect on an individual’s memory?

And this has became no more apparent than last night at the BET Awards, the ceremony that had been rapidly manipulated since Thursday to become a tribute and memorial to the death of Michael Jackson.

But how strange to see Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson, looking so perky walking up the red carpet as he was accompanied by no less than his attorney, bleating on about how he suspects foul play in the death of the son, who’s living years he made hell, and then the outpouring of grief by Michael’s sister Janet Jackson, who in recent years has made every attempt to distance herself from her younger brother.

Remember back in 2007 when according to news reports, Janet went public, using the ‘F’ word, freaky, with her refusal to join her siblings in a Jackson Family world tour. The reason, it was reported at the time, was that she was trying to distance herself from her “freaky” brother Michael.

When Jackson was rumored to be putting together a 40 city tour, and had hoped his siblings would accompany him, Janet didn’t want to be linked to the troubled singer and his legal woes and it was known that Jermaine Dupri, Miss Jackson’s boyfriend was also wary of having her being associated with Michael because, ‘he’s gotten such bad press’, and as Janet reportedly noted, Michael is “just freaky.”

Escorted by actor Jamie Foxx, Janet took to the stage, and once again with the ’stiff upper lip’ appearance of her father, Joe earlier, thanked fans for their support during these difficult days being faced by the family. As Foxx led the ‘poor’ grieving Janet to the microphone, Janet said she would keep her words brief and continued, “To you, Michael is an icon; to us, Michael is family. He will forever live in our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all your love and support. We miss him so much. Thank you so much.” (Yeah, thank you for dying, now watch me soar once again!)

It’s becoming evident that the only ‘difficult’ days the Jackson family are facing are those that see them all grappling for as much attention in Michael’s death as they had during his life, while still holding on very tightly to the superstar’s now rapidly disappearing coat tails.