McMahon, Fawcett and Jackson — durable celebrity at a price

THE deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson represent a curious trifecta of celebrity passages. Each left an indelible mark on pop culture, but their fame and notoriety followed vastly different paths.

The common thread was so much of their lives being open, explored and subject to public commentary. Whether by cruel fate or artful planning, they were not allowed to drift away. Their travails were as minutely documented as their triumphs.

Jackson has to be a curiosity for the squealing preteens lined up to see the Jonas Brothers. Jackson's musical legend was secured by "Thriller," an album released 27 years ago. Peel back that amount of time off 1982, and the musical world is back at the dawn of Elvis Presley.

Curiosity about Jackson's hold on pop culture is rewarded with an archival trip through YouTube to find his 1983 appearance on "Motown 25." He turned the anniversary celebration for the storied record label into a show of his own.

A decade later, rumors were circulating about his sexual predilections. His recording career never soared to old heights, and media dispatches about Jackson entered the "Wacko Jacko" phase of his life in the tabloids. By the 2000s, he was headed to court on child-sexual-abuse charges.

Jackson's death at age 50 came has he prepared for a lengthy comeback in London. He may have found his showbiz revival as daunting a proposition as his fiercest critics.

He was, for all the strangeness in his later life, a gifted performer whose work inspired and influenced legions of singers, dancers, writers and producers.

One could hardly move farther in the opposite direction than a man famous for visibility and longevity. Ed McMahon did not sing, dance or tell jokes. He was a comfortable presence, first with Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show," and then serving as the gracious host and pitchman.

McMahon introduced fresh talent on "Star Search," which ran an amazing 12 years. He did commercials for beer and luxury automobiles and dog food and shampoo, to name a few. America never lost sight of him through divorces and foreclosure threats.

America's wired generation is no doubt puzzling about the fuss around Farrah Fawcett, who died at age 62. Chances are she is older than grandma, and that famous poster is older than mom. Today, parents worry their children are sextexting more-provocative content than Fawcett's iconic presence on the bedroom walls of a generation of smitten boys.

Her personal struggles and sad, final demise with a rare form of cancer were part of life and death before the cameras.

Three American celebrities will be remembered, but legacy status came with a price.