I was a Michael Jackson fan in 1991 when he released Dangerous, but even as a seven-year old who listened to Bad and Thriller over and over again, a part of my brain always thought that it was rubbish. By the time HIStory was released, I had moved on, but my impression of the singles were that they were trite and musically weak, and that they compensated with expensive, bloated videos. I never listened to anything from Invincible.

I don't say this to be callous. I just want to make the point that at a time like this, there is a tendency to overhype the dead person's legacy and the implications for the world of the death. In reality, Michael Jackson was hardly a prolific artist, and his best work was behind him by over 20 years - the Michael Jackson of 2009 is not a loss to the music world. Furthermore, if you are one of the people who are openly mourning the demise of a musical genius, and can't actually tell me when the last time you listened one of his albums was, then you'll get little time from me.

I could also talk cynically about the supposed genius of the man - a great pop record is the result of many different people, and the guy on the cover is just one of them. It's probably unnecesary though, as the word 'genius' ceased to mean anything a long time ago. I think we can all agree that he was a talented vocalist and a charismatic performer. However, even this is not free of hyperbole - a message passing along the bottom of the news this morning from a woman in London declared him 'the last great showman', as if being an entertainer of millions was an ancient secret passed down to only a select few and now lost forever.

Jackson will be remembered as a tragic figure, partly because of the heights he thrust himself to and the unreasonable expectations of his dedicated legion of fans, and partly because of the relentless media obsession - the same media that will fill days with tributes to the parts of his life they haven't cared about since the mid-90s. If I could make one suggestion it would be that everyone shows a degree of balance and level-headedness. If he inspired you, then his death should make you sad. If you enjoyed his music, be thankful for that legacy. But don't jump around making grandiose proclamations about a man who has probably in the past decade been the punchline of numerous jokes you've laughed at and the topic of many appalled conversations you've had. It's very tedious.