Op-Ed: Oprah silent on Michael Jackson's death

The Queen of Daytime Television's silence in the wake of the King of Pop's death is a mystery to the public and the media.

It has been over two weeks since Michael Jackson's shocking death, and nearly everyone who's anyone has commented publicly on his loss. Everyone, that is, except Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey is well-known for being very selective in choosing the subjects for her shows and avoiding exploitation at all costs. She was blasted last year for not having Sarah Palin on her show. And recently she cancelled a much anticipated interview with the parents of accused child murderer Casey Anthony. Also, despite snagging a career-boosting exclusive interview with Jackson at his Neverland Ranch in 1993, Winfrey clearly distanced herself from the pop megastar following his court trials. Still, it seems rather shocking that she has chosen to publicly ignore Jackson's death. Perhaps even more shocking is the lack of public interest in Winfrey's silence. Somehow she has managed to escape a media backlash that even the President of the United States could not avoid. When President Obama failed to issue a formal statement on Jackson's death, a media frenzy ensued. Every news outlet demanded to know if the President was snubbing Jackson. The speculation continued until Obama gave a personal statement during an interview with CNN on July 7th. Despite the fact that "Michael Jackson" is currently the top search string on Oprah's website, Winfrey's deafening silence remains. Maybe she is simply respecting the Jackson family's privacy. Or perhaps she is adhering to that age-old adage: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."