RIP, JJ, OG MTV VJ.

I don't mean to be disrespectful, but as soon as I heard that J.J. Jackson died, I expected to see a response on Adam Curry's weblog. I mean, I know they're from different classic eras of MTV VJ-hood, but I figured there was an alumni association or something. And it's not like Nina Blackwood's a blogger.

I'm also expecting a spate of "Hey! He's black and his last name is Jackson!" epiphanies across the web. Some quick answers to your Jackson queries: Randy Jackson of American Idol? Not Randy Jackson of The Jacksons. Sigmund Tito Jackson? A real Jackson! The late J.J. Jackson? Not a real Jackson.

At any rate, sorry to see him go so young. I believe he's the first VJ to have passed away, and perhaps the first prominent on-air talent at MTV to pass away. That's especially hard to believe since Kurt Loder is actually older than Earth itself.

I'm Anil Dash, and I've been blogging here since 1999, writing about how culture is made. Contact me at anil@dashes.com, at +1 646 833 8659, or at anildash on Twitter or IM. Find out more »

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