I blame People magazine for this

We returned home from Alaska last month to a huge stack of mail, including three People magazines. Each featured Michael Jackson on the cover, proclaiming his death, his memorial service, or the latest police investgation into his death.

I was not surprised by the massive coverage. What I was surprised at was Mark's reaction; he's now become a huge Michael Jackson fan.

It's weird, I give you that. Prior to MJ's death, Mark could not name one song. But those magazines, filled with Jackson's crazy outfits, lavish lifestyle and raging eccentricities spurred Mark's curiosity. (If you don't think Michael Jackson was odd, then you've never answered any questions about him: "I don't know why he carried a monkey around, why his jacket's worth $20,000, or why he always wore that mask on his face. Or why his kids did, either. And yes, he's wearing his pajamas. In public. While there are cameras around. No, I don't know why.")

Mark informed me he wants to be Michael Jackson for Halloween (instead of Darth Vader), and he's taken to wearing a glittery glove and moonwalking around the house, singing, "Thriller, thriller!" He's also decided that his cousin Johnny should listen to Jackson 5 songs as well, because "he'll learn his ABCs and 123s." ("And his 'do re mis!'" I replied.)

His new obsession has even sparked a name change.

"I want to be called MARK-el Jackson now," Mark announced, claiming he'd already convinced the kids at camp to call him that. I could only shake my head.

I don't know how long this new obsession will last; I'm sure it will die down when the People coverage does. But until then, I'll do something I never imagined doing -- racing my 9-year-old son to the mailbox every Thursday, fighting over the latest issue of People.