One of the "addictions" that was attributed to the late Michael Jackson was shopping. In the famous Martin Bashir interview he is shown going through a shop in Vegas spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on kitschy junk. We have all heard the figure of $400 million in the hole being thrown about.

However, Jacko couldn't buy Joseph (John) Merrick's skeleton.

The reports were admittedly dubious. But there are accounts in the late 80's that say the MJ attempted to buy the Elephant Man's bones from the Royal London Hospital. To no avail. One report said:

Michael Jackson has submitted an official bid, for an undisclosed sum, for the remains of the late John Merrick, known as the Elephant Man, from the London Hospital Medical College which has kept them since Merrick's death in 1890.

I don't know if the story is true. Though I think it is. Let's just be glad the Merrick's remains are safe in the London Hospital Museum and not about to be auctioned off to pay outstanding lawyer's fees. That would be a real bummer. Joseph Merrick was an amazing man. The film made about his life honestly makes me cry. When you look at these photos, as I have done many times, one wonders if they could handle Merrick's mistreatment and mockery. He was the definition of bravery.

It's my hope that Merrick's ghost is trying to buy Michael Jackson's bones.