In this case, one side consists of an unidentified or insufficiently identified man in a photograph who resembles a famous performer.
The other consists of the documented death of Michael Jackson in Los Angeles in 2009 and the official processes that followed.
Those are not equivalent forms of evidence.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner explains that California law requires the department to inquire into and determine the circumstances, manner and cause of deaths falling within its jurisdiction, including sudden, violent and unusual deaths.
Its investigations can involve scene investigation, interviews, examinations, autopsies and laboratory testing when appropriate.
The department also maintains records connected with high-profile celebrity deaths.
This does not mean people cannot have fun with a celebrity resemblance.
It simply means a viral photograph should not be treated as proof of an extraordinary claim when far stronger evidence points in the opposite direction.
The distinction between entertainment and evidence is especially important online, where jokes can easily lose their original context.
