It's impossible to get an accurate measure of the man now, there is just too much noise that comes along with the cementing of his status as a cultural icon. It

It's impossible to get an accurate measure of the man now, there is just too much noise that comes along with the cementing of his status as a cultural icon. It's impossible to escape interpretations of certain parts of his life. Huge chunks have been forgotten, etc. Even while he was alive everyone had their take on him, but now to try to contend with the books (widely-panned authorized biography) and movies (also panned), forget it. I would be interested to see more examination of his illness and how he handled it, though. Seems like he completely blew it.