Michael Jackson – friend or foe? –
There is no arguing the fact that Michael Jackson was a fantastic artist and a staple in Pop/Disco music culture. He started his career at the young age of 11 with his band of brothers known as the Jackson 5 and was ready to launch a 2009 comeback tour before his sudden death occurred. Some say he is best known for his hit song “Thriller” while others remember him for his funky “moon-walk” and then there are some who remember him for his numerous accusations of child molestation at his “Never-land” ranch. Somebody sent me a message asking me if I was going to blog about the death of Michael Jackson and it got me thinking about what everyone else thinks about Michael? Even though he was a giant star in the music industry does that make up for the outrageous events that are said to have taken place at the “magical ranch?” What do you think? I’m all ears. I mean no disrespect to anybody and I’m not accusing Michael for anything since he was never actually charged. I am just curious to hear what all of you think. Talk to you soon!
Signing out: Marcus@mixtureofsorts.com
Bright Side of Life
Bump
I think his past is currently being overshadowed by his untimely death. Only time will tell how he is remembered. I’m noticing a trend similar to that of the Phillies winning the world series. When the Phils won the world series, so many people all of a sudden became supportive of them as a team regardless of how closely they followed them – if at all. The same seems to be going on with MJ. People are jumping on the bandwagon even if they haven’t heard his music or know much about him as a person. It’s probably too early to say for sure but I have a feeling the stigma of child molestation will stick with him regardless of whether he was actually guilty or not (I believe, off hand, that both trials were settled out of court which would lend one to think he’s not entirely innocent). Think OJ Simpson.
I think you hit the nail on the head. Michael Jackson was a dichotomy to be sure. For those of use who are old enough to remember Michael Jackson from his earliest days, it has been rather painful to watch what he had become. He was a product of his “bizarre” upbringing and being a child star thrust into the spotlight. Personally, I think his story is one of the saddest tales I know of. Since I have no first hand knowledge of what he did or did not do, and he was never convicted, I have tried not to speculate. Usually the truth is always some where in the middle. If he did the things he was accused of, he will have to answer for them in the next life. Any punishment he receives will be worse than anything we can hand out as a society.
I agree with Dan, often times after a death the person is romanticized. Rememberd for the good person they were and the life they lead, this is not nesseccarily a bad thing (no one should ever trod on a grave) but what happens when those strong feelings associated with the death of a loved one go away? Right now emotions are too high, like Dan said, time will tell. I predict that his legacy will be forever tarnished because of the child molestation scandal. Once the generation that saw him grow up and blossom (also crash and burn?) pass on, i think only the bad will be rememberd… i think thats one of the problems with this generatioin (and im the poster child), we tend to be very cynical….
I feel like Michael was thrust into the limelight at too early of an age. He’s been on stage and famous since he was 11… at this point, most people are just beginning to find their own identities, with their families, with their friends, with themselves. I can only imagine what adolescent years on tour must have been like: having fans constantly throwing themselves at you, having no real privacy (The Susan Boyle story shows the psychological effects of a person thrown into such a situation). While I’m not trying to excuse anything he may or may not have done (because I don’t know if we’ll ever know the real truth), I’m sure that contributed to his state of mind and general eccentricity (such as holding the baby out of a window, making his kids all wear masks and such to hide their faces, the countless plastic surgeries). I’ve also heard rumors about how tough his father was on him and his family, and stories about how he was always pressured into doing certain things by his brothers, despite his mother’s heavy christian influence (I heard they once locked him in a room to have sex with some fangirl, and his first words to her were “Do you believe in God?”, and he wouldn’t do anything with her (I’m not condemning him for that, for the record, just using it as an example to show the two conflicting personality extremes between his own family members)).
All of that aside, I will say that I personally hope that he is remembered for what he contributed to the entertainment industry. There were certainly some black marks left on his career by his eccentricity and refusal to grow up (some might say this is proof that he’s trying to recreate a lost childhood), but his music was thoroughly entertaining, his dance moves will be remembered forever, and despite his guilt or innocence in certain legal matters, his next tour had already sold out within a day of ticket sales. The man had a very successful career, and helped shape pop culture in the 70′s, 80′s, and 90′s… for that, I believe, he should be remembered in a positive light.
hey dude,The world sure misses Michael, don’t they? I mean regardless of what you think of him personally, it’s hard to deny his the influence his music had on the world.
Thanks, that is a very good article. I found it via MSN and immediately incorporated it into my feedreader. I am pleased to soon be back here to read again! Best greets
Now that the vultures has picked off the last bits, we can remember Michael Jackson for what he really was – an amazing musician and someone who brought hope and joy to millions of people. RIP Michael.
Missing you MJ…
Much love!!
You’re the best Michael