Since the sudden death of Michael Jackson on Thursday 25, June 2009, there has been an endless procession of headlines to note the global mourning and universal tribute to the infamous icon. And the blogs are endless.
Immediately following his death, there was little mention of young boys or any other Wacko-Jacko stabs at Michael; just endless playing of his music and talk of how timeless his works are. – Just how many fans were created with his death? Quite a lot I can image.
The same people in the media who were addressing him as a freak and tried to tear him apart, just to get a story are now praising him and proclaiming an undying respect for him. I and others like me question the sincerity of many individuals’ displayed sorrow.
However, Michael Jackson was a very popular topic on Tweeter. Immediately following the confirmation of his death, somewhere between 600,000 and 2 million people Tweeted about MJ – & of that number I’m certain that a large percentage have either told or laughed at a crude joke about Mike.
I was very much opposed to his behavior towards children. However, I’m not saying that we should condemn instead of mourn. But to those who weren’t actually grief-stricken by his death, there’s no need to pretend that you are.
Here are just a few of the latest headlines:
• TIME Mag Rushes Out Jackson Issue by TMZ Staff. You can get a look tmz.com at the cover of the Michael Jackson commemorative issue – being rushed to the newsstands Monday morning.Mind you, the last time, TIME magazine published a special edition in between weekly issues was in the days following 9/11.
• Michael Jackson's philanthropically "We are the World" project still helps Africans.
• Filipino prisoners honor Jackson with 'Thriller' show.
• Michael Jackson, the greatest.
• The death of Peter Pan.
• House (of Reps.) holds moment of silence for Michael Jackson.
I suspect had “the moment of silence” been for Elvis there would be no uproar.
It seems hypocrisy plays a large role with regards to celebrities and their relationship with the Media and their fans. Frankly, if you or I (or any non-celebrity) had consumed as many drugs as: Marilyn, Elvis, Anne Nicole, & perhaps Michael Jackson – we’d be referred to as pill-popping low-life Junkies; but they are generally regarded as some sort of Messiah.
There’s nothing wrong with appreciating his music for what it is without glorifying him. And on that note;
I found a disturbing post on WordPress, letter to legend to which the writer not only alluded to but actually professed her undying and unhealthy love for Michael Jackson.
I felt incline to render the following response: “You would have to have had an on-coming personal relationship with this individual to even come close to feeling what you proclaim. And even then, it would be unhealthy. But to feel this way about any human-being, especially one you don't even know is not just sick, it’s eerie.”
Oddly, I’ve read a number of articles & blogs in which writers were grasping a straws not to give MJ his props, some going so far as to claim Michael Jackson was not as popular or as talented as a foreign 60’s boy band – known as the Beatles. Just take a look at the stats and you’ll know that to be false. That said, I am incline to post an abbreviated version a NY Times article, ‘After Jackson, Fame May Never Be the Same’ By DAVID SEGAL Published: June 27, 2009:
“…Fame on the level that Mr. Jackson achieved is all but impossible for pop culture heroes today, and quite likely it will never be possible again.
It’s one of those high-water marks that nobody will touch, because record stores are vanishing, and along with them, megahit albums are vanishing, too.
…Likewise, Michael Jackson had MTV, which was the place for music videos, and as close to an Ed Sullivan platform as he needed. Of course, it’s been a long time since MTV played hour after hour of prime-time videos. Today, you watch music videos on YouTube, but because there are no programmers to curate what you see, every artist has to compete with thousands of others. And now that anyone with a computer has a miniature studio, and anyone with a Internet connection can post a song, there are more genres, subgenres and artists than ever.
That’s why even Michael Jackson would have a hard time becoming Michael Jackson these days.”
To the naysayers, just as in life (in death) no matter how hard you/they tried you/they will not be able to deny or take his talent away from him.
I trust based on my posts, that I am not deemed to be one of the hypocrites. Again, although I was opposed to (what I learned through the media) his behavior toward children - I was and still am a fan of his work; and I felt no need to tear him down in his death.
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