Michael Jackson
Apparently, there have been a lot of LJ posts regarding Michael Jackson. Unfortunately, I've only seen a couple from this outpouring...
Again, I usually don't give a flip about celebrities, usually because I don't follow them as closely as many others do. Heck, I really didn't care when Heath Ledger died - I'm sure he was a great actor, but I don't think I've ever watched one of his movies.
Michael Jackson... he was one of those celebrities that everyone and their grandmother knew about, for better or worse. All I knew about MJ growing up was that he was accused of child molestation. Even then, I wasn't so quick to call him a child molester, much like Henry Fonda's character in 12 Angry Men wasn't so ready to call the defendent a murderer. Just the same, I kept my distance from anything relating to Michael Jackson.
In college, my friend Emilee burned a copy of History for me and asked me to have a listen. I loved it! There are few CDs where I can sit down and listen to ALL of the songs. It's still a part of my iTunes library. =)
I saw a documentary on him a while ago - no, not THAT documentary. It was called Man in the Mirror, and it was a re-enactment of the high and low points of Michael's life, from being in business as the lead in the Jackson Five to standing atop his limosine right before going to trial.
In the last few days, I've seen more documentaries, some praising him for his talents as a musician and dancer while others capitalized on his strangeness. Every one of them was enlightening.
I do feel sorry for him. There seemed to be a lot in his life that he struggled with, especially the issues he faced with his father. It's hard to see someone publically dealing with their problems, and in Michael's case it seemed like he was trying to medicate his broken childhood by recreating it in his adult life. Nothing wrong with wanting to be a kid again, or in the same vein with wanting to redo unsavory moments of your life... but, like it or not, Michael probably wouldn't be the success he became without the difficulties he dealt with.
No one will forget his music. Neither will we forget the child molestation charges brought against him. I don't know which I'd remember him more for. In the end, it was his music that made him who he was - that was his identity, above all else: the King of Pop. But no one of this generation will be able to recall Michael Jackson WITHOUT at least the faintest thought of those trials.
I kinda wished I had been able to see him up close. I don't say that very often about celebrities. Of course, it's a moot point anyway.
I don't know what to think about where he did or didn't go. When a celebrity dies, everyone likes to think that that person went to Heaven (I can recall scrolling political cartoon archives of Crocodile Hunter, Mr Rogers, and a few other dead celebs). Considering the circumstances, I guess none of us are sure of what to think.
You will be missed, Michael.
Again, I usually don't give a flip about celebrities, usually because I don't follow them as closely as many others do. Heck, I really didn't care when Heath Ledger died - I'm sure he was a great actor, but I don't think I've ever watched one of his movies.
Michael Jackson... he was one of those celebrities that everyone and their grandmother knew about, for better or worse. All I knew about MJ growing up was that he was accused of child molestation. Even then, I wasn't so quick to call him a child molester, much like Henry Fonda's character in 12 Angry Men wasn't so ready to call the defendent a murderer. Just the same, I kept my distance from anything relating to Michael Jackson.
In college, my friend Emilee burned a copy of History for me and asked me to have a listen. I loved it! There are few CDs where I can sit down and listen to ALL of the songs. It's still a part of my iTunes library. =)
I saw a documentary on him a while ago - no, not THAT documentary. It was called Man in the Mirror, and it was a re-enactment of the high and low points of Michael's life, from being in business as the lead in the Jackson Five to standing atop his limosine right before going to trial.
In the last few days, I've seen more documentaries, some praising him for his talents as a musician and dancer while others capitalized on his strangeness. Every one of them was enlightening.
I do feel sorry for him. There seemed to be a lot in his life that he struggled with, especially the issues he faced with his father. It's hard to see someone publically dealing with their problems, and in Michael's case it seemed like he was trying to medicate his broken childhood by recreating it in his adult life. Nothing wrong with wanting to be a kid again, or in the same vein with wanting to redo unsavory moments of your life... but, like it or not, Michael probably wouldn't be the success he became without the difficulties he dealt with.
No one will forget his music. Neither will we forget the child molestation charges brought against him. I don't know which I'd remember him more for. In the end, it was his music that made him who he was - that was his identity, above all else: the King of Pop. But no one of this generation will be able to recall Michael Jackson WITHOUT at least the faintest thought of those trials.
I kinda wished I had been able to see him up close. I don't say that very often about celebrities. Of course, it's a moot point anyway.
I don't know what to think about where he did or didn't go. When a celebrity dies, everyone likes to think that that person went to Heaven (I can recall scrolling political cartoon archives of Crocodile Hunter, Mr Rogers, and a few other dead celebs). Considering the circumstances, I guess none of us are sure of what to think.
You will be missed, Michael.