i appreciated the music of michael jackson. i think he was a fine talent, although his latter work tailed off in my opinion. nonetheless, his early musical career is something to be respected, admired, and possibly even used as a road map for success.
having said all that, i also recognize that he was a man with a lot of issues. and, his issues often took on a very public nature. there were rumors, tabloids, papparazzi, and everything else. and then there were the trials.
when he first passed away, i felt bad for the man and his family. and, like many, i just wanted to focus on his musical career. not that i wanted to dismiss the allegations, but i wanted to remember why i had enjoyed his music and keep that memory of this public figure.
but now, with all of hoopla surrounding his burial, memorial, etc. i'm a bit disgusted. he may have been the self proclaimed 'king of pop' but he wasn't an actual king or head of state. there is no need for his body to be viewed by thousands at the staple center. there is no need for his memorial service to be broadcast on several networks. there is no need for the rampant speculation about where his body will be laid to rest.
and the further it goes the more it goes the more it bothers me that we are sweeping under the rug the fact that he was accused of child molestation, and that it was widely speculated that this was a repeat occurrence. i watched the martin bashear documentary where michael talked about how sharing his bed with a child was the most beautiful thing. something wasn't right in how this guy treated children, and he settled out of court so we'll never have a verdict to prove what was really going on.
michael jackson was a great entertainer.
michael jackson was a troubled individual.
michael jackson was a star.
michael jackson was a pariah.
we must hold all of these paradoxes in their tensions, and never forget what we know about michael. i'm not saying he should be laid to rest unceremoniously, but we should keep it in perspective.
15 comments:
HERE HERE!!! I'm tired of the hoopla... enough, he's dead, mourn sure but I'm done with it.
I concur in spades! I think it's a tragedy for sure. I'm sad especially for his children. Regardless of who he was - international superstar and/or very sick individual, he was their Dad. And now they have to live with the tainted legacy he left for the rest of their lives.
His funeral is turning into a fiasco. While he represented so much to so many, he was no Mother Teresa. This should be a private family matter so that his kids can grieve properly and so that the rest of the world can focus on what really matters.
Actually, he didn't settle out of court during the "Martin Bashir" days, he was aquitted of all charges. The child who accused him then went on to retract his accusations and the family then went into seclusion.
As for allegations, thats what they are, allegations. Nothing was proven.
While I understand that alot of people feel the way you do, many people view music and musicians as people to be revered.
We are a society built on entertainment and what Michael Jackson did not only changed the sound of music but the way we viewed music.
If you aren't interested, turn the TV off.
I personally have been an MJ fan since I was 5 and will forever view him as an amazing artist who made an impact on the soundtrack of my life(cheesy, I know) but I also saw him as a victim of childhood abuse, a victim of the media and a man who never quite knew how to grow up.
I absolutely agree. He was a great musician and a very troubled individual whose life makes me sad frankly. Pay respects for what he has contributed musically but this media circus is extremely out of proportion.
It seems ridiculous that this is being so heavily televised ever since he passed away. He was a musical artist not ghandi.
Also I am highly dissapointed in NPR for broadcasting this live.
joey,
you're right, and i stand corrected. jackson was acquitted in the 2005 trial, featuring the boy from the bashir doc.
however, he did settle out of court, for an undisclosed amount, with another boy in another case.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/13/jackson.trial/index.html
I agree with you, Ed. Sooo over it.
The guy was a pop singer. The millions of dollars L.A. taxpayers are shelling out for his memorial are not worth it.
hmac,
i forgot about the money aspect when i was writing this morning. good point. states in mad debt, every city pretty much the same, and los angeles has to go out of pocket for a (former?) billionaire's funeral.
and they shut down a section of the 405 freeway.
I heard that they are asking residents for donations to help pay for it.
I love the contradiction in posting about the hoopla while simultaneously contributing to it.
No smear, just funny to me.
my contribution to the hoopla didn't cost millions of dollars, stop traffic and has yet to be overdone.
;--)
(why so long in the face?)
"I love the contradiction in posting about the hoopla while simultaneously contributing to it."
I think what you meant to say was the contradiction of complaining about the hoopla (not just posting about it) while contributing to it. But I think you can have thoughts and opinions on the hoopla without neccesarily contributing to the hoopla. He isn't a part of the hoopla but has an outside perspective on the hoopla.
(I really just wanted to see how many times I could use hoopla in a single comment.) HOOPLA! :)Thats 7!
Oh because I know, that deep down, somewhere in Ed's brain, maybe not even that deep, he's deviously rubbing his hands together on the hopes of traffic generated by Michael Jackson internet searches. All the while chastising.
;-)
hahaha! I didnt think of that angle but you definitely have a point:)
i wouldn't say i'm rubbing my hands together, more tapping my fingers together mr. burns' style while saying, "excellent."
adam is just sad because he doesn't get blog hits anymore. maybe he should write another kid rock post.
Post a Comment