Except yesterday I watched a news report that showed hundreds of thousands of people in streets around the world doing their Billie Jean/Thriller/Bad impersonations and decrying the loss of a musical genius and "great man". His death and subsequent media frenzy managed to push the situation in Iran among other pressing issues off the front page.
In the interest of full disclosure I should reveal that in the 1980s I was a MAJOR Michael Jackson fan. I had my wall covered in photos of him, I could do all his dance moves and read Tiger Beat and Teen Magazine for all possible news about him. My mother even stood in line for six hours to get tickets for my brother and I to go see the Victory Tour at the Big O in Montreal. It was obvious to me, even at the age of 13, that he was other worldly in his musical ability.
And then a few things happened:
1) I discovered punk music
2) Michael went off the rails
Like so many others I was disturbed by how his self-loathing manifested itself through ridiculous plastic surgery and I was horrified at the first charges of child molestation. I was sure there was nothing to it - an opportunistic family was taking advantage of him - but then I saw interviews with him where he talked about sharing a bed with young boys was a normal and loving thing to do.
Yeah. Allen Ginsberg said the same thing.
A court may have found him not guilty (which is not the same as innocent) but it was enough for me to ensure I would never buy another cd or download a single song of his. There was simply no way I was going to let any of my money find its way into his pocket.
I say all this because I want to make it clear that I understand the impact his music had on the world. I also understand the impact his choices in his personal life had on the world.
What I don't understand is the outpouring of grief for a man whose musical genius is undisputed but whose life was clearly dark and trouble.
I don't understand how people take to the streets, go the Coroners Office, the hospital etc etc over the death of a musician and yet comparatively speaking the streets are empty on issues like Iran, Darfur, the Congo, Zimbabwe, North Korea.
The coming together of people over MJ's death has dominated news stories for four days. It has been the lead story for reputable and disreputable news organizations alike. The images of people dying - actually dying - as they fight for democracy and rights in Iran are nothing but an afterthought compared to this outpouring of humanity over a celebrity.
And it leaves me thinking that if people put this kind of effort into issues that actually mattered, the news reported would be a whole lot different than it is now.
One of these days we will find some communal perspective. I just hope it's sooner rather than later because the world is burning while the people are moonwalking.
3 comments:
a-effing-men, woman. i also loved michael, was also troubled by news of him in the last decade, and do not understand why it's easy to get such a reaction out of people over one person while thousands die everyday in efforts to improve their way of life.
when will people get it?
Well spoken LA - especially your last line.
Me, being a "baby" (born in '83), kinda missed the boat on Michael. In fact my first memories of him are the absolutely frightening Thriller video (ok, it is when you're like 7 the first time you see it). I used to be so afraid that he was hiding in my closet that I'd make my parents close the door before bed.
So, my knowledge of the "good ol' days" of MJ are second hand accounts from everyone and the media. What I saw of him was the off the rails part. The court trails, the baby over the railing, the masks etc...
I can appreciate his contribution to music, but I think we've said our piece and can move on. Move back to the really staggering issues.
It's totally surreal, B got a text literally in 3 minutes after MJ dies..I don't so much remember MJ, but parts of my life that went on to his soundtrack...Highschool, college..Halloween........No matter what I think of him and his personal drama, his music will def. live on...not so bad in the scheme of things..
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