06.30.09
Rest in Peace, Michael Jackson
Last week, I, like most Americans was shocked and saddened with the news of Michael Jackson’s sudden death. The current generation of teenagers only remembers him as a freakish performer from the 1980s (they probably see Prince in the same way). Since I was born in 1980, I clearly remember Michael Jackson being not just a singer, but a stratospheric cultural icon. It seemed that Michael Jackson could do anything, probably even fly. Michael seemed immortal. His videos and the “Moonwalker” film seemed to give this impression. It was impossible to picture Michael doing stuff that regular folks did. In my universe of awe, MJ was up there with presidents and World leaders.
Sadly, over the years, news of Michael’s eccentricities and odd behavior became common. His scandals were maximized, while his talent was under appreciated. Today, many believe that we never knew the real Michael behind the performance. The glimpses that we got, showed us a confused, lonely and a times delusional man who might have realized how others viewed his actions. I wonder if the strange behavior is a result of excessive adulation as similarities in Michael’s lifestyle can be found with Elvis Presley and a few others. Michael’s behavior caused people to ignore much of his extensive humanitarian work.
Rest in Peace Michael and keep moonwalking in heaven.
