In the media and public frenzy over the death of Michael Jackson, once again, I feel completely out of sync with the times.
Never a fan of “pop” music, I purposely viewed several hours of some of Jackson’s most popular early videos like “Thriller,” “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” and “Man in the Mirror,” which sold worldwide in the millions, and for the life of me, I still fail to see what all the tremendous hullabaloo is about.
Yes, some of the dance moves are remarkable, but so were Gene Kelly’s, Mikhail Baryshnikov’s and Bob Fosse’s (who Jackson obviously copied).
Certainly, he was an accomplished showman ... that one sparkly glove, the short pants and white socks which focused attention on his footwork, the tilted hat (used by Judy Garland, Jimmy Durante and others).
His voice, sometimes barely audible, seemed to me, a completely forgettable high-pitched monotone delivering endlessly repetitive lyrics.
Perhaps the secret to his mass appeal was his fantasy persona and equally fantasy life: A talented African-American child plucked from obscurity and raised to dizzying heights.
Like Madonna, he was constantly evolving into what was the current “hot button” in American culture. In the last decade, he epitomized our growing confusion over changes in standards and morals. Plastic surgery and skin treatments rendered him neither black or white, male or female, but a nonracial, nonsexual fantasy combination that could relate to everyone.
Even his moonwalk, where he slides backward while appearing to be moving forward, is part of his essential persona of contradictions. His lifestyle in Neverland was also based in unreality to such an extent that despite his phenomenal earnings, estimated at more than $700 million, he was deeply in debt.
Although, as of this writing, all the facts regarding his death are not known, it is obvious that despite his fame and fortune, he was an extremely troubled person.
Dying prematurely, especially before his last highly anticipated concert tour, assured his continued popularity. It is very likely the series of appearances might not have lived up to their over-blown expectations; especially since he was in ill health and pushing himself to the limit in order to pay off some of his high-interest loans.
I wonder if our idolization of the over-the-top lifestyles and bigger than life personae of certain celebrities is because we find dealing with the day-to-day realities of our present world too difficult and depressing. If so, it is an unhealthy adulation and escape.
I am aware that he brought much pleasure to millions of fans and that is a special and wonderful ability, but I still feel there is something repellent when so many people feel the need to be present at a huge memorial to Michael Jackson that a lottery must be held for tickets.
Shouldn’t we be admiring those individuals who are making medical advances that save lives or those working to improve the environment, help the thousands mired in poverty, or striving to create a more peaceful world? Fantasy has its place, but surely that place is not on a pedestal.
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