Thursday, June 25th, 2009
Michael Jackson Michael Jackson had a profound impact on my childhood. If I had a dollar for every time I watched the Thriller video, all 13+ minutes, in its entirety I'd be retired in my early 30's and sippin' cocktails on an island in the Caribbean right now, listening to Beat It on my iPod of course. The Thriller video was, for better or worse, a turning point in my appreciation for music and musical talent. I vividly recall showing up to the babysitters house each weekday after school with a Betamax tape containing a pre-recorded version of the Thriller video that I had bootlegged from MTV. All the kids would watch it over and over, attempting to dance just like the zombies, until the babysitter made us go outside and play. We'd usually get in 10 or so watches per afternoon.

In third grade I took some of my allowance and split a pair of diamond-crusted white gloves with a black boy in my class, because my parents wouldn't allow me to have a pair of my own. To further my love for Michael Jackson, his image and his music I also borrowed either the red or black leather jacket (based on availability), covered in buckles and pockets, as well as the signature MJ glitter-belt from the same friend on the weekends. At that point my parents had lost all control. Kevin Miller had come to my rescue.

Today when I heard the news that Michael Jackson had died, oddly I wasn't all that surprised. His life has been a disgrace since I can remember, yet I don't blame him. He never really had much control over his life. He was basically born into a family business, one interested in selling his talents. His father was abusive and money hungry, trying to sell Michael and his siblings, the Jackson Five, to anyone that would bite. I'm sure each of us has wondered at some point where Michael Jackson went wrong, and why he is so much different than the rest of us.

To me, the Michael Jackson in the Thriller video seemed somewhat normal, as normal as he ever was. He was good looking, super talented and had a knack for entertaining. It's what he was best at and people loved him for it. From there it seems his career took a plunge. His music started sucking. His body started changing in abnormal ways -- his skin changed colors. His nose majorly shrunk to something most people couldn't breathe out of. He was dishonest with the media and his excuses got out of hand. He got married. He had a child. He got divorced. He got in trouble with the law, cited multiple times for child molestation. He had another child. He fled the country. He became the butt of many jokes. He returned to the US. He somehow had another child. He released an album sometime around 2001. Then he went into hiding and no one has heard much from him since.

Fast-forward 8 years later. Michael Jackson is $400 million in debt. He's owes close to $300 million in legal fees. His luxurious lifestyle has been costing him $30 million in excess of what he makes each year for a while now. However, the three major assets he's been trying to clutch are his Neverland Ranch, his personal music catalog and a large portion of The Beatles catalog (in partnership with Sony, Inc). Things were getting serious. To do that he's been planning a worldwide tour, at the age of 50. He seeked financial backing from two billionaires willing to place their bets on the return of the King of Rock.

Unfortunately, they were nineteen days short. Michael was supposed to start his 50-stop tour on July 13th, and the primary focus was to redeem his image and recover from excessive debt. Unfortunately, he didn't make it. He's been training for weeks, working six hours days for four days a week. Dancing, singing... singing, dancing -- things he apparently hasn't done in years. All to save his career and his reputation. And he died doing it, most likely from the same type stress that he's experienced since childhood.

What does this all mean? Where did Michael Jackson go wrong? Was it the pressure and abuse from his father? Was it the result of early childhood stardom and fame? Or was it something in the chemical makeup of the faux yellow eyes he wore in the Thriller video?

While I've rarely agreed with his decisions and actions through the years, I have always felt sorry for Michael Jackson on some level. It's sad to see a man with so much talent be so mislead. Michael Jackson reinvented dance, he redefined R&B. We watched him for years, through the eye of the media, try to find himself and it's sad that it had to end this way. Hopefully now the search is over and he's finally at peace. R.I.P. Michael Jackson. Thanks for what you gave us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyJbIOZjS8