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Which Michael Jackson do you remember?Posted Friday, June 26, 2009, at 10:40 AM
For starters, I was born in July 1989, so Michael Jackson wasn't really a big singer during my conscious lifetime.
Also, it is not my intent to throw dirt on an amazing entertainer. I just want to tell you a different perspective, a younger perspective, on his legacy. To my generation, Michael Jackson was almost a bad joke. We know the music, don't get me wrong. "Thriller," "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and his other hits are well liked by my generation. In fact, the song "Billie Jean" is on a burned CD in my car right now. But somehow, it's different for us. Usually when a Michael Jackson song comes on, it's met with laughter for us, almost like a novelty item. My generation's popular songs don't really warrant that kind of reaction. The thing is, my generation knows about the old (or young, rather) Michael Jackson of the "Jackson 5" and the solo artist, but we lived through Michael Jackson: the questionable public figure, or "Wacko Jacko." Which is why I think everyone is confused on what to think about the sudden death of one of our nation's greatest entertainers. How do we remember him? I've heard second-hand someone say, "Now you know what it was like when Elvis died." But I don't think my generation will ever really comprehend the impact Michael Jackson's singing career had on the world. I believe my first exposure to how much people loved Michael Jackson was from watching an old Cosby Show rerun. Grandpa Huxtable by some way or another came across Micahel Jackson concert tickets, and teases the kids by pretending not to know who Jackson is. When he finally gives up the game and tells them they're all going, the house erupted in joyous shouts and hugs -- and I didn't know why. Because to me, Michael Jackson was the accused child molester and "baby dangler" who used to sing. And I believe that's how he'll be remembered by most of my generation. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
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That's too bad you didn't get to experience more than the tabloidal side. His music made great inroads crossing boundaries of music. To be able to cross multiple genres and through multiple generations takes skill and talent. Bringing together the disco, blues, jazz, rock, pop, and many other types of music and combining the audiences is quite a powerful thing to accomplish. Not to mention great artists in support of his music and assisted his work. He assited many others in their musical endeavors. I listened to the MTV VJ's on Sirius today and they were talking about how Michael Jackson's videos put more creative and maturization to the video process of music videos.
I must say he didn't thrill many people with his eccentric private life, and made some questionable decisions that weren't the best. He was acquitted of the molestation charges, cleared of wrong doing even if it seemed rather peculiar. But it does bring to mind that our legal system still doesn't work, because he's still 'guilty' due to the press coverage and regardless of the judge's decisive outcome, he'll always be 'charged' because people remember the press reports. And that's really a sad statement of our system. It's also sad to think that's how you'll remember him, means you didn't really know the full story of his life. His insecurity and attempts to be what he thought the world wanted him to be made him quite confused. That's what tabloids do to popular stars, ask Brittany Spears... another prime example of over emphasis of private lives and expectations. Trouble is, she doesn't have comparable talent, just comparable problems.
Maybe it would be a good time to look into the history of Michael Jackson and learn more about his talents, impacts, and what he did for accomplishments.
Although I never personally met Michael Jackson, I feel I "grew up" with him. He was only 3 years older than me, so I had the opportunity to listen to his music through the generations. He was an amazing talent, and I feel very fortunate to have been able to have the chance to experience his music. I hope there are those who can look past his personal problems, and just listen to his music. His music and talent is what he should be remembered for.