Michael Jackson. What to make of him?
Is he a cultural icon—a transformative figure, the King of Pop, who had a gentle soul and a good heart, who paved the pay way for Oprah and Barack Obama?
Or was he a tormented man-child distorted by parental physical and emotional abuse—the denizen of an aptly named Neverland who publicly asserted that sleeping with children (only boys, in fact) was a loving thing and that’s what the world needs is more love?
How should his life-in-death be observed?
In my estimation certain aspects of a person’s life outweigh other aspects. (For example, John McCain’s treatment of his first wife, following his return to America and her disfiguring accident, for me, cast a shadow on his overall character; and he made a campaign issue of his character.) For Michael Jackson the shadow on his character is pedophilia. The narrative arc of his fifty years appears to have bent in that direction, from the "island of lost boys" implications of Neverland through his assertion that sleeping with boys was a good thing.
At a wedding reception, I once had a casual conversation with a woman who had been a Norridge neighbor of John Wayne Gacy, the notorious serial killer who buried his victims in the crawl space of his modest home. She declared, enthusiastically, “He was a really good neighbor.” Was that declaration a kind of compensation; was it a non sequitor; was it implicit musing?
Is it like saying, “Michael Jackson slept with young boys, but then again he really could dance?”
Certain social issues are too big not to confront. Pedophilia is one. In Michael Jackson's life it can't be discounted, certainly not ignored.
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2 comments:
Have to agree with you.
I think it's worth noting that, as documented in a Rolling Stone article I recall from the early nineties, Michael Jackson himself insisted on being called the King of Pop as a condition for granting access to journalists.
In my view, he was an incredible dancer and performer who released his final genuinely great album 25 years ago.
His career since then had been demonstrably average (radio charts, sales figures, critical reviews). I suspect that most people calling him a genius in the wake of his death would have had little interest in purchasing another of his albums had he been healthy enough to produce one.
Perhaps we all need to take a trip to Realityland. AOL asks how will you remember MJ. 1. As a member of the jackson 5? 2. As the great 'Thriller'entertainer?
3. As a troubled man?
I am reminded not of Peter Pan but of The Emperor's New Clothes.
Thanks for pointing out the missing piece.
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