Even the King of Pop Stirs Racial Divide

The first nasty inkling that even the King of Pop can stir the racial divide came with the Mt. Everest size list of postings on blogs, chat rooms, and websites the week after the death of icon Michael Jackson. The comments ranged from mild rebuke to pure venom in which the writers dredged up all the old drug, child molestation, and other dirt digs on Jackson. In many cases they explicitly took big racial swipes at Jackson, papa Joe Jackson, and Jackson family members. Then there was the inevitable instant poll taken days after his death to measure just how popular Jackson really was with Americans.

A CNN poll found that a bare majority of Americans were thrilled by the Pop King. But as always buried in the numbers was the racial kicker. The overwhelming majority of African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians hailed Jackson. A decisive majority of whites, especially older whites, said that Jackson had no appeal to them. The age factor in the line in the sand on Jackson is to be expected. Though Jackson at the time of his death was uncomfortably ensconced as a middle-age pop star on the rebound, his music, dance and style appeal to the young and hip.

But age alone doesn't explain the top heavy racial split. A majority of older blacks in informal surveys and interviews clearly like Jackson, if not solely for his music, for smashing musical and racial barriers in his artistry, in defying Sony and MTV and demanding top money and billing for his music, and for the role he played in opening the doors for other black artists. They remember a few years back when he marched on and picketed Sony with Al Sharpton in tow and his blasts at it as a racist institution. This tagged him in their eyes as a black man ready to challenge the corporate musical establishment. The snickers and wisecracks that Jackson had betrayed his racial roots by remaking himself as a whitish, cartoon caricature didn't cut much ice with most blacks.

Jackson is no Mike Tyson, O.J. Simpson, or Michael Vick. There would never be a gaggle of sportswriters, talking head commentators, and pundits heaping every pejorative that they could think of on his head. Jackson's innate sweetness, childlike innocence, vulnerability, and his big hearted charitable giving insulated him from that type of vilification. Yet, none of this is enough to obliterate the tint of race from Jackson.

There are some distinct markers that Jackson has beyond age and musical tastes that send a racial signal up. He lived an opulent and princely lifestyle. This always engenders grumbles and resentment in some quarters.There was a widespread rush to judgment during his child molestation trial that he was guilty of the terrible things that he was charged with. His clean and full acquittal didn't totally wipe the smear away. And he is an African-American male.

This can't be cavalierly shrugged off. The finger point at President Obama as the supreme example to refute any charge that black males are still routinely stereotyped, negatively typecast, and reviled is not a compelling argument that the old the racial myths have totally vanished. During and after the Presidential campaign, polls consistently showed that while Obama got a high likeability rating from a big majority of whites, many whites still clung tightly to the ancient negative, stereotypical fears of black males and strongly questioned their work ethnic and competence. Though Obama did soften the racial barrier when the final vote was in, he didn't demolish it. The majority of whites still voted against him.

Jackson found out the hard way that at the first touch of legal taint that fan adulation, goodwill, and fame can vanish faster than a Houdini disappearing act. Long before he touched a toe in the courtroom, much of the old racial typecasting of black males when the allegation is a sexual crime quickly kicked in. The aquittal prompted more finger wags that Jackson was able to use his fame and name, and his A team, high priced attorneys to massage the legal system to skip away scot free.
While Jackson, unilike O.J. Simpson, was not a public pariah and polarizing figure, for a time he was damaged goods. The ill fated 50 city concert tour was a monumental risk and a gamble, given his tattered image.

Millions will hail Jackson at his public memorial tribute. They will continue to hail him for his enduring world class music and artistry. But sandwiched in between this some will continue to pick, probe and nag at him for his alleged drug use and addiction, and oddity. Jackson likely will never get a complete pass in death from the negative stuff. Sadly this comes with the turf when the racial divide inevitably rears its ugly head; even for the King of Pop.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His weekly radio show, "The Hutchinson Report" can be heard on weekly in Los Angeles on KTYM Radio 1460 AM and nationally on blogtalkradio.com

Comments

[HarlemFreeThought]

Dude stop the sugar-coating MJ had some serious mental health issues. Mj has been manipulated since childhood, brought on by parents yes both, and then those who he "trusted".

[GigsLaroo]

I'm a longtime Jackson fan, and this just makes very little sense to me.

Jackson was picked on for his oddities because he's black.... okaaay. So other odd guys like Boy George, George Michael and Richard Simmons got no criticism from the media and the public?

"His clean and full acquittal didn't totally wipe the smear away."

Has happened to whites too... See Ted Kennedy, William Kennedy Smith, etc.

He'll never get a pass from the negative stuff? In this snarky age, who does? See Madonna, Sarah Palin, Bill Clinton, Mark Sanford... I can go on and on.

I'm sorry, but Michael Jackson's record-smashing commercial success, millions of loving fans, and his own choices of friends and partners tell a different story than the victimization tale presented here.

[nisha]

Luckily, Hutchinson’s position is less easily understood by younger people, among whom the more rabid forms of racism are in decline, despite ongoing efforts to perpetuate them. Nevertheless, the fact that the concert tour was set up in London and not anywhere in the US speaks for itself. The breakdown CNN proposed regarding his American support does not account for his standing overall. MJ's base was global.

Even in England, where some of the most powerfully biased journalism, like Martin Bashir's, has emerged, bad press has less effect on MJ's audience than it does here. Our country remains a hotbed of intractable racism, freely expressed under the protection of our own laws. How else did Diane Sawyers get away with her disgraceful, derogatory interview of the newlywed MJ and LisaMarie Presley? Was Presley, anticipating pre-approved attacks, hard put to it to bear her husband a child?

In the face of MJ's genius, which many of us are late in recognizing, how can Americans fail to recognize how much he did to promote our country's soft power abroad? By making it known that one such as he could emerge in this country through affection and sophisticated appreciation despite the forceful racism that characterizes our society, MJ made the US seem to the rest of the world to be a better place than we know it to be. We owe him a debt of gratitude and an obligation to move toward the better aspects of our national character.

[gracie99]

Many artists, black and white, are more popular abroad than in the US. And some who are very popular here are unheard of elsewhere.

[alix2001]

The sad thing is that people feel so entitled now to deny racism when it is at play! especially after Obama's election! As long as someone doesn't point a gun to a black man's head (even when its done!!) it's not racism....it's anything but! But Michael's stardom is speaking for itself!!! the racist, envious can say what they want, but the world is paying tribute to its greatest star ever

[uzume]

Polls come out how the "pollers" want them to. I think this is nonsense. I live in Tennessee and I am often shocked by narrow views and "old-time" values but i have not yet heard anyone say they didn't like him because of race. There have been comments about his open remarks about sleeping with children and his plastic surgery but this article really goes against my personal experience.

For the record, I was not an MJ fan but i am saddened by the tragedy not only of his death but, as it appears, his lonely life from which he felt the need to sedate himself. There is nothing to gain from stoking this kind of flame and as a long term HP follower, a few stories over the last couple of weeks have come across as ill-founded and amateurish. It's a shame.

[GrainneKathleen]

there is something to the numbers. within my own family, many of the babyboomers cringe when his name is mentioned and readily bring up molestation and drugs, elephant man bones and homosexuality, like broken records. they are ignorant about him for a reason - because they choose to be - they choose to believe every rumor ever circulated about him. when i ask why they hate him so much, they bring up the latter all over again. when i remind them that he was acquitted of molestation charges, and against drug use, though he had been addicted to pain killers, they just shake their heads and wonder how i can be so naive. i am really tired of hearing from them, the msm, not to mention the rag mags, how controversial he was, how strange and how much he played the victim... let it go people! if he has done wrong he will answer to a higher authority - isn't that what most americans believe? so can the haters please stop throwing stones and leave those who loved him to honor the artist and humanitarian that he was? if you don't want to honor him, in his own words, "just leave (him) alone"! how would it feel if you knew that after you passed on, everyone would be picking on you for faults and eccentricities?

[kbrc81]

You mean like how quick they were to mention him dying in his rented house?

[gracie99]

Huh? Was that supposed to be racist somehow?

[gracie99]

The mentions of the rented home were probably due to the fact Neverland was so very famously his long-term home.

That "rented home" was certainly not portrayed as a hovel. The press also mentioned that it was a rented home in the swanky Holmsby area. And it was at least the size of a city block.

[wilinot]

I'm white and 52, and still I cry about his death. Don't worry about the polls.

[Princesspeach]

Why does everything this writer says always come down to race? And on what evidence does he attribute the criticism of Joe Jackson's abuse of his children to racism? Or the allegations against Michael of child molestation? Last time I checked, abuse of any kind was an equal-opportunity affliction.

Last time I checked, Tommy Lee and Gary Glitter were still white guys.

[Steward Clinton]

Thank you again Earl for a truly critical look at the dynamics of racism revealed in our actions, media bias, and behind the scenes expose'. Great work remaining empathetic and impartial in doing so. You are about the only one taking advantage of America's current progress (revealed during the election), to help eradicate racism, by starting and hopefully continuing an evenly balanced objective conversation on the subject - despite it's popularity or the willingness to listen by the public. Keep it up! As usual props out to Arianna for publishing.

[nkadzi]

i like your article; at least someone notices the disrespect that MJ has received in the news, even before his burial and memorial service. i realise that the American community especially the white Americans will never have the spirit of ubuntu!!