Allow Jackson Family to Grieve before Media Circus continues Freak Show

From the very instant we learned of Michael Jackson's death, and before he was finally allowed to rest in peace, if only for a brief moment, the leering lens of media coverage on his life has relentlessly focused on the bazaar, freak-like image that the press has assured is his legacy in life and now, in death.

Sensationalizing anything presumed weird and titillating about Jackson including the child molestation accusations and trial he was acquitted for, plastic-surgeries for which he was labeled "inhuman" by the press, and unfounded stories about everything that Jackson lived his actual life in utter dichotomy, Jackson was portrayed by the media as more monster-like than the one he portrayed himself in his masterpiece "Thriller."

To cover a story with breadth, objectivity and integrity does not include false reports and presumptions of the cause of one's death, be they a celebrity or not. It also does not include massive vitriol during a family's raw, unrealized loss and grief before they have had the chance to bury their son, their brother and father.

The mainstream and once contemplative media has now become infused and morphed as one with the Paparazzi. As a seasoned journalist, I am now thoroughly embarrassed to call myself one, hence the hatred and scorn of what my profession and what I once felt was my "calling". To admit one is a journalist now is akin to confessing an immorality of the worst kind.

The Jackson family has not been allowed quiet, somber moments and solace to grieve for Michael. For a few hours at the Memorial Service, they put on a public show for the universe that included some of the best performances and tributes witnessed in a long time.

But it was in the public eye once again, something surely Michael would have approved of for his fans. But just as in life, as he would have also approved for the glaring spotlight to wane for his family, friends and fans. Surely in death, his prayers remain for the bright lights, speculation and cameras to fade if only for moment, for the sake of his family.

The time will never come for the Jacksons for solace to grieve the man who showed the world that anything was possible. But his is to be expected as he was the object of torture, stalking and focus since he was a small boy, as no other celebrity on the planet has suffered.

At the Memorial service, Reverend Al Sharpton looked straight at the Jackson children and said, "There wasn't nothing strange about your daddy, what was strange was what your daddy had to go through."

The first 24 hours of media coverage after the King of Pop was pronounced dead focused primarily on drug use, needle marks on his skin, his frail white body, years of weird behavior and gossip at his ugliest with speculations about what drugs he might been addicted to, while famous doctors and even clergy gabbed sound bites and grabbed their 15 minutes of fame on the cable news programs.

How dare us?

If it were your brother, son or father, how would it feel to see continual images of our loved one being wheeled into an ambulance, with the taped 911 phone call and rumors about all of the things that was wrong with him, including unsubstantiated statements about drug overdose, hired and on-call traveling doctors and a misunderstood persona that escaped us all.

It is only in the past couple of days before the Memorial Service that the positive and enormous talent of the cultural icon that Michael Jackson has finally been lauded.

As the best selling recording artist of all time, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the celebrity who has given the most money to charities all over the world, responsible for the success of 'We are the World' and inspiring like movements such as 'Live Aid', Michael was an icon far beyond his musical genius.

He was also known in his generation as the entertainer that helped break racial divides through music, dance and the classic showmanship of a Fred Astaire and grit of a James Brown. No one can doubt the enormity of his talent, sharp business mind, humanitarianism, un-fathomed star power and the ability to cross racial and cultural thresholds begun by the likes of Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali, and pass it on to a younger generation who had not understood the significance of the Civil Rights movement.

This was a different generation, and they needed Michael.

It was time when only White Rock and Roll bands appeared on MTV. It was a time I can remember when 'Disco Sucks' was the mantra and records by Black recording artists were literally broken at Rock concerts.

But Michael changed that.

Strangely enough, it seemed overnight that friends of mine were rocking out to Billie Jean alongside Van Helen and Aerosmith. And when the Thriller video hit MTV, life was never the same.

Hey, white kids thought, black kids are cool; their music isn't weird at all. Michael made it "all" cool.

When watching and reading the news over the next weeks, months and perhaps years while custody battles, battles over his fortunes and countless rumors about drug use and so-called odd behavior will assault you through television, emails, tweets and texts, just remember, Jackson was a human first, no matter what any scriptwriter or talking head tries to convince you of otherwise.

11 year-old daughter Paris proved to the world perhaps more than any single moment in Michael's entire life just how "normal" and human that he really was. Her lines were clearly not scripted, and she broke down in tears as she said she would miss her "Daddy, " calling hium the best father in the whole world.

Maybe the media had better take a closer into the mirror themselves.

Let the Jackson family grieve and allow the dead to rest in peace. One only hopes.

Follow Francesca Biller-Safran on Twitter: www.twitter.com/masao123

Comments

[Paparazzi-reform]

Francesca,

Thank you for this article and bringing up the issue of the paparazzi mentality of the press. I worked in the security business in Hollywood for many years and became so disgusted with the paparazzi's constant and abusive behavior toward my clients I vowed to do something about it. I've discovered very few people really understand how out of control the paparazzi are and what celebrities go through so they (the readers of tabloids) can see the celebrity's photo in a magazine.

The paparazzi were camped out at Michael's house and captured the last photo of him which they reportedly sold for half a million dollars. It was their big break. Something they could only hope for. Very similar to vultures in the desert watching a sick horse and waiting for it to drop so they can swoop in and get the big payoff.

I started The PAPARAZZI Reform Initiative to bring reform to this industry. You can find us at www.paparazzi-reform.org.

Again, thank you for your excellent article.

[702diva]

Ms. Biller-Safran:

Thank you, so, so much for your eloquent summation of the Jackson saga. I have had the awful misfortune of burying a brother, and let me tell you; it was the ABSOLUTE hardest thing that I have ever done.

Your words really renewed my faith that all is not lost, as regards the US media. I hold out hope that if one journalist (that you would be you) has realized the wrongness of what is being done to the Jackson family, then perhaps there are others who feel similarly, but haven't spoken out. The scandal-mongering, constant un-sourced rumors and never-ending 'Breaking News' (which are always nothing but more un-sourced rumors) serve no purpose, in my opinion, but to further subject this family to misery, ridicule and mockery. Not to mention, subject the devoted fans of Michael Jackson to frustration and anguish.

As a Michael Jackson fan, yesterday was a difficult day for me. I mourned the death of an icon, who defined my childhood musically. I mourned the death of an American, an African-American, who meant a great deal to African-American people. Yesterday was a difficult day for me, as it was also the 17th anniversary to the day: July 7, 1992, that I sat on the front row looking at my brothers casket. Yesterday was difficult; I wept uncontrollably, constantly. But today, your words help, because it's a start. Thank you.

[Checka]

Thank you for reading my article and for your heartfelt words.

Michael's passing and the media coverage has effected me more than I ever thought possible. I am not African-American, , I am Japanese Jewish, and I have always felt the perils of discrimination throughout my lifetime, although i have alwasy attempted to ignore it for the sake of a great, esteemed and industrious life, in spit eof it.

The Black Michael Jackson has endured more ridicule, freak-show status and disgusting, unfounded and unfair media coverage than any white celebrity has or ever will.

I became a journalist so that I could unvover truths, expose lies,right wrongs and bring to the forefront was is fair and just as well as what is clearly immoral and injust.

The coverage of the Jackson family has indeed made me wince when I inform people that I am a journalist.

It saddens me, hurts my soul and makes me angry that my profession has infused with the paparazzi culture and has lost all of its once well-meaning intentions.

I am sorry for the loss of your borther. I lost my best freind, who was African-American three years ago to cancer. I remember his funeral, I can only imagine losing a brother, and what the Jackson family is going through.


You can count on me to continue to fight for integral journalism. I'm becoming angry now instead of sad.

That is a good thing.
All My Best,

Francesca

[middleofeverywhere]

Really? I think if there is anything that can be known about the Jackson family for certain, it is that they create their own circus. If fans and media hadn't jumped on it, they would have--and did. From his father on down, they know how to work the media. Gold casket onstage as if they were about to shoot a Bond villain into space, breast falling out at the Superbowl-­-whatever. They beg for the coverage, so when it backfires, that's just the way it goes. Farrah Fawcett died the same day. At the time she tried to keep her health private, someone at UCLA sold information from her file. THAT is an invasion. Commenting on a parade instigated by the family of someone who has died? That's entertainment.

[Dunbar]

Oh come on. The Memorial was very tasteful and they wanted the casket to be there since it was a Memorial service! I was amazed at how un-circuslike it turned out to be. And with the exception of Joe Jackson, the family hasn't acted in any way that seems to "beg" for coverage.

Jeez, enough already. Granted it is easy to criticize this family for some decisions and their love of the spotlight, but this time I'd say the criticism is unfounded.

And the media did portray Michael as a "freak." Funny how much we're finding out now: how the lupus and vitiligo impacted his skin and hair and how questionable those child molestation charges were. We were cruel to Michael. We should be ashamed. The media did that, not the Jacksons.

[702diva]

The ridicule of Michael Jackson and his family never ends!

How did the Jackson family "CREATE" the rabid yellow-journalism atmosphere by the entire US media and the non-stop scandal-mongering of their son/brothe­r/father's death?

By your words:

"Gold casket onstage as if they were about to shoot a Bond villain into space..."
I can tell that you are a very out-of-touch person, at least when it comes to memorials/funerals. For your information, in African-American culture, the casket sits front and center in the church. The Jackson family did what millions of African-American families have always done. But, to the ignorant, this was yet another opportunity to mock this family. Shame on you.

You have further illustrated this blogger's most poignant point:
"The time will never come for the Jacksons for solace to grieve the man who showed the world that anything was possible."

[middleofeverywhere]

(Sigh)
1. I did not say they created THIS circus, but one in general. Janet's breast, LaToya's Playboy spread, Michael's window baby-dangling act
2. "Parade the family instigated." If you think they were not behind, or at least 100% supportive of the idea to have an overwhelmingly public (especially for the taxpayers of Los Angeles) memorial, you are probably mistaken.
3. I've been to plenty of memorials WITH the casket. Never once was it gold or in an arena. Make that big a fuss, there is bound to be talk. They put that extravagance out there. Not everyone appreciated it. If they wanted privacy, they could have stuck to the Forest Lawn memorial while those performers staged a concert without his casket onstage.
4. The media DID portray him as a freak. He had all those health issues, but the media didn't alter his nose to the point where it barely deserved the definition or make him run around carrying Emmanuel Lewis to awards shows like a pet poodle. You can't blame the media entirely. On top of that, you can't blame me for having my own opinion. When people gush about him to the point it's nauseating, too bad for those who'd like it to die down a little. Unflattering opinions are suddenly an affront to decency. Well, it's an affront to spend that much money honoring ANYONE when the funeral procession passed more homeless people than Michael had snazzy outfits. We are the world, my ass.