From King of Pop to Wacko Jacko: A Tragedy in Black and White
Michael Jackson's life is a modern day tragedy.
A star at 11, a teen idol as an adolescent and the King of Pop before he hit 30, Jackson spent what should have been the best years of his life confused, hounded and haunted, an Alice in Wonderland creature in a world of pop culture that he helped to create.
We all must mourn twice today. First, the loss of a great musical and stage talent. But that person disappeared long ago.
Second, we mourn the arc of a life that should have been filled with the blessings of success as defined in our world: money, talent, fame and celebrity. But instead it descended into a hellish purgatory on earth -- damned by public opinion and tortured by demons only he understood.
It was a life left in ruins. His death is a shock, and we can only expect the unexpected in the coroner's report.
But it is not nearly as shocking as the events that led to an untimely demise we could only expect sooner rather than later.
A child prodigy. An adored adolescent. Then -- pop star bizarre. Accusations of pedophilia. Million dollar shopping sprees. A hyperbaric chamber. Evian water piped into the tap on tour. A fake marriage (to Lisa-Marie Presley) and sad surrogate parenting (with Deborah Rowe). Caucasian children who wore veils when in public, and two of whom were named -- who would do this to a child? -- Prince Michael.
The world will have a hard time writing Michael Jackson's epitaph. We see him, frozen forever in time, electric on stage, sliding his inimitable way through Thriller, a defining image in our collective memory.
We see him singing about racial harmony. We see him pleading for world peace. Singing of brotherly love with his friend Diana Ross. Begging for a cure for AIDS, with his pal Liz Taylor. Influencing music and fashion and dance for three decades., generations of fans.
We made names for him: the King of Pop. The Gloved One. Or he was just plain Michael.
And we see him creating the fantasy childhood world at Neverland, where he entertained children dying of cancer.
Then we see him accused of molesting children -- children he abused, or so it certainly seemed. But it got complicated; some were children who may well have used him for fame and fortune, for headlines and a book deal.
It was ugly. It felt dirty. We were learning, along the way, about the treacherous nature of celebrity in our modern age. He embodied the vice, and helped it morph into an epidemic.
We found new names for him: Whacko Jacko. My kids would ask: Mom, is Michael Jackson black or white? In Three Kings, an Iraqi torturer asks US soldier Mark Wahlberg: Hey man, what happened to Michael Jackson's face?
And yet his fans stuck by him. There were always those waiting outside the courtroom who screamed his name like a prayer, a mantra. Who would never believe the worst.
Because in fact, Michael Jackson always seemed harmless. More, he seemed like someone who needed our protection. And this much was true: he needed our love and approval. He lived for it, and the only place he ever got it was on stage.
That's where he was preparing to return, to the one place he could find the love and adulation that never seemed to register anywhere else.
It seemed an impossible dream. And it was. A lost cause. We reported at TheWrap weeks ago that the Michael Jackson 50-city tour was an impossibility, a dream destination where the singer might once again find what always eluded him in the world.
He never found it. That is a tragedy.
Follow Sharon Waxman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sharon waxman
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I too question Sharon Waxman's journalism. Why do you continue to call Presley's marriage to Michael Jackson "fake" when she has gone on the record to say otherwise? Why do you refer to hyperbaric chambers at this point if you haven't informed yourself that he was checking out his contribution to a children's burn unit after his own Pepsi burns?
It is irresponsible to spread rumors without knowing any facts.
Anyone that uses the term "Wacko Jacko" as a descriptive term in their article pretty much destroys their journalistic integrity right there. Welcome to the tabloids, Waxman, you belong there more than here!
And to the author, the name Prince is a Jackson family name. Katherine Jackson's father was named Prince, as well. Please do your research before mocking things that don't sit well with your personal cultural instincts.
Thank you! This author is beyond ignorant spouting tabloid headlines as though they were fact. I am so sick of people analyzing MJ based on tabloid lies that they have been spoon fed.
If Billy Wilder is right and a person is as great as the greatest thing he ever did then MJ was. I'm not a fan of his music but daring to put together the biggest selling album of all time and succeeding is an impressive feat. Dying a half bil in debt is also an event worthy of mention. For being a "shy" fellow he sure pervaded the media (and still does).
Everyone has an opinion.........personally he was Mr.Michael Jackson to me, I am sure thats what is on his birth certificate.....its certainly not "whacko jacko" oh...could you do a story on "drogo elvo" Elvis Presly" the guy whould could not dance?Whos only real talent was reduced to "mumbling" why just the other day on fox news they were advertising the true "King" and his "MEmphis home for tourism? Ahh....the "KING" of rock and roll?.....I thought that was Little Richard?.....back during a time when black artist and there music were routinely robbed of there money and d"dance moves " by white entertainers.
See we all have an opinion......we just dont get to write an "editorial"
Marked as favorite, urfree2speak.
Michael will be missed especially for his contributions to music in general, but he is a glaring example of why people should think twice before deciding to have children or deciding to just "let" children happen only to find they can't/won't care for them properly. He is an example of child abuse and the terrible legacy left to abused children: to, as adults, heal themselves, which doesn't happen often,. its a harsh road and at times its easier to ignore the demons inside and create them into angels, friends etc.. and i deplore anyone who posits the process is straight forward and possible for anyone. I keep hearing the most popular songs from Michael Jackson on the radio but there are some songs that portray Michael crying out to be heard. One song in particular that haunts me as I listen to it today "Stranger in Moscow", if any of you have the album: "HIStory: Album 2" listen to the lyrics...very very sad indeed.
"how does it feel when you're alone and cold inside.....like a stranger in Moscow" - Michael Jackson RIP
Eh. I'm ambivalent about it.
I'm not insensitive to how much he meant to others but I couldn't stand his music at all, never could. I just didn't see what the fuss was about. A skinny kid with a screechy voice and questionable taste in clothes who could sorta dance. And yet the girls in my age group went berserk when Thriller came out. I in turn had to put up with the same 4 or 5 songs (Beat It, Thriller, PYT, Human Nature, and Billie Jean) on the radio at all times of day or night for about two years, but it seemed longer. Much, much longer.
So I'm sorry you're all upset. But I'm gonna need ear plugs to get through the next few weeks while all his hits are played ad infinitum. Again.
Well sorry if you don't care for him musically. Just go and hide out from the world if you feel that way!!!
The point youre missing is that whether or not YOU cared for his music, Michael Jackson was born, the world was one way, now that he died, the world is another way, and its because of him! He was a trailblazer and opened doors for black Americans in a way that few ever have - Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall are similar examples. If you cant respect that then you need to ask yourself why that is and why you feel the need to a voice an alternative opinion that frankly, is not needed.
Yes. When I think of trailblazers of equal rights in world history, MIchael Jackson comes to mind, right along with Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall.
Doesn't everybody?
But, why stop there?
Why not throw in Albert Einstein and Jonas Salk, Benjamin Franklin and Lincoln, Ghandi and Jesus just for good measure?
Please, as talented as MJ was, he was NOT a child prodigy. A talented youngster, yes. Prodigy, definitely not. One commentator last night on Olberman compared him with Mozart for chrissake!
A little modulation, please.
I think "prodigy" is the word. Just because it wasn't in a classical genre takes nothing away from the levels to which he took his art. Sorry. Just disagreeing.
I agree with you. M Jackson need not be "a Mozart" to be a true musical genius and
a prodigy. His life wasn't "perfect" [WHO'S IS??] but his artistry is the best in
in his genre of music-making.
"Classical" music was just the pop music of Mozart's time anyway.
It is unfortunate that you describe Michael's life as a tragedy. It was not. It was more. So much more. And that you fail to see it or acknowledge it is the real tragedy. My heart aches today because we've lost a great entertainer. I've lost a symbol of my childhood. But even in my pain, I CELEBRATE THE LIFE, THE MUSIC, AND THE LEGACY OF MICHAEL JACKSON.
Yes, there were apects of his life that were extremely trying; Michael had to bear what most of us never will. Never-ending media scrutiny; allegations that were never proven, but even so, a conviction in the court of public opinion; and ridicule, of which I am guilty, for his personal appearance. But ALL of that aside, he was a gentle soul, a youthful spirit, and an profoundly gifted and pure talent. That he never let the evils of this world turn him into a hate-filled, bitter man is a testament to his inner strength and decency.
His genius far outweighs his shortcomings, and when you next decide to write about him, I hope that you will not only see that, but acknowledge, and celebrate it as well.
Well stated, LovesMusicLikesToSing.
Genius is often accompanied by significant personal shortcomings and social handicaps, in fact. And his unusual early path to superstardom did not help the development of normality. I find the plastic surgeries the most troubling aspect of his life. He went from being gorgeous as a young man to frightful-looking. However, I believe that warrants compassion for his evident pain, not judgment.
And his music and performance legacy is second to none. To me that should be the main focus.
I'm repeating this, but I found it to be so true of Michael's life. According to Al Sharpton (and I'm paraphrasing):
Most people grow up in life, become successful, and have to adjust to fame.
Michael grew up in fame, and had to adjust to life.
Most of us cannot even begin to understand Michael's journey or appreciate his pain. I keep thinking, maybe that's the way it was meant to be. Michael was a genius, and maybe this was the only way his genius could be expressed. Had he lived a "normal" life, he may not have been the same Michael we're celebrating today.
You are exactly right and so many people cannot comprehend what this man had to go through. My tears have not only been for the obvious reason that he is no longer here but for the pain and abuse that he(and all the members of the family, including Mrs. Katherine - his mother) had to endure for so long by his father and later on for him by the countless media outlets, journalists and some fans as well. This man wanted and craved to be loved, he was lonely and just didn't trust anyone towards the end. We can mourn his death, celebrate his life but America alone had some part of killing his spirit (like I stated below) many, many years ago.
Sharon, I am disgusted that you would bring the tabloid headlines up already just a day after he died.
He gave his childhood to us all of us and entertained like no one before or sense.
He touched alot of good in people,
And I am ashamed that your article makes light of that.
The tragedy is in that he may have been too sensitive and too trusting
And those who sought to take him down a notch, dragged him thru the mud,
One could only wish to be so famous that they could not go out in public with masses of people surrounding them.
But how many could actually deal with it
How similar Michael Jackson's career and personal life was to Elvis Presley's. Two men who had the name "King" applied to their music careers and two men whose fame led them to an inner isolation that none of us could ever fully understand. Their contributions to music span ages and generations but their live's ended in such sad ways. Elvis a bloated, drug addicted shadow of what once was and Michael a skeletal wraith, trying to recapture past glory while overcoming the almost freakish strangeness that had eclipsed his monumental accomplishments in music. When celebrity reaches such astounding heights there is bound to be a long, hard fall. At least the Beatles had each other, they had someone to relate to, they could keep each other grounded. Elvis and Michael were alone, no one there to do anything but tell them "You're the King. You can do whatever you want." Contrary to popular belief, it's not always so great to be the King. I hope that Michael, like Elvis, is at peace and now people can just remember the music. That's really all that matters now.
I must say I was never a big Michael Jackson fan (loved to watch him dance though), I was always more into classic rock music, etc. However, what we see here is no different that Brittney, Lindsey, Miss California, Princess Diana etc. Be careful of what you wish for; you might just get it. Fame is fleeting, it only lasts for 15 minutes. Then, you are forced to live out the rest of the long hours of your life trying to deal with the emotional turmoil. Then suddently, the world turns viscious upon those people we deemed larger than life upon our discovering that they are only human, like the rest of us.
Climbing a mountain of fame/prosperity/wealth/power requires incredible stamina, endurance, focus, persaverance, committment & overall sacrifice. It is an incredible feat to endure. None of us have any idea what people like Michael Jackson endured during his climb to the top. After getting to the sumitt of the mountain one will bask in the glory. However, when the glory fades all too quickly, the inevtible 2 words must be addressed: "Now what?"
.
In light of this, let the world learn a lesson to pass on to our children: my friends, it is not the summit that holds the treasure, rather it is the base & the climb. That is where the magic lies. Everest is probably more beautiful from below vs. the sumit because the agony of the climb has not spoiled the beauty & mystery of its existence. One thing I have learned in my 40+ years of life upon watching people like Mr. Jackson: I have no desire to be rich & famous, think of all of the life he missed out on as a prsioner of success.
I don't mind the money I am just not interested in the fame!!! But being a fan of his since I was about 7 or 8 yrs old in the 80's I have no desire to be entertainer at all nor have kids become involved in that field whatsoever. It is because of soo much I have learned of his life and lack of actually being a child when a child instead of just mentally staying that way as an adult that parents wanting to get their kids in show biz needs to read from the book of MJ's life as a cautionary tale for their own kids of what they may incur on that road to fame!!
Thanks, Sharton, for a great post that everyone should read, and, more importantly, reflect on.
In my own opinion, the media whether it be radio, newspapers, television and now the internet had a major part in killing this man's spirit years ago. When will all of the so call reporters (and you know who are you) who reported on him and his career for years take responsibility of the hateful stories and rumors that you had started and you were able to gain false careers based on your inhumane reports? Talk about kicking a man when he was down. It's amazing that just 48 hours ago you were calling him Wacko Jacko (which for years I never could understand where and how you came up with such a derogatory name) to now calling him by his birth name or better yet even going as far as Mr. Jackson in death. I pray that he will now get the respect that has been overdue to him for many years now. He is finally resting in peace, in a beautful place where there is no judgement whatsoever and he is respected as a human being not a freak. And we keep saying how America is such this place that is not full of hate but those very people are disguised as reporters and journalists. You will have to live with the knowing all of the mean things that you chose to write about him over the years but in the end, he gets the last laugh! RIP...Mr. Jackson...finally.
speaking of the media, remember his video to the song "Leave Me Along"? all the reporters were portrayed as dogs....
Sharpton's comment on point....
It is always easier (and seemingly more profitable) to destruct than to construct. The formidable power of the pen carries with it a great social responsibility. Today's writers have either forgotten or ignored this and seek the headlines - at all costs. The persecution of Michael Jackson is an abomination to all that is good and decent...and necessary. It serves no purpose. And neither do these "writers."
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