We Killed Michael Jackson
Where were all the weeping fans, the artists who hail him as their hero, the radio DJs who can't stop playing his music? Where were they 10 years ago? Oh right. Everyone thought Michael Jackson was a freak -- a plastic surgery addicted child molester. His last studio album "Invincible," released 2001, failed to garner a true hit single because radio stations refused to play the songs. Music critics tore him to shreds. He was blackballed. People made fun of him, he was considered a washed-up, has-been, crazy person.
The success of "Thriller," which has sold over 110 million copies worldwide and counting, can never be matched. ("Invincible," for the record managed to sell a respectable 13 million copies worldwide to date. No artist can keep up that kind of string of hits. He put his heart and soul into every new recording he did, but judgment had already been cast before anyone heard the music.
He was a desperate man in pain and everyone threw stones at him. Now it's fashionable to be a Michael Jackson fan. Radio stations now play his music on heavy rotation. His albums are flying off the shelves. Urban Outfitters even carries a commemorative vinyl collection that hipsters can frame and put on their walls. Suddenly the entire world has rediscovered Michael Jackson. He's dead damn it. Imagine what this kind of love would have done for him while he was living? Maybe then he wouldn't need drugs to sleep.
Michael's body was still warm when celebrities, music execs, family members and even his personal staffed whored themselves to TV news programs professing to be Michaels' best friends. People who didn't even know him were releasing statements. Where were these so-called best friends when Michael needed an intervention? Needed help? Nowhere. Yes, some tried, and Michael would not listen -- so keep trying!
Things had gotten so strange in Michael's world, that before he signed with AEG to do a string of concerts, one management company was trying to convince him to be 'virtual Michael.' No joke -- they were going to set up a 3D Internet portal so Michael could interact with the world without leaving his house. That's enough to make anyone feel nuts.
The AEG deal gave him new life. It brought him back to what he does best -- perform, be in front of fans, be around humans. Only the inner sanctum at AEG believed in him. The public and the pundits were waiting for him to fail. Many fans who bought tickets to the sold out concerts just wanted to go to see a historic spectacle, hoping they would witness a car crash.
We killed Michael Jackson. We helped create his gilded cage and then we rejected him. Death serves you well Michael, the world is finally acknowledging the amazing force of nature you were. You changed the face of music. Rest in peace.
Follow Tamara Conniff on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tamarastar
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Thanks for this article. I think its really important to acknowledge the media's role in the tradegy of Jackson's life and death. This kind of perspective has been few and far between. Its heartbreaking that the media could not seem to work with Jackson's shyness, his skin disease, and his message of peace and love more sympathetically. But instead had to tear him apart. It's like a child who gets a new toy for christmas. This child is intrigued so much by the toy he wants to know how it works so takes it apart only to find it can't be put back together. That's what the media did to Jackson. Instead of just letting him be the creative genious he was and letting the world enjoy what he could produce, they had to take him apart. The result was his creativity was stifled and now gone for ever. No one could have produced under those conditions. Imagine what more he could have done if things had been otherwise? If he could have just been supported in doing what he loved and what people loved from him....
I am very sad for the loss of Michael. I know without doubt that he was innocent of criminal charges. The jury got it right. You don't have to do a lot of research to see that the media got Michael completely wrong resulting in what I call a modern-day cru.cifi.xion. And most people didn't have time or take time to research the broadcasts leading them down the garden path. After all, aren't we suppose to trust our media? His story is now symbolic for me. I don't trust anything the media says 100% anymore. He was a money machine for stories and ratings, just like he was a money machine for lots of other people. He's still a money machine as evidenced by all the opportunists coming out of the woodwork to 'seize the moment' for money-making opportunities left and right, Rabbi Shmuley being our most recent par.asite.
Given our media climate, I'll have to say Michael probably escaped yet another media ly.nching. If he'd performed "This Is It" as planned, I'll guarantee you the media would have once again bloo.died him beyond recognition. What do you think?
If it makes any difference, I still think of him in exactly the same way I did 10 years ago as I do today. He was a washed up has been that made superficial trite and banal music which will be entirely forgotten within 50 years.
i agree. the media killed him. they couldnt stand a guy be so talented and be on top of the owrld, they started hating on him since 1986! their is no celeb today that the media hated more than mj. and thats sad you dont hate like this for paris hilton, miley cyrus, etc. and they are not even talented and are not doing anything for the world. mj was a humantiarium and nobody in the meida EVER said anything about that. even today the media wants you to still hate on the poor man. he was never found guilty, and had no evidence against him and yet nobody seems to focus on this and seem to blindly follow the media. sad world. RIP
I am disgusted with Americans and how they treated Michael when he was alive and then to claim they are his fans after he died. Why do you think he never did a tour of America? It is because we Americans can't see the man for what he was. To most Americans he was the almighty dollar and what they could get from him. He tried to show this world what was missing and no one seems to get that. He had nothing but purity in his heart. He liked having children around because in all reality he was a child in his heart and mind. Yes he was a brilliant man, but he took what Jesus said to heart and tried to live by that. Maybe if we all were more child like then maybe this world would be a better place. I really feel sorry for us Americans because now we will never get to see this great man perform in America or any where else because of stupidity. I am glad they are going to start monitoring controlled drugs. They should of done that along time ago, but maybe now it will save someone else life to bad it is to late for Michael.
I know there were always a lot of devoted fans that stood by you no matter what... but if more people had given you a chance and tried to look at things from both sides, many would have changed their opinions about you. You did not deserve the ignorance of myself and so many people. You deserved a chance that many refused, or did not even think to give you. If anything positive has come of this, then it is that I can now see how the media twist and exort nearly everything. I would even say that it has really made me think twice about pre-judging people, and given me a desire to forward your ongoing message of equality and love. And of course, they cannot bother you any more. I will forever bear the guilt of this. I wil forever listen to your music and remember your talent, and believe that your legacy will live on for all time. May you rest in the peace and joy that you deserve. You did not die in vain. God bless.
I also believe that he had the biggest, kindest heart and saw things through innocent, pure eyes that people rarely do today. He never stopped giving, he never stopped caring, and he conveyed all of this through his sheer muscal talent. He was misunderstood. It scares me to realise that I don't think there are many people out there that are as selfless and caring as he was. He was truly one of a kind, talent wise...and as a person. I genuinely do have so much respect for him as a person, and that is before we even touch on his mind blowing musical talent, uncomparable vocals and amazing dancing. And after all of this, it saddens me so much to realise that he is no longer with us.
I hope I have not offended anybody, I did not mean to pass any more judgement, that is the last thing anybody needs. I just wanted to tell of my own personal view on the matter, and express how sorry I am. I want to say sorry to you Michael. I am so so truly sorry that I waited until it was too late before I bothered to look beyond the media, look beyond what other people were saying. I am truly sorry that I never fully appreciated you.
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It is fair to say that I was never one of those people that constantly slandered him, but nor did I ever oppose to the constant slandering done by others. Anyway, as I began working on this tribute, I found myself doing more and more research about Michael the person as well as Michael the personality. I found myself watching videos, reading interviews, buying books...and as the weeks passed, I began to realise how ashamed I should be. Because never once did I even think to look at Michael Jackson from both sides. Never once did I think or care to see this man through unbiased eyes. I just took the twisted views of the media on board and never once even thought about how sensational they make everything. I do believe that Michael sometimes encouraged the media with his own eccentric nature, and to be as much of a major star as he was is obviously going to make it hard to live out of the public eye...but I now see how it got taken way too far, to a level that is just cruel to any human being. People pushed and pushed and pushed until he broke.
From doing all of this research, I genuinely believe that Michael was completely innocent of all charges made against him, and the families were just money hungry.
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I agree with Jewel2122...I am only 16, and so was not around for all of MJ's career. I wouldn't say I have ever been a major fan, but I always liked his music and recognised his talent as a musician. But while he was alive...well, it disgusts me to see how ignorant I was.
I just took in all of the crap fed to me by the media and other people around me. I wasn't sure whether he was guilty of child molestation or not, and nor did I really care to find out. All I did was come to the conclusion that Michael Jackson was a very very weird guy. However, on the night of his death...I felt the impact of it. I wouldn't say I was extremely sad or crying or anything, but I felt the impact of a massive loss...Michael Jackson was such a huge iconic figure. It just didnt seem right for there to no longer be a Michael Jackson.
Of course, the minute he died, the tables turned and many people like myself (those who had previously slated him or not opposed to the negative judgement) began to act as if they had always had nothing but sole respect for him. I hate to admit that I was one of these people...and so I decided to make a video tribute to him.
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This is from Time Magazine July 2009.
Actress Anjelica Huston met Michael Jackson working on Captain EO, Francis Ford Coppola’s 3-D movie that was shown at Disney theme parks.
"I met Michael on the first day of rehearsal, and I was stunned — even though, obviously, I knew his image very well — at how incredibly sweet and how modest and how innocent he was. And fragile too. In person you felt he was almost breakable. But then this thing happened when he would start to work: your heart would beat faster and the hair on your arms and the back of your neck would stick up as he literally took your breath away.
I think it was very hard for Michael to express anger. He was, I have to say, one of the most polite people I have ever met in my life. I never heard Michael say a swear word, even when he was upset. He had the most beautiful manners.
He was, I think, very misunderstood. I never believed any of the allegations or insinuations against him. We had lunch together about a month ago, and he talked about his ordeal. He felt like he had really been put through the ringer. He said they wanted blood. I felt so bad for him, and I felt that he was really broken-hearted from what had been done. He was a meteor: his flame burned incredibly bright, and not for long but mightily."
The people I know in the US that were lucky enough to get tickets to the O2 concerts were going to see a legend perform. People always admired him and were hungry for another amazing show like those he never failed to deliver. So many waited so long for him to perform again, and were thrilled to have a chance to see him live. The fact is he still had a GIGANTIC fan base before his death, and as often happens, now it is even bigger. And many, many fellow artists continued to offer their support and respect to him after 2005. Big names remained eager for a chance to work with him.
The people who should feel guilty are the lower human beings who represent some of the media. They truly set out to destroy and dehumanize this man, to make a name for themselves (Martin Bashir, Diane Dimond), to make money (tabloids and tabloid TV ratings), and because their MO is to judge without evidence (Maureen Orth, Nancy Grace.) It is sickening. It is evil. It is a tragedy.
It would be great if this monster that lives among us could look itself in the mirror as you have and make a change, but somehow I doubt it will. Rather it will continue to justify itself, and now that Michael Jackson is gone, it will target some other unfortunate human being.
I actually say-- I defended Mj at every turn and opportunity during the chandler case.. and I gave them total support . and 'they' knew it.
There was an interesting study about Michael Jackson and his image by Media Tenor shortly after his death. Media Tenor concluded, that although MJ was present in the entertainment press, he never had a slice of a chance to clear his name in the serious news media after the child molestations accusations. Read more here: http://www.mediatenor.com/newsletters.php?id_news=260
I totally agree that the media had a huge role in dragging Michael to death, slowly but effectively. They always made headlines of the troubles he faced, but not his victories, acquittals. They never wrote flashy articles about how much he donated and how many lives he helped (has anyone heard of Dave Dave?).
Having said that, there is no question that Michael is an angel in millions of hearts. There are loads of people in all corners of the world that related to the spirit of his art and his loving and kind heart. Yes, it's extremely sad to have lost him, but what he has left behind for us (his work) is nothing less than a celebration.
From 1993 onwards, Michael's life was ripped apart by molestation accusations. Did it matter to the press that Evan Chandler, a failed ex-dentist and wanna-be screenwriter had to drug his son Jordan in order to get him to accuse Michael, or that the boy stated categorically that Michael was circumcised when he wasn't, or that Michael had wanted to fight the accusations but was convinced not to when he saw the ferocity of the media's stance. For the next twenty years, baiting Michael Jackson would warp into a national sport in the States and an obsession for Tom Sneddon. The unprecedented pressure exacerbated a drug addiction Michael might otherwise have beaten ( his early career was marked by abstension,) and deepened his reliance on plastic surgery which served to objectify him futher in the public's mind. Interesting isn't it, that while Sneddon spent millions and valuable man-power persecuting Michael for over two decades, the california police missed their chance to catch a real abuser who took Jaycee at almost the same time.
"Interesting isn't it, that while Sneddon spent millions and valuable man-power persecuting Michael for over two decades, the california police missed their chance to catch a real abuser who took Jaycee at almost the same time."
As a fan who only recently can think of his death without tearing, I REALLY wish I'd never read that.
A perspective I'd never thought of.
isn't it ironic?? Sneddon wanted so badly to retire in a blaze of glory-- catching that 'child abuser' Michael Jackson..
instead he'll live in infamy as a modern day-- ROBESPIERRE !
serves him right!
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