Last week-end, I had the pleasure of seeing the latest Cirque Du Soleil creation, MICHAEL JACKSON: THE IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR. While the show wasn't perfect, I thought it was a worthy tribute to somebody who has radically changed the way we make music. I wanted to review it yesterday, but I didn't. I always had difficulty to admit to myself that I was a Michael Jackson fan. I have affirmed publicly many time that child abuse was probably the worst crime you could commit, so reconciling Michael's dark endeavors, his legendary artistic talent and creativity and his fascinating and oh-so-complex personality. I won't review the show, but I will come out of the closet with this.
I am a Michael Jackson fan.
I don't wear t-shirts with his face on it*. I don't own physical copies of his albums anymore. I think Conrad Murray was a morally doubtful individual, a doctor with poor ethics and a money fiend, but I don't think he killed Michael on purpose. I don't think MJ ever had sexual relationships of any form with kids, although I believe he was really fucking creepy at the end and that he probably damaged a few young people beyond repair. I also believe there's no valid reason to do that, ever. I like to believe I am a fan of him and that I am trying to be rational about it.
Feels better now. Thank you.
Fucking with a kid's mind is a reprehensible act. Sleeping in the same bed is creepy as hell. It's that kind of drama I don't think anybody could have prevented. Michael had been beaten like a dog by his father, when he was young. He said he would vomit just to see him, at a certain point. That left scars on the still developing mind of a child, but this kind of extreme discipline also brought him extreme success. Soon enough, Michael had enough money to buy whatever he goddamned pleased. That included people, opinions, silence and sheepish acknowledgement of everything he did. Even if somebody ever called him out on his path towards self-destruction, Michael had enough money to hire somebody else. That's how people like Conrad Murray ended up in his entourage. He was the symptom that every bit of truth and integrity had disappeared in the psychopathic place Michael was in.**The damage Joe Jackson did to his son would send him into a long and painful downward spiral. If he didn't abuse kids physically or sexually, it's already a small victory. If he did, well that's just history repeating.
Part of me like, even admires Michael Jackson in a certain way. He was a musical genius, of course and a legendary dancer. But part of his childlike nature brought him to do great things. MJ was no Bono. He didn't pose for charity. He gave obscene amount of money to various causes and his generosity knew no bound. The video for EARTH SONG was a good example of his peculiar, off-beat selflessness. It must have cost and arm and a leg, but it's still one of most efficient environment-oriented message I have ever seen. Of course, you can see Michael's ego in there, with him rewinding the Earth, using the power of his music. But it's Michael being Michael. His belief in the power of his music never hurt anybody. While it might not have had the power to rewind the world and make evil disappear, I think Michael Jackson's music had power.***
He lost the sight of that in the end and drowned in sorrow and money, but MJ was at his best when he made people dance. Songs like THRILLER, BILLIE JEAN, BEAT IT, BLACK OR WHITE, BAD or SCREAM have a groove that transcend the very concept of time. Put them on, in any club in the world and you will see people literally invade the dance floor. More than for any Justin Bieber or Rihanna songs. More than for any DJ Fuckhead songs (that were made FOR you to dance to). I know many people who don't like MJ as a person, but I don't know many people who dislike his music. No other pop artist ever made me even WANT to dance. I wrote this piece and I am still not comfortable with admiring the guy, but I admire SOME things he did. I do think he was a fascinating, tragic character though and I hope his music will live on, because it's worth listening to.
* I don't have any MJ gear whatsoever
** I think Michael's face was another symptom of that
*** Did you know he also co-wrote WE ARE THE WORLD?