With the mask finally removed, her tearful goodbye humanized him in the eyes of millions of adoring fans and even sceptical detractors across the globe. Paris Jackson was the poignant conclusion to her father Michael’s celebrated memorial service. At the same time, her few words served as a painful reminder of the conflicted legacy that, as some proclaim, the greatest entertainer of all time leaves behind in the wake of his sudden, tragic and mysterious death. In Michael Jackson’s passing, this international icon casts as many if not more unanswered questions about the out of the ordinary life he led behind the curtain of his private stage.
Intense speculation over the star’s actual cause of death has ranged from an accidental overdose to explosive allegations from some family members of foul play and even murder. In the later stages of his life, Jackson was caught in a downward spiral of prescription drug abuse fostered through a tangled web of star-struck enablers and unscrupulous members of the medical establishment. As in his life, Michael Jackson was engulfed by complex legal and ethical dilemmas even at the precise moment of his death. Questions concerning the custody of Jackson’s three children, whether those children are connected to him biologically, control over and division of his complex estate, burial procedures and a final resting place for the star’s remains, use of Los Angeles public funding for a celebrity laden memorial service at the Staples Center and countless more controversial issues moved in swiftly like an ominous and heavy fog in the days and weeks following June 25th.
Upon his death, the Pandora’s box that is Michael Jackson’s secretive but highly scrutinized life burst open once again and the media as well as the public’s insatiable appetite for all of the juicy details immediately became palpable. The daily headlines read like vivid medical records. ‘Michael Jackson’s Autopsy Photo,’ ‘Michael Jackson’s Hair on Fire,’ ‘Michael Jackson’s Leg Wounds and Needle Marks,’ and ‘Michael Jackson was Sterile’ are just a few. Only the most imaginative fiction writer could create a story with such high drama and sordid twists and turns. Even with all of its tabloid entertainment value, it is a monumental disservice to Michael Jackson’s memory that a thoughtful analysis of his significant cultural contributions, particularly in the realm of human rights and social justice, are being obscured in the process of examining his death and now his corpse.
Through his prolific body of work, advocacy initiatives and multi-million dollar charity efforts, Michael Jackson raised international awareness and support for some of the most complex and timeless issues confronting the human condition. AIDS, cancer, famine, homelessness, gang violence, racism, totalitarianism, environmental degradation, child abuse, violations of animal rights, restrictions on freedom of speech and other infringements upon basic civil liberties are just some of the difficult subjects Jackson tackled by leveraging the power of his celebrity. Michael Jackson’s intuitive understanding of the problems besetting the human ecological system was uncanny and uncharacteristic for any entertainer close to his magnitude.
Many have been so dazzled by Jackson’s masterful showmanship and the consistent controversy surrounding his life and death that it would be easy not to recognize the overarching social and political themes embodied in his music, videos and public interviews. The intense emotional pull, messages and raw feelings that reverberate through the lyrics and sometimes disturbing video imagery of songs such as “They Don’t Care About Us,” “Heal the World,” “Earth Song,” and “Man in the Mirror” are gut-wrenching. A deeper analysis of Michael Jackson’s work reveals an individual with a burning concern for improving the lives of the disadvantaged and persecuted around the world. The passion and verve with which Jackson digs his hands into the soil and grasps the trees in his video for “Earth Song,” an operatic piece where he addresses environment and animal welfare, is a reflection of a leader of humanity who cares deeply about the issues he is challenging.
Global events in the weeks surrounding Jackson’s death alone directly mirror the complex problems for which he attempted to raise international awareness. In Iran and before the world’s eyes, civilian demonstrations were squashed and innocent victims like the young Neda Agha-Soltan brutally murdered by instruments of a totalitarian state. In Washington, D.C., a white supremacist motivated by pure hate attempted a killing spree at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, murdering an African American security guard in his rampage. In North Korea, U.S. journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were unjustly sentenced to twelve years of hard labor to merely serve as international bargaining chips for an evil dictator. Michael Jackson spoke out loudly against these forms of racism and repression and attempted to ignite our passion to prevent the continuance of such abuse, neglect and discrimination. How are we now missing this message when it is even more crucial for it to be absorbed into the public mind? Not only do Michael Jackson’s cries of awakening continue to be ignored but his reputation continues to be smeared.
With the current fixation on the gruesome details surrounding Jackson’s physical demise, we have lost focus on the social relevance of Michael Jackson in our cultural timeline. Jackson’s symbol has the power to force what might be a difficult and uncomfortable period of public self-reflection. What progress has been made on the global humanitarian and civil rights issues that Jackson brought to light for the masses? What realistically still needs to be accomplished in each of these realms to actually make future progress? These are the crucial questions that need to be contemplated in the context of Michael Jackson’s death.
Many may ask why this controversial figure, a man who has been the subject of intense criticism and public backlash, should be given such gravity in framing public discourse over the day’s most important topics. Sometimes it takes one person, not just a political or spiritual leader, who stands out symbolically from the rest of society, to make that society reflect on the principles that it follows and the values it embraces. Jackson, throughout his life and in his death, has been ridiculed and revered, vilified and vaunted. In many respects, his story represents the highest possible highs and the lowest possible lows that life can present to a human being. Michael Jackson’s tremendous talent, success, wealth and public adoration were at odds with his extreme loneliness, fear, addiction and destruction of reputation by public opinion. In the end though, Michael Jackson was much more than an entertainer. His contributions to the entertainment field are no doubt profound. However, it is his broad cultural impact that truly transcends economic, social, political, racial, religious and generational barriers. Jackson rose from being simply a magical performer into becoming a humanitarian of historic import. He was a modern day messenger, a visionary storyteller who raised the level of consciousness for citizens across national boundaries. This level of contribution is what the social contract demands of those who are blessed with natural gifts, power and wealth. Shouldn’t we then embrace and support people who are destined for this life mission instead of deriding them? As history progresses and Jackson’s symbol and work are analyzed in conjunction with the unfolding of human events, the important cultural relevance of his persona will be uncovered. Like a piece of classic Greek literature that embodies timeless themes of human striving and suffering, Michael Jackson’s canon and celebrity will come to hold a similar place in the modern day cultural pantheon. Why then was it necessary to shoot the messenger?
I was gonna post it here, thank you for posting its a very moving speech especially this part...
I love the story of billie jean !
Smelly...
it's so typical Michael.
