there's a sign in the window - he struck you - a crescendo
ten-minute full-length video for 'Smooth Criminal'
stephanie came over at 7pm and just now left about ten minutes ago. we ate pizza and watched videos and talked. it was much better than being alone and enjoying the videos. we both really hate the 4-minute edited video for 'smooth criminal' and thought that they would never play the full-length, but then MTV Jams played it but we missed some of it, and then VH1 Classics played it but we missed some of it again (both times we came into it as it was playing) but about thirty minutes ago we finally caught it from the beginning on MTV2.
we found out on wikipedia that there was a fecking PATENT filed on the anti-gravity lean that is seen in the video. A PATENT! just how amazing is that?! he filed a patent on the shoes for the anti-gravity lean!!
also, earlier today i was reading the wikipedia page for 'Billie Jean', and was linked to this Guardian article: 'How Billie Jean changed the world'. I found it a very interesting read and it helped me understand how truly huge this man was. i absolutely loved him when i was around 10, just like most other people will say (and why is it that so many of us were totally drawn to him and his music when we were kids? i dont know why, but we were, and i really like that), but like most childhood obsessions, it just sort of faded off. i'm really sad that it took his death to make me give attention to his music and his dancing and his contributions to society. because he seems to have given a lot and he reached this level that had never been seen before and most likely will not be seen again. and i honestly just didn't realize that until that Guardian article slapped it in my face:
'Jackson's all-encompassing appeal was something that had never happened before in the history of pop music: Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and the Beatles were preposterously famous in their time, but their appeal was still basically limited to white people. Michael Jackson, during his Thriller LP era, had everybody talking about him.'
i always think about the Beatles being huge and having loads of influence, etc etc., and i NEVER stopped to think about michael jackson. and yes, it's probably because of the fact that i wasn't a fan and hadn't paid attention since i was a preteen. i wish i had.
we saw a live video for 'billie jean' and it just threw in your face the entire time the fact that he really had fans from all walks of life...various races, both sexes, various ages, various lifestyles. and stephanie and i just couldn't truly understand it. obviously, we both were in love with him when we were younger, and now i'm being reminded of what i've been missing out on, but like..this amazing dancer, and someone who seems truly sincere in what he did, and he became the biggest pop star of all time. you know what the 2nd biggest selling album is? 'back in black' which sold something like 49 million albums. 'thriller' sold over 100 millions.
there is a mystery of why he appealed to everyone, but he did.
so...i'm not a fan (at least not for about ten years and not before today, it seems), there's no precedent for me to make a post of a tribute, but i am. this guy was a true talent and a truly original person. and no, i don't believe the nasty rumours, so it's not like i'm posting this in spite of his personal life. although i think he was a singer in spite of his life. it's all been discussed before.
so. yes. rest in peace, michael jackson. you gave a lot to the world and we still took more. i for one am appreciating everything that you gave, just a little bit too late though.
and every single RIP post made is completely deserved.
stephanie came over at 7pm and just now left about ten minutes ago. we ate pizza and watched videos and talked. it was much better than being alone and enjoying the videos. we both really hate the 4-minute edited video for 'smooth criminal' and thought that they would never play the full-length, but then MTV Jams played it but we missed some of it, and then VH1 Classics played it but we missed some of it again (both times we came into it as it was playing) but about thirty minutes ago we finally caught it from the beginning on MTV2.
we found out on wikipedia that there was a fecking PATENT filed on the anti-gravity lean that is seen in the video. A PATENT! just how amazing is that?! he filed a patent on the shoes for the anti-gravity lean!!
also, earlier today i was reading the wikipedia page for 'Billie Jean', and was linked to this Guardian article: 'How Billie Jean changed the world'. I found it a very interesting read and it helped me understand how truly huge this man was. i absolutely loved him when i was around 10, just like most other people will say (and why is it that so many of us were totally drawn to him and his music when we were kids? i dont know why, but we were, and i really like that), but like most childhood obsessions, it just sort of faded off. i'm really sad that it took his death to make me give attention to his music and his dancing and his contributions to society. because he seems to have given a lot and he reached this level that had never been seen before and most likely will not be seen again. and i honestly just didn't realize that until that Guardian article slapped it in my face:
'Jackson's all-encompassing appeal was something that had never happened before in the history of pop music: Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and the Beatles were preposterously famous in their time, but their appeal was still basically limited to white people. Michael Jackson, during his Thriller LP era, had everybody talking about him.'
i always think about the Beatles being huge and having loads of influence, etc etc., and i NEVER stopped to think about michael jackson. and yes, it's probably because of the fact that i wasn't a fan and hadn't paid attention since i was a preteen. i wish i had.
we saw a live video for 'billie jean' and it just threw in your face the entire time the fact that he really had fans from all walks of life...various races, both sexes, various ages, various lifestyles. and stephanie and i just couldn't truly understand it. obviously, we both were in love with him when we were younger, and now i'm being reminded of what i've been missing out on, but like..this amazing dancer, and someone who seems truly sincere in what he did, and he became the biggest pop star of all time. you know what the 2nd biggest selling album is? 'back in black' which sold something like 49 million albums. 'thriller' sold over 100 millions.
there is a mystery of why he appealed to everyone, but he did.
so...i'm not a fan (at least not for about ten years and not before today, it seems), there's no precedent for me to make a post of a tribute, but i am. this guy was a true talent and a truly original person. and no, i don't believe the nasty rumours, so it's not like i'm posting this in spite of his personal life. although i think he was a singer in spite of his life. it's all been discussed before.
so. yes. rest in peace, michael jackson. you gave a lot to the world and we still took more. i for one am appreciating everything that you gave, just a little bit too late though.
and every single RIP post made is completely deserved.