The Meaning of Icon
Pretty much anyone with a pulse has heard about what happened within the last four hours, with regard to a megastar who had soared so high that a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick couldn't bring him back down to earth. A figure that was at times the pinnacle of charm and glory, of fanciful, flawless dance moves earning the swoon of many a woman and the envy and aspiration of a man (or vice versa...hell if I know), and at times polarizing, ever-appearing to become the next case of celebrity-gone-psycho, as polarizing as he was popular.
One cannot deny the pull of such a high-flying superstar, witnessing the massive flock of onlookers outside the hospital on Thursday afternoon. Or perhaps we can hearken back, to the many multitudes who cheered him on into and out of the courtroom when facing trial. It is not news that Michael Jackson is an idol and a hero to many. It is also not news that, whether true or not, there have been many who suggested he was some sort of possessive pedophile within his idyllic little world of the Neverland Ranch.
However, being a sports fan for so many years, seeing many pump steroids into their system and being deemed cheaters on every road game, and then to see them hailed as heroes in their home park, I think I've realized something.
This pedestal we continue to place others upon causes people to lose perspective at times...that these people are still human beings, and the only real difference between us and them is their job and their paycheck. The thing with MJ is that he just kept soaring, going to unprecedented heights above and beyond what most everyday folk could fathom.
Here's to the star who soared for all the world to see.
One cannot deny the pull of such a high-flying superstar, witnessing the massive flock of onlookers outside the hospital on Thursday afternoon. Or perhaps we can hearken back, to the many multitudes who cheered him on into and out of the courtroom when facing trial. It is not news that Michael Jackson is an idol and a hero to many. It is also not news that, whether true or not, there have been many who suggested he was some sort of possessive pedophile within his idyllic little world of the Neverland Ranch.
However, being a sports fan for so many years, seeing many pump steroids into their system and being deemed cheaters on every road game, and then to see them hailed as heroes in their home park, I think I've realized something.
This pedestal we continue to place others upon causes people to lose perspective at times...that these people are still human beings, and the only real difference between us and them is their job and their paycheck. The thing with MJ is that he just kept soaring, going to unprecedented heights above and beyond what most everyday folk could fathom.
Here's to the star who soared for all the world to see.