Writer's Block: RIP Michael Jackson
I actually wrote this yesterday right after the news came out, but LiveJournal was all wonky, so here it is now.
With Michael Jackson's just-reported death fresh in my mind, I thought I'd share some MJ-oriented memories.
When I was a little kid, I was pretty scared of MJ because of the "Thriller" video. You see, my mom used to watch MTV at night (this is when it still played videos non-stop, for all the kids out there) and when I would wake up in the middle of the night, she'd be reading with MTV playing in the background.
One night in October, the "Thriller" video was on and it must have stuck in my subconscious because on Halloween night, when my dad dressed up as a sheikh for a party (he had just returned from working in Saudi Arabia), I had the most horrific dream of him turning into a werewolf, much like Michael did in the video. It was scary and, to this day, I still remember every moment of that terrifying nightmare.
Of course, I eventually fell in love with his music, especially since I'd grown up listening to it. So much of his music in the '80s and '90s served as a soundtrack to my life. My favorite songs by and/or with Jackson include:
- "Thriller"
- "Can't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
- "Billie Jean"
- "Bad"
- "Smooth Criminal"
- "I'll Be There"
- "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
- "ABC"
Granted, Jackson went through tough times in recent years, falling into what some called a "musical mediocrity." Obviously, there's also the court cases and accusations. But, I'm not here to badmouth a dead man, especially since he was planning a comeback with his concerts in London next year and beyond. Whatever demons he may have been haunted by, here's to hoping he's finally experiencing some peace.
Rest in peace, Mr. Jackson...
With Michael Jackson's just-reported death fresh in my mind, I thought I'd share some MJ-oriented memories.
When I was a little kid, I was pretty scared of MJ because of the "Thriller" video. You see, my mom used to watch MTV at night (this is when it still played videos non-stop, for all the kids out there) and when I would wake up in the middle of the night, she'd be reading with MTV playing in the background.
One night in October, the "Thriller" video was on and it must have stuck in my subconscious because on Halloween night, when my dad dressed up as a sheikh for a party (he had just returned from working in Saudi Arabia), I had the most horrific dream of him turning into a werewolf, much like Michael did in the video. It was scary and, to this day, I still remember every moment of that terrifying nightmare.
Of course, I eventually fell in love with his music, especially since I'd grown up listening to it. So much of his music in the '80s and '90s served as a soundtrack to my life. My favorite songs by and/or with Jackson include:
- "Thriller"
- "Can't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
- "Billie Jean"
- "Bad"
- "Smooth Criminal"
- "I'll Be There"
- "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
- "ABC"
Granted, Jackson went through tough times in recent years, falling into what some called a "musical mediocrity." Obviously, there's also the court cases and accusations. But, I'm not here to badmouth a dead man, especially since he was planning a comeback with his concerts in London next year and beyond. Whatever demons he may have been haunted by, here's to hoping he's finally experiencing some peace.
Rest in peace, Mr. Jackson...