Late Night Soapbox: MJ
While he was still alive, let's get real... He was pretty much shunned by most folks. I used to have this whole line of reasoning that basically said, "You know, no matter how bad you may have f'ed up in your own life...you haven't f'ed up as badly as Michael Jackson." The man had the entire enterntainment world by the balls in his 20s... and couldn't hang on.
The guy had more honed talent than just about any of us, save for perhaps a few other musicians and athletes. Arguably he had become the most famous individual on Earth in his lifetime. And yet, despite all this, despite access to untold wealth and the ability to literally do whatever the hell he wanted... He couldn't escape his demons. No one in his big crazy entourage of sycophants or insane family ever had the courage to tell him, "Dude... Knock it the hell off with having a bunch of eight-year old boys here for a sleepover. Seek professional help... Stat!"
I'm not excusing what he may or may not have done with children. Fact is, we get into a massive gray area when we are talking about the motivations of the parents of accusers. So much money at stake, so much 'evidence' based purely on who said what... No one can claim a monopoly on the truth. Does it excuse it if he did it? No. But none of us are some sort of supreme being, and if there are in fact any concerned gods or cosmic karma justices, he's being judged right now. It's out of our society's hands. Again, let he who is without sin... Cast the first stone.
In the end, I like to think of it as a positive commentary on humanity that most folks don't want to roll around in the mud of the man's dark side. They just want to remember that ability that burned within him, that power to create these amazing songs that made people the world over shake their asses. Music is one of the few things that does bring people together regardless of nationality or religion and he was perhaps the only undisputed global superstar ever. We all have memories of our own lives tied to these songs, they all recall an age where pop culture wasn't so constantly fragmented and channel-specific and we all grooved more or less to the same core tunes.
This whole phenomenon is about a lot more than one man and his shortcomings.
It's a mistake to think so.
The guy had more honed talent than just about any of us, save for perhaps a few other musicians and athletes. Arguably he had become the most famous individual on Earth in his lifetime. And yet, despite all this, despite access to untold wealth and the ability to literally do whatever the hell he wanted... He couldn't escape his demons. No one in his big crazy entourage of sycophants or insane family ever had the courage to tell him, "Dude... Knock it the hell off with having a bunch of eight-year old boys here for a sleepover. Seek professional help... Stat!"
I'm not excusing what he may or may not have done with children. Fact is, we get into a massive gray area when we are talking about the motivations of the parents of accusers. So much money at stake, so much 'evidence' based purely on who said what... No one can claim a monopoly on the truth. Does it excuse it if he did it? No. But none of us are some sort of supreme being, and if there are in fact any concerned gods or cosmic karma justices, he's being judged right now. It's out of our society's hands. Again, let he who is without sin... Cast the first stone.
In the end, I like to think of it as a positive commentary on humanity that most folks don't want to roll around in the mud of the man's dark side. They just want to remember that ability that burned within him, that power to create these amazing songs that made people the world over shake their asses. Music is one of the few things that does bring people together regardless of nationality or religion and he was perhaps the only undisputed global superstar ever. We all have memories of our own lives tied to these songs, they all recall an age where pop culture wasn't so constantly fragmented and channel-specific and we all grooved more or less to the same core tunes.
This whole phenomenon is about a lot more than one man and his shortcomings.
It's a mistake to think so.