Michael Jackson is invincible. And he has reclaimed his position in death. What a shame that this is what it took.
Excuse me…but…can we please, at least, begin to move on from this Michael Jackson Celebrity Death Match? I know, it’s sad. Death as a concept is sad. Yes, I believe in the after-life, but that doesn’t mean I want to get there any sooner than need be. So, for now, death is still sad. But I think it is time to move on. Ok, day 1, the shock. I get it, lots of news. Day 2, details emerge, some stories abound. Day 3, the family speaks. I remember when my father died, also at 50 years of age, I couldn’t speak for days on end, due to the grief and the gobs of medication to numb the pain of the grief. Day 4, the dish begins. Day 5, the dish continues. Day 6, more dish. Day 7…frankly, I am through. We just sent 4,000 troops to Afghanistan, one of which was killed within 24 hours, and we don’t have the where-with-all to even acknowledge this? Oh, excuse me, we did, a few words on the bottom of the screen on that movable TV ticker tape while the reporter (bloviator) spoke of the latest salacious piece of dish on Michael Jackson. The day Michael died, I wrote about how this would unfold…boy, do I hate being right.
This begs to get into a larger discussion: what do we all find so fascinating about the lives of others…or rather…the deaths? Somehow, I think that the old Hollywood studio system is partly responsible. The creation of mega-stars that captured the hearts and minds of the population also filled the void of the smallness of everyday life. Once stars became so much larger than life, up there on that screen, they moved into our solar plexus, hence, their being was now meshed with our own. Naturally, before movies, there were those that captured the hearts and minds of the people, and newspapers would carry the stories. In the case of royalty, you would have whole countries mourning the losses of their kings and queens. But here in America, we are not a sovereign nation, so we anoint our talent with the same power bestowed on royalty (King of Pop). The studio system also created the publicity machine and with that, came the control of the public, perception and otherwise. And with the demise of the studio system, everything ran amuck. If you know how to manipulate the public using the studio system how-to guidebook, you will achieve unending fame and status. The Jacksons are amazing at playing in that arena. So are Madonna and Oprah, to name a few. The celebrity machine is fascinating indeed. When I moved from New York City to Hollywood, I wasn’t leaving a career in the fashion industry to chase the usual dream of becoming a movie star. I wanted to be a mechanic to the machine called celebrity. I wanted to know how it worked. And I do…and it’s fantastic…and now, let’s put this music icon to rest in peace.
I will miss him much. I wish he would have lived longer.