In between marathon sessions at the keyboard, I noticed that Michael Jackson is once again being sued. Director John Landis is suing the former King of Pop over profits from the Thriller video.
Remember the Thriller video? See, if you're younger than, oh, 35, you may not remember that Michael Jackson was once a super-cool, even GOOD-LOOKING guy who made what is still considered one of the most amazing videos of all time (if not THE most amazing).
Twenty-five years ago, “Thriller” debuted on MTV. It was fourteen minutes long, it was directed by John Landis (a renowned movie director), and it features zombies, a voice-over by Vincent Price, and a kick-butt song by the then undisputed King of Pop.
Jacko was not wacko back then. He was damn cool, and he did something no one else had done to that point. He made a mini-movie out of a video and people tuned in by the millions. I was in high school, and my whole family tuned into MTV that night (though my dad often griped at me about my MTV viewing habits — yeah, they used to actually SHOW videos around the clock, go figure, and I could watch for hours and hours…but I digress). We were, like most people, stunned at the production.
So fast forward all these years. The guy is a major joke now. He's creepy. He had too much plastic surgery, too much bleaching, too MUCH. He's just a sick and frightening joke now, and the allegations about the kids don't help. He reminds me of Thomas Mann's protagonist in Death in Venice, a man desperate to look youthful because he's in “love” with a boy. Ick, right?
What's Jacko got to do with anything? Well, it makes me think of characters. Because no one stays the same, do they? We all change over time. Our background and experiences color us, as they should our characters. Hopefully, we aren't as wacky as this. He had the world at his feet, the adoration of millions, and now he's a joke. Seriously, who wouldn't be wacked out by that? But did it need to turn out this way? If he hadn't gone all nutty at the surgeon's, would we even be talking about this? I don't know, but every time I see him in the news, I remember what he used to look like, how awesome he used to be. Sad.
If you've been living in a cave, here's the link to Thriller. (You Tube doesn't allow embedding of this video.)
Finally, take a look at this performance from 1983. Michael Jackson sang Billie Jean at the Motown 25 celebrations. I remember watching this on television too; it was the first time many of us ever saw the moonwalk, and everyone went nuts. (This performance, btw, is credited with making the moonwalk an international sensation practically overnight.) The glove was new as well. THIS was MJ at his height, the consummate performer. Remember, this was 1983 — every bit of this was innovative at that time.
Are we doomed to get ridiculous as we age, do you think? (Man, I hope not.) Wasn't he just adorable in the Motown video? That's a man with star quality. What the hell happened, right?
Remembering when Jacko was a “genius” and not a “freak” really shows my age, huh?
Ah, Michael Jackson! I use to have his poster hanging on my wall. Used to listen to his music. Loved to dance to it. He was the king! And those dance moves… Wow!!
Interesting comparison, Lynn. I think of MJ as Dorian Grey, the man who gave everything to remain young, and met an unfortunate end. Is there a lesson for all of us here? Indeed there is. No matter what you do to your outer shell, what you are inside will always shine through.
Times like these make me sad. MJ’s videos were hip, on the edge. I remember watching every one of them and being mesmerized by MJ’s genius.
Look at Prince and Madonna. They’ve survived growing older with class. Prince is the all time classic artist, a genius of unique proportions. He’s got it all. He can write music, lyrics, play any instrument known to man, dance, sing, and entertain like there’s no tomorrow. He’s done it all on his terms and he’s never sacrificed himself to do it.
Good lesson for all of us. A good lesson for writers too. 😉
Yeah, I think so, PC. That was my thought too as I read that Thriller was 25 yrs old. :/
Great thoughts, Kathy! I didn’t think of Dorien Gray. He also reminds me of a warped Peter Pan — where the youth thing ain’t working after all, you know?
You are so right about Prince and Madonna. They adapted. Not that Madonna’s outfits, etc, on stage at 50 reflect her age — but still, she looks naturally fit, not cosmetically enhanced.
Maybe Jacko was wacked out by the child stardom thing. Who knows? But I think it’s a sad, sad decline. Once, he really was a genius. Now, he’s a guy whose isolation, oddness, and surgeries only make him stand out as a freak.