I haven't written in forever, sorry about that loyal readers. So it may seem a little odd that the current events topic that pulls me out of my blog-sabbatical is the death of pop-icon Michael Jackson. The reason I write this post though is to discuss something that seems to have been overlooked in the non-stop media craze since Mr. Jackson died on Friday afternoon, June 26th.
But before I go there, let me say this: Michael Jackson absolutely was in a lot of ways, a Jackie Robinson type figure for pop/R&B music. I mean I remember being a small child when Jackson was hitting his stride with Thriller and whatnot, he was everywhere. I was into like the Beach Boys and REM a little bit but here was this R&B style singer who everyone liked. I mean Michael Jackson in the 80's was like apple pie and the Yankees. I didn't think of him as a black music performer, he was just Micheal Jackson, incredible dancer/singer/performer. MTV played the hell out of the Thriller video, (still the number one album of all-time) and the color of Jackson's skin was irrelevant to everyone around the world (except himself) who adored his music.
Okay the obvious being said, let me get back to my original point. I saw a documentary once on Mr. Jackson, (this wasn't a tell-all media craze Entertainment Tonight thing, it was a serious look at his life from interviews from the people close to him that really knew him - not hangers-on/exploiters like Donald Trump or whoever). The underlying theme that kept reappearing in all of these interviews, was that it was obvious during Jackson's adolescence, that he was fairly effeminate and maybe enjoyed the company of boys better than girls, i.e. - he was gay. But his dad of course, who Jackson said beat him, would never let his son come out of the closet and be openly gay. I don't think there was even any slight rational outlet for him to explore this part of himself.
Of course there is nothing wrong with being gay, and that's the point of this post. This kind of oppressive stay in the closet mentality is just that - oppressive, and it breeds negative emotions and stunted growth for the self. A lot of this is conjecture I know, but a lot of it's not, you can see it for yourself looking at the man's life. I mean look what he was reaching for with his 'ideal' self (the skin issue aside even) it was a very effeminate female with long luxurious hair. There was nothing remotely masculine about him at this time and until he died. Michael Jackson in the 90's and 2000's looked and acted much more like a female than a male.
I myself am not gay so I am not gonna sit here on some soap box and preach about how people shouldn't hide their true selves, because I have no idea what that kind of intense, trapped feeling might be like. I just wanted to point out something that's seeming to be overlooked in the wake of his death. I think it's important that this aspect of his life not get overlooked, if only for the sake of anyone out there who might be experiencing the same kind of scared to let their family know who they truly are mentality.
But before I go there, let me say this: Michael Jackson absolutely was in a lot of ways, a Jackie Robinson type figure for pop/R&B music. I mean I remember being a small child when Jackson was hitting his stride with Thriller and whatnot, he was everywhere. I was into like the Beach Boys and REM a little bit but here was this R&B style singer who everyone liked. I mean Michael Jackson in the 80's was like apple pie and the Yankees. I didn't think of him as a black music performer, he was just Micheal Jackson, incredible dancer/singer/performer. MTV played the hell out of the Thriller video, (still the number one album of all-time) and the color of Jackson's skin was irrelevant to everyone around the world (except himself) who adored his music.
Okay the obvious being said, let me get back to my original point. I saw a documentary once on Mr. Jackson, (this wasn't a tell-all media craze Entertainment Tonight thing, it was a serious look at his life from interviews from the people close to him that really knew him - not hangers-on/exploiters like Donald Trump or whoever). The underlying theme that kept reappearing in all of these interviews, was that it was obvious during Jackson's adolescence, that he was fairly effeminate and maybe enjoyed the company of boys better than girls, i.e. - he was gay. But his dad of course, who Jackson said beat him, would never let his son come out of the closet and be openly gay. I don't think there was even any slight rational outlet for him to explore this part of himself.
Of course there is nothing wrong with being gay, and that's the point of this post. This kind of oppressive stay in the closet mentality is just that - oppressive, and it breeds negative emotions and stunted growth for the self. A lot of this is conjecture I know, but a lot of it's not, you can see it for yourself looking at the man's life. I mean look what he was reaching for with his 'ideal' self (the skin issue aside even) it was a very effeminate female with long luxurious hair. There was nothing remotely masculine about him at this time and until he died. Michael Jackson in the 90's and 2000's looked and acted much more like a female than a male.
I myself am not gay so I am not gonna sit here on some soap box and preach about how people shouldn't hide their true selves, because I have no idea what that kind of intense, trapped feeling might be like. I just wanted to point out something that's seeming to be overlooked in the wake of his death. I think it's important that this aspect of his life not get overlooked, if only for the sake of anyone out there who might be experiencing the same kind of scared to let their family know who they truly are mentality.
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7 comments:
Welcome back, Ed.
He was actually the first African American artist who got a video on MTV...amazing to think in these days of Oprah and Obama that a mere two decades ago, you still pretty much had to be white to get to the higher echelons of fame (during Jimi Hendrix's heyday, rock music in general, and particularly the loud psychedelic kind, was still way outside the mainstream).
As for the sexuality issue, his being an accused pedophile seems to have trumped the likelihood that he was gay--and, certainly, will keep the gay community from wanting to claim him as one of their own. Of course, most people are keeping away from that at the moment, but I doubt it'll be long before the media start's digging into Jackson's dirt like never before....
Thanks Dr. Jay!
I agree that his sexuality never got developed and that is what I am meaning. Had he been allowed to be who he was (probably gay) his growth would of never been stunted and he wouldn't have tried to recreate the experiences he should have had in his own adolescence. But he was never allowed to have those experiences, and then obviously tried to recreate them in a very unnatural way. Wether he was a pedophile or not, his relationship with kids (especially boys) was maybe well-intentioned but unnatural.
I have a great honor for the pop star Mr.Jackson.He just made a history in the pop world.Of course there are some questions which have no any perfection answer about his personal life.But we can't denied his contribution to the pop world.
Wein
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nice entry...
Ed - nice to see you wrting - M. Jackson was an amazing talent. nowhere in the world was there anyone like him. I think what troubled me was this sense I have that if he was only half as talented, he'd have lived twice as long. I often wonder about the 100 or so songs that John Lennon would have written in the last almost 30 years. I wonder what would M. Jackson have been performing in another 20 years. Sad that we will never know.
Keep writing.
Interesting points Ed!
There was definitely a feminine side to Michael Jackson, or should I say how he chose to change and portray himself, so who knows where his heart, mind and preferences really lay.
Perhaps as you say, he was repressed to keep his true identity a secret...
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