Michael Jackson passes away and people everywhere are sad and mourning...
Why is this such major news right now?
Now don't get me wrong, it is sad to hear about the passing of someone as famous as Michael Jackson. He influenced a great deal of things during his life, no question about that. But if I'm not mistaken, didn't a great deal of people spend a lot of time cracking a lot of jokes about Michael Jackson and little boys? And didn't a lot of people in this world hate him so bad because of the things he was accused of?
And yet all of those issues don't matter anymore. Now it is all said and done, a non-issue as it goes these days. Now people are crying and feeling sad over this guy's death. Listen to the radio or watch some TV and you'll notice: the jokes about him are gone away! Because NOW he's a hero! Oh and NOW he was such a great and positive influence huh? What a turn around!
To top it all off, this ends up being all over these major news networks! Was he really THAT big of a deal? I mean sure he was in the process of making a comeback, but didn't he try (and fail) to do this a few years ago? If I remember correctly, he released a CD and then was nailed with yet another child molestation charge.
What I wonder is this: Could it hurt to maybe focus on some real issues? Like North Korea and their ever increasing desire to nuke us all back to the ice age? Or how about the insanity that is going on over in Iran?
Nah, that stuff is old news now! So yesterday! While yes, North Korea could blow us all up, but come on! Michael Jackson just died! And since everyone and their mom is snapping up all of his music and everything in between, you gotta know that news coverage of him will equal a fuckton of ratings! And what does ratings equal?! MONEY!
So while we wait for someone aboard one of those US ships in the Pacific to lay an ungodly fart, which will then set off the North Koreans as they will swear they were under attack by the US. This, in turn, would gain their one and only response which would be to nuke everything it can possibly reach. Now will we know when this happens?
Nope!
But at least we'll all know that Michael Jackson, at the young age of 50, who was about to make a 50 show comeback in London, has passed away. Then they'll play him and his family performing that ABC song. Again. And again. And again...
1 comment:
Haha, obviously you were not a Michael Jackson fan growing up. ;-) Your cynicism is going to make you an old man. I agree that there are other issues that deserve attention right now. I also agree that the media is greedy.
But what I think is worth noting is that regardless of the scandals and weird shit that Michael Jackson may or may not have gotten himself into, he left an indelible mark on popular music. Yes, he really WAS that big of a deal. Whether you like his music or not, he helped shaped pop music into what it is today. No one can argue that. Unlike you, I grew up during his most popular era. He hadn't gotten all weird yet and his contribution to popular music was unique, fresh, and something that we had NEVER seen before.
As for the legal issues... We will never know who was telling the truth. That is the nature of scandal and the media. In fact, if you think about it, you've pointed out something very interesting. That a lot of people hated him for doing these horrible things. And now the media is showing that a lot of people love him because of his music. The media controls what we think and what we focus on. So there is no way to know what is real.
The media has been instigating widespread panic about the current economic situation for many months now. They've chosen to focus on all the bad stuff to make the public feel unsafe and afraid. This makes them more vulnerable and more easily manipulated. It is because of this that I hate the media. I do not appreciate being played for a fool, having fear and sensationalism used to sway my opinions one way or another.
I certainly wouldn't blame you for thinking that my opinion is biased. Yes, I was a Michael Jackson fan. I lost interest in his music during the 1990's. If you asked me whether I believe that he would do those horrible to things to children, I would say that it's not for me to make that judgment. I didn't know him and I wasn't there. I try the best I can not to make judgments about people based on secondary sources. There is no truth. Only perception. And I refuse to make such a severe judgment on someone's character based on someone else's perception.
One last point and I promise I'll shut up. ;-) This media frenzy over his death has accomplished a positive thing: People are thinking about something other than war and unemployment. Together, millions of people are mourning the loss of a music legend. (He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.) While the world is busy with that, although there is sadness, there is less cynicism and negativity. Cynicism and negativity beget more cynicism and negativity. As a society, we have become so bitter and so untrusting. If listening to that stupid ABC song over and over can help people feel a little more positive, that collective energy will help the world go in a positive direction. Just like negativity, positive feelings beget more positive feelings. That's just the way of the universe.
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