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i’m sure i will offend all sorts people with this…

… but i just don’t get why the entire world is so torn up about the death of michael jackson.

yes, he had an insanely successful career as a singer/entertainer/pop star. yes, he took a lot of that to a whole new level. yes, i remember thriller and doing the moonwalk. yes, i remember wanting one of those red leather jackets, and one of those sparkly white gloves.

however… i’m also wondering why everyone else is seeming to forget how he bleached his skin (and then had a big hit stating that it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white… always wondered about that one), underwent so much plastic surgery that he barely looked human anymore, made crotch-grabbing an acceptable dance move, hung his kid over a balcony, showed up for court in his pajamas, and, oh yeah, was accused of child molestation HOW MANY TIMES??? this was a VERY disturbed man.

i have never understood why being a celebrity excuses people from upholding the same morals and standards that we expect of normal people.

i will never understand the position we allow these people to have in our lives. he was not God. he may have been the king of pop… but really, that’s not a kingdom i’m much interested in if that’s the sort of king we appoint to rule.

Comments

  1. Esther LeeJune 26, 2009 at 11:55 AM

    "he may have been the king of pop… but really, that’s not a kingdom i’m much interested in if that’s the sort of king we appoint to rule."

    Well said Rachel. Even though I do like his music occasionally you called it like it is. Death seems to bring tragedy no matter the life but I appreciate what you said.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LindseyJune 26, 2009 at 2:06 PM

    OMG I was logging on to post the EXACT same thing...wow, we think alike! ;) Not that I can say it as well...but I'm still posting mine ;). THANK YOU!

    ReplyDelete
  3. LizJune 26, 2009 at 2:44 PM

    I would agree, what you write is accurate, but I think it's important, too, to remember people for when good they bring to the table. MJ's contribution to the greater good includes all the fighting he did for the rights to own his own music, and made the fight a little less frusterating for smaller starting musicians. Also, I know we all do some fairly f-ed up things throughout our lives and I sure hope people don't remember me years later as the messed up liz colver.... I don't think MJ's death is something to greive over like, say, JFK or Grandpa, and many people who were affected negetively by him will be 'safer' now, but he was one of a kind in what he shared with the world - and in my opinion, he enhanced my life positively with his music :)

    My 2 cents!

    ReplyDelete
  4. BrendaJune 27, 2009 at 7:24 AM

    Something to remember is that "we" did not appoint him the king of pop. He and his spin doctors gave him that title, "we" just accepted it. But for the most part I agree with you. The media loved to slam him over his lifestyle and choices, but now that he's dead he's a saint. I realize that propriety says we shouldn't knock on the dead, but lets not make them more than they were.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Laurie DapeloJune 27, 2009 at 7:41 AM

    First of all, we have been saying the same thing - this was not someone to turn into some kind of god - fallen idol is more like it. Ok, I see Hazel's mommies point in that he did do some good things and I remember him when he was a little kid like me and we were all crazy about the Jackson 5. But the media is treating this like they would the president of the U.S. or the Pope! And I always wonder about people who set up shrines and weep and wail about losing someone they never actually knew - that is truly idol worship at it's worst (or best, I guess, depending on your viewpoint.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Catherine WittJune 29, 2009 at 6:17 AM

    I'm sure that all the normal people in this world would agree with you, but unfortunately it's not the normal people who control the media, more then people who want to normalize spending money on all manner of things from pop music to plastic surgery, so they throw up Michael Jackson and see how many people will follow that example and waste all their money and time on that. He's not a hero by any stretch of the imagination in my mind. He's always been absolutely nobody except when he apparently invited some little boys to sleep with him. That concerned me if it was true? I don't recall how that trial turned out. Anyway, I'm glad to be in France where I'm sure I'm hearing less of all this mess than in the U.S.

    ReplyDelete
  7. LisaJuly 1, 2009 at 8:31 PM

    I agree, Rachel! It was great seeing you today. I found your blog off Angie's. Is it okay if I make a link from my blog to yours?

    ReplyDelete

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