Saturday, June 27, 2009

Rest In Peace, MJ

I remember, from when I was very small, my brother dancing around our living room and singing along with his Michael Jackson tapes. In the way that John Lennon's Imagine was a gateway into my love of rock and roll in my tween years, Michael Jackson's music was my first taste of soul. Whether you are a fan of his music or not, his massive impression on the music industry, and the music-television industry for that matter, is noteworthy.

And now as we look back on his footprint, his incredible talent is eclipsed by his tragic and misunderstood personal life. Perhaps, as a celebrity, judgment and criticism are simply an occupational hazard, but I can't help wondering why. WHY?!

In truth, I don't know too much about what happened inside Michael Jackson that brought forth such unusual characteristics. One could speculate that the abuse he suffered as a child or his workload from a young age contributed. Maybe his surreal stardom and wealth (at one point anyway) created a disconnect from reality. Or maybe that Pepsi commercial incident was really the straw that broke the camel's back. The thing is, lots of people have been through similar traumas and pulled through in more conventional ways.

We'll never have the answers to these questions.

And I don't care about the specifics really. All we really need to know is that he was, in some way, broken, hurt. So, why then do we harp on his personal life so much that it overshadows his brilliance?

You may think that as a celebrity, as aforementioned, that it was part of his job to be judged, but I don't. Sure, if you are a public figure, aspects of your personal life will leak into the media. But what if the media stopped the shit-show and gave us the facts, with a side of compassion?

Michael Jackson had a horribly challenging childhood, coupled with nearly unprecedented success in his career. He had an auto-immune disease that left him discolored and an addiction to self mutilation that he fed via plastic surgery. He was addicted to prescription drugs. He was eccentric to the high heavens and I suspect he had a huge heart that was full of love and tenderness.

He had seemingly terrible boundaries with children. And that part I do not take lightly, but it all boils down to a broken soul, I think. And though I would never let any child I know within a hundred miles of Neverland Ranch, I don't see why as a nation, from the safety and comfort of our homes, we can't just find some unconditional positive regard for the difficult road he traveled.

What's our pay off? I mean, I understand that someone is getting rich from it, but what are WE, media consumers and members of the human race, getting out of it?

Had we celebrated his talents rather than shaming him into seclusion, would he still be with us? And would he be a healthier version of the Michael we knew recently? I can't imagine that a spoonful of compassion would have hurt anything.

I think this situation is a beautiful reminder to appreciate the people around us that challenge our understanding most. It's not to say that clear boundaries aren't imperative, but it is to suggest that appreciating the beauty in people might be a more constructive activity than tearing them down.

No comments: