Yes I Did Say That About Michael Jackson
I am not going to be happy with this blog. I can't find the right words. The mix of emotions I'm feeling right now make it impossible for me to write what's in my heart. The best way I can put it for now is that its equal parts sorrow and confusion.
Like nearly everyone born before 1990, I have my own personal "Michael Jackson moments". Fleeting periods in my life that at least for "a moment" were profoundly defined by the whirlwind created by a musical genius. I could go through those moments of my life where MJ was prominent in my life for one reason or another, but I think I'm going to save that for the radio. For now, I'm going to talk about the dilemma that all in media are faced with today.
USA Today says this morning that "no celebrity has been as revered and reviled over the past 40 years as Michael Jackson." For sure, I have revered Michael Jackson...for me, going all the way back to 3rd grade. But I have also reviled him, feared him, suspected him, and condemned him...and I have done so not just privately but in my public persona as well.
To revile is to criticize in an angry or abusive manner. Looking back, I have definitely said things that fit this description. To deny that now (or even gloss over it) on the day after his unexpected death would be hypocritical.
No doubt that Michael Jackson was the single most influential musical artist of my life, even though he hasn't made a significant contribution to his legacy for fifteen years---but also no doubt that he was eccentric, and led a bizarre existence. When his behavior led many (including the Los Angeles District Attorney) to believe that he had committed crimes against children, he became this dual persona to me. On one side, a musical juggernaut who transcended all before him in pop music.On the other side, a mentally unstable suspected pedophile who lost many admirers, despite his escape of conviction.
Now that he's gone, I'm inclined to gloss over that part of his story...we all are...to repackage him as simply a tortured artist that no one understood, so we tortured him more with the most scurrilous and damaging rumors and accusations that can be levied at a fellow human being. I want it known that I am neither denying nor apologizing for things I've said about Michael in the past. To do that, would be duplicitous. By the same token, they are things I wouldn't say at his funeral and I won't repeat them now, the day after his untimely death.
In a way, he reminds me of the baseball hero that shamed his accomplishments with steroids, or the football star that's unstoppable on the field but can't stay out of jail in the off-season. The age-old battle of talent versus character.
Regardless, if you can strip away everything from MJ's life but those "on field" accomplishments, Michael Jackson was AMAZING. One of the five most influential people of our entire generation. That's what I will focus on today on the radio. But please know that while I may sound reverential, I'm talking about solely his career, not Michael Jackson as a person. I didn't know him as a person. I can only base my feelings and opinions on what I know to be true: That yesterday we lost an artist and performer that had a profound impact on my life, and re-defined the word "phenomenon". The loss of his talent and his potential future contributions to his genre, will be felt for years.
Like nearly everyone born before 1990, I have my own personal "Michael Jackson moments". Fleeting periods in my life that at least for "a moment" were profoundly defined by the whirlwind created by a musical genius. I could go through those moments of my life where MJ was prominent in my life for one reason or another, but I think I'm going to save that for the radio. For now, I'm going to talk about the dilemma that all in media are faced with today.
USA Today says this morning that "no celebrity has been as revered and reviled over the past 40 years as Michael Jackson." For sure, I have revered Michael Jackson...for me, going all the way back to 3rd grade. But I have also reviled him, feared him, suspected him, and condemned him...and I have done so not just privately but in my public persona as well.
To revile is to criticize in an angry or abusive manner. Looking back, I have definitely said things that fit this description. To deny that now (or even gloss over it) on the day after his unexpected death would be hypocritical.
No doubt that Michael Jackson was the single most influential musical artist of my life, even though he hasn't made a significant contribution to his legacy for fifteen years---but also no doubt that he was eccentric, and led a bizarre existence. When his behavior led many (including the Los Angeles District Attorney) to believe that he had committed crimes against children, he became this dual persona to me. On one side, a musical juggernaut who transcended all before him in pop music.On the other side, a mentally unstable suspected pedophile who lost many admirers, despite his escape of conviction.
Now that he's gone, I'm inclined to gloss over that part of his story...we all are...to repackage him as simply a tortured artist that no one understood, so we tortured him more with the most scurrilous and damaging rumors and accusations that can be levied at a fellow human being. I want it known that I am neither denying nor apologizing for things I've said about Michael in the past. To do that, would be duplicitous. By the same token, they are things I wouldn't say at his funeral and I won't repeat them now, the day after his untimely death.
In a way, he reminds me of the baseball hero that shamed his accomplishments with steroids, or the football star that's unstoppable on the field but can't stay out of jail in the off-season. The age-old battle of talent versus character.
Regardless, if you can strip away everything from MJ's life but those "on field" accomplishments, Michael Jackson was AMAZING. One of the five most influential people of our entire generation. That's what I will focus on today on the radio. But please know that while I may sound reverential, I'm talking about solely his career, not Michael Jackson as a person. I didn't know him as a person. I can only base my feelings and opinions on what I know to be true: That yesterday we lost an artist and performer that had a profound impact on my life, and re-defined the word "phenomenon". The loss of his talent and his potential future contributions to his genre, will be felt for years.
Comment
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Comment by Amy Small on August 16, 2009 at 7:34pm - I know this is a late aknowledgement to your blog, but thank you for your coverage on Michael Jackson. I had surgery two weeks ago and it wasn't until I was recovering (and a bit depressed) that I actually let his death sink in. I remember your coverage and I have my memories (was in 6th grade when Thriller hit)...there will never be another MJ. Never ever. May he rest in peace and his family (and children) LIVE in peace.
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Comment by suzannefisher on August 9, 2009 at 12:52pm - Loneliness was his prison and eccentricity was his crime. RIP MJ.
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Comment by William McGhee on July 27, 2009 at 12:59am -
i couldn't have said it any better my self kidd you know we love ya
signed
dubt35
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Comment by Mluv, The Red Headed Step-Child on July 18, 2009 at 11:20am -
I respect Kidd's stand. Mine is a little different because I can't get behind the concept of praising someone and appreciating his work when he's actually done something so immoral and unethical. For Example, nobody would argue that O.J. Simpson will never make another movie or ever be appreciated for anything he's done in his life. Yet the police have turned up evidence in M.J.'s house that make him very guilty in the court of public opinion, of harming children, which should be thought of as the worst crime possible, we tend to show respect to his body of work. I guess I just don't understand. The most ironic thing is that O.J. was never found guilty in a criminal court either. (and I do believe O.J. is guilty, especially after his book)
Lastly, as a child of sexual abuse, I remember the event as if it happened yesterday and although I have moved on, I still have moments when it impacts my psyche. I can't imagine appreciating anything the man that molested me did, no matter how noteworthy it was. He was also not convicted in a court of law as my parents did not go after him, but he was still guilty as heck.....
So just as the guy that hurt me is in my prayers, so is MIchael. I want him to heal. We are all connected as humans and it is important that we look out for each other. But I won't mourn and it disheartens me a bit when folks are so willing to overlook such a moral issue.
Thanks for letting me vent, because it helps to share the way I feel with you guys..I appreciate it...
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Comment by Mluv, The Red Headed Step-Child on July 17, 2009 at 11:07am
- Michael is in my prayers. Everyone else that has been affected by the things that happened in his life are in my prayers as well. I have a problem seperating his music from who he was and his actions, and it makes me very sad that I can't celebrate his music. It may be true that he was never convicted, but the evidence found in his house stands on its on merit. I wish things were different and I hope that even now he can find peace, but I can't celebrate what he has accomplished in this world, because to me, that is to say to the children he affected that what he did was alright. It breaks my heart and I wish things were different, but the most I can say is that I will continue to pray for him.
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Comment by Adam Bernal on July 16, 2009 at 1:35pm -
Kidd I have to say I would always change the station when I would hear you talk bad about Michael Jackson, it would make me so angry when people would add their negative opinions to someone that has never hurt anyone. I love Michael so much. After reading this blog, I had to sign up and tell you that this was a very nice well written entry.
Has Kellie taken back her beliefs after hearing that the child that accused Michael admit to lying? Either way, I love Kellie and I don't judge her ;-)
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Comment by Wayne G. Wanner Jr. on July 8, 2009 at 3:37pm - Well said Kidd. I am two years younger than MJ and remembering growing up listening and singing to the Jackson 5, and then to Michael when he went solo. I was in the Virgin Record Store in London the day that "Bad" was released and was taken back by Michaels lightened complexion on the cover. The album however was to me pure genius and I enjoyed it even more than I had enjoyed Thriller. I was fortunate to see Michael in concert during the "Bad Tour" at a racing stadium in Hockenheim, Germany. It was one of the best concerts I have ever been to. To witness the love and admiration that the European crowd had for Michael took my breath away. I'm sorry to say that "Bad" was the last MJ album I had purchased until and with the exception of "The Essential Michael Jackson" that I purchased a month after his acquittal on the second charges of child molestation. The reason for this purchase was honestly because I couldn't ever see MJ making a come back from the media scrutiny and figured his career as a musical performer was over. I have to admit that I wanted something lasting to hold on to and look back on and listen to. Although, I admired MJ's genius talent I was angry at him for what I perceived to be his personal failings. Although I never believed MJ to be capable of hurting a child, I was upset with him because after the first accusation , MJ did not exhibit the good sense to protect himself from future accusations and in fact opened himself, his family & friends as well as his fans to it! I wish MJ all the peace in his spiritual life that seemed to be outside of his grasp during his earthly life. I hope his family and his children will one day find comfort and peace with his passing. The entire world will one day find comfort with MJ's untimely passing and be able to smile once again soon by his song.
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Comment by Amber on July 3, 2009 at 11:02am -
I'm so glad that you shared this. I have been holding back from posting a blog of my own b/c I do not want to to sit there and cry. I will say that I have never truly believed the allegations made against him but I am guilty of not doing my own research for the fear of the accusations being true. However a few months ago I decided to do my research on him. After doing so I have come to concluded that Jordan Chandler and his primarily his father are guilty of taking advantage of a kind, gentle man. (see I already want to cry) Evan Chandler, the father, was a well paid dentist who was $68,000+ behind on child support. He used a drug on his son while doing a tooth extratction and made subtle suggestions to Jordan, his son, that Michael had violated him. Dr's have gone on record saying that the drug Evan Chandler used makes people susceptible to suggestions. The mother was at first adament that Michael had never violated her child. Evan Chander had recorded himself saying, "If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever...Michael's career will be over". That is exactly what he got. Evan Chander sold his childs soul. I am a mother and my children are priceless. No amount of money serves justice. If my children were violated in anyway the only justice would be for the violater to be behind bars. Instead the case didn't go to trial because there wasn't any evidence. Michael's insurance paid the Chandlers to keep their mouths shut in order to keep in other FALSE ACCUSATIONS from occurring. That's what they wanted and that's what they got.
Michael never hid that he loved children. Before the accusations Michael openly supported MANY children's charities and ofen visited orphans where he took a lot of time out of his day to play with them and talk to them and truly love them. This mans heart and soul was stomped on. Watch the video for "Earth Song". (It made me cry myself to sleep) Such a shame that such a wonderful man has tragically left this earth possibly stemming from RX abuse. Which of course all started once Evan Chandler destroyed his life.
Who cares if he didn't want to be black, who care if he had a lot of surgeries to change his features, who cares if he was a litle different. His heart was pure as gold and his soul was innocent. His music was inspiring for many people including artists that are now famous. For me, I love his music but it's no Thriller, Billie Jean, Dirty Diana, etc. The songs that are touch me the most are Heal the World, Earth Song, You Are Not Alone, Scream/Childhood-theme song from Free Willy etc. He brought happiness and light into the life of Ryan White, a young boy how contracted HIV through a blood transfusion. During that time HIV wasn't a well researched disease and Ryan wasn't allowed back to school. Michael, Elton Johan, Magic Johnson all aided in his care and happiness and financial needs. (crying once again)
Michael was a good stewardist of his fortune. Even after his death he's leaving 20% of his assets/money to more than a dozen CHILDRENS charities.
It pains me to know that people ridicule him for having a passion for children. Kidd you have a passion for children. Are you a child molestor? (You get my point I hope.)
We live in a cruel world and the only way I have peace right now is knowing and believing that the work Michael did here on Earth he's being rewarded for in Heaven moonwalking on the streets of gold and singing and dancing before the Lord. He's no longer suffering.(sobbing now)
I never thought that I would ever understand the way people react to celebreties deaths. Someone they never knew. Now here I am aching from the loss of someone I never knew.
His legacy will live on.
~♫♪Amber♪♫~
PS watch the music video Scream with the lyrcis, it's his rebuttle to the media. He couldn't have done a beter job. $7M video which is the most expensive to date.
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Comment by joanne on June 30, 2009 at 8:56am -
I think you are right. I watched the the MJ interviewer last night, and i did'nt see a child molester.i saw a man child. i saw a lil boy that was not allowed to be a lil boy. i think his neverland represents everything he missed has a child. my dad use to hit me alot, so i can understand the feeling of having to grow up before my time. instaed of hanging out with friends and having fun i was trying to figure out how to hide or try to figure how to stay away from the house on a weekend. My twin sister and i were always raised to be quite b/c i our mom was chronically ill all the time. so today we are both very quite shy women. we were never given the opportunity to be loud or just be a kid. take care of mom is what we did. So i understand where he comes from. if you think about it, what is every kid's dream? to have a big house to have alot of pets really cool pets.
and to have rides in your backyard that you go on when ever you wanted. as a child what is it that you would say? " if i had all the money in the world" he still thinks as a child b/c he never was one.
i always wondered what made him so wierd, but what makes anyone so wierd? what we see as normal for us he may have seen normal to him. just b/c he was celebrity we see his life as wierd b/c we did'nt have what he had. so that made him wierd?
i dont know, i think Michael Jackson accompolished alot in his life. in music and has entertainer. i only know what i see. i saw a great man do great things. but i dont know him so therefore i dont judge as should anyone.
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Comment by margaret on June 29, 2009 at 10:28pm - me nor my sister ever believed Michael was a pedophile .. it is really so sad how the media drove him into the ground. yes he had his problems but i will never believe being a criminal was one of them.
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