In our celebrity obsessed, consumer driven world, we tend to make our judgements based on the vaneer, the surface, only what we see.
The rapid switching of channels on tvs, iPods, computers makes it virtually impossible for us to stop, think, and really look at something or somebody.
Celebrities have become commodities just like anything else that we choose to purchase. They go in and out of fashion. We love them one minute, and hate them the next. We imitate them and yet we vilify them.
I was eighteen when Michael Jackson then aged five first came into the limelight. At that time he and his family represented the new 'black is beautiful' consciousness. He was fresh, cute and was soon propelled into the star roll of the Jackson Five group.
Michael as a young boy.
From 1964, when Michael was five years old until now, in many ways the bizarre and extreme behaviour and changes we have seen in Michael Jackson mirror what has gone on in society during this period.
As our obsessions with image and excess have spiralled out of control, Michael Jackson became yet another victim and pawn in our consummer driven madness.
I do believe that he was shy, vulenerable and highly sensitive, and I also believe that the 'mask' we all became to know him by was a constant effort on his part to cover up the real Michael. In many ways his life was a modern day greek tragedy played out for us all to see at the press of a button.
It's probably a huge blessing for him that he has left this body and moved onto the next zone at age 50. How could he possibly continue to keep up the fascard, vaneer, image into later life!
Here is the mutilated Michael and sadly how he will be remembered.
_________________________________________
I had a lovely quiet supper with friend Jane Carter yesterday. - and this morning is the beginning of another beautiful and warm day in London.
A Bientot
I couldn't agree more. I adored his music as I was growing up - and have been reminded that the videos and music he made over the years was so different and creative - it has been emulated so often since that it probably doesn't seem that creative to younger audiences. I think he probably tried to revert to childhood (his Neverland life) as from the age of about 5 he was in the spotlight. He had no 'normal' as a reference. I found the mutilation of his body and face repulsive over the years - but I can see that he was masking something deeply disturbing beneath that. His life was a tragedy and he only seemed to come alive when being creative and playing - I think you are right - his death is a blessing.