The 'King' is Dead

I think it's safe to say that most people were stunned by the news last week that singer and world-mega-star Michael Jackson passed away after going into cardiac arrest. Although the exact reasons behind his death will not be known for certain until his autopsy results are released, one thing for certain is that suddenly there will be a tremendous outpouring of emotion (both positive and negative) that will attempt to portray a man who was both adored and despised depending on who you ask.

Now perhaps 'despised' is a very strong word but there is no denying that the media did a tremendously good job of portraying Michael Jackson in as negative a light as was possible at the height of the accusations leveled against him. Whether the allegations were true or not, there were plenty of videos or editorial commentary going around to convince even the most skeptical person that perhaps there was some truth to the rumors. And in a very fell swoop, whatever other impact he may have had on the world was swept aside (particularly here in the United States) as it seemed that many people wanted to forget about him. I mean for years, you could probably count on your hand the number of times you would hear a Michael Jackson song on the radio. Sure at Halloween you'd hear "Thriller" until you got sick but when else would you ever hear him sing?

There may have been the occasional tribute to him here in the States with people singing his songs on shows like "American Idol" but on the whole people had reduced him to a caricature of what he once was. More than the music people chose to remember and bring up his love of exotic animals or the fact that he portrayed himself to be a perpetual child. Never mind that he did tremendous work for HIV/AIDS research and awareness around the world or that he raised millions for charity, what remained in the collective consciousness of the media was the accusations of molestation. I think he became a poster child for what could happen when someone becomes famous around the world, and not necessarily in a good way.

I remember seeing his concerts on television being broadcast from Europe and seeing how much love and affection these kids had for him over there. I don't think I'll ever be able to understand how much his music meant to so many people around the world. Don't get me wrong, I think his songs are among the very best and no matter how lame it may seem to many people, I think he's still one of the most creative artists out there. But what seemed to happen to him later on was that as society transitioned into the 1990's and grunge and the whole hip-hop movement made it's way into the mainstream, he lost his identity.

One could maybe say that that was part of the reason he kept coming up with new looks or styles. Sure he had medical problems that affected his outward appearance but rather than sympathizing with the man he remained a caricature for people to make fun of. It's unfortunate now that the positive message many are attempting to place on him is now coming after his death. In life after these accusations came to life it was hard for anyone to speak of him without mentioning the accusations against him in the same breath. Now he has suddenly again become an object of adoration and appreciation. Some say that people believe death can absolve people of all the wrong things they've done in their life and while that may be, I think it's more illustrative of the media taking someone and tearing him down when he's at his lowest point and then using his death as a means of boosting their ratings.