Non-Obligatory, Truly Heartfelt Comment on Michael Jackson's Death

The poster hung in the far corner of my room, like a guardian angel over my bed, when I was five years old; in a yellow sweater vest, his bedroom brown eyes seemed to follow me from drawing another picture of E.T. on my Dad-made easel to my closet where I would make my sixth outfit change of the day. And thank you to the internet for bringing that poster back to me:



Now, yes, given the context of the events of Michael's life, imagining him watching me, a five-year-old child, changing my clothes several times a day is pretty creepy. I guess that would be true of any adult no matter what the context. But I had a big crush on Michael Jackson when I was that young. He could arguably be the first man I loved "like that," however possible that is as a child. But the feeling invoked by the poster was nothing my mother or father could bring out in me. It was eerie and enticing all at once. Possibly the seed of my current exhibitionism? Hm. Maybe.

I am not sure about all the molestation allegations against Michael; was he a predator or was he preyed upon? I feel like it would be weird to laud his life and lament his passing without mentioning the accusations, but I believe that he was always acquitted; my memory is hazy around it mostly because I didn't pay much attention or put much energy into judging. If I were to have an opinion now, I think that Jacko was nutty: most, if not all, truly talented artists are. They just exist on a different plane of reality than the rest of us. But I don't think he did any children any harm. I think he was an older man that, as a result of his own mangled childhood, never left a child-like mentality. I mean, doy, Neverland Ranch? Bubbles? That guy never grew up. He probably mentally trapped himself in the years before the abuse started and surrounded himself with children to keep that feeling alive, like doing a drug. I can understand how those parents found it creepy and threatening, when society teaches us that this is how a child behaves, but this is how an adult behaves. I could go on about this, but I'm not gonna.

The bottom line is, the man's music touched everyone else's in the world, the WORLD. Max Sparber wrote a very concise and wonderful tribute to the effect he had on us. And though I'm not sure his recent music will be anything compared to Thriller, Off The Wall, Bad, even HIStory, I personally am reminded of the tremendous and perhaps taken-for-granted place Michael Jackson's music had in my life. I will always get up and dance to just about anyone of his dance tunes ("PYT," "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough," "Thriller," "Beat It," "Off The Wall," "Rock With You," "Smooth Criminal," etc, etc, etc, will always get my square booty shakin'). Music is the universal language of human life. You will be hard-pressed to find anyone that doesn't listen to music. And within MJ's music, I think you will be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn't enjoy at least one of his songs, at least as a secret guilty pleasure.

Michael Jackson even got a little subversive... Have you ever heard "Earth Song?"

He was a weirdo. He warped his own appearance. Who cares? I mean, really, who cares. It's the weirdos that make life worth living.

Plus, he totally had that video with the "Elephant Man" in it and I can't help but totally connect with that, being extremely fascinated with the Elephant Man myself. And weren't they both just sideshow freaks?

He said it, but did we truly listen? Live Your Life Off The Wall.

Rest In Peace, Michael.