Putting Michael Jackson In Context

  • Thread starter Thread starter Image_of_God
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I

Image_of_God

Guest
I was originally hesitant in creating this thread, doubtful about its success. But I decided to it. Anyway, I know a lot of people are annoyed at the excessive Michael Jackson coverage and some are annoyed rightfully so. Yet, in this coverage, I could not help but think that Michael was being deified. And any deification of a human being is inherently excessive. But in contrast to the media, I wanted to put Michael Jackson in context. What exactly does that mean? Well I was hoping to recognize and give God credit for producing someone like Michael Jackson.

I would kindly ask if some people—fans or not, would express some of their memories or even discuss the current coverage, or basically anything Michael Jackson, but here’s the catch—in context. The only real restriction I put on is no unkind comments about Michael Jackson (that should be a given for people striving to perfect Christian charity). I know there are a lot of '80’s kids here that were affected by Michael Jackson in school. Maybe start about how you were affected at that time. I loved read about it. Thank you.
 
Personally I don’t watch much of the news on TV and don’t get magazines or the newspaper, so I’m glad I missed the hoopla or I would be one that is annoyed too.

However, to put things into perspective, I was either a freshman or sophomore in college when his album “Thriller” came out. I saw the fanaticism as deifying this man and thought there was something just too strange about the whole thing. I did like some of his songs, but for some reason I thought something sinister was going on (even though at that point I had lost my religion or at least had begun to) with all the fanatics out there. And it seemed to me to be affecting about 90% of the people I knew. I just had a feeling there was an “evil” component about this but I couldn’t define it at the time. So I ignored it the best I could until it died down.

I would assume that the same is going on here… I’m glad I’m missing it.

Snert
 
I don’t think the coverage in the wake of Michael Jackson’s death is any different that the coverage of in the wake of Elvis Presley’s death. 🤷

If any deification is happening, its typical of our culture’s worship of celebrities (whether musical or political or whatever.)
 
Snerticus said:
Personally I don’t watch much of the news on TV and don’t get magazines or the newspaper, so I’m glad I missed the hoopla or I would be one that is annoyed too.

However, to put things into perspective, I was either a freshman or sophomore in college when his album “Thriller” came out. I saw the fanaticism as deifying this man and thought there was something just too strange about the whole thing. I did like some of his songs, but for some reason I thought something sinister was going on (even though at that point I had lost my religion or at least had begun to) with all the fanatics out there. And it seemed to me to be affecting about 90% of the people I knew. I just had a feeling there was an “evil” component about this but I couldn’t define it at the time. So I ignored it the best I could until it died down.

I would assume that the same is going on here… I’m glad I’m missing it.

Snert
Click to expand...
This is a different perspective that what I usually have read or heard. See I’m a child of the '90’s and so I really didn’t understand most of his videos when they came out. And besides I was not even born when he was at his peak. But the one video that I did understand (I was older and more mature) was his last one which came out in 2001. I really liked the song (still do), but I suppose since he was no longer at his peak I did not sense the same deification you sensed then…until now.
 
Dale_M said:
I don’t think the coverage in the wake of Michael Jackson’s death is any different that the coverage of in the wake of Elvis Presley’s death. 🤷

If any deification is happening, its typical of our culture’s worship of celebrities (whether musical or political or whatever.)
Click to expand...
I am more liking of Michael Jackson than Elvis Presley. But regardless, I understand what you mean, and I’m not being too critical of the coverage because its to be expected especially with someone of his prominence. And considering his life, and the life and death of other stars (think Anna Nicole Smith) the coverage is well proportioned. But I don’t think that we should ignore the fact that deifying anyone, is a serious sin. And I think that’s whats happening. Anyway, the main point of this thread is not so much to be critical of the coverage (although that is part of it) as it is to talk about Michael Jackson in correct context. But I understand what you are saying and you are right, it is not uncommon.
 
I don’t remember the death of Elvis Presley, so I can’t put it into context with MJ’s death. I was never fond of Elvis Presley either, but have to admit I was more fond of Michael Jackson’s songs. Still like some of them but was never a big fan of the man.

God Bless,
Snert
 
He was an amazing person. Who else could build an amusement park to lure in children and still get a pass on a Catholic board?
 
While the press coverage of Michael Jackson’s death is needlessly excessive, I don’t see how he’s being deified either.

Next month it wil be somebody else.
 
Love his music, I was a teenager at the height of his career…Thriller…I think it is strange when people put these celebrities on a pedastal…I just like his music, I think he acted very odd in recent years…
 
Last Sunday, our homily was about him. Bad role model, living in darkness, leading towards death rather than light and life was the gyst. Obviously, someone who needed help to leave adolescence. I wish that he could have accepted the aging process, especially his God given face. He’s in with Elvis, Marilyn all of those who couldn’t grow old and OD’d. I can try to understand from knowing JWs personally. They like to dance, it is their one enjoyment, truly … sociable with people across cultures. Seeming naive, but having knowledge of bad things when rather young. Catholic mirroring, but, not … turning against the Church, really. It’s too bad. His brother, Germaine, on Larry King … he loved his brother and sticks up for him, saying that Michael gave his life for others. MJ was received money for his talents … how much he gave of that, I don’t know, but, his family and others were entertained. Maybe someone can say something about that JW upbringing and MJ’s psychology. I only knew his music from what was used in ads, heavily, at one time … Pepsi maybe?
 
I enjoyed some of Michael Jackson’s music, but wasn’t a big fan of his. I am bored with all the publicity he has gotten. Does anyone know Farrah Fawcett died? 😛 We have had 6 celebrities die in the last week or so and the only one that is important is Michael Jackson. Guess nothing else is going on in the world either.

As for Image of God (child of the 90’s) you missed one of the best decades ever, the 80’s! MTV was nothing like it is now. Music videos were the best, there was creativity with them. Thriller was one of the best ones. Michael Jackson’s hair caught fire while he was filming a Pepsi commercial. PC’s were coming out and they were expensive. Dot matrix printers were one of the best printers out there. CD players that are now going for around $20 bucks went for around $600. Those were the days! I know somewhere in CA there was a thread about what kids nowadays are missing. Check it out, it was a lot of fun reading those posts.

:manvspc:
 
The thing is that there are some people who could be said to produce the background music to ‘when we were young’ (depending on their generation) - people like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Nirvana . . . . .

So, perhaps what people are mourning is their lost youth as much as anything else.

Michael Jackson never meant very much to me but I did a lot of dancing to his music though!
 
Kaninchen said:
So, perhaps what people are mourning is their lost youth as much as anything else.
Click to expand...
You may well be right. There comes a time in everyone’s life when the celebrities of your youth start dying from natural causes, and it can be startling to realize what that means.

But what really makes me feel old is the news that the group En Vogue just celebrated their 20th anniversary. That news brought me to a complete stop.

20 years! :eek:
 
white_sheep said:
He was an amazing person. Who else could build an amusement park to lure in children and still get a pass on a Catholic board?
Click to expand...
I don’t know, but you might be implying more than what’s typed here. We don’t know what he did with those children (There is more evidence that he did not do anything wrong) so it is wrong to say he did.
 
Image_of_God said:
I don’t know, but you might be implying more than what’s typed here. We don’t know what he did with those children (There is more evidence that he did not do anything wrong) so it is wrong to say he did.
Click to expand...
He was definitely a strange guy. I really feel sorry for him. He must have had some major mental issues and no one would help him. He was surrounded by people who just wanted to take advantage of him. And he let them do it. 😦

With that said. I probably only liked a few of his songs. I know he was a very skilled dancer, but grabbing your crotch so much is pretty indecent. I wouldn’t consider myself a fan.

I got tired of the coverage too. I didn’t see ONE thing about Farrah Fawcett. I really don’t know anything about her. Maybe she should have had one too many nose jobs and worn a surgical mask everywhere. 🤷
 
Kaninchen said:
The thing is that there are some people who could be said to produce the background music to ‘when we were young’ (depending on their generation) - people like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Nirvana . . . . .

So, perhaps what people are mourning is their lost youth as much as anything else.

Michael Jackson never meant very much to me but I did a lot of dancing to his music though!
Click to expand...
They say “West Side Story” at Wiki, but, I think of “Guys and Dolls” with “Beat It” video… Then following with the parody “Eat It” on You Tube … cultural context. “Beat It” 's lyrics are rather repetitive, but, the message of non-violence and joining the dance of life, without murdering each other. He, with the help of rock and rollers? was becoming a part of a musical progression of sorts, culturally, with this song. How he used his money, his stewardship of it is important. Another Catholic singer from Britain has said he was lit up from within.
 
redtech said:
…but grabbing your crotch so much is pretty indecent. I wouldn’t consider myself a fan. 🤷
Click to expand...
That’s exactly what put me off MJ.

That, and the lyrics of the song “Billie Jean.” It always struck me as being a monumentally idiotic subject to write a song about. Might just as well sing about constipation or something like that.
 
Image_of_God said:
I don’t know, but you might be implying more than what’s typed here. We don’t know what he did with those children (There is more evidence that he did not do anything wrong) so it is wrong to say he did.
Click to expand...
The man was a pedophile. Even if he never molested a single child. He built an amusement park to lure them in, paid parents to leave their kids with him, slept in the same bed with them, etc. That’s like saying a man who sets up an automatic corn feeder for deer and builds a blind, goes and gets his rifle sighted in and buys a hunting license, then sits in the blind and shoots at deer is not a hunter because he missed. He’s a hunter, Michael Jackson was a pedophile.
 
white_sheep said:
The man was a pedophile. Even if he never molested a single child. He built an amusement park to lure them in, paid parents to leave their kids with him, slept in the same bed with them, etc. That’s like saying a man who sets up an automatic corn feeder for deer and builds a blind, goes and gets his rifle sighted in and buys a hunting license, then sits in the blind and shoots at deer is not a hunter because he missed. He’s a hunter, Michael Jackson was a pedophile.
Click to expand...
Whoa, wait a minute. Do you know that Jackson attempted to have sex with any of these kids? I think his obsession with children was creepy, but there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that wrong doing took place, despite a high publicity trial.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top